The friendship between Neuqua Valley junior Josh Wenz and senior teammate Justin Nonnenmann actually began during the pandemic. And it was based on logistics.
The condensed schedule over the last 15 months made them virtually inseparable.
“He used to drive me to practice in football and baseball when I was a freshman and he was a sophomore,” Wenz said.
Since March 2020, Wenz and Nonnenmann have played two football seasons together. And now, they are deep into their second baseball stint for the Wildcats.
“We bounced right from football last spring to playing baseball, then another football season last fall and now playing baseball again,” Wenz said.
Together, they’ve done good things.
The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Wenz played tight end and linebacker for the football team, using size, speed and power to his advantage.
He’s also a top baseball prospect for the Wildcats (6-6-1, 4-3), who defeated Metea Valley 19-9 Monday in six innings.
Wenz, who plays third base, is the offensive cornerstone as the team’s No. 4 hitter. He has generated recruiting interest from Xavier, Iowa, West Virginia, Kentucky and Georgetown.
Neuqua baseball and football are a natural rite of passage for Wenz.
“I’ve been coming here since I was in my mom’s arms,” he said.
Wenz is the youngest of four brothers who excelled at Neuqua. His two oldest brothers, twins Zach and Jake Wenz, are seniors in college.
Josh played with his brother Lukas, who graduated last year and is now a freshman in college.
“It was always a competition,” Josh said.
Neuqua coach James Thornton has coached all four brothers.
“They are such a talented troupe,” Thornton said. “I had the twins my first year here and then Lukas was so even keeled. Now I have the baby, and he is the biggest of the four.
“He’s got such a high ceiling. I want Josh to stay in attack mode. I want him to be a linebacker — be that guy.”
The aggressiveness and explosiveness from football has its own corollary in baseball.
Wenz is hitting .289 with 12 runs, 12 hits and 12 RBIs. He has two home runs and six doubles. He’s also 5-for-5 in stolen bases.
“I am always looking for a first-pitch fastball,” Wenz said. “That is usually my go-to move. I don’t like getting behind in counts at all because you are at your most vulnerable with two strikes against you.”
Nonnenmann, meanwhile, was a wide receiver in football. He shows off his dynamic athleticism in center field with a flair for chasing down deep fly balls.
“Catching a football and baseball are pretty similar,” he said. “You just have to track the ball first.”
The Benedictine recruit has been stellar in the outfield and a solid hitter. The quick first step he showed playing wideout is evident while generating runs for Neuqua.
Nonnenmann is hitting .316 with seven runs, seven stolen bases and four RBIs. He also has a save as a relief pitcher.
“He’s got a sting in his bat and he has got mad wheels,” Thornton said. “He can just fly. We didn’t know how good he could be until we unleashed him.”
Junior pitcher/outfielder Mark Mennecke has the best advantage to talk about the special talents of Wenz and Nonnenmann.
Mennecke, a two-year starter at quarterback, was tasked with throwing the ball to both of them in football.
“Playing with both of them was a great experience,” Mennecke said. “It was a lot of fun, and now we are looking for something very similar and just having a good time together.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.