Baseball: TJ Schuyler, Lake County All-Area Captain

Numbers tend to tell great stories, but the highest of affirmations from your contemporaries can take things to an even higher, concrete level.

For recently graduated Antioch catcher TJ Schuyler, he had both going for him this season in spades. His numbers as a hitter, catcher and pitcher speak for themselves, but what opposing teams had to say about him clearly cements him as the recipient of the 2023 Daily Herald Lake County Baseball All-Area captain honor.

"TJ stood out offensively and defensively as the best player we played against," one Northern Lake County Conference coach said.

"He was clearly their best player," a coach from a North Suburban Conference school said. "Good hitter. He pitched against us and threw really well. I know he's typically one of the best catchers in the area, also."

And this from another NLCC coach. "Can hurt you with his bat and glove."

Or this dandy from another NLCC coach: "The catcher from Antioch is a stud."

Indeed, Schuyler is.

A possibility to be drafted in the upcoming Major League Baseball First Year Draft and headed to Indiana University to continue his academic and baseball careers, Schuyler finished the season hitting .427 with a .541 slugging percentage. The 2023 NLCC player of the year ended with 41 hits, which included 12 doubles, 3 triples and 3 homers to go with 25 RBI and 31 runs scored. He struck out only 8 times in 122 plate appearances and also swiped 22 bases.

"What makes TJ stand out as a player is his sheer determination to be better than everyone else," Antioch's Anthony Sacchetti said. "People praise TJ for his on-field performances, but what leads to his performance is his mentality and the work he puts in behind the scenes. TJ's mentality is one of a kind. He is a guy who instantly forgets the bad and only remembers the good. He never lets the past get to his head. He only cares about what's happening in the moment."

Sacchetti said Schuyler's work behind the scenes "is for only a few," he said. "He works out six or seven days a week, he eats very well and is always doing something baseball related to become better. He never takes days off and that's what separates him from the pack."

And on the mound, Schuyler was equally effective, finishing the season 4-3 with a 2.17 ERA in 48 innings of work. He allowed only 15 earned runs and fanned 67 while issuing only 8 walks.

"TJ would walk onto any team right now and make a strong case as the best overall player in their respective programs," Antioch coach Frank Fracek said. "He is a catcher who can play other positions in the field above average (Schuyler also logged time at third, short and first)."

Fracek added what took Schuyler over the top this spring was his pitching ability.

"What makes him rare is his dominance on the mound," he said. "If you look at his record, he is 4-3, but those losses were to Lake Forest, Grayslake Central and Mundelein. In those three games he gave up a total of 8 runs combined. He was absolutely dominant in those starts and was electric on the mound all year."

Antioch's Dylan Feldkamp called Schuyler a complete package and "what everyone would want to be as a player," he said. "He is physical, smart and overall athletic both behind the plate and on the mound. He separates himself by his overall athleticism and his desire to win and compete."

While the statistics and performance suggest improvements mechanically were made, Schuyler said his biggest step forward this season was as a leader.

"I think it was more taking the role as a leader, especially with our team being young. I felt like I needed to set an example for the next couple years and set these guys up well, especially with a first-year head coach (Fracek was a longtime assistant in the program prior to taking the head coaching reins this season)," he explained.

"Because I play catcher, in previous years I was thrown into that position and role as a leader. I like being a leader and felt I thrived in that role on this team."

Sacchetti saw that leadership aspect up close this season.

"What impresses me the most is how good he is with his teammates," he explained. "He's always looking for ways to help the team get better, whether it's with swing mechanics, pitch grips, working with the catchers or just guys needing someone to talk to. He's a team-first guy and you don't see that much anymore. TJ has always been a leader since he was younger, and he's filled into the role big-time, especially this past year with the amount of young guys on the high school team. TJ is a guy everyone should look up to because of the way he plays and the way he treats the team."

Schuyler enjoyed taking an even greater role working with the Antioch pitchers this season.

"My catching and throwing skills always have been pretty good," he said. "This year, I was getting to call the game more with the pitchers and being a general on the field and being vocal."

Feldkamp added: "TJ's overall baseball knowledge is extremely impressive. He has an extremely high baseball IQ and he seems to know what to do in every situation he is out in. He helps out his other teammates on what to do in situations and gives them tips because he wants his team to succeed."

At the plate, Schuyler, who played for the Hitters travel team out of Wisconsin, noted it all boiled down to the mental side of the game.

"It was a combination of confidence and preparation," he said. "I played against a lot of high-level competition over the last few summers. I used that to fuel me. I was looking fastball and adjusting from there and I had a lot of success with that."

Schuyler, who leaves for Indiana University this week, said hooking on with the Big Ten Conference school simply felt like the right thing to do.

"The coaches are very personable there," he said. "They do a great job developing players for the next level after college. I want to go into sports marketing and hopefully stay in baseball for as long as I can either playing it or ending up in a department for a team. That's something I am really interested in."

Schuyler, who ended with a 4.3 grade-point average at Antioch, is well aware of the MLB Draft possibility, but is taking it in stride.

"We'll see how it goes," said Schuyler, who was driving to a pro workout in Indiana hosted by the San Diego Padres at the time of this interview. "I would say it's in the back of my mind as a possibility and certainly a goal of mine, but I have to live one day at a time and not get too ahead of myself and think about professional baseball. I'm staying focused."

Fracek also liked the poise Schuyler showed against pressures most high school players don't experience.

"He played all season with the pressures of major league scouts at our games watching him catch," he said.

Looking back, Schuyler is thankful for his time at Antioch, more so for the relationships he established.

"I was able to be with guys I played with for a long time," he said. "I will miss that and I am going to miss the community here being behind everything."

Sacchetti sees a sky's-the-limit type of scenario for Schuyler going forward.

"His future is the brightest I have seen out of everyone I have seen play ball," he said. "I haven't seen anyone outwork this kid and it's for a reason. He's constantly in the gym, he's constantly eating good, healthy food. He's constantly hitting and he's always throwing. He's doing everything a person needs to do to get to the big stage and then some. His bad games are games other people would love to have. While doing all that, he manages to stay a very respectful and kind kid. TJ's future is brighter than any star in space."

Feldkamp agrees that Schuyler's future is bright. "Whatever is the next level for him, he is going to be not only a great player, but a great teammate other people can rely on," he said. "The talent, competitiveness and overall makeup is there."

Fracek paid quite the closing compliment to his catcher.

"Time and time again, when we have needed him to be the best player on the field, he delivered," he said. "Our schedule did not shy away from competition. If you were to ask other coaches about him, I believe they would echo those points I made. He is a man among boys when he is on the field."

•As we hit the save button on the 2023 Lake County baseball season, a quick kudos to coach Troy Whalen's Grayslake Central Rams squad for advancing to the Class 3A state title game in Joliet, and a peace out to longtime Round Lake coach Ed Adamson who stepped down from his post after 16 years at the helm.