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player ready...Now that the football season is over, Antioch seniors AJ Kutcher and Ethan Holmes are full-time baseball players again.
“It’s been great,” Kutcher said. “Baseball’s my favorite sport. I like football, but I’d much rather be playing baseball.”
Kutcher and Holmes provided a spark for the Sequoits in their 20-11 win against Grayslake Central on Tuesday.
Kutcher had two doubles, three RBIs and two runs for Antioch (2-7, 2-5), and he also pitched two innings in relief, allowing three hits. Holmes had four hits, four runs and an RBI.
Antioch coach Chris Malec said Kutcher and Holmes give the lineup a boost with their athleticism.
“Being a smaller school, you’re going to have those guys that play multiple sports,” Malec said. “Not having them for the start of the year, you lose some of that athleticism that they bring. Not only do they hit, they both pitch, they fly around on defense, they’re great on the bases.”
Antioch’s football team wrapped up the long-delayed, six-week season — and the Northern Lake County Conference title — on Friday. Kutcher, a 6-foot-1 wide receiver, earned all-conference honors. Holmes, a 6-3 linebacker and Wisconsin-Stevens Point commit, received the NLCC Sportsmanship Award.
It’s a quick turnaround, but Kutcher won’t complain.
“I’m not tired at all,” he said. “I had six months off. I’m just glad to be playing.”
Rams rely on Mieszkowski: There are plenty of talented players on Grayslake Central’s roster this season, but coach Troy Whalen said senior shortstop Nate Mieszkowski is the team’s leader.
“He’s our guy,” Whalen said. “We go as far as he’ll go.”
A Missouri Southern State commit, Mieszkowski has been crucial to the Rams (9-2, 4-2) in their strong start this spring. Even in their 20-11 loss to Antioch, he drew three walks, scored three runs and hit an RBI triple.
Mieszkowski also pitches. He earned the win as a reliever in Grayslake Central’s 4-3 walk-off victory against Libertyville on April 15.
According to Whalen, the only reason Mieszkowski doesn’t pitch more often is he’s most valuable in the infield.
“He’s fun to watch,” Whalen said. “A great defensive player, he gets after it offensively. He’s got the most varsity experience of anybody we got. He does a great job.”
Mundelein rolling early: Mundelein coach Randy Lerner said the team’s slogan this season is “Back to work.”
“We’ve been working really hard,” Lerner said Tuesday. “We have a lot of guys that should have been contributors last year but didn’t get the opportunity. … We keep asking them to trust in us and trust the process. A couple of guys saw the benefits today.”
One of those guys is Bennett Musser, who threw a no-hitter in the Mustangs’ 10-0 win against Stevenson on Tuesday. The sophomore struck out three in five innings.
Lerner said Musser’s command was strong, with 36 of his 48 pitches going for strikes.
“It looked like he was throwing pretty hard,” Lerner said. “He had good command of his change-up today. We played good defense behind him today. His fastball’s just got some sink on it, a little bit of run.”
Mundelein (9-0, 4-0) has raced out to a blazing-hot start, due in part to its pitching. Opponents have scored just 20 runs. Seniors Jack Bikus and Michael Rastrelli combined to throw a no-hitter in a win against McHenry on April 15.
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Lerner said senior leadoff hitter Matt Peterson, who had three hits against Stevenson, is the engine for the offense.
“He just sets the tone for us the way that he pushes in the game on both sides of the ball,” Lerner said. “He’s having a special start to the season.”
Nick Frazier is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.