Junior catcher Colin Barczi just experienced a Yogi Berra moment for Naperville Central.
A dominant two-year varsity run by Barczi basically evokes the legendary quotation attributed to the New York Yankees’ Hall of Fame catcher — “It’s like déja vu all over again.”
Repeating can be the hardest thing to do in sports.
“My sophomore year set the standards I wanted to surpass,” Barczi said. “It has continued to be my motivation to challenge myself to do better and better each year.”
If you thought Barczi was good as a sophomore, you needed to see his junior year. It was even more jaw-dropping as far as statistical accomplishments.
As the No. 2 hitter for the Redhawks, Barczi batted .482 with a .610 on-base percentage. He hit 13 home runs, eight doubles and four triples and contributed 31 RBIs.
“Colin is the best high school player I have seen,” Waubonsie Valley coach Bryan Acevedo said. “He is every bit of a five-tool player who hits for power and is extremely disciplined behind the plate.
“He was someone we went into every game saying we wouldn’t let him be the one who beat us.”
Barczi, the 2022 Naperville Sun Baseball Player of the Year, still did in leading Naperville Central to a shared DuPage Valley Conference title. He repeats as the player of the year.
The Vanderbilt recruit also was named the best player in the DVC for a second straight season.
“Even though you don’t play to win awards, it just makes you feel great and tells you the hard work is paying off,” he said.
Barczi altered the way opposing coaches and pitchers strategized to limit his efficiency and offensive prowess. He generated 28 walks, many of them intentional.
“I was pitched against slightly differently this year,” Barczi confirmed. “I was definitely given a lot of respect with the number of times I was intentionally walked.
“The experience of the hitter is amazing. Every time you step in the batter’s box, it is you versus the pitcher. The toughness it takes every pitch is something I pride myself in.”
The 6-foot-2 Barczi has the size and range and shows necessary discipline at the plate. He never chases bad pitches.
His 13 home runs more than doubled his total of six from a year ago.
“Even when you make a good pitch, he can still find a way to beat you,” Metea Valley coach Steve Colombe said. “Our pitchers at times executed our game plan and he still found a way to impact the game.
“If you make a mistake, he drives in runs or hits the ball out of the park.”
One of the signature achievements for Barczi has been an ability to deflect pressure. He simply lives in the moment.
“Baseball is a challenging sport,” he said. “You have to play loose in order to be at your best.”
Baseball also is a family pastime for Barczi.
It’s a connective thread binding together his father Scott, a Northwestern standout who spent four years playing Double-A, and his brother Christian, who excelled at Naperville North and played in college at Valparaiso.
Christian also was a catcher. He influenced his younger brother.
Continuing the legacy has never been a hurdle, according to Colin. Just the opposite.
His past drives him.
“I take pride in their achievements and I like being compared to them as they were great players and great people as well,” he said. “I do want to pave my own path.
“I never take it as a burden being compared with them.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.