MK_031920

44 | March 19, 2020 | the mokena messenger sports
mokenamessengerdaily.com
Baseball
Knights primed for breakout season
RANDY WHALEN
Freelance Reporter
Last year, the Lincoln-
Way Central baseball team
knocked on the door.
This year, the Knights
hope to break it down.
They have an excellent
opportunity to do just that,
returning eight starters
from last season’s squad
that reached the regional
championship game and
narrowly lost 1-0 to Stagg.
Central finished 23-10
overall last year and was
11-1 in the Red Division
of the SouthWest Suburban
Conference. That
made them co-conference
champs with Andrew for
a second straight season.
Another league title
would be nice, but there’s
more on the minds of the
Knights.
“It feels good to return
this many guys,” Central
coach Mitch Nowicki
said. “We have eight of
our starters back from the
regional title game. Center
field will be the only new
position for us. We still
have some guys competing
for that.”
Plus, four of last season’s
starters are now juniors.
“We started four sophomores
last year and they
all return with solid senior
leadership,” Nowicki said.
“We will still be young but
with plenty of varsity experience.
Our success will
lean on the quality innings
we get from our senior
pitchers, but we expect to
be fast.
“Defensively we should
be very good and, while
we lack a major power
threat, we will have producers
one through nine in
the lineup.”
Two of those juniors
Junior Matt Maloney is expected to be a key player for Lincoln-Way Central’s baseball
team as a pitcher and infielder. 22ND CENTURY MEDIA FILE PHOTO
will be twins Mike and
Matt Maloney. They will
play a lot of infield, with
Matt at second and third,
and Mike at shortstop.
“I think we have a lot
of guys ready to go,” said
Matt Maloney, who will
also do some pitching.
“We have a lot of seniors
and senior leadership. We
are looking to feed off of
them.”
Other junior starters
back include Turner
Doran at second base and
Ryan Kraft. Kraft, who
has already verbally committed
to Indiana University,
will be a top lefthanded
pitcher and also
play outfield.
A trio of right-handed
returning pitchers will
also be looked to. They
are Harrison Dubois, who
has committed to Indiana
Wesleyan, John McGuire,
who also doubles at designated
hitter and will attend
the University of St.
Francis, and Zach Ward,
who is set to continue his
playing career at the U.S.
Naval Academy.
“I feel good with all our
returning players,” Dubois
said. “We were good
last year. Out bats were
good and we have a lot of
pitching depth. We have
guys ready to jump in if
needed.”
Ward agreed.
“I’m pretty confident,”
Ward said. “We have
depth. Not only pitching
but guys all over the field.
I think we can make a successful
run in the postseason.”
Seniors Andrew Hancock
- a first baseman and
right-handed pitcher who
plans to attend the University
of Central Missouri -
and catcher Liam Higgins,
who has committed to the
University of St. Francis,
are also returning starters.
Higgins is confident
in the pitchers he will be
catching this season. He
has experience working
with them, as well.
“I’m just excited,”
6
Higgins said. “I’ve been
catching these guys a long
time and it’s nice to have
that bond. We had that
bond last year and we have
a ton of guys back, including
seven or eight starters.
That experience helps.”
A couple of key newcomers
to watch for include
juniors Charlie
Graefen in center field,
and Ethan Rossow, who
can double in the infield or
outfield.
When it’s all said and
done, the Knights plan to
be very competitive on
the field. They already are
with each other.
“We have a real competitive
group,” said Nowicki,
who enters his
fourth season as Knight
head coach after spending
three seasons as the
head coach at Lincoln-
Way North. “They want
to come in every day and
push and compete with
each other. They have a lot
of ownership of the program.”
High school sports
suspended amid pandemic
STEVE MILLAR, Sports Editor
Lincoln-Way District
210 and Providence Catholic
High Schools have both
suspended sports contests
and practices while the
schools are closed because
of coronavirus concerns,
following an order from Illinois
Governor J.B. Pritzker.
Illinois schools will
be closed from Tuesday,
March 17 to March 30.
Because Lincoln-Way had
spring break scheduled
for the week of March 30,
their schools will remain
closed until April 6.
An e-mail from District
210 stated that, "Beginning
Monday, March 16, ALL
before and after school activities,
meetings, events,
competitions, practices,
rehearsals, field trips, domestic
travel, building
rentals, and performances
are canceled. This includes
the use of our buildings by
outside organizations.”
Providence Catholic
also announced that all
sports and activities were
canceled, beginning with
scheduled practices and
activities over the weekend
of Friday, March 13,
to Sunday, March 15.
The Illinois High School
Association on Thursday,
March 12, announced the
cancellation of boys basketball
playoffs. Class 1A
and 2A schools were preparing
for the state finals
in Peoria, while 3A and 4A
schools were in the middle
of sectional competition.
“We appreciate the patience
and understanding
that we have received from
everyone involved in this
process over the past 72
hours,” IHSA executive
director Craig Anderson
6
said in a press release. “We
have stressed the fluidity of
this situation and have been
transparent about the possibility
that a suspension or
cancellation could occur.
“While we had support
from the Illinois Department
of Public Health and
the Peoria City/County
Health Department to continue
our events with limited
spectators, it has become
untenable to continue the
events among our member
schools. Multiple schools
who are participating or
hosting these sports and activities
have been forced to
withdraw from those roles,
clarifying the need for the
IHSA to take definitive action.
The Board considered
suspending the events, but
after deliberate discussion,
did not believe that was a
realistic option within the
timeline. We feel for everyone
who has been impacted
but must put the health and
safety of all involved ahead
of these events.”
In the same announcement,
the IHSA said it was
not yet making any decisions
on spring sports tournaments
at this time.
“It is too early to make
any decisions regarding
IHSA spring state final tournaments,”
Anderson said.
“We respect the NCAA’s
decision to cancel its spring
championships, but also
recognize that the exposure
and travel by our high
school teams is not as expansive
as collegiate teams.
"At this juncture, we
recommend that all IHSA
spring sport teams consult
their local health departments
and follow their recommendations
on if and how
to proceed with practices and
regular-season contests.”