Naperville Central putting in lots of innings early

In one week Naperville Central’s baseball team endured more ups and downs than it did during all of last season.

It’s the tangible proof of the difference between this year’s inexperienced group and last year’s senior-dominated team that won the Class 4A state title. It’s also why playing five games last week was so important.

“A year ago we could have afforded to take the first two weeks off,” said Naperville Central coach Bill Seiple. “We need to play. The only way to get comfortable is to play.”

The Redhawks went 3-2 last week, scoring impressive wins over Fremd, Waubonsie Valley and Lyons Twp. but also suffering disappointing losses to Oswego and Neuqua Valley. The loss to the Wildcats — an 18-17 marathon on Saturday — proved to be frustrating in many ways.

This early in the season, though, Naperville Central won’t worry about the results. Getting better is the goal.

“It’s April 2,” Seiple said after Saturday’s loss. “We’re trying to get better, we’re trying to figure it out. We have some guys that are doing a good job of distinguishing themselves, we have some that aren’t. That’s kind of where we are.”

Great trip:

With perhaps the state’s top 1-2 pitching tandem in Nick Burdi and Matt Wivinis, Downers Grove South (4-4) clearly has high expectations.

Last week the Mustangs found out those expectations carry over pretty well to other states when they went 2-2 during a Spring Break trip to a prestigious tournament in Arizona.

“It was like a playoff atmosphere,” said Mustangs coach Darren Orel. “It’s been a great experience.”

While Burdi, committed to Louisville, was stellar in a 9-1 win over Bighton, Colo., the highlight of the trip came the next day when Wivinis, a Kansas State recruit, beat nationally ranked Bishop Gorman from Nevada 3-1. It’s a lineup that boasted seven Division I players.

Despite some recent struggles, Downers South looks to extend its success back home in Illinois — especially down the road in the playoffs.

“It’s great that this kind of stuff is happening right now,” Orel said. “But we have to realize this is still early in the season. We want to be playing our best ball at the end of the season.”

Pitching pain:

Before the season began, Glenbard South (3-3) knew it’d be without senior ace pitcher Ben Gaspar because of a wrist injury that will keep him out during the opening weeks.

During the Raiders’ Spring Break trip to southern Illinois, however, they also lost projected starter Roger Dyrda to a thumb injury.

Raiders coach Mike Riley anticipates his team will miss Dyrda for about a month, leaving the rotation a little thin. But they may have found some pitching last week.

Brian Suffern was a complete-game winner against Warren, while Billy Strohl used a baffling knuckleball to top highly touted New Trier. With Carl Sanders and Tony Tenuta also in the mix, things are looking up on the mound.

When Gaspar and Dyrda return to the lineup, the Raiders should be in prime pitching shape.

“Our pitchers aren’t going to strike out many guys, but we’re making the plays behind them,” Riley said. “When we get Gaspar and Dyrda back, we’re going to have a surplus of arms.”