Grudzinski recovers to achieve goal

There was no doubt about a bright future for Kevin Grudzinski when he was promoted to the Hoffman Estates varsity baseball team early in his freshman year.

Not only did Grudzinski have the physical tools but Hoffman coach Todd Meador saw the mental makeup to handle such a big leap. He would be a fixture in the middle infield and eventually on the mound.

But soon after the promotion, Grudzinski started having back trouble. He had a fracture in his back that put him in a brace for three months and eventually required surgery.

“My thoughts with surgery were if I’d ever be playing any sports again,” Grudzinski said.

The comeback hasn’t been easy and included some arm trouble. But last spring he started to show he was back to normal.

And last Monday, Grudzinski’s comeback story took another turn for the better when he made a verbal commitment to play Division I baseball at Holy Cross.

“It’s a great sign of his work ethic and persistence to overcome those injuries,” Meador said. “A lot of kids, without his dedication, wouldn’t have been able to get through that physically and mentally.

“It says a lot about him as a person.”

So does the senior’s class rank of 22 out of 513 students, a 4.5 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale and scoring 29 on the ACT.

The numbers once Grudzinski was back at full strength last spring weren’t bad, either, as he hit .366 with 2 homers, 7 doubles, 16 RBI and 11 steals. Holy Cross first saw him at the Northwest Suburban Showcase at Stevenson in June and he made a visit to the Worcester, Mass., campus in early September.

His other choices included Iowa, Minnesota, George Washington and Columbia. But he saw Holy Cross as the best fit to follow a pre-med track and his aunt’s footsteps in becoming a doctor.

“My first priority was academics,” Grudzinski said. “It was hard to pass up the Ivy League (Columbia) … but Holy Cross definitely had the academic standards I was looking for.”

The baseball is getting better, too, with a program that will celebrate the 60th anniversary of a College World Series title in the spring. Holy Cross finished 24-23 last spring for its first winning season since 1991 and it has won 20 games four straight years for the first time under coach Greg DiCenzo.

Grudzinski said Holy Cross is looking at him eventually as a shortstop with a chance to play second base as a freshman.

“The coaching staff is what really helped me make my decision,” Grudzinski said. “They’re definitely on the right track and they see me being a part of improving further.”

Just as Meador saw Hoffman improving when Grudzinski came up from the freshman team after just five games. It wasn’t long before the back problems worsened.

“It happened the winter of my freshman year but I played through it,” Grudzinski said of an injury of unknown origin. “After practice I started coming home and couldn’t walk any more.”

The fractures were discovered with a bone scan. The time in the brace didn’t heal the injury so the next step was surgery in December.

“After surgery my goal at that point was to get ready for the season,” Grudzinski said.

The injury clearly cut into what he was capable of his first two seasons at Hoffman.

“I didn’t honestly know where his talent level was,” Meador said.

Last spring it became much clearer.

“It’s been a goal, but when I was injured I doubted myself a lot,” Grudzinski said of playing Division I baseball. “Last year I had a pretty good spring and that’s what did it. I came back and played the baseball I knew I could play.

“At first it was definitely physical but then I was just struggling and it messed me up mentally. In the spring last year it was back to normal again.”

His play in the summer with the Fox Valley Royals was also a big help. Now he’s getting ready for his final season at Hoffman and will play in next Saturday’s Pitch and Hit Club Fall Showcase at Alexian Field in Schaumburg.

So, does Grudzinski have a better appreciation for what’s happening to him now because of what happened just a few years ago?

“Absolutely,” Grudzinski said.

And his future looks brighter than ever.

mmaciaszek@dailyherald.com