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lockportlegend.com SPORTS
the Lockport Legend | March 22, 2018 | 47
fastbreak
1st and 3
Julie McMann/
22nd Century Media
Lockport badminton
dominant in win
against lemont
1. Old vs. new
The Lockport
badminton team,
which first formed
in the 1970s, beat
Lemont, playing its
first match ever, 15-0
on Thursday, March,
15, at LTHS’s East
Campus.
2. Top singles and
doubles
Sawyer Hollatz won
at No. 1 singles
21-4, 21-13 for the
Porters, while Abbey
Burke and Dana
Westburg won their
No. 1 doubles match
21-12, 21-10 against
the Indians.
3. Starting things up
The Porters
badminton team
opened the year two
days before playing
Lemont at a quad
meet at Hinsdale
Central, losing to
the host team and
Lyons Township by
the same score of
5-3, but the girls beat
Wheaton Warrenville
South 7-1.
Baseball
Porters ready to turn the corner for memorable campaign
Pitching figures to
be a strength for
talented, athletic
roster
Randy Whalen
Freelance Reporter
The Lockport Township
baseball team believes it is
close to a breakout season.
There are plenty of reasons
to be optimistic. A
half-dozen starters, including
a trio of pitchers, return
from last season’s squad. A
year ago, the Porters were
just over .500 with a 19-17-
1 record. They lost a close
5-3 game to Sandburg in the
regional championship contest,
with the Eagles going
on to win the sectional.
Lockport last won a regional
and sectional in 2013.
But, after being close last
season, this could be the year
it gets back to those heights.
“We’re ready,” Lockport
coach Andy Satunas said.
“We will have a blend of
impact seniors and talented
underclassman. Our pitching
staff has three seniors returning
with big-game experience
and a talented group
of underclassman who will
compete for innings. We are
a very athletic and physical
team. Our size and speed
will allow us to compete
with any team in the area.”
Baseball starts with pitching,
and the Porters have
plenty of that back this season.
Senior right-handers
Alec Gadomski, Tommy
Louch [committed to Saint
Xavier University] and CJ
Weins [committed to Wabash
Valley College], who
can also play infield, return
as starting pitchers.
TJ Jaros is also back as a
senior pitcher. But the lefthander
will be coming out of
the bullpen and relishes that
role.
“I’m usually the first guy
out of the pen,” he said. “I
like the pressure and coming
in in those situations, I throw
a lot of off-speed stuff. Even
if they know it’s coming,
they have to hit it.
“Our offseason workouts
have been great. We’re
working hard as a team,
getting up early, getting our
guys ready for the season.”
Also returning as starters
are senior outfielder Jimmy
Heintz [signed with Benedictine
University], along
with junior shortstop Josh
Bentley and junior outfielder
Collin Woulfe.
“We don’t have one spectacular
guy or power hitter,”
Heintz said. “Everyone can
contribute and get on base.
Take a guy like Josh Bentley.
He’s been on the varsity
since he was a freshman, so
he’s ready. We’re all pretty
equal in ability, and we’ve
increased our pitching staff,
too. We have a lot of guys
that are ready for [the season].”
Five other seniors have
already committed to colleges.
Included in them is
catcher Bryan Fox, who will
“We’re ready. We will have a blend of impact seniors
and talented underclassman... Our size and speed will
allow us to compete with any team in the area.”
Andy Satunas — Lockport baseball coach, on the outlook for the season
attend Roosevelt University
in Chicago. Fox believes
the team’s 5:30 a.m. spring
practices in the nearby Bo
Jackson Elite Sports Dome
in Lockport have helped the
team.
“We get a lot of work done
in a great facility,” he said.
“[A key] is that we need to
stay focused and strong.
We have to get better every
day, and with the high competition
we play, we can do
that.”
Also already committed
to college are senior
right-handed pitchers Jake
Berger [University of St.
Francis] and Rich Jesse, Jr.
[University of Wisconsin-
Plateville]. Outfielder Brendan
O’Connor [Waubonsee
Community College] and
infielder Steve Salvino [College
of DuPage] have also
committed to colleges.
Lockport has a large varsity
roster this season, and
some key newcomers are junior
infielders Adam Hansen
and John Weis, along with
junior outfielder Jackson
Mladic. Sophomore Nick
Schindler can catch and
play first base, and freshman
Ryan Moerman is up on the
varsity as an infielder.
Many of the younger players
got experience last summer,
when the Porters went
11-5 in summer league play,
eventually losing to Lincoln-
Way East 8-5 in the regional
title game. East went on
to place second in the Illinois
High School Baseball
Coaches Association Summer
Baseball Tournament.
Since it formed for the
2005-2006 school year, the
SouthWest Suburban Conference
has always been synonymous
with success. The
Porters have the most SWSC
Blue [large division] titles
with seven, including five in
six seasons between 2010-
2015. Last season, Lockport
went 6-4 and finished tied
for second, while Lincoln-
Way East and Sandburg
shared the championship.
But the tough conference
competition, plus a slew of
other good matchups, should
prepare the Porters once the
postseason arrives.
“Our challenges include
a rugged schedule filled
with games and tournaments
against many of the
best teams in the state of Illinois,”
Satunas said. “We
will compete in the WJOL/
Don Ladas Tournament with
the best teams from the Joliet
area. Then, we travel to
Louisville [on April 5 and
6] to play in the Super Prep
Tournament.
“At the beginning of
May [4 and 5], we travel to
Edwardsville to compete
against the host school and
also downstate powers Chatham
Glenwood and Highland
High School. Finally,
we end the season in the
Steven Bajenski Memorial
Tournament [May 17-19].
Between these tournaments
and our rugged conference
schedule, we will be battletested
by the time the IHSA
state playoffs start.”
The Porters were slated
to open the season on Tuesday,
March 20, by hosting
Lemont. This Saturday,
March 24, brings another
nonconference home game,
this one at 11 a.m. against
Glenbrook South. A SWSC
crossover take place on
Monday, March 26, at 4:30
p.m., as Lincoln-Way West
comes to town. Another 4:30
conference crossover is on
Wednesday. March 28, at
Thornton.
Then, between March 29
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“I’m really looking forward to this season. I
really like the personalities of the group. Just the
way they compete hard and want to work. It’s a
fun group, and I’m excited.”
Stacy Sparlin — Lockport badminton coach, on the chemistry
of her team
Tune In
Badminton
Conference clash — Thursday, March 22, at Lincoln-Way
Central
• The Lockport girls take on the Knights in a battle of
SouthWest Suburban Conference foes.
Index
42 - This Week In
42 - Athlete of the Week
FASTBREAK is compiled by ContributingEditor
Thomas Czaja, tom@homerhorizon.com.