Their hair is cut by different barbers, but they are cut from the same cloth.

When he doesn’t wear his sunglasses on his face, Kyle Pierce rests them on the back of his baseball cap. His identical twin, Ryan, places his shades on the bill.

Otherwise, whether the Dundee-Crown brothers are wearing their ball cap, or football helmet, a keen eye is required to tell them apart.

“I get called Ryan, and he gets called Kyle every single day,” Kyle said. “We have two names.”

The two seniors drive to school together in a grey Kia Sorento. Ryan is the driver, every day. Not that anyone would be able to tell who’s behind the wheel. The identicals have almost identical frames, as both stand 5-foot-9 and weigh 155 pounds. They both throw right-handed. They both run fast. They’re both outfielders. They both played the same positions in football.

Heck, even their two-day-growth goatees match.

Sometimes a shave can wait. That’s how it goes for the always-on-the-go twins.

“We go everywhere together,” Ryan said. “If Kyle’s doing it, I’m probably doing it too.”

That’s good news for D-C Chargers, for two Pierces are better than one.

“They’re just the ultimate competitors,” D-C baseball coach Andrew Zimmer said. “They’re the guys you want on your team. They don’t stand for losing. They work extremely hard at everything, whether it’s football, baseball. When they’re out here [on the baseball field] they always give 110%. They’re great kids. They were raised right. They’re gamers.”

The only children of Matthew, a principal at an alternative high school who also happens to be a twin, and Dayna, a reading specialist, the Pierce brothers have been providing thrills for D-C athletics throughout their high school careers.

They were the football team’s two high safeties and also played wide receiver the past three falls, and now they are enjoying their final spring together as baseball teammates.

Following graduation next month, the twins will go their separates ways. The guess is, Ryan, the driver, will take the Sorento to Aurora University, where he will play NCAA Division III football and live in a dorm.

Kyle will remain living at the family’s home in Algonquin and attend Elgin Community College, where he will play JUCO baseball.

The nickname of Aurora University? The Spartans.

The nickname of ECC? The Spartans.

Twins will twin.

“Last year we were both thinking about [playing the same sport together in college],” Kyle said. “But as our senior year came, I think Ryan stood out more in football. I think I had a good travel [baseball] season. I started talking to coaches and thought it was a good idea for me [to play for ECC].”

Ryan, who made the All-Fox Valley Conference football team in the fall, will at least head to college with one familiar teammate, as fellow D-C senior Anthony Looze also plans to play football there. ECC-bound Kyle plans to major in sports management.

“It’s going to be tough [being separated from Kyle], but I’m super excited to go [to Aurora] and work with my new teammates,” Ryan said.

Kyle will miss Ryan. Ryan will miss Kyle.

“It’s going to be crazy, for sure,” Kyle, who plans to study education, said of not having his brother around in the fall. “I know the house is definitely going to be different without him. But then again, we both need to stay busy. He’s doing what he likes, and I’m doing what I like. That’s what it’s all about.”

It always will be about winning and competing for the twins. Ryan leads off in Zimmer’s batting order and patrols center field. Kyle bats third, plays right field and has a right arm that regularly cuts down runners trying to grab an extra base.

He threw out two McHenry base runners in the teams’ FVC game in Carpentersville last week.

“Whenever I see anyone rounding third,” Kyle said, “and I know I have a chance, I’m always going to throw it as hard as I can.”

Ryan’s arm strength is about the same. Of course it is.

“But I don’t get to show it as much,” Ryan said.

At McHenry last week, Ryan ranged far to his right to make a highlight catch in left-center field, robbing a player of extra bases.

“He’s everywhere [in center field],” Kyle said. “He made a crazy play in the gap [against McHenry]. I thought [the ball] was going straight to the wall, and he just came out of nowhere.”

After D-C’s 11-9 win over host Richmond-Burton on Saturday, the twins have –you guessed it – almost identical stats. Ryan is hitting .368 (14 for 38) with four extra-base hits. Kyle is hitting .343 (12 for 35) with three extra-base hits.

“It’s like two of us,” Kyle said.

The twins like to push each other, especially in the weight room. Who’s stronger? Ah, we know the answer.

“Dude, we lift the exact same weight,” Ryan said looking at Kyle.

“He squats more than me,” Kyle said. “But other than that, that’s really the only thing.”

Their connection is strong. Kyle says having Ryan as his twin is like having a “built-in best friend.” And while they offer double trouble to opponents, their teachers and coaches have it worse.

Zimmer knows Ryan wears jersey No. 4 and Kyle wears jersey No. 6. That helps him figure out who’s who.

“Usually I just say, ‘Hey, Pierce,’ and hopefully it’s one of them, Ryan or Kyle,” Zimmer said with a laugh. “I got a 50/50 chance.”