Small change pays big dividend for Lakes

Thinking small has paved the way for a big turnaround for the Lakes baseball team.

The Eagles started the season 1-4-1 and were struggling. But now, they're surging, having won 15 of their last 17 games. They are also tied with Grant for first place in the North Suburban Conference Prairie Division. Both teams are 7-1.

One change set Lakes on a different course. The Eagles committed to "small ball," or bunting.

"Early on, we just weren't generating any offense," Lakes coach Ray Gialo said. "As a staff we talked about how we needed to move runners into scoring position every chance we got, so we needed to start bunting more.

"In our very next game against Grayslake North, we put up 13 runs on six bunts. I think that helped the kids buy into it."

Now, the Eagles are all about the bunt. They're putting down at least two bunts a game but are often at around four bunts per game.

"There's not a kid in our lineup we won't bunt with," Gialo said. "We weren't using bunting a lot before. We always practiced it, but I'm not sure how seriously the kids were practicing it because every kid thinks, 'I'm a hitter. I want to hit.'

"But now that we're bunting regularly in games and having success with it, I've seen our focus on it in practice change a lot. The kids are more passionate about it now."

Cody Brumm has become so committed to bunting that he is now the program's new record holder for most sacrifice bunts in a season with eight.

"Cody has done a great job with it and we're starting to get a lot of kids who are getting really good at bunting," Gialo said. "Mentally, you have to be committed that you want to bunt the ball and that you're going to give yourself up for the bunt. You've also got to make sure you keep your bat at a good angle, not too up and down. We're working a lot with our kids on technique.

"I think a lot of teams are going to this more with the changing restrictions on the bats and the fact that there aren't as many runs being produced. There aren't as many guys driving the ball out of the park or getting extra bases. You've got to find other ways to get runs."

Buckling down:

Besides a sluggish offense, another reason Lakes got off to a slow start this season was instability on defense.

The Eagles were committing errors that were costing them victories.

Brett Buchholz has helped with that.

He was not a starter at the beginning of the season, but he got a chance at third base when the coaching staff was looking for new combinations, and he stuck.

"Brett has really been such a pleasant surprise," Lakes coach Ray Gialo said. "He didn't start early on, but he's definitely a regular now. We love his defensive energy and he's doing a great job defensively at third base. Here is a senior who has worked hard and deserved an opportunity and he's making the most of that opportunity."

Buchholz is also contributing at the plate. He's hitting .404 on the season.

Big win:

Lakes ace Chase Slota is 5-0 on the season with wins over three of the top teams in the area, including Mundelein, Warren and Crystal Lake South.

The Mundelein win was especially significant for the Eagles because it marked a first for the program.

"In 10 years of our program, we had never beaten Mundelein, and they're the standard for baseball in this area," Lakes coach Ray Gialo said. "That was a really big win for us. I think it gave us some confidence. It really meant a lot to our kids."

The win over Mundelein certainly meant a lot to Lakes athletic director Troy Parola. His cousin is Mundelein baseball coach Todd Parola.

"He was really happy that we got that win over Mundelein," Gialo said of Troy Parola. "He went out and bought our entire team pizza after that game."

Going with it:

Stevenson shortstop Pat Loeffler has kept an open mind, and it's getting him places.

Loeffler, a junior, grew up playing a lot of first and third base.

But Stevenson coach Paul Mazzuca saw Loeffler as a shortstop, and began to test him there last summer.

"I don't think Pat really every pictured himself as a shortstop," Mazzuca said. "And I'm not sure how comfortable he is with it now. But we knew we were going to have some question marks at shortstop this season, so we were looking at different options and one thing we really liked about Pat is his hands.

"He took a lot of ground balls over the summer and did a really good job. He's still a work in progress, he's not a finished product, but he's gaining a lot of confidence and he's been a great leader for us at shortstop. He's very vocal and that's one thing you need out of your shortstop."

Toughness factor:

The quarterback of the football team and a hockey player, Spencer Lhotka brings a certain vibe to the baseball team that head coach Dave Behm appreciates.

"He brings a lot of football/hockey toughness to our team," Behm said of Lhotka. "He just plays hard and he's a hard worker."

Lhotka didn't get much playing time last year but has worked his way into a starting position this year in the outfield. He's also one of the team's top offensive threats with a .450 on-base percentage from the No. 2 spot.

Lhotka has helped Grant to a tie atop the North Suburban Conference Prairie Division standings. Both Grant and Lakes are 7-1 in Prairie games.

"Spencer does a great job of getting good at-bats and driving in runs when we really need them," Behm said. "He's a good bunter, he's fast and he doesn't strike out much. It's nice to see a senior who didn't play much last year step up like Spencer has."

Saving the day:

The ball often didn't bounce in Chad Baron's direction last year.

The Grant relief pitcher would be called on to start warming up because the current pitcher was in a jam, but his number often wasn't ultimately called.

"Maybe the pitcher would get out of the jam and then we wouldn't use Chad, or the rotation just didn't work to get him in or something," Grant coach Dave Behm said. "He warmed up for us a lot last year, but, for a variety of reasons, just didn't get many innings."

This year, the exact opposite is true. Baron has pitched in 11 of the Bulldogs' 25 games and has five saves on the season.

"You normally don't see guys with that many saves in high school because pitchers who are that good are usually starting," Behm said. "But we've got some other guys in the starting rotation that have allowed Chad to fill that role (of closer) and really make it his. He's done a really nice job and it's been a nice luxury."