The Times Athlete of the Week: Baseball IQ, Dad and Red Bull all keys to Sean McGurk’s success

Winning a whopping 84.7% of the votes, Streator baseball’s Sean McGurk was your pick for The Times Athlete of the Week. A cornerstone behind the plate and in the top third of the batting order for the Diamond Dogs, McGurk’s three runners gunned down were instrumental in Streator beating Coal City in the de facto Illinois Central Eight Conference championship game.

Also on the ballot were runner-up Caitlyn O’Boyle (Seneca girls track and field), Kaitlyn Schofield (Newark softball) and Phoenix Cooper (FCW boys track and field).

Next week’s ballot will be online Sunday (find the link on The Times Sports Facebook page or on twitter @jtpedelty), with voting going through midday Wednesday.

Here is a Q&A with this week’s winner:

How has this season been different is this season compared to last year’s regional championship team?

This season is different because we lost that senior class, but winning and going into the postseason seems familiar now thanks to those seniors showing us that a regional [title] and other playoff games are winnable.

What is your game-day routine?

Listen to music that puts me in a focused mood, and I have to have a Red Bull.

What so far has been your favorite memory made on a baseball diamond?

Being the bat boy for the Streator baseball team when my dad [Nick McGurk] was coaching.

Who have been a few of the most influential coaches in your life?

My dad has easily been the most influential coach in my life. A lot of people can coach, but it takes a special person to teach the game to someone, and he did an amazing job passing on his baseball IQ to me.

What’s your favorite subject in school?

English

What are your top three non-chain restaurants (no McDonald’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, etc.) in the area?

3rd Street Cafe, 318 and Jackpots

What’s your favorite thing about being a catcher?

Controlling the pace of the game and making my pitchers confident.

With the season winding down, what goals do you have for yourself and for your team down the stretch?

We already got the conference title. Now we want the [Class 3A Galesburg] Regional and a sectional.

Do you have any college plans? If so, do they involve sports?

I plan to attend Rock Valley College to play baseball and study Electrical Engineering and Technology.