Baseball notebook: Cary-Grove’s Ryan Weaver, Prairie Ridge’s Matt Porter stage a classic duel

The traditional handshake lines after games have been replaced by teams waving “Good game” to each other after athletic contests.

Still, Prairie Ridge coach Glen Pecoraro had to take one moment after Monday’s 4-3 Fox Valley Conference win against Cary-Grove to acknowledge a worthy opponent.

[ Read more: Prairie Ridge steals victory from Cary-Grove ]

Pecoraro said a few words to Trojans left-handed pitcher Ryan Weaver, who had just battled Prairie Ridge’s Matt Porter in a classic duel.

The Wolves were able to push three runs across in the sixth after Weaver, who was at 101 pitches, was taken out for a reliever. The IHSA pitch-count limit is 105 for regular-season games.

Weaver struck out the side three times, once with the bases loaded and no outs and finished with 12 strikeouts and one earned run allowed.

Porter threw six innings, allowing three hits and fanning 10. He struck out the side twice.

“As a pitcher, Weaver is the best we’ve seen,” Pecoraro said. “I’m not talking about the hardest thrower, but the best pitcher. He changed speeds with three pitches and consistently threw strikes. We’ve seen guys that throw harder, but he pitches. He’s smart. I’m a big fan of his.”

Weaver, who was the Trojans’ No. 3 starter as a sophomore, will pitch at Illinois State University next season.

Weaver struck out 10 in four innings in the Trojans’ win over Hampshire in their opener, giving him 22 strikeouts in nine innings this season.

“He’s a warrior,” Trojans coach Ryan Passaglia said. “He loves to compete. There’s no doubt what you’re going to get when he’s on the mound, but we have to support him. We have to play better behind him.”

Porter had easily his best outing of the season. He said his feel for breaking pitches was evident in his bullpen, which made more effective and led to his longest pitching stint of the season.

“Matt Porter was what I thought Matt Porter would be for us,” Pecoraro said. “Every time I looked up he was 0-2 (on a batter). That’s what he’s capable of.”

“Rock” on!: McHenry coach Brian Rockweiler picked up his 300th career win Monday when the Warriors defeated Crystal Lake Central, 11-5.

Rockweiler took over as Warriors coach in 2007 and has not had a losing season in his 15 years as coach. His teams are 300-176 in that span, a winning percentage of .630.

“I am grateful to have some very hard-working and loyal assistant coaches, Rob Niemic, who has been with me every year except my first,” Rockweiler said. “Zach Badgley, Cody Freund and Danny Glick, all former players. All past and present players deserve a lot of the credit.”

The team posed on the field with Rockweiler and a banner to commemorate the moment following the game Monday. Rockweiler also was able to share the milestone win with his son, Trevor, the Warriors’ first baseman.

“It was very special to have Trevor play in the game that was 300,” Rockweiler said. “And for my whole family to be there, my sons Nick and Jake, and my daughter Brooke and my wife Stacy. It seems like yesterday that (assistant coach) Zach Badgley was a junior in high school pitching for win No. 1 of the 300.”

McHenry has won four regionals under Rockweiler, with Class 4A regional titles in 2015, 2017 and 2018. His 2017 (26-11) and 2018 teams (26-10) had the most wins.

Fast start: Richmond-Burton was 9-2 overall after Monday’s 13-7 loss to Woodstock. The Rockets won nine consecutive games to start the season, then fell to Grayslake Central, 15-5, in five innings Saturday and to the Blue Streaks on Monday.

Although R-B took its first Kishwaukee River Conference loss to Woodstock, the Rockets look like the team to beat in the KRC.

“We’ve had a great year so far,” catcher Hayden Christiansen said. “We’re a great defensive team. We field everything we can. Usually we play with good energy on the field.”

R-B led Grayslake Central, 5-0, early before the Rams busted out with an 11-run fifth inning. They hit two grand slams in that inning and had the bases loaded again when it ended.

“Honestly, we kind of needed a game like this,” R-B coach Mike Giese said after Saturday’s loss. “We have to learn how to regroup ourselves a little better.”

The 9-0 start surprised junior Joey Mrowiec, who has been the Rockets’ ace at 3-1.

“Coach (Giese) was saying we weren’t going to steamroll all these teams. I’m really happy with how we’ve all been hitting and contributing to this team. We don’t really have any weak spots, and we have a couple bench guys who can also come in.”

Going deep: Woodstock outfielder Alex Wojnicki’s first three hits of the season were home runs. That streak ended in Monday’s victory over R-B when Wojnicki was 2 for 5, both singles, and scored twice.

Hopeful for return: Crystal Lake South pitcher Ysen Useni made news last year when he committed to Illinois-Chicago as a sophomore.

Useni, who hits 90 mph on speed guns, has not pitched yet this season. He is in the dugout with the Gators, wearing a brace on one knee.

South coach Brian Bogda was uncertain about Useni’s timetable for a return.

“Currently there is something with his knee,” Bogda said. “Hopefully we get him back, and if not, we have to keep working.”