Naperville North freshman Lawton Close is ‘not in California anymore.' But he's not out of his element.

Chicago Tribune

23-05-2025

Naperville North freshman Lawton Close drove the ball over the right fielder's head and raced to second base with a leadoff double.
The hit against DeKalb ace Brodie Farrell left Close feeling a surge of adrenaline, and for good reason. Farrell is a Parkland commit who hasn't been beaten this season.
'Oh, I was ecstatic,' Close said. 'It was so fun because I know how great of a pitcher he is, and to get that as a freshman, that was amazing.'
Close's double, the only extra-base hit allowed by Farrell on Thursday, was a glimpse of what could be in store for the Huskies (15-15), who will play Oswego in the Class 4A Plainfield North Regional semifinals on May 29.
'It was really good,' Close said. 'I like to face better pitching because it gives me a challenge to have an at-bat against those guys, especially a guy like that with good off-speed and good fastball.
'I trust myself, so as soon as I saw that pitch, I just went and got it.'
Farrell, who finished with a four-hitter in DeKalb's 9-1 win in the DuPage Valley Conference Tournament semifinals in Naperville, got Close on called third strikes twice. That wasn't surprising given Farrell's talent and age advantage. The senior right-hander is the DVC co-pitcher of the year and improved to 7-0 with a 1.62 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 52 innings.
But Close, a first baseman who scored Naperville North's only run against Farrell, isn't fazed by the tough competition.
'It's been very challenging,' he said. 'I've faced a lot of good pitchers, especially that are older than me, and it's good to see that.
'I've had a lot of fun this year. Definitely the captains taking me under their wings, that was really big.'
One of those captains is Illinois State-bound senior catcher Zach Bava, who also played varsity baseball as a freshman.
'I just told him that it's another baseball game,' Bava said. 'Yeah, you're going to be playing against kids that are three years older than you, but at the end of the day, they're still teenagers just like you are.
'So just calm yourself down and do what you know how to do and don't overthink. Just hit the baseball.'
Close has done that often enough. In 28 games, he's hitting .231 with four doubles, a triple, 14 RBIs, 11 runs scored and two stolen bases.
'I think Lawton is a fantastic hitter,' Bava said. 'I voiced my opinion that Lawton deserved a spot on varsity. We made that happen, and he's been showing flashes throughout the year.
'Obviously, the batting average isn't exactly where he wants it, but I know he's a competitor.'
Close, whose family moved to Naperville from California last summer, quickly made that clear to Huskies coach Jim Chiappetta.
'You watch him work in the cage, you can see right away that he's got some special ability as a freshman,' Chiappetta said. 'Then you see it show up in a game situation against kids that are two to three years older than him, that's a special thing to see.
'I love his demeanor, and I love his work ethic, and I think those are things you notice right away. He plays the game the right way.'
Close said he gets his work ethic from his father, James, who was drafted out of UNLV by the Florida Marlins in 1999 and played for two years as an outfielder at the Class A level, including a stint with the Kane County Cougars in 2000.
'He just tells me to simple it down,' Close said. 'Baseball is a simple game. If you speed it up, it's going to be even harder, so simple it down.'
Getting Close out may be anything but simple for opposing pitchers in coming years.
'He's shown flashes that he's a truly special player,' Bava said. 'The next three years, the DVC has got a lot to follow up on with Lawton, so they've got to be ready for him.'
One thing Close wasn't ready to experience was Chicago's spring weather. He showed up to an early practice very underdressed.
'It looked like a nice day, but he was in short sleeves and shivering,' Chiappetta said. 'I said, 'You're not in California anymore.''
Not to worry, though. Close has acclimated.
'It's really nice here,' he said. 'I mean, winter is definitely different than out there, but you get adjusted.'