Patriots well 'below' average

Even in a loss earlier this week, the Stevenson baseball team did nothing to alter its reputation as one of the toughest teams in Lake County to score runs against.

On Wednesday, the Patriots picked up just their second loss of the season. But their 2-1 defeat to Libertyville was still indicative of the kind of baseball they've been playing all season. In a word: stingy.

Stevenson has been giving up slightly less than 2 runs a game. Even better, the Patriot pitching staff boasts an overall ERA of 1.79. That's the average for the entire staff - not just the ace.

"Typically, one guy might be that good, but a staff earned run average might be around 3 - and even that's really good," Stevenson coach Paul Mazzuca said. "To be at 1.79, that's really amazing."

Then again, the 11-2 Patriots have a pretty amazing staff. Three seniors have signed on with Division I teams - Scott Firth to Clemson, Brad Sorkin to Illinois State and Matt Robin to Ohio. And junior Kyle Ruchim has already committed to Northwestern.

Despite rolling up 11 strikeouts and allowing no walks, Firth took the loss to Libertyville, his first blemish of the season in four starts (3-1). Meanwhile, Sorkin and Robin are still spotless (both are 3-0) and Ruchim is 1-0 and has seen a lot of action in relief.

In a combined 82 innings pitched, the Fab Four has given up just 52 hits.

"Those four guys have really lived up to the expectations and have pitched so well," Mazzuca said. "When your pitchers are giving up so few runs, it really takes a lot of pressure off your offense and defense. I think that's been a big key to our success this season. I think the other guys feel like they can just go out there and play because they know if our pitchers pitch the way we know they can, we'll be in every game.

"I know I like our chances when that happens."

Can't count on it: Pitching hasn't been Stevenson's only strength so far this season.

Before Wednesday's loss to Libertyville, the Patriots had been scoring an average of 7.9 runs a game, even with games against heavyweights like Carmel, Cary-Grove and Naperville Central in the books.

Leadoff hitter Bill Dorn is setting the table nicely with a .500 on-base percentage and the heart of the order - Joe McWeeney, Matt Geissler and Kyle Ruchim - has already rolled up a combined 37 RBI.

Even the bottom of Stevenson's lineup is putting up gaudy numbers. No. 9 hitter Corey Lasky boasts an on-base percentage of .633.

Still, even with all that said, Stevenson coach Paul Mazzuca isn't allowing himself to get giddy just yet. Baseball numbers can change quickly, particularly those at the plate.

"As we get further into the season, I can't really expect our offense to stay where it's at," Mazzuca said. "That's just the way baseball is. No team stays hot all season. There are a lot of ups and downs, especially with hitting."

So how do you combat the downturns?

"You have to know how to manufacture runs," Mazzuca said. "That's what we have to work on."

In other words, the Patriots are going to have to feel comfortable playing small ball: stealing bases, bunting, taking chances, all in the name of advancing runners and scoring that one crucial run.

Fortunately for the Patriots, they already know they can do it.

In extra innings two weeks ago against Naperville Central, they scored the winning run off a suicide squeeze.

"And that was against one of the best teams in the state," Mazzuca said. "We were able to manufacture a run in extra innings at their place. That was big."

Nice story: It was already 6-1 in Stevenson's favor.

But when pinch hitter Sam Lebovitz hit a home run late in a game against Vernon Hills to put the Patriots even further ahead, the Stevenson fans and dugout celebrated like the homer had just tied a game in extra innings.

"The Vernon Hills fans must have thought we were all nuts," Mazzuca said. "We were already up by quite a bit, but everyone was just so excited for Sam."

Who wouldn't be? Lebovitz is a heart-warming story.

A senior, Lebovitz tried out for the baseball team as a freshman, and was cut.

He tried out as a sophomore, and was cut.

He tried out as a junior, and was-well, you get the idea.

After three unsuccessful attempts, many kids would simply hang up the old cleats.

But Lebovitz came out for baseball again this season, and low and behold, he finally made it.

"Sam really wanted to make the team so he really worked at it and improved a lot in two areas, fitness and hitting," Mazucca said. "He got a trainer, cut some weight and got in really good shape. Then, he just hit, like three to four times a week for the entire last year.

"It's amazing really. A lot of people would have been like, 'I'm done.' But Sam just has amazing perseverance. It's a great trait to have and he's an example to our whole team."

Mazucca plans to tell Lebovitz's story for years to come. He especially loves the ending.

"The home run was on his second-ever varsity at-bat," Mazucca said. "His first at-bat went like 3 feet, not even to the pitcher's mound. And his second goes 370 feet. That was a great moment."

Hello again: Just call Wauconda catcher Jeff Jackson the old new guy in town.

Jackson spent the first two years of his high school career at Lake Zurich, but then transferred to Wauconda prior to the start of this school year. It was like going back home again.

Jackson, who is quickly becoming one of the best catchers in the North Suburban Conference and has already reportedly committed to Arizona, spent much of his childhood in Wauconda.

"In fact, when I taught PE down at the grade school (in Wauconda) about 10 years ago or so, I remember having Jeff's older sister Melinda in my class," Wauconda baseball coach Bill Sliker said. "The family definitely knows people around here. Jeff even played for the Junior Bulldogs and I think his dad did some coaching with that.

