Baseball notes: Will Kusak taking the lead for Hinsdale Central during the season’s early going

Will Kusak, a Hinsdale Central senior left fielder who is wrapping up a stellar career this spring, is used to juggling his schedule.

Kusak also played on the varsity basketball team. And he is the class president at Hinsdale Central.

Kusak said that position has given him a unique perspective and insight into one aspect of the school.

“It definitely has made this whole high school experience one to remember,” Kusak said. “I’ve dealt with school officials, the principal, administrators and was even involved in the interview for our new athletic director. It helped me mature as an individual, just from talking to a lot of different people who are higher ups in my school. It also helped me come out of my shell.”

Kusak is aiming for a coming-out party on the diamond this spring.

He said the Florida spring break trip to the Vero Beach complex, the former spring training home of the Los Angeles Dodgers, helped him start the season on the right note.

“It was a nice trip to Florida with nice weather,” Kusak said. “It was nice to get out of the cold, just to go down there. I saw some good pitchers and put a couple of good swings on them. Last year, I didn’t have a particularly good season. The one thing I told myself this year was to go out with an open mind. That mindset has paid off. I’m taking it game by game, swing by swing. The Florida trip was good for me.”

Hinsdale Central coach Jason Ziemer said the Red Devils (6-4) have relied on their veterans such as Kusak to lead the team.

“Will has been really good,” Ziemer said. “Matt Houder has done really well from the leadoff spot. He’s been swinging at every strike and getting on base and trying to steal second and third. We’re expecting a lot from Will. He’s definitely delivered in the first few games. He hit really well in Florida. He’s a senior leader and the quintessential all-around kid at Hinsdale Central.”

The Red Devils played seven games during the spring break trip, but only three varsity games.

“We played a ton of baseball,” Ziemer said. “We played pretty well, beat two Ohio teams and one school from Milwaukee. We had really good pitching. Senior Aidan Conners pitched really well. They played really competitive and showed a lot of grit and aggressiveness. That was good to see. Some days you don’t hit or pitch, so we have to get them to run the bases and run hard.”

Kusak praised the seniors from last season for helping his adjustment to the varsity. He played on the lower levels in his first two seasons before moving up in the middle of last spring.

“I give all the credit to the seniors from last year,” he said. “Some guys like Ben Oosterbaan and Grant Davis really helped set the tone for me as a junior and gave the other players confidence. It helped give me confidence in ability and to take my role as a leader this year for the juniors and the new players to the varsity. I’m trying to be the best player I can be and also the best teammate. I’m really excited for the next two months.”

Lemont update

Lemont coach Brian Storako shifted his program’s schedule this season to spend spring break in Arizona.

For the past seven years, Lemont had headed south to play games in Florida during spring break.

“We wanted a changeup,” Storako said, referencing a baseball term. “It has worked out. It was a good time for a change.”

Lemont (4-4) went 2-2 in Arizona.

“We want to get in as many innings and play as much as possible and have some fun,” Storako said before the Arizona trip. “We’re a young team, so getting experience and getting them up to varsity speed is important. I think we’re further along than anticipated and that’s a credit to the kids. They stepped up in the offseason and worked hard.”

Lemont, which finished with a 29-7-2 record last season, returned just one starter – senior catcher Cannon Medaj – from last year’s sectional semifinalist. Storako praised junior pitcher Matt Devoy and junior pitcher/infielder Shea Glotzbach for playing well early in the season.

“We are grinders and put our nose down and play hard,” Storako said. “We have to be scrappy and do the little things. We have worked through some nerves but are starting to get into a flow. It’s been hard to get into a flow because we had a long break between games. Hopefully, we will get used to playing on a day-to-day basis.”