Senior catcher Jake Durburg’s bat is heating up fast for the Lake Forest baseball team.
After being stuck in a slump the first month of the season, he’s rebounded the past two weeks to take on the same form that earned him significant playing time as a junior last spring.
In 2015, Durburg posted a .375 average with 14 RBIs and six extra-base hits, and he was named the Scouts’ most improved player at the end of last season.
“I didn’t get off to the start I wanted to this year, but things have started to come together,” Durburg said. “I’ve just tried to stay positive, but most important of all, I’ve made sure I keep working hard all the time. Slumps are going to happen, and I knew as long as I had the right approach at the plate things would even out eventually.”
Durburg continued his spring thaw when he had a two-RBI single and an RBI double in his first two at-bats against Deerfield on Monday, April 25. The game was postponed due to inclement weather with Lake Forest leading 5-1 in the bottom of the 4th inning.
Scouts coach Ray Del Fava praised Durburg for remaining positive during his unexpected struggles.
“We were starting to wonder when he’d get it going again but knew it was a matter of time,” Del Fava said. “He struggled earlier this year but never let it affect his defense, never let it affect his attitude. Jake’s just one of the best leaders I’ve ever coached. Now that he’s back to producing on the field, it makes it all the better.”
Durburg has also had to adjust to playing a position that’s somewhat new to him. Though he played catcher for his summer travel team during the offseason, he was a first baseman for the Scouts his junior year, while then-senior George Karkazis was behind the plate. Karkazis is now a freshman at Miami (Ohio).
“I was fortunate enough to be versatile defensively, and being able to play first base is what allowed me to see as much playing time as I did last season,” Durburg said. “Catching for my summer team, Slammers, brought me up to speed behind the plate. It was a natural transition.
“At first base, there’s a lot of blocking, and you don’t have to make as many throws. You pretty much just have to keep the ball in front of you at both positions.”
Having a teammate like TCU-bound pitcher Cal Coughlin, who throws faster than 90 miles per hour, is enough on its own to make Durburg take his defensive responsibilities as seriously as his offensive ones.
“Cal really makes you work and helps you elevate your game to his level,” Durburg said. “When he’s on the mound, you have to stay razor-focused because he throws hard and has sharp breaking stuff. I’ve worked with him on framing pitches, anticipating situations. I want to be as strong behind the plate as I am with my bat. That’s important to me.”
Coughlin said he has great history and chemistry with Durburg.
“Pitching to George (Karkazis) was great, but me and Jake have known each other since we were like 8 years old,” Coughlin said. “We have a great relationship, and we push each other each week to keep getting better. He understands how I want to pitch, and he pushes me to make better pitches.”
Tim Froehlig is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @TFroehlig
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