"Jeff already knew a lot of guys on our team pretty well."

Jackson certainly seems to have made himself feel right at home.

He's been hitting the cover off the ball from the clean-up spot, to the tune of a .540 batting average. And he's been a leader from behind the plate, too, working well with the Bulldogs' pitching staff.

"Let's just say Jeff has been a very pleasant addition," Sliker said. "He's a very good hitter. He's just a player you notice right away as having great skills."

Paying off: Want to know if hard work is really worth it?

Just catch a glimpse of Wauconda pitcher Bryce Lahrman. He's a walking advertisement.

Lahrman is off to a 2-1 start on the mound this season but boasts an impressive 41-6 strikeout-to-walk ratio and is hitting about .385. Oh yeah, and he's already committed to play baseball at Dayton next year.

"Bryce worked hard last summer - a lot harder than he did between his sophomore and junior year," Wauconda coach Bill Sliker said. "I think he just decided that to get to where he wanted to be at, he really needed to put in the time and he did that. And now, he's going to Dayton and he's playing really well for us. He's pitching very well."

Money game: Sure, a 0.88 ERA is going to send plenty of college scouts Ryan Thorsen's way.

But the Grant pitcher is getting even more attention because of a couple of other impressive numbers. He boasts a plus-4.0 grade point average and he scored in the 30s on his ACT.

"Ryan's going to pitch in college for free," Grant coach Mike Mizwicki said.

Although it probably won't be at the Division I level.

"If you go Division I, you might get a 25 percent scholarship," Mizwicki said. "But Ryan could go and play at a Division III school and be on a full academic scholarship because his grades are so great. He's put himself in a really good position.

"We're not sure where he's going to go yet, but he's got four to five scouts out to see him every time he pitches."

Thorsen doesn't disappoint. He throws in the mid- to low-80s and has gotten at least 6 strikeouts in every game. Earlier this season against Antioch, he fanned a season-high 14 batters.

"Ryan has three pitches that he can throw for strikes and he throws hard," Mizwicki said. "He's just been pitching ridiculously well this season."

Welcome home? It wasn't the homecoming Bill Rosencrans had dreamed of.

An assistant coach at Mundelein for eight years prior to taking the head coaching job at Lakes this year, Rosencrans had hoped his recent return to Mundelein would be a bit more pleasant.

Instead, the Mustangs tagged Lakes with a 14-5 defeat.

"It felt a little like big brother was beating up on me," Rosencrans chuckled. "I was nervous for that game and I really wanted us to do well. I think maybe I showed my nerves too much. I'm going to have to do a better job of that next time. As the leader of our team, I'm going to have to set a better example."

Rosencrans was, however, able to show his team a thing or two about good relationships. He enjoyed catching up with some of his former players and with good friend Todd Parola, the head coach at Mundelein.

"I've known some of the kids on that Mundelein team since they were fifth and sixth graders," Rosencrans said. "It was really good to see them. And Todd and I are good friends. We share four Chicago Blackhawks season tickets."

Driver's seat: Sophomore Paul Kukulka is driving in all kinds of runs for Lakes this season.

But this summer, he was too busy actually driving for the coaching staff to get a good read on his potential.

"Paul didn't play too much with us last summer because he had driver's ed," Lakes coach Bill Rosencrans said. "But then he played one game against Wauconda where he was just hitting the ball all over the place. After that, we knew he could hit and it was an easy decision to move him up with us (to varsity)."

It was a good decision, too.

Kukulka has been the team's best hitter, hovering around the .450 mark for his batting average.

Don't forget the pitching: While Paul Kukulka has been leading the way offensively, Lakes has been getting top-notch pitching out of Tim Ryan and D.J. Snelten.

Snelten boasts an earned run average that is below a 1.0 and is consistently throwing in the low- to mid-80s while Ryan has been a cool customer under pressure and has racked up a few saves.

Lakes has gotten off to a 9-5 start and seven of the wins are spread between Snelten and Ryan.

"D.J. has been a killer out there on the mound, he's really pitching well," Lakes coach Bill Rosencrans said. "And Tim has just been the senior leader out there. He's done everything we've needed him to do."

Nice story 2: Apparently, it was time for Noon. Ryan Noon, that is.

Noon started out the season playing junior varsity games for Lakes, but wasn't quite satisfied with that.

"He just worked and worked and worked his butt off in practice," Lakes coach Bill Rosencrans said. "One day, he played really well in a JV game against Johnsburg. He had some really good at-bats, he was stealing bases, playing great defense. He did everything that a coach looks for. So, we decided to move him up to varsity."

That was about two weeks ago.

Noon has been starting at second base for the Eagles ever since.

"It's one of those things were going in, you think that the athletic ability just isn't there," Rosencrans said. "But the kid just works and works and he gets the job done.

"You've just got to love those stories. We knew Ryan always had the right attitude. He's the hardest worker. He'd run through a brick wall to catch a ball. Eventually, everything else just kind of came together for him. He's a great example for all of our kids."

In one of Noon's first varsity games, he came to the plate against Zion-Benton and nailed a double that tied the game. The Eagles eventually won the game.