DePaul Prep Wins Sectional Championship with 2-1 Victory over St. Pat’s

The DePaul Prep Rams defeated the St. Patrick Shamrocks 2-1 in a well-played exciting game fitting of the stage. The student defeated the teacher in the IHSA 3A Clemente Sectional championship game.

When Sammy Colon was an 8th grader, Chris Haas went to his grade school and played catch with him eventually getting him into Gordon Tech. Sammy, a four-year starter for Chris at Gordon, came back to work at DePaul Prep as an assistant athletic director and an assistant varsity baseball coach. Chris moved on to become an athletic director himself and Sammy graduated into being the Rams’ baseball head coach.

Shamrocks’ junior right-hander Elias Alvarado had the Rams well in hand for the first four innings. No runs, one hit, no walks and three strike-outs. The defense behind him was solid.

Rams’ senior lefty James MacMillan was rolling too. Despite giving up three well hit singles in the top of the second, MacMillon rallied to set done the Shamrocks only giving up one run.

“We knew [Alvarado] was running out of gas a little [after four innings]. We started taking it one inning at a time. We put some balls in play and none of them were falling. We just needed to keep working on him, riding out at-bats and we would get an opportunity,” Colon said.

I wasn’t far from Sammy who was coaching third base. I could hear what he was saying to the bench. In the bottom of the fifth, he was fired up. He knew it was now or never to make a move, score a couple runs and win the game. He was all business.

To open the frame, the Rams got a huge lead off infield hit of the pitcher’s glove from senior Carter Levine. It was the ember the Rams needed to spark the inning. Levine, who to that point had the Rams only hit off Alvardo, legged out the hit. Colon had alerted Rams’ Owen Rog before the at-bat that if Carter got on, Rog would run for him.

Rog scrambled out to first base in place of Levine who had done his part. Rams’ third baseman junior Charlie Pribyl was at the plate.

“I didn’t put the bunt down initially but then I went to it. That put a lot of different things in peoples’ heads. I think Haas thought for sure we were bunting there to get the one run. It’s funny that Rog was at first base. Typically, he is our starting center fielder. We had a bit of an injury with the arm but the legs still worked so I was confident in stealing the bag there,” said Colon.

On a 2-0 count, after Pribyl showed bunt, Rog bolted for second; a good throw was late. Rog was in at second.

With two on and no outs, senior left fielder Aiden Ball ball squared around to bunt and worked a walk to load the based. Four innings in, Alvarado seemed a little gassed, struggling to find the plate. Rams hitters were in no hurry to swing at pitches outside the zone.

With the bases loaded and no one out, sophomore Joey Sachetti worked a walk on a three and two count to bring home Rog from third and tie the game.

“Big walk by Joey Sachetti in the nine spot who typically does not start for us, a sophomore that we called up from JV. That was a big at bat for us,” Colon said.

Back to the top of the line up, with one out, Rams senior infielder Benny Espinosa hit a fly ball to right field scoring Pribyl from third.

Rams up 2-1.

“Benny Espinosa doing what he does best. He has been our rock all year long. He stepped up big,” said Colon.

“Ya, [Alvarado] got a little gassed. He got a little rattled when he hit [Pribyl] on the bunt attempt. He throw a one hitter. They got the two runs he had no hits. It was just one of those things. I thought we hit the ball. We had six or seven hits.” But just one run.

James MacMillon’s performance was just as impressive as Alvarado’s. Six and a third innings giving up just the one run despite giving up five hits and three walks. Timely strike-outs and solid defense on balls put in play was the recipe for success.

Shut down closer Gavin Glibowski closed the door on the Shamrocks in the top of the seventh.  

Sammy Colon was emotional after the game.

“There wasn’t much conversation [with Chris Haas] before the game. It’s emotional for this game. He means a lot to me. As a coaching mentor, as a friend. He found me in the rough in the high school team at Gordon. He means a lot to me. It’s very emotional to play him. We didn’t talk a lot before the game. I had to keep my mind on beating him. But afterwards, we will go hang out. We will talk about this game forever. So, it’s fun,” Sammy said after the game.

Chris Haas took over baseball coaching from legendary Gordon Tech skipper Red Miller in 2003.

“I get emotional too. I love him. It was hard [to talk before the game]. I went up to him. Those kids, Luke Oblen, Griff Horne, Klein, Latko; those are still my guys. It’s bittersweet. I love those kids,” Chris Haas said after the game.  

“I love Sammy to death. He was a four-year starter for me in high school. I went to his grammar school everyday for a week at lunch. I played catch with him and talked about coming to Gordon. I love him. I wish him the best of luck.”  

