Tucker King reigns as Lyons’ all-time pitching wins leader: Suburban Life baseball notebook

Tucker King is officially the King of Lyons baseball.

Well, at least in terms of pitching.

King, a senior pitcher and Cincinnati recruit, put his name atop the Lyons’ pitching charts, capturing his 14th career win to become the all-time leading record holder for career wins at the West Suburban Silver Division school.

“The win record means a lot to me,” King said. “Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve dreamt of breaking at least one of LT’s sports records, so doing that was pretty cool.”

The 6-foot-4, 220-pound righthander is having a solid senior season with a 3-2 record, 26 strikeouts and a 2.20 ERA despite battling some of the top teams and aces in the area.

“Tucker would definitely like to get a few more wins,” Lyons coach Kevin Diete said. “He’s faced some really tough competition, like Brother Rice and York. He just battles and likes challenges.”

King said he’s maintained his focus and been pitching with consistency.

“I have just been missing some spots in the strike zone that have been given me the results I haven’t been looking for, but I still feel great,” King said. “I’m still pounding the zone, pitching with confidence and staying the course.”

Diete said closer Mercer Krantz is helping the pitching staff with his late-game efficiency. Krantz has pitched 21 innings this season – one short of his total from last season.

“Mercer is shutting the door or holding the game tight for us,” Diete said. “He embraces that role. We’re hoping he can continue with his role moving into the playoffs.”

Lyons senior Dominic Pisciotti is providing some electricity in the batting order and delivering on the mound. Pisciotti is batting a team-high .300 with a .511 on-base percentage. In the circle, Pisciotti is 3-1 with 24 strikeouts and a 3.80 ERA.

“Dom is having a quietly good year from the hitting and pitching standpoint,” Diete said. “He’s getting hits when we need them. He’s been a leader in the field and on the mound.”

Pisciotti, who played quarterback on the football team, said he worked on becoming a stronger person on the mental side to handle the ups and downs with baseball.

“This season has been good well so far,” Pisciotti said. “I’ve been doing everything I can to help the team win, whether it’s hitting or pitching. One thing I’ve been doing better this year than last year is my approach, playing the game with no fear of failure and having a chip on my shoulder that I’m better than the opponent.”

Devoy doing it all for Lemont

Senior Matt Devoy is doing it all for Lemont this season, hitting .352 with eight doubles, a triple, 24 runs scored, 16 walks and 14 RBIs. As a pitcher, he has a 2-1 record with a 1.25 ERA in 27⅔ innings with 38 strikeouts and has walked just nine batters for Lemont (22-3-1, 12-0).

“Matt has been playing consistently at a high level this season, both as a position player and a pitcher,” Lemont coach Brian Storako said. “He’s our leadoff hitter and usually gets our team going.”

Devoy sparked Lemont to a 5-3 win over Hinsdale Central in eight innings last week, scoring on an error in the eighth inning and hitting a pair of doubles. He added three hits to power Lemont to a South Suburban Blue win over Oak Lawn.

“I feel like the key to success for hitting this year has been preparation and approach,” Devoy said. “For me everything I do outside of the actual game, whether it’s working on my swing or getting in the weight room, is what gives me the confidence when I get up to the plate.

“With my pitching, I worked all offseason on making sure my strike rate went up and getting stronger. Those two things made me feel prepared and confident that I can get anyone out.”

Around the horn

Benet and Joliet Catholic start a two-game key East Suburban Catholic Conference series on Monday. Joliet Catholic (15-3, 9-3) leads the conference with Benet (18-9, 10-4) in second place. Riverside-Brookfield endured a tough stretch, losing five of its last six games to drop to 16-10 and 8-4.