By Bobby Narang
The Naperville Central High School baseball team walked away from the final weekend of the season with a satisfied, yet inspired look.
The Naperville Central Redhawks lost both of their games at the Class 4A State tournament in frustrating fashion, but they earned the program’s third State trophy. The Redhawks, who won the State title in 2006 and 2010, finished in fourth place after dropping an 11-2 decision to Mount Carmel in the third-place game at Slammers Stadium in Joliet June 13.
“We’ve got 25 guys here, and everybody can play ball,” Naperville Central coach Mike Stock said. “So, it was getting guys to compete who haven’t got a chance to in the last four weeks. Except for a couple of errors, here and there, I thought we competed, especially on the mound. I was proud of the guys on the mound.”
The Redhawks (30-11) had a memorable season, led by 17 seniors who sparked a 15-game winning streak that ended with a 9-1 defeat to Maine South in the state semifinals.
Naperville Central reached the State tournament via a 4-2 win over Minooka in the Normal Supersectional at the Corn Crib. The Redhawks rode the strong arm of ace Grant Umbright to the State tournament.
“He is the best player in the State,” Stock said of Umbright. “I could be wrong, but I believe it whole-heartedly. He is an absolute stud. I’m just so proud of him. He carried us.”
The Redhawks won their first regional title since 2015 by beating local rival Naperville North.