Suburban Sprawl goes deep at ND and checks in on D3 Sweet 16
Three home-run games are rare at any level of baseball. Notre Dame’s Estevan Moreno just did it twice in four days.
A Montini grad and Hanover Park native, Moreno went deep thee times at Tennessee Tech last Saturday, then did it again at home against Purdue on Tuesday.
The sophomore second baseman has 9 hits on the season and seven have gone for extra bases. Moreno also had a 3-homer game last year as a freshman, making him the only player in program history to do that three times.
Another local player doing well for the Irish is Benet’s Connor Hincks. The senior first baseman is hitting .341 with 3 home runs.
While we’re on the topic of college baseball, Grant grad Henry Kusiak became the all-time hits leader at Missouri Southern …
Sweet feeling in D3
Now let’s highlight basketball teams headed to this weekend’s Division III Sweet Sixteen that are getting area contributions.
First up is Calvin University in Michigan, which has two local starters — Huntley’s Uchenna Egekeze and Wheaton Academy’s Marcus Bult, plus Stevenson’s Matt Ambrose coming off the bench. Calvin will face Randolph-Macon on Friday.
After hosting some regional thrillers last weekend, Washington University in St. Louis is moving on to play Trine University in the Sweet Sixteen. The Bears also have two area starters — Barrington’s Will Grudzinski and Niles North’s Yogi Oliff. Ryan Cohen (Glenbrook North) and Tyler Van Eekeren (Benet) are also on the roster.
The surviving team with the most area players on the women’s side is actually Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. Maine South’s Greta Miller averages 10.3 ppg for the Blue Jays, while Naperville North’s Layla Henderson has played in every game. Next up is Scranton on Friday in New York.
Several other area players are still alive in the D3 women’s tournament, including Hope’s Karsen Karlblom (Prairie Ridge), NYU’s Mary Kate Fahey (Hersey), Smith’s Maggie Fleming (Downers Grove North), Wisconsin-Oshkosh’s Allison Forney (Benet), along with Mia Gillis (Carmel) and Olivia Kerndt (Deerfield) from Wisconsin-Whitewater.
Best in D3
Illinois Wesleyan lost in the second round of NCAA tournament, but top scorer Lauren Huber (Glenbard East) is a finalist for the Josten’s Trophy, given to the best player in Division III. It says here you can vote for her:
Pirate fever
This was probably the best look at Connor May’s game-winning basket against Warren in Monday’s NIU supersectional. The assist by Tommy Elter traveled quite a distance. Too bad this game wasn’t played at Northwestern.
And the final shot, with the Pirates headed downstate for the first time …
NU Pro Day
Some local Division III players participated in Northwestern’s Pro Day, a chance to be observed by NFL scouts. Here’s North Central WR DeAngelo Hardy (Lakes) doing the shuttle run …
One of the Wildcats working out was QB Ben Bryant from Lyons
The pro day contingent from Aurora University included former Aurora Christian WR Trey Madsen.
Spring breakers
There’s some positive buzz at St. Louis Cardinals camp about Lake Zurich grad Matt Svanson, a relief pitcher who finished last season in Double A. Svanson was involved in an all-Lake County trade last summer, going from Toronto to St. Louis for Antioch’s Paul DeJong, who is now with the White Sox.
Collegiate honors
St. Viator’s Trey Calvin is first-team all-Horizon League for the second straight year
Another St. Viator product, Jeremiah Hernandez, made first-team all-Ohio Valley. He’s Southern Indiana’s top scorer at 17.2 ppg
Rolling Meadows’ Cam Christie is Big Ten freshman of the week.
And here’s a Christie highlight vs. Penn State.
Green Bay’s David Douglas Jr. (Yorkville Christian) is Horizon League freshman of the year.
Grayslake Central’s Kate Bullman keeps blocking shots at Illinois State.
West Aurora’s Cam Donatlon, who started his college career playing football, is an all-conference hooper at Division II power West Georgia.
Glenbard West’s Caden Pierce is Ivy League player of the week for Princeton.
Here’s a highlight from former Mundelein pitcher Ryan Geraghty at Wichita State …
College commits
Wheaton Warrenville South TE/LB Kyle Powelke is headed to Wheaton College.
Grayslake Central QB Cole Gillette to Carthage
Glenbard South RB T.J. Herlien to Illinois Wesleyan.
Maine South DB Jack Van Roeyen to Central College in Iowa.
West Aurora TE Billy Samp to Elmhurst.
St. Francis kicker Cooper Winslow to Aurora University.
Maine East’s Mariah Scott committed to Schoolcraft College in Michigan for basketball.
Illini on the bench
Roosevelt University men’s basketball is 25-4 and its head coach, Illini legend Dee Brown, was named CCAC coach of the year. The team includes two area players — Cody Mitchell from St. Charles East and David Swedura from Prospect.
Brown is not the only college head coach from that Illinois Final Four team. Roger Powell is wrapping up his first season at Valparaiso but finished last in the Missouri Valley.
NIL opportunity
Merchandise to support Maine West grad Angela Dugalic is now available at UCLA.
Great gym views
Not too many close games in the boys supersectionals on Monday, but here’s a nice shot of Ottawa’s Kingman Gym.
Here’s the Class 2A game at Sterling.
Bears give back
The Bears did something nice this week, awarding this Lakes High School student with the Collin Wehr Scholarship, using St. Viator grad Cole Kmet to deliver the news.
Spring is in the air
Not sure if this is new, but the Grayslake North baseball field looks nice. Games will be starting soon …