The past three seasons, St. Charles North’s Jayden Lobliner took leadership tips from Notre Dame recruit Nick DeMarco. And that’s a pretty good place to start.
DeMarco, one of the North Stars’ all-time greats in baseball, was the 2021 Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year. But this spring, he’s an infielder/pitcher for the Fighting Irish.
That means it’s Lobliner’s time to shine.
“It’s his team,” St. Charles North coach Todd Genke said. “He’s the leader of the pack. He’s the guy everybody wants to follow.”
Lobliner, a senior catcher, signed in December with Kansas State. He has taken the leadership reins for the North Stars, who open their season this weekend in St. Louis.
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“I’m so excited,” Lobliner said. “I can’t wait to get started. Our seniors last year and some of the upperclassmen years prior paved such a good path for me.
“I’m excited to take on that role. I’m excited to prove some people wrong.”
Genke, who saw the leadership qualities early on, has observed how they have grown in Lobliner.
“I’m just really proud of him and how he’s led,” Genke said. “That’s just such a great thing to see as a coach. It’s one thing to coach and want leaders and another to actually have them.”
Genke said it starts with Lobliner’s work ethic. Lobliner indicated that was instilled in him by his father, Aaron, who’s part owner of Top Pick Athletics in Sugar Grove.
“Being around that environment my whole life has only molded me,” Lobliner said. “Having that environment and culture growing up, I’ve been blessed. I’m thankful I took advantage of that.”
Lobliner’s work ethic also has rubbed off on his teammates.
“He’s just the consummate worker,” Genke said. “When you have the talent he does and the capacity to understand the work it takes to be a great player, it’s great to watch.”
In addition to his father, Lobliner gives a lot of credit to DeMarco.
Noticing the way DeMarco went about his business for three years went a long way toward helping Lobliner develop his own style.
“Nick was the best,” Lobliner said. “Last year, it was awesome to be behind that and learn some things and be like a sponge. How he leads by example, how he handled failure.
“It was awesome to learn a lot from him. I’m excited to keep that going.”
From blocking pitches to throwing out base runners, Lobliner’s calling card on the field has always been his defense.
But offensively, Lobliner hit .323 last season. His main offseason priority was becoming even more of a threat at the plate.
“That was by far my main focus of the offseason — that and my speed,” Lobliner said. “Putting in the work this offseason will show.
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“I’m here to prove people wrong and show exactly what I can do.”
Unlike many athletes from the 2022 class, Lobliner was fortunate to lock down his college commitment before the pandemic. He honored that commitment, and so did Kansas State.
“I think I was lucky to get an opportunity like that early in my career,” Lobliner said. “It relieved a little bit of stress and let me focus more on my high school career.”
Genke envisions a great college career and beyond for Lobliner.
“I think with his defensive ability, he definitely has a future in professional baseball,” Genke said. “You want to be able to hit at the higher levels, and I think he will. He has a very bright future.”
Lobliner, meanwhile, wants to get the North Stars back to state.
“We know this team is young, but we have a lot of talent,” he said. “I’m excited to see them because I was in their shoes.
“For me to now be the leader and mentor them, I was gifted that by Nick and others. I’m excited to see what they bring.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.