Youngsters step in and step up to help Trevians baseball to regional crown

Newfound energy and confidence, as well as some late-season additions, have the Trevians playing their best ball of the season — and at just the right time.

Now winners of nine of their last 11 ballgames, New Trier kept the good times rolling Saturday afternoon, May 30, with a commanding 13-3 victory over Niles West to claim a regional title at Duke Childs Field in Winnetka.

After a narrow 2-1 victory on Thursday, May 28, over Von Steuben in the opening round of the playoffs, the Trevians put the regional final out of reach early.

New Trier hung a crooked number in the third inning, plating four runs to jump out to 5-1 lead that proved insurmountable for the Wolves.

The early run support helped Greg Campitelli, one of the Trevians top starting pitchers, settle in and go the distance in the five-inning game.

“It just gave me a lot more confidence because in these high-stakes, single-elimination games, being able to get the nail in the coffin and being able to go up early gives a pitcher a lot more confidence,” Campitelli said. “Our energy in the dugout got a lot higher too.”

New Trier knew Campitelli’s superb command on the mound against Niles West’s aggressive offensive approach made him the right man to start the win-or-go-home matchup.

“He’s a strike-thrower and we knew Niles West was going to come out ready to swing — they like to swing early in the count — so we thought it was a great matchup with Campitelli because he’s going to throw a ton of strikes and his stuff is good,” New Trier coach Dusty Napoleon said.

“He’s just pitched some great games for us. He wants the ball and our kids have so much confidence in him when he’s on the mound.”

The Trevs one-two punch of ace hurlers, Campitelli and fellow senior Nick Bailey, have been crucial to the club’s winning ways of late. But some intangibles, mainly confidence and energy, have also made quite the difference, Napoleon said.

“I think our kids are just playing with great confidence right now,” he said. “We’ve been riding our two senior starters and everyone has such big belief in both of those guys. … But really, our team is just confident right now and we’re playing with a different energy than we did maybe three weeks ago.”

Part of the Trevs’ recent exuberance can also be attributed to some varsity call-ups who are already making an impact.

Sophomore Clayton Balch is one of the young additions playing a big role for the varsity unit. Balch drove in four runs for New Trier on Saturday, smacking three hits, including two doubles.

Balch’s left-handed bat joins an already impressive collection of underclassmen hitters who are doing big damage in the middle of the Trevians order.

“My confidence is just fully there right now,” Balch said. “Our team has been really hot recently and we’re just putting it all together on the field right now.”

Freshman Chase Estrada continued his stand-out rookie campaign with another big afternoon. Estrada went a perfect 3 for 3, ripping two line-drive singles and lacing an RBI double down the left-field line. He reached base in all four of his plate appearances.

Sophomore Riley Cook, whose defensive prowess at shortstop earned praise from Napoleon as well, delivered the game-ending hit for the Trevs in the bottom of the fifth. Cook was on base three times as well (two singles and a walk) and also hit a sacrifice fly.

Contributions from the team’s young contingent have been “awesome” and also have been a collective spark for the entire team, Napoleon said, noting it’s a testament to the program’s level of skill.

“We have a lot of talent in this program and we talk a lot about when your number is called, let’s be ready to produce and (our underclassmen) have done an awesome job for us this year,” he added.

New Trier’s usual top-of-the-order bats of Mason Bloom and Jackie Ryder also reached base multiple times. Senior Rowan Hester had a pair of hits and a sac fly as well.

With the win, the Trevians advance to sectional play where they will take on a familiar foe who’s gotten the best of them this season.

Glenbrook North awaits New Trier at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 3, at Kerry Wood Field in Chicago. The Trevs eliminated the Spartans last season in the sectional semifinal with a 3-2 walk-off victory.

But it was a different story this season, with North sweeping New Trier during a three-game regular-season series.

As the Trevians prepare for the big matchup, it’s business as usual for now.

“It’s one game at a time for us,” Napoleon said. “These guys have done a good job of staying in the moment the last couple weeks here and have just focused on getting better every day. Every day that we have an opportunity to be together is special, so let’s keep that going.”

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