A busy week for Lucas Matykiewicz reached its hectic peak Friday. He played a baseball game for Sandburg before embarking on a six-hour drive to the University of Minnesota for a football visit.
Matykiewicz, who plays receiver, also visited Illinois on Monday. But while his football recruitment hits high gear, the junior outfielder hasn’t even considered walking away from baseball.
“Believe it or not, baseball is my first love,” Matykiewicz said. “I’ve been playing it since I was 6 years old. I didn’t play football until freshman year. I like football a lot, too.
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“But I can’t give up baseball. I’m having a good time with all my boys.”
Matykiewicz is starring on the diamond as well. He scored twice, with his RBI double being the big blow in a nine-run fifth inning Friday as the host Eagles rallied for an 11-3 win over Tinley Park in Orland Park.
Jake Tomczak went 2-for-2 with two RBIs and a run for Sandburg (6-0), while Quinn Durkin scored a pair of runs and Nick Seaman finished 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI.
Solomon Mitchell earned the win in relief, striking out three over 2 2/3 shutout innings. He impressed coach George Fear by coming in and pitching out of a bases-loaded jam in the third.
“Solomon did a phenomenal job,” Fear said. “He gave us a chance to come back. We put a lot of stress on him and he handled it.”
Milwaukee Tech recruit Drew Benthine threw four shutout innings for Tinley Park (3-3), striking out four and allowing three hits. Brendan Draves and Nathan Hesse each went 2-for-3, with Draves producing an RBI single. Milwaukee Tech commit Lukas Quiroz added an RBI single and a run.
The Titans actually led 2-0 before Sandburg turned the game around with the nine-run fifth. The Eagles took full advantage of three errors and Matykiewicz ripped an RBI double to left-center to make it 4-2.
“I knew I needed to extend the lead and keep things rolling for my team,” Matykiewicz said. “We were down 2-0 most of the game, but all the coaches and all the senior leaders were just telling us that the game’s not over.
“We knew we just needed one big inning to get us going.”
Tomczak certainly wasn’t surprised to see Matykiewicz come through in a big way.
“He’s physically dominant,” Tomczak said. “He has the skills and the body to hit the ball wherever he wants and he has the arm out there in center field.”
The win also put Matykiewicz in a better mood as he prepared for the long journey to Minnesota.
“It’s a lot, but I like doing it for the experience and it’s good for my recruitment,” Matykiewicz said. “I want to play at the next level and I feel like I can play at a big school.
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“Getting into the spring, with football and baseball, it’s hard to juggle sometimes, but I’m trying to get all the opportunities I can and it’s exciting.”
Fear is definitely on board with accommodating Matykiewicz’s busy schedule.
“I’ve been able to work with Lucas since he was 9 or 10 years old and he’s just a special kid,” Fear said. “He’s a great communicator. What an incredible opportunity this kid is going to get.
“It’s awesome. He’s going to get these opportunities in football, but he could have them in baseball, too. He’s a good player.”
While he explores Big Ten programs, Matykiewicz already has Division I football offers from Penn, Yale, Cornell, Illinois State, Western Illinois and Lindenwood.
Even though his future appears to be in another sport, he’s having a blast playing baseball.
“I’m trying to cherish every moment that happens on this field,” he said.