Kaden Norman finishes what he starts, Cary-Grove tops Crystal Lake South for 1st sectional title since 2009

GRAYSLAKE – Cary-Grove‘s Kaden Norman, set on finishing what he started, threw three straight balls to Crystal Lake South’s Dane Chock to begin the bottom of the seventh inning Saturday.

The Trojans junior had not struck out a batter all game – and it didn’t appear that he’d get his first against the Gators’ No. 8 hitter.

Three strikes in a row from Norman changed that as the electric right-hander celebrated his come-from-behind punch out with a flex of his arms and a yell.

Senior Keenan Krysh then made the defensive play of the game, crashing head-first into the fence as he raced back to grab a hot shot from South’s Xander Shevchenko. Norman got a popup off the bat of Carson Trivellini to second baseman Ricky Barnes for the final out, and the celebration was on.

Behind a complete game from Norman, fourth-seeded C-G beat third-seeded South 7-1 to secure the Class 3A Grayslake Central Sectional championship – the Trojans’ first since 2009.

“It’s electric, honestly,” said Norman, who allowed one unearned run on five hits, walking two. “You hear the last out is the hardest one to get, and for me it’s that last inning. I had to go out there and finish it, just throw strikes. When I have energy, the boys back me up, I really appreciate that.”

Cary-Grove (24-12) moves on to meet No. 2 St. Patrick, which beat No. 1 DePaul Prep 1-0, at 5 p.m. Monday in a Class 3A Schaumburg Supersectional at Wintrust Field.

The Trojans, who plan to start senior ace Charlie Taczy in that game, last went to state 16 years ago, taking fourth.

“As you can tell, this is something for our community and our school that means a lot,” Trojans first-year coach Kyle Williams said. “We’re playing our best at the right time. I believe, our guys believe, that we’re not done. But we’re going to enjoy this.”

The Trojans never trailed against the Gators (25-13), scoring two unearned runs in the top of the first. Brock Iverson (3 for 4, three RBIs) ripped an RBI single, while the second run scored when South catcher Jackson Lee fired high to third base on Ricky Barnes’ steal attempt, which allowed Barnes to scamper home.

With a 2-1 lead going into the third, the Trojans scored when Gators starter Devin DeLoach’s pick-off attempt got away from the first baseman with runners on first and third.

With two outs, No. 6 hitter Francis Panko came through with a two-run double over center fielder Nick Stowasser’s head to score Krysh and Barnes and give C-G a 5-1 lead.

Iverson added a two-run double in the seventh for extra cushion.

“I was just looking to hit a ball into one of the gaps,” Iverson said. “I love to hit the ball to right-center. I wanted to give us some insurance runs for my pitcher Kaden. He was incredible. A little shaky in the first, but he bounced back and really battled his butt off all day.”

After two quick outs in the bottom of the first, the Gators scored their only run of the game on a dropped fly ball in center field. The misplay allowed Yandel Ramirez, who singled with two outs, to score all the way from first.

In last week’s regional final win over Antioch, Norman started and didn’t throw a first-pitch strike to the first four batters he faced. He then hit a batter with the bases loaded.

“As you can tell, this is something for our community and our school that means a lot. We’re playing our best at the right time. I believe, our guys believe, that we’re not done. But we’re going to enjoy this.”

—  Kyle Williams, Cary-Grove head coach

Williams said Norman is at his best when he can harness his control – and emotions.

“First inning against Antioch, had some nerves,” Williams said. “And then he just did a great job of harnessing it. He competes with a lot of emotion and he also has a lot of faith and trust in his self and his defense.

“He’s really bought into, ‘Hey, I’m going to throw my stuff. [The ball is] going to be in play, and that’s fine.’ He knows he can compete like that.”

Shevchenko went 2 for 3 with a double for South, Yandel Ramirez had a single and a run scored, and Christian Alther added a double against Norman.

“He was throwing a ton of strikes, and we weren’t hitting it hard,” said Sullivan, one of nine seniors on the Gators. “He was getting a lot of ground balls. He just pitched well.”

The Gators left single baserunners on in the first and fourth innings and two in the third and fifth.

“Unfortunately we just didn’t come up with a big hit,” South coach Brian Bogda said. “[Norman] did a real nice job of working in and out of the zone. In that last inning on [Iverson’s] hit to right-center, we didn’t have a single hit like that all game.

“That’s baseball sometimes.”

DeLoach allowed three earned runs on five hits in three innings for South. He struck out five and walked two. Michael Silvius then kept the Gators in the game with three scoreless innings of relief.

Norman called DeLoach “a dog,” in a complimentary way of course.

“The first time we played them, they rolled us, and he looked great,” Norman said of the Gators’ junior left-handed starter. “Today was not his best but that kid is a dog.”

South was trying to win its first sectional title since 2022, when it placed fourth at state.

The Gators did win their fourth straight regional title.

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Crystal Lake South's Devin De Loach hugs his catcher, Jackson Lee, as they take the filed for the IHSA Class 3A Grayslake Central Sectional Championship baseball game against Cary-Grove on Saturday, June 7, 2025, at Grayslake Central High School. (Gregory Shaver/Gregory Shaver )

“Playing in this program means everything to me,” Sullivan said. “We all know the expectation. We know we need to come to play or there’s always going to be guys that come up and [Bogda] will put in.”

Williams, a 2008 C-G graduate, was on Bogda’s staff at South in 2023.

Sharing the stage with the Gators’ coach of 18 seasons was special, he said.

“He’s been such a resource and mentor for me,” Williams said.