Baseball notes: Glenbard East closing in on 20-win season, eyeing postseason run

Glenbard East is one of the surprise teams this season.

Just don’t tell that to Glenbard East coach Clayton George.

The Rams (14-6, 13-1 Upstate Eight) returned three starters, but have relied on a solid group of pitchers and timely hitting to raise the possibility of a 20-win season.

“You could see the makings of it last year,” George said. “We got a couple kids back who were hurt last year. We’re very excited about the season and happy with the progress we’ve made from last year. We were a pretty inexperienced team at the start of the season. We only had a handful of kids with meaningful varsity innings. It’s been fun to see the progression of our kids and what we’ve been teaching them and watching them run with it.”

Senior pitcher Caden Krystofiak is one of those players back to full health. The right-hander suffered a season-ending knee injury during warmups before a game last season. His return has sparked the pitching staff. He’s posted a 4-1 record with 68 strikeouts with a 2.10 ERA in 36.2 innings. Krystofiak struck out 15 batters in a 7-0 win over West Chicago on April 5 and struck out 12 against Glenbard South on April 14.

George said he’s thrilled to watch Krystofiak become a go-to pitcher for his team.

“Caden basically missed a whole season, so his return has been huge,” George said. “He’s also our No. 4 hitter, our No. 1 arm and plays third base. He’s one of our senior captains and he’s a leader for our team. It’s great to see him come back.

“He was going to be a building block piece for us last year. He rehabbed extremely hard, was patient with it, did what he could and put in a lot of hard work. He’s really helped us out.”

Krystofiak forms a solid one-two combination with sophomore Trevor Rehnstrom, helping the Rams become a tough team to beat in a three-game series. Rehnstrom (3-1) has struck out 47 batters in 25 1/3 innings and posted a 2.49 ERA. Rehnstrom pitched a two-hit gem in a shutout victory against Streamwood on April 11.

“Trevor had a really good freshman year, finishing 6-1, and he’s throwing the ball extremely well this year,” George said.

At the plate, No. 3 hitter Eddie Vercruysse and Jayden Hamilton both are having solid seasons, George said.

“Eddie has been lights-out at the plate and playing fantastic,” George said. “Jayden is really setting up the table for us at the top of the order from the two-hole. We have a good mix of kids who could really challenge for a good seed in the playoffs. Hopefully, we have the pitching. We need to have a little bit of a run, so it might come down to our hitting. If we can hit with some of the bigger teams in the sectional, I think we can make a run. The guys are starting to see the process and are starting to string wins together. They know they can beat the good teams in our sectional.”

Lemont update

Lemont coach Brian Storako had a number of reasons to remain optimistic for the 2022 season. Even after losing six starters from last season’s team that reached a Class 3A sectional semifinal, Storako noticed some glimmers of hope.

Brady Small, Luke Wallace and first baseman Pat Gardner were the returning starters, with Small the lone senior.

“We knew we had a good junior class coming up,” Storako said. “The expectations were high but we were just not sure how the experience would go. The varsity play is faster and we would be playing bigger schools. We’re starting to play better, starting to get to know each other and had to battle some games. The weather has proved to be a difficult thing to figure out.”

Lemont (14-6, 10-3 South Suburban Blue) is on pace to top last season’s 23-win total despite heavy graduation losses and a limited schedule.

“I think offensively we’re swinging the bat really well,” Storako said. “Even in games where we didn’t score, we have hit the ball hard. We’re trying to keep focused and hit the ball hard. Our guys push each other to get better. Our backups would be starting for a lot of other teams. We try and keep a level head.”

Around the horn

Glenbard South (12-7) and Glenbard West (11-8-1) hook up for a special game Friday at Glenbard West. The nonconference game will bring awareness to testicular cancer and support those battling it. The crosstown showdown will include a 50/50 split the pot, $5 for Lace ‘em up laces, a raffle for a Cleveland-White Sox game July 24 and a raffle for a Mets-Cubs game July 17. ... Wheaton Warrenville South honored nine seniors Monday. … Nazareth (17-6, 5-5 East Suburban Catholic) is closing in on a 20-win season after a 6-1 win over Marian Catholic on Monday. The Roadrunners have won at least 20 games for the past 12 seasons, placing in the top four in Class 3A in four of those seasons – 2011, 2012, 2015, 2018.