CL South’s Van Dyck got stronger, better

It was late February and Crystal Lake South senior Jordan Van Dyck “was walking around bent over like an old man,” Gators baseball coach Brian Bogda recalled this week.

Van Dyck, an 18-year-old Crystal Lake resident, had been working out for months like he had something to prove after a junior season of limited opportunity. He had increased his strength through long hours in the weight room and sharpened his pitching and hitting abilities via hours of off-season training.

However, just before indoor practices were set to begin Van Dyck was hobbled by a pinched nerve in his lower back.

“I was in the gym doing something, whether it was sliding or something else I really don’t know,” Van Dyck said. “I couldn’t even bend over or twist. I definitely couldn’t throw or swing.”

The timing was unnerving. Already without the services of senior Nick Martin, an Indiana State recruit who was unable to pitch most of this season due to a frayed labrum, the formidable-on-paper CL South pitching staff was in trouble before outdoor practice even began.

“I was nervous,” Bogda said. “Jordan looked awful and Nick was out. I thought, ‘Man, this could be a long year.’”

With the help of a chiropractor, who Van Dyck said aligned his spine and hips and helped him rehabilitate the muscles around the affected area, the pain subsided to a manageable degree within a few weeks, though the tightness never fully went away. He followed a strict a regimen of stretching and icing his back throughout the early part of the season, but you’d never know he’d been affected based on his final statistics.

Van Dyck went on to become the only area pitcher to reach 10 victories this season (10-2). The right-hander struck out 78, walked 18 and held opponents to 14 earned runs in 68 innings over 12 starts (1.43 ERA). He finished with a 1.00 WHIP, held the opposition to a .209 batting average and threw 5 complete games.

It was a huge improvement over a junior season in which Van Dyck pitched in 8 games (2 starts) and went 1-0 with 24 strikeouts, 12 walks and a 3.88 ERA in 21 innings.

He enjoyed a breakout season at the plate. After hitting .250 in only 20 at-bats as a junior, Van Dyck hit .436 as a senior (44-for-101) with 4 doubles, 2 triples, a home run and 19 RBI. He drew 30 walks, stole 7 bases in 8 attempts and scored 30 runs.

Van Dyck cited his off-season workouts as reason for his improvement. He hit the gym five days a week, focusing on cardio and core strengthening. If anyone had tips about strength building, he listened.

“I just wanted it,” Van Dyck said of his motivation. “I felt I needed to get stronger, and once I started it was hard to stop.”

For his off-season of hard work and his ability to overcome an injury to post a brilliant season on the mound, at the plate and in the field as his team’s starting shortstop, Jordan Van Dyck has been named the honorary captain of the 2012 Daily Herald all-area baseball team in the Fox Valley. He is the first honorary captain from Crystal Lake South since Jeff Chiles won the award in 1996.

“I thought I met expectations in some spots this season and not others,” Van Dyck said modestly. “I just played how I normally play. I tried my hardest and it just worked out this year.”

The only team to defeat the CL South hurler during the regular season was rival Cary-Grove, which threw ace Ryan Kaveney (9-2) against the Gators. The Trojans scored 4 runs (2 earned) against Van Dyck in 6 innings.

“We scored a couple runs early and we did a really nice job of hitting early in the count because Van Dyck was tough when he got ahead,” Cary-Grove coach Don Sutherland said. “He was very good. Anybody that bats third, plays short and pitches is versatile. He’s a real good player and his numbers back that up.”

Van Dyck made only 12 errors despite playing 38 games at the hot-potato positions of shortstop and pitcher. Moreover, he developed into a team leader, the kind that tells other players to keep their heads up in the tough times, according to his coach.

“I think all the younger players in our program should look to Jordan as a role model,” Bogda said. “What a great kid and tremendous leader. He had the ability to rally guys together, stay positive and get things going. His stats were great, but I really appreciated the leadership he gave this team. That’s what I’ll most remember about Jordan Van Dyck.”

That leadership, both emotional and statistical, helped the Gators finish tied with Prairie Ridge for first place in the Valley Division of the Fox Valley Conference. It was CL South’s first FVC title since 1996.

The Gators went on to win their first regional title since 2008. Van Dyck beat Jacobs 3-2 in the championship game by tossing a 73-pitch, complete-game 5-hitter. He struck out 8, walked none and didn’t give up a run until Connor Conzelman hit a 2-run homer in the seventh.

“That was our 35th game and that’s as good a game as I’ve seen pitched all year,” Jacobs coach Jamie Murray said afterward.

The Gators would bow out in their next game. Van Dyck and the Gators were defeated in a sectional semifinal by Grant, which won 5-2 via an unforgettable triple play to end the game. Grant went on to beat South Elgin and Schaumburg to reach the state finals. CL South finished the season 28-10.

A member of the National Honor Society, Van Dyck graduated with a grade-point average above 4.0. He will continue his baseball career and his studies at North Central College in Naperville.

“I’m excited,” he said. “I’ve met some of the guys and the coaches and they’re all great. They’ve been pretty successful over there. I look forward to it.”