You can't win without unsung heroes like these

Perhaps more than any other sport, baseball is the ultimate numbers game.

There are numbers that most fans are aware of -- batting average, home runs, runs batted in, doubles, triples, runs scored, stolen bases, wins, losses, saves, earned run average, walks, strikeouts, errors, slugging percentage, and more.

Yet there are additional numbers that only the most rabid fans, statisticians, historians, fantasy players and coaches pay attention to -- things like batting average with runners in scoring position, walks and hits allowed per 9 innings pitched (WHIP), quality starts, holds, hitting comparisons in day and night games, and days of the week where hitters perform best.

Most teams possess a slugger, standout run producer and consistent average hitter who seemingly always reaches base and comes through in clutch situations.

At Geneva, junior Cory Hofstetter reaches slugger status with his 11 home runs and 30-plus RBI. St. Charles East's Mike Hoscheit fills the bill of standout run producer with his team-leading 33 RBI.

Meanwhile, Batavia senior shortstop Alex Beckmann has his batting average hovering near .500 for the third consecutive season.

But this isn't a story focusing on the stars.

This one's for the hard-nosed, behind-the-scenes, plays-the-game-right type player who seldom sees his name in print and rarely hogs the spotlight.

Here's an opportunity to meet some of the underrated, unsung hero types who coaches love having around and winning teams can't do without.

"Everyone has guys who get the recognition they deserve," said Geneva coach Matt Hahn. "But the best teams all have guys who are willing to do the little things."

Guys like the Vikings' Rodney Nelson and Kevin Massoth.

"Chris (No. 1 starter Jordan) gets a lot of attention but Rodney's our No. 2 pitcher who is 3-1 with an ERA around 3.00," said Hahn. "And there were two other games where he was winning when we took him out and we blew leads for him."

What qualities does an underrated player possess?

"Rodney's motor is always running," said Hahn. "He does a lot of things that often go unnoticed. Like against Oswego East the other day -- we had runners on first and third and the guy on first stole second. The throw short-hopped the second baseman and Rodney recognized it and scored from third.

"He's got great baseball instincts and a passion for the game, Plus, he's a straight-A student who is going to attend the University of Chicago."

Geneva center fielder Kevin Massoth is another player Hahn is glad to have on his side.

"Kevin's the type of outfielder who cuts balls off in the gap, keeping runners from taking extra bases," said Hahn. "He hits cutoff men and is always in position to throw. He does a lot of things you can't measure."

Earlier this week, Batavia's Shane Holl, Jake Landreth and Axel Holm were recipients of the Bulldog Award at the team's banquet.

"It's for the guys who do the little extra things," said Batavia coach Matt Holm. "Their dedication is huge."

Holl, an all-conference football player the past two seasons, also earned the team's Gold Glove award and was named Most Improved Player.

"Shane is now our No. 4 hitter," said coach Holm. "Earlier in the season, he was willing to move from the outfield to first base because we had another outfielder we wanted to take a look at."

Landreth and Holm, both seniors, are more behind-the-scenes type of players.

"They're upbeat in the dugout, they work hard in practice, they do all the little things," said the coach. "For example, Axel heads our tutoring program for baseball. It's like having extra coaches around."

Just because you may not start every game doesn't mean you don't love the game as much as the others.

"People sometimes forget that it's still high school baseball," said Holm. "At the beginning of the season, people want to know who your top college prospects are. But you have to remember that the majority of these guys won't play again after high school."

Led by pitchers Danny Jimenez, Zach Hirsch, Brian de la Torriente and outfielder Jake Thornton, St. Charles North is the area's highest-ranked team.

But the North Stars have also benefited from the services of juniors K.C. Wright and Colin O'Carroll.

"K.C. plays quite a bit as one of our top courtesy runners," said St. Charles North coach Todd Genke. "He runs well, knows the game and has a good baseball IQ. He's the first kid up cheering from the bench and he doesn't complain. He's a team player."

The left-handed hitting O'Carroll often plays left field for the North Stars.

"He plays left when Dan (Jimenez) or Sam (Weinberg) pitch," said Genke. "He can run and he's very good defensively."

While Hoscheit leads St. Charles East in nearly every offensive category, the Saints have also received solid contributions from catcher Steve Schenck, designated hitter/outfielder Tom Lollino and pitcher Kyle Wiebe.

"Steve has caught nearly every game this season and has quietly put up solid numbers (.411, 30 RBI)," said Saints coach Mark Foulkes. "When we switched him to the leadoff spot, our offense took off."

Lollino has fought off nagging injuries to post a .292 average with 23 RBI.

"He worked extremely hard all last summer to come back from an arm injury and regain his form," said Foulkes.

Wiebe, a junior southpaw, leads the staff with 6 wins.

"He has kept us in every ballgame," said Foulkes. "He has been a very pleasant surprise."