The 2018 season has thrown a curveball at the Benet Baseball team as they move from class 3A to 4A.

Coming off a stellar season last year when the Redwings tied for third in the East Suburban Catholic Conference and advanced to the Supersectionals, the team has big goals for this current season despite moving up class size where they will play against larger schools. Coach Lawler is looking forward to the challenge and said it is an exciting time for the team. He said, “For us the biggest thing is that we will be playing bigger schools in our area like the Naperville and Downers Grove schools. We have a rivalry already so it is kind of fun for us to go to 4A. We get to play them now and see them in the playoffs.”

Despite the change, Coach Lawler plans on taking his tried and trusted coaching approach and putting it to use again this season. Lawler said, “I love trying to play a lot of guys early.” By doing that, he says the coaches can “find roles for our guys and once we find roles we try to get them really good at that.” After finding roles, the guys are able to practice and refine their skills under the guidance of the coaches.

Coach Lawler said, “We have a really talented team but a very inexperienced team with some great senior leaders.” This year the team looks to rely on senior leaders such as Brandon Gorz and Jack Schneider, who both hit over .300 last year. They are backed by pitchers Gio Ahern (‘18), Quinn Moriarty (‘18), Jared Novak (‘20), Chris Perry (‘20), and Carter Winborne (‘20). Senior Brandon Gorz said, “It is crucial to set a good example [and] many of us seniors have varsity experience and understand the struggles the younger guys can experience throughout the season. We just want to be there for those guys when they come upon those hard times and guide them through, while still getting their best effort.”

This season the team put their approach to the test. At first they fell behind with a record of 0-4 after losing to Wheaton North (10-4), Naperville Central (4-3), Batavia (9-1), and York (8-4). However, Moriarty won a pitching battle against Waubonsie Valley, only giving up 4 hits and getting 4 strikeouts in 71 pitches to give the Redwings their first win of the season with a final score of 1-0. After the win against Waubonsie, the team went on to win 6-1 against Marmion Academy. Before Sunday’s game against Crossroads Academy, Lawler said, “We are 2-4 right now, but we have a really talented team, but also an inexperienced team. When you play a lot of guys you are going to have some mistakes early in the season, but we have cleaned that up and have played really well in the last week and a half even amidst the weather.” The team was unable to play originally scheduled games early in the season due to weather conditions, but they were able to take the extra time and iron out early mistakes which helped them improve and gain confidence going into their scheduled game against Crossroads Academy.

The Redwings sent Jared Novak (‘20) to the mound to start against Crossroads Academy. The first inning did not go as planned for the team. Novak struck out two, but a walk and questionable balk call later led to Crossroads leading 1-0 at the end of one inning. Staehely (‘19) and Wymer (‘19) reached with base hits, but after aggressive base running, Staehely being thrown out stealing second, and a strikeout the inning ended without the Redwings scoring. However, they sent out veteran Quinn Moriarty out to the mound to relieve Novak. Moriarty settled in and eventually pitched the team to a victory as Benet won 3-2 over Crossroads Academy.

Benet Academy looks to continue their three game win streak as they play West Aurora on Tuesday. Lawler says he is very happy with the team and their progression right now and according to Gorz, “We are hungry. I have been a part of quite a few teams and not many have had as much desire to win as this team. Between the hard work the team has put in, I know we are poised to make a postseason run farther than any other Benet baseball team.”