Minner puts together a winning idea

Barrington senior second baseman Mark Minner has plans for a future in the bright lights.

Minner doesn't have delusions of being interviewed about a spectacular game-saving play or key hit.

But the steady starting middle infielder for the Broncos, who opened Class 4A regional play Thursday against St. Viator, does plan on being the guy in the locker room asking the questions and getting the answers.

Minner, who has a 3.5 grade point average on a 4.0 scale, is the sports anchor for Barrington's student television station. He will be going to Butler to study electronic journalism.

"Like a lot of kids I spend a lot of time watching ESPN and football and baseball games," Minner said. "I thought, how cool that job would be, to spend your whole life doing that and reporting on sports?"

Minner started last year with reports on how the Barrington sports teams were doing. This year he expanded his role to a half-hour sports show he hosted with football coach Joe Sanchez, boys tennis coach John Roncone and boys cross country coach Ty Gorman.

And a comedy segment with gregarious assistant baseball coach Ray Piagientini earned a national Emmy award. It's all part of the rapport Minner has built with coaches and athletes at Barrington.

"I've found it to be one of the most enjoyable things you can do outside of baseball," Minner said. "The rush of putting a story together and turning it around in a quick amount of time -- it's what I want to do."

Minner has also found a pair of professionals in his chosen field -- FOX-32 lead sports anchor Corey McPherrin and ESPN play-by-play man Dan Shulman -- to be very supportive.

McPherrin, who is a Butler graduate, has offered critiques and assistance throughout the school year. Shulman sat down with Minner for a half-hour before a Bulls game.

"They've been incredible," Minner said. "I'm just a student so why would they have to go out of their way?"

Minner laughed and said he tries to avoid any running commentary of his own baseball games. But teammates, particularly pitcher Ryan Nolan, do their best to get Minner going.

"I try and stay focused on what I have to do and how to help the team," Minner said.

Minner referred to himself as an "understudy" last year with all-area pick Dain Hall at shortstop and his replacement, Tim Conroy, starting at second.

"The great thing is it's given me an appreciation for what I have to do this year," Minner said. "It's helped me to communicate with players who haven't had an opportunity to play."

Minner knows his role is to play solid defense and said he benefits from playing with Conroy, senior Bryan Grabowski at third and senior Steve Janezic at first. Minner's mentality with the glove is one coaches love.

"With the winning run on third base I want the ball hit to me," Minner said. "I don't want to be the person on the field in the seventh inning who says, 'Don't hit the ball to me because I don't want to make a mistake.'"

Minner knows his offensive role is to do whatever is needed to keep things rolling at the bottom of the order. But what about grilling coach Jim Hawrysko about a chance to hit higher in the lineup?

"That's the off-camera question," Minner joked.

'Kish' cashes in: Schaumburg senior left fielder Matt Kiszkowski didn't revel in how he received his big break.

"It's unfortunate how I got in with (second baseman Anthony) Solmo getting hurt," Kiszkowski said.

Fortunately for the Saxons, Kiszkowski was ready when his opportunity arrived. In that game, he helped spark a 5-run sixth-inning rally in a comeback win over Wheeling on May 6.

He's been on a tear ever since that included going 2-for-2 with an RBI single and a walk as Schaumburg claimed its first repeat Mid-Suburban League title with an 11-1 win in 5 innings over Rolling Meadows on Saturday.

"He does the job and when we needed a hit he gets one for us," said Schaumburg catcher Dominick D'Agata.

"He's come in and really ignited this club," said Schaumburg coach Paul Groot. "He's done nothing but good things. He's a very good outfielder, he listens and he's a very coachable kid."

Kiszkowski is now starting in left field. He played sparingly last year and early this year but didn't fade away or become disgruntled.

"I worked hard in the offseason waiting to get my opportunity," Kiszkowski said. "At the beginning of the year I was always swinging the bat and getting ready to hit and doing everything I can to be ready."

Getting a clutch hit against Wheeling was a big boost to Kiszkowski's confidence. It showed as his first hit Saturday drove in a run for a 3-1 lead and he got the game-tying hit off Conant's Austin Wright in Wednesday's 2-1 regional victory.

"I was looking for my opportunity and I'm not going to let it go," Kiszkowski said. "We have a great team and anybody on this team could play.

"It's a matter of who's hot now and who's hitting the ball well."

Kiszkowski is definitely that guy for Schaumburg.

Milestone moment: One of the more memorable moments of Schaumburg coach Paul Groot's career came in his second year.

His 1986 team reached the sectional final against the eventual Class AA state champion Barrington team coached by Kirby Smith and led by future major league all-star catcher Dan Wilson.

So it meant a lot to Groot to get win No. 540 on Saturday and pass Smith for most wins by a baseball coach at an MSL school.

"To be in the same breath with Kirby Smith is very humbling," Groot said. "He's one of my idols.

"He's an old-school dinosaur who I've taken a lot of things from. I've modeled a lot of things after coach Smith."

They are the only MSL baseball programs with state titles as Schaumburg won it all in 1997. The Saxons have won 20 games 19 times under Groot.

"That's what we wanted to do," said Schaumburg catcher Dominick D'Agata of Groot's milestone. "It was one of our goals this year."

Glove saves: Two of the best defensive plays in Saturday's Mid-Suburban League championship came as Rolling Meadows tried to avoid an early ending.

Kyle Gaedele made a diving grab in left field with two runners on for the first out. Scott Wenzel finished the inning with two on with a spectacular diving backhand catch in right-center.

Unfortunately for the Mustangs, they weren't enough to prevent a 5-inning loss. But senior center fielder Kevin Serna saw a silver lining to what he called "a tough loss."

"It's good, almost like a punch in the face for our team," Serna said. "We have to come out with a lot of intensity for the regional."

Meadows definitely had plenty of punch at the finish Wednesday as Kyle Gaedele's tying 2-run homer in the bottom of the seventh was followed by Jon Carlson's game-winning blast against Stevenson.

MSL oddities: It was definitely one of the stranger years in recent memory in the MSL.

Here are a few of the odd occurrences:

• The two outright division champs were swept by the runnerups -- Rolling Meadows by Prospect in the East and Schaumburg by Fremd in the West.

• In part because of fewer games with the weather, unless a couple of teams make deep tourney runs, Schaumburg could be the only 20-win team. The last time that happened was in 1984 when Fremd was 24-5 and reached the Elite Eight.

• There were 42 games where one MSL team scored in double-figures and 8 games where both teams hit double figures in runs.

• Wheeling's fifth-place finish in the MSL East ended a streak of six straight last-place finishes.