By Bobby Narang
The York High School baseball team is looking for another trip to the State tournament this spring.
But the Dukes, despite a senior-loaded team, are a vastly different squad this season.
The Dukes have finished in fourth place in back-to-back seasons in Class 4A, mainly led by a dominant pitching staff. Ryan Sloan was the key pitcher for the Dukes, a rare once-in-a-generation player who was drafted in the second round with the 55th pick in the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft by the Seattle Mariners.
The Dukes (13-1, and 4-0) are on track for another 25-plus win season, but are relying on their bats to carry them to victories this season. Even with a new-look and a new coach, the Dukes are on a roll, defeating Lyons 6-5 Monday in a key three-game West Suburban Silver Conference series.
“We brought back quite a bit of hitting,” York coach River Pitlock said. “Last year, seven of our (top) nine hitters were juniors, so that was good to see, especially last couple of years after being really pitching heavy.
“The first 13 games this season our hitters are seeing the ball really well, taking good pitches and making good in-game adjustments. We’ve developed into a strong defense and pitching and just clicking on all three cylinders.”
The Dukes have an abundance of experience, returning 14 seniors, six of whom have 25-plus games of experience, but just four pitchers with 17 or more innings of work.
Second baseman Josh Fleming is one of six seniors committed to play in college. The Grand Valley State recruit is one of the headline players, along with catcher Owen Chael.
“Josh is really hitting well and picking up a whole bunch of leadership,” Pitlock said. “Owen is doing a great job at catcher. He’s defensively strong and offensively seeing the ball very well, taking good hacks and putting a lot of pressure on the opposing teams.”
Fleming said the seniors, and the rest of his teammates, are aiming for a third straight trip to state and are motivated to top their back-to-back fourth-place finishes. Fleming said the biggest factor in York’s success has been their strong culture and closeness.
“Many people counted us out after we graduated a lot of arms last spring, but this team is not far off from our previous two state qualifying teams,” Fleming said. “Our bats can compete with anyone in the state and our new pitchers have all stepped up in big ways?”
Fleming said he worked hard in the offseason to prepare for a bigger load and responsibilities this season. He added mediation, breathing and visualization techniques to go along with spending countless hours in the gym.
“I spent a lot of time in the weight room and in the cages, but the most important improvements I’ve made with my mind,” Fleming said. “I wanted to make sure I was as mentally prepared as physically because both are equally as important. Improving my mind has improved my game a ton.”
Senior pitcher Jack Bodach is one of the reasons for York’s strong pitching start. The left-hander is 3-0 with an ERA under 1.00, according to Pitlock.
“Jack was a top arm out of the pen last year, but he’s a starter now and pitching strong,” Pitlock said.
Bodach said he came into the season motivated to take on a bigger role for the pitching staff. Bodach said he attacked the weight room, building his legs through squats and working on fast-twitch muscle movements for explosiveness.
“Obviously, the loss of some great arms was tough, but this team can truly match the energy of York baseball of the past three season,” Bodach said. “The way our hitters have been able to extend at-bats and make pitchers grind has been crucial to our success. We’ve also had many guys step up all over the place.”