DePaul Prep Baseball is Going to State; 13-3 Victory over Byron

The DePaul Prep Rams (23-14, 8-8) landed in Rockford for the IHSA 2A baseball super-sectional against the Byron Tigers. The convincing 13-3 win sends the Rams to the State Finals in Peoria this coming weekend.

Before, during and after the game, the Rams were loose. Didn’t seem like a super-sectional. Just like another game. Just fun to play baseball. Not so much for Sam Colon, the Rams’ first-year manager. His normal easy going demeanor seemed a bit more focused, serious, businesslike.

And land on the Byron Tigers the Rams did with four runs in the bottom of the first inning. Byron rallied with three in the top of the second. That’s about as good as they had. The Rams just put it on them after that. Three in the bottom of the second. Another in the fourth. Three more in the fifth and two in the bottom of the sixth for a walk off ten run slaughter rule victory.

Senior pitcher, the always focused and businesslike Robert Rivera pitched well. Rivera struggled in the top of the second. A balk with nobody out and men on first and third scored the Tigers’ A. Lorenz from third.

“I just thought shake it off. Being the pitcher on the mound, you’re the leader. I have hold my composure and show everyone it’s not going to phase me. Even letting in those three runs, I knew I could fight back,” Rams’ pitcher Robert Rivera said.

“I changed up my mechanics. I went to stay closed longer. I started leaning more toward the plate. It helped me control my curveball. It really upped my [velocity] on my fastball too.”

The three runs in the top of the second were the only runs he would allow.

At bat, the whole team contributed--total team victory. Michigan commit and the fastest man on the field, AJ Garcia had a hit, a stolen base and two walks scoring three runs. Vance Kurakowa had a hit and run scored. Catcher Oliver Vigerust was hit by a pitch, had a hit and a base-on-balls. First baseman Kevin O’Connor had a huge game with three hits, two RBI’s and a walk. Griffin Horne had a hit and scored two runs. Beni Espinosa had three hits, four RBI’s, scored two runs and a walk. Third baseman Cameron Klein three hits and an RBI. Carter Levine two hits and three RBI’s, not to mention a spectacular diving catch in right field. Addison Latko had two hits, including a legged out triple and gapper in right center, and scored a run, but no homeruns today.

As hurtful as the super-sectional loss to Byron by the DePaul Prep womens’ basketball team was in March, this emotional super-sectional victory for the Rams took some of the sting out of it.

“I told Sarah [Zarymbski, girls basketball coach and 2014 Gordon Tech classmate of the Sam Colon] that we would get some revenge for her,” Rams head coach Sam Colon said after the game.   

“This team has got all the talent in the world. It’s a matter of can you put it all together in a year. Our first goal was to win the [Chicago Catholic] League [White]; we put ourselves in a position to get there. We didn’t get there. The next goal was to get a second season. The expectation was to get to Peoria. Now it’s to win it.”

It’s third trip to State for the Rams so far this year. Mitch Baum’s boys’ cross-country team won a state title in November. Tom Kleinschmidt’s boys’ basketball team won the 2A basketball state title in March. Now it’s Sammy’s turn.

The Rams will face the Columbia High School Eagles (30-4), from south of St. Louis, at the Peoria Chiefs’ stadium, Dozer Park, on Friday at 3:00 p.m. The other state semi-final will feature Joliet Catholic v. Quincy Notre Dame. The Championship game will be Saturday at 5:30.

DePaul Prep Defeats St. Ignatius 6-2

The DePaul Prep Rams defeated the St. Ignatius Wolfpack 6-2 at the brand new baseball field at Rice Park in a Chicago Catholic League showdown.

“We’ve been talking about it the last two weeks. We’ve got to produce with runners in scoring position. We have struggled a little bit with that,” said Rams’ manager Sam Colon.

Up 3-0 in the top of the fourth, with two down and two strikes on him, freshman catcher and left fielder Addison Latko rifled a shot between third base and the third baseman. Oliver Vigerust, Kevin O’Connor and AJ Garcia came around to score putting the Rams up 6-0.

“That was big time for the freshman for sure,” continued Colon.

DePaul’s senior pitcher Dylan Kaminski (3-0) continued his dominance only giving up two hits and no runs through five innings. However, with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, up by six runs, Kaminski found a little trouble.

Kaminski gave up a sharpe single to center, then a walk, then another single on a ground ball to left. A throwing error allowed a run in, then another run scored when no one covered home on the throwing error.

That was that. The next batter popped up and the inning was over with two Wolves left on base.

Dylan set down the next Wolves from the Pack in order in the bottom of the seventh for a complete game Rams’ victory.

Rams move on to face Harvest Christian tomorrow and then start an important two game set against Montini.