Prep baseball: Sycamore's Beaudoin a surprise on mound, named POY

SYCAMORE – Michael Beaudoin only pitched one game for the Sycamore baseball team in 2015.

However, a mass exodus of starting pitchers from graduation left Spartans coach Jason Cavanaugh no choice – Beaudoin had to be one of the team's main pitchers. By the end of the season, Beaudoin's performance on the mound helped Sycamore to advance to a Class 3A supersectional and he is the Daily Chronicle 2016 Baseball Player of the Year.

"Last year, we didn't need him at all as a pitcher because we had so many arms that were quality," Cavanaugh said of Beaudoin, who doubles as the team's main catcher. "I wasn't expecting a lot. I was hoping he could be a five-inning guy during the year."

Beaudoin rewarded Cavanaugh's decision by going 6-2 on the mound with three saves and a 1.96 ERA – striking out 51 and walking just 12 in 53 2/3 innings.

"I've kind of known for a while that I can pitch," Beaudoin said. "But when he had me start pitching in the winter, I was like, 'This feels great to pitch again.' Once he started to let me throw and told me I was our No. 2 (pitcher), I was like, 'Sweet.' "

Cavanaugh said he was careful with Beaudoin's innings and number of pitches during the season, putting together a systematic schedule that would keep the 6-foot-3 senior's arm fresh behind the plate. Beaudoin only surpassed 100 pitches in a game twice – both in the postseason. He threw 104 pitches in six innings during the 10-6 win over Burlington Central in a regional final.

In the Class 3A Rochelle Sectional Final against Rockford Christian, Beaudoin allowed one earned run while throwing a complete game on 110 pitches in a 4-3 victory for Sycamore.

"It would have taken a tow truck to get him out of that game," Cavanaugh said.

Beaudoin also picked up the save in the sectional semifinal against Rock Falls, striking out the side in the seventh in the Spartans' 10-7 victory.

Offensively, Beaudoin provided plenty of production as the team's clean-up hitter. He finished the season hitting .357 with 10 doubles, 26 runs and 45 RBIs. He was one RBI shy of tying the school's single-season record of 46 held by Dane Ryan in 2000. In a three-game sweep of rival DeKalb – one of the turning points of the season for the Spartans – Beaudoin went 6 for 11 with five RBIs.

In the final two games of the season, coaches of a pair of the best pitchers in the state – Rockford Christian's Alex Powell and Limestone's Bryce Meyer – elected to intentionally walk Beaudoin with a runner on and a base open.

"It's like, 'All right, well this sucks.' I want to hit, obviously, I want to be a producer for this team," Beaudoin said. "But at the same time, I look at it like, let's have the next batter make them pay for it. It's another baserunner for us and another chance to get a run."

However, Beaudoin's time at Sycamore is done after the Spartans' wild postseason ride came to an end at the supersectional. He's now off to play baseball at College of DuPage, a junior college in Glen Elyn. Signing with the Chaparrals early helped him relax this season, he said, which had a positive impact on his play.

But with high school now in the rear view mirror, Beaudoin said it's not the end of something – it's the beginning of one.

"It has soaked in but I look at it this way: It's not the end," he said. "I'll still be around and I got college ball for two years and then who knows after that?"

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Daily Chronicle 2016 Baseball All-Region Team

POY – Michael Beaudoin, Sycamore

First team

Brock Myers, sr., C, Indian Creek – The Timberwolves catcher was a nightmare for potential base stealers. He ended the year by throwing out more runners (eight) than successfully stole a base (seven) against Myers. At the plate, he hit .362 with a pair of home runs and 27 RBIs, and he also stole 23 bases.

Jack Mizgalski, jr., 1B, Sycamore – While Mizgalski was also a top pitcher for the Spartans (7-3, 2.97 ERA, 85 strikeouts) he was a force at the plate, as well. On the season, he hit .333 with 12 doubles and 26 RBIs and also had a walk-off grand slam in the Spartans' 7-4 win over Mendota in a regional semifinal.

Trevor Guerra, jr., SS, Indian Creek – Guerra did a little bit of everything for the Timberwolves. He led the team in innings pitched and strikeouts on the mound, but the slick-fielding Guerra also only had four errors at shortstop this season. He hit .372 with 25 RBIs and 27 stolen bases for Indian Creek.

Connor Hoyle, sr., 3B, DeKalb – One of the few returning starters for the Barbs, Hoyle finished the year hitting .325 and had a .946 fielding percentage. The senior was also named the team MVP for the Barbs.

Zach Carlsen, soph., SS, Sycamore – The starting shortstop for Sycamore as a sophomore, Carlsen emerged as a strong No. 2 hitter in the Spartans lineup. On the season, he hit .324 with 27 runs and 33 RBIs and was third on the team in on-base percentage (.437).

Jordan Wright, sr., OF, Sycamore – An anchor at the top of the lineup for the Spartans, Wright had another strong season for Sycamore – hitting .450 with a .547 on-base percentage, 27 RBIs, 45 runs and 24 stolen bases. He had by far the most total bases (71) for the Spartans.

Jake Marczuk, sr., OF, Kaneland – Not only did Marczuk not make an error on 45 chances this season, he hit .373 with 16 runs and 12 stolen bases as the leadoff hitter for the Knights. He also drew a team-high 19 walks.

Tommy Hansen, sr., OF, Genoa-Kingston – Hansen was the Cogs' best offensive player this season, hitting .391 with nine doubles, 22 runs and 28 RBIs. He also added two home runs and stole 10 bases, while providing strong defense in the outfield for the Cogs.

Brady Huffman, sr., P, Genoa-Kingston – The Cogs' ace had another strong showing this season, as the hard-throwing right-hander finished 5-3 with a save and a 1.81 ERA. Always racking up strikeouts, he finished with 119 in 63 1/3 innings pitched.

Matt O'Sullivan, sr., P, Kaneland – Always pitching against Kaneland's toughest opponents, O'Sullivan finished with a perfect 4-0 record in conference play. On the season, the left-handed ace for the Knights had a 1.96 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 53 2/3 innings.

Bryce Wheeler, soph., P, DeKalb – The left-handed sophomore had a breakout season for DeKalb. At one point, he was 3-0 with a 0.54 ERA and a 3-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio before finishing the season with a 2.88 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 51 innings pitched.

James Marcinkowski, jr., DH, Sycamore – The hero of the Spartans' sectional championship win over Rockford Christian, Marcinkowski hit .295 with 10 doubles and 33 RBIs on the season. He hit the walk-off RBI single in a 4-3 win over Rockford Christian to send the Spartans to a supersectional.

Honorable mention – Dani Garcia, sr., DH, DeKalb; Jacob Morsch, sr., P/OF, Hinckley-Big Rock; Luke Calabrese, jr., 3B, Kaneland; Derek Kyler, sr., OF, DeKalb; Adam Spear, jr., OF, Hiawatha