Naperville Central catcher Colin Barczi is ready for his encore.
The Vanderbilt recruit made a spectacular varsity debut last year, when he was named the DuPage Valley Conference MVP.
But he wasn’t a leader for the Redhawks.
“My role has definitely changed now,” he said. “Last year I was a sophomore, and I looked up to the seniors. I followed them and listened to everything they said.”
With the graduation of standout pitcher Kyle Steele, Barczi is the guiding force for the next wave of Naperville Central arms.
“I definitely think I have a great chemistry with all of our pitchers,” he said. “There were some young pitchers I didn’t really know, so I made a point of getting comfortable with all of them and forming a bond so they can trust me when I’m back there calling pitches.”
Barczi, who was the 2021 Naperville Sun Baseball Player of the Year, hit .455 with a .945 slugging percentage last season, when more than half of his hits went for extra bases.
He finished with six home runs, five doubles, two triples, 24 RBIs and 23 runs.
His production was all the more impressive given that his freshman season was canceled in the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Being a catcher definitely helps my hitting because it helps me see the zone before I get up. … I have a better sense of what’s a ball or what’s a strike,” he said.
Barczi grew up around the game. His father, Scott, excelled at Northwestern, was picked in the 10th round of the 1987 MLB draft and played in the minor leagues for four years. Barczi’s older brother Christian played at Naperville North and Valparaiso University.
But Barczi is carving out his own identity.
“What makes him a top player not only in our state but across the country is the way he goes about his business,” junior shortstop Pambos Nicoloudes said. “He puts his head down, and he goes to work. He is never an easy out. He is just a brick wall behind the plate.”
Nicoloudes, an Illinois-Chicago recruit, also made his varsity debut last year.
“Playing with Colin has been a lot of fun,” Nicoloudes said. “He’s one of my good friends, and that makes it even more enjoyable. Coming up to varsity last year together was a memorable moment for us. We always have each other’s back and push each other to be the best.”
The Redhawks swept the regular-season and conference tournament titles in the DVC last year but lost to Neuqua Valley in a regional championship game.
“We all hated that feeling last year, and we don’t want to have that feeling again,” Barczi said. “Baseball is a game of ups and downs. When you’re down, like the Neuqua game, it’s not very fun. We don’t ever want to feel that way again.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.