By Bobby Narang
Nazareth Academy, based in LaGrange Park, is maintaining its course for another trip to Joliet in early June.
The Roadrunners captured the Class 3A State baseball championship last season, the program’s first State championship after placing fourth in 2011, third in 2012, second in 2015 and third in 2018.
The Roadrunners survived a big scare in the Monday, April 24, 9-3 victory over Benet Academy to stay among the undefeated ranks. The Roadrunners (18-0, 5-0 East Suburban Catholic Conference) won the first of three games against Benet with a pair of comeback rallies.
The Redwings held the lead for most of the game until the Roadrunners scored a six-spot in the sixth inning to gain control of the game.
Nazareth head coach Lee Milano, the architect who built the program into a powerhouse, said Monday’s victory was a good measuring stick for his players.
“You have to have games like this because you need to get ready for the playoffs,” Milano said. “It’s all about getting ready for the playoffs. That’s our whole mindset for the whole year. We’re preparing for the playoffs. You want to be in games like this….We battled the whole game.”
Milano said the Roadrunners, despite their shiny 18-0 start, have another gear in them once the entire team is healthy.
“You have so many starters back from last year who have been through the grind,” Milano said. “There can’t be panic in games like this. I didn’t expect panic. It was back and forth. Both teams had scoring chances in almost every inning. There were a lot of big pitches and plays. I like how they responded to being down. We don’t talk about being (undefeated). Our focus is on the next game. Our record right now is really insignificant. We haven’t been healthy the whole year. We’ve had a lot of injuries, but the depth has helped us out a lot. Our (East Suburban Catholic) Conference is unforgiving. We had two State championships out of our conference because of how tough it is.”
Jaden Fauske, a sophomore, ignited the comeback with his pitching and hitting. The Louisville University recruit had three hits, including drilling a grand slam in the bottom of the sixth for a 7-3 lead. The right-hander picked up the win by recording the final four outs.
“Jaden had a big game, but he’s a Louisville recruit for a reason,” Milano said. “He started as a freshman for a reason. He’s a really good player. He showed his grit on the mound and obviously at the plate. He hit a couple of rough at-bats but the last one was a big one.”
Benet is looking to build off the close loss, showing some heart by leading 3-1 early in the game, but mistakes hurt them down the stretch. The Redwings have the potential be in the mix for a run at State.
“(Nazareth) is a really good team,” Benet head coach Scott Lawler said. “I thought our team fought. We just made too many little mistakes, especially toward the middle and the end. You are not going to beat a good team if you do that. If we don’t make a few mistakes here or there, we’re right there in the ball game. I told the guys not to hang their heads, it’s all correctable. (Nazareth) is a great team.”