Nazareth senior Jaden Fauske is the Suburban Life baseball Player of the Year

Two years ago, Nazareth’s Jaden Fauske’s life took an upward turn.

As a sophomore, Fauske was a regional name in the baseball circles, especially after committing to Louisville before his freshman season.

His second year on the varsity led to a breakout season, but the next few months put his name on the national map.

“That (junior) summer changed a lot of things for me,” Fauske said. “I was a relative under the radar guy but that summer put me on the map, and this past summer, I took it to another level. I went from taking a step as one of the best guys in the Midwest to one of the best in the country.

“My life was very different after that. I was always good but going that next step changed a lot. I also realized I have a shot playing professionally, which is what I kind of what I wanted to always do. I had a good summer playing against some of the best competition in the country on a national stage. I felt I belonged, especially excelling against some of the best players.”

Indeed, Fauske did show his name belonged with the elite.

Over the next two seasons, Fauske decommitted from Louisville and pledged to national powerhouse LSU, which recently won its second College World Series championship in the last three years.

He stamped his name all over Nazareth’s record books and earned a wave of state and national honors in his senior season.

Fauske capped his career with a stellar final season, batting a robust .475 with six home runs and 40 RBIs. He had 10 doubles, four triples and scored 38 runs, while getting walked 29 times.

Fauske, a senior outfielder, showed off his speed by stealing 29 bases to earn First-Team All-American status, Gatorade Illinois Player of the Year and Class 4A all-state first team selection.

Fauske said he worked on his speed over the last few seasons and made a point to become a better leader for a young but talented Roadrunners’ team this season.

“I wanted to take a bigger leadership role because our team was very different than the past seasons because we had a lot of younger guys, more underclassmen guys who had not played on the varsity,” Fauske said. “I worked to get a lot faster playing centerfield to try and change the game with my speed.”

Fauske admitted he endured a growing process early in the season, mainly because of the influx of Major League Baseball scouts attending several Nazareth games.

“The Gatorade Player of the Year is a great accomplishment,” he said. “I had to make an adjustment playing every single game with scouts being there. I definitely felt a little pressure. Early on, I had to settle down and get back to what I was. About a month into the season, I got comfortable and stopped trying to do more than I should. I realized I don’t have to go out and be perfect every single game.”

Nazareth baseball coach Lee Milano said some of Fauske’s most awe-inspiring moments occurred in practices or before games.

“I’ve never seen a kid in batting practice and sometimes games, hit balls so far and high at the high school level than Jaden,” Milano said. “On an average day, in batting practice, he would hit at least eight balls way into our woods outside the fence. He took a prescribed batting practice routine, hitting the ball to all fields, gaps and then let the last round go. He put on some shows the last couple of years.

“We’ve had some very talented players, but no one hit like Jaden did in batting practice and games. It was a different trajectory and distances that I have not seen before in my 30-plus years coaching. No one else came even close.”

In his senior season, Fauske also made a return to the pitching mound. He pitched 33 innings with a 1.00 ERA in his sophomore season, but he came back this season to hit 92 miles per hour in a game before getting shut down for the season due to shoulder soreness.

“He strained his shoulder and didn’t pitch his junior season, but you talk about character and team, Jaden came out this year and didn’t shy away from pitching,” Milano said. “We didn’t want to put him in a position to risk injury, but a lot of kids in his age, they will shy away from anything jeopardizing their future, but this kid was running into the storm. He wasn’t worried about his future. He wanted to help the team as much as he could. That speaks volumes about what type of kid Jaden is.”

Fauske, a three-time all-stater, isn’t just a one-sport athlete. He played football for his first three seasons, is an accomplished chess player, according to Milano, and thrives in the classroom with a 4.23 GPA.

“His accolades are incredible,” Milano said. “I don’t want to play him in chess. He’s an elite chess player. He was a mature presence on the varsity for us. He’s accomplished things we’ve never had from a player at Nazareth.”

Fauske, a former safety and wide receiver, said he’s excited about the next stage of his baseball career, whether he attends LSU or gets selected in MLB Draft in mid-July. A left-handed hitter who throws right-handed, the 6-foot-3, 200-pound Fauske, who helped lead Nazareth to back-to-back Class 3A state titles, is ranked 57th by MLB.com for the Class of 2025.

“It’s been a pretty crazy year doing fall and winter interviews and workouts and having the camera and microscope on me,” Fauske said. “I’ve never been one to shy away from pressure. It doesn’t faze me. It’s part of the process. It’s exciting. I’m definitely not 100% committing to signing or being drafted. I have an open mind. It’s a win-win situation. Whatever happens, I’ll end up in Baton Rouge or playing for a professional team. Either way, I’ll be playing high level baseball.

“I’m just so grateful for Nazareth for the last four years, not just the baseball program but the teachers and football programs and students. It changed me from an immature young kid to a mature man, on and off the field. I’m so grateful for Nazareth, coach Milano and all of the guys.”