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Chicago Tribune
05-06-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Colin Chung wants to pitch again. First, Lake Zurich has to beat Mundelein. So he does his part.
A different day, a different hat for Lake Zurich junior Colin Chung. As the season has progressed, the Bears have come to expect Chung will do something positive each game, and those contributions don't come only in his most high-profile position as a starting pitcher. 'The fact that I'm playing a bigger role is great,' he said. 'It's a lot more fun to be in the mix.' The 5-foot-11, 170-pound Chung isn't merely in the mix, however. He's one of the main ingredients. On Wednesday, when Chung was playing second base, he delivered the go-ahead single in the eighth-seeded Bears' 9-3 win against fourth-seeded Mundelein in the Class 4A Stevenson Sectional semifinals in Vernon Hills. As a result, Chung will pitch Saturday, when Lake Zurich (26-11) will play another North Suburban Conference rival, second-seeded Libertyville (32-4), in an attempt to win the program's first sectional title. The Bears will also be pursuing their 14th victory in their past 16 games. 'I'm always excited to get on the mound again and attack hitters and try to win my team a game,' he said. 'I've always had confidence in my ability to pitch.' Chung's bat was the problem for the Mustangs (23-11-2). His one-out single to the opposite field off senior reliever Brody Paluch drove in the first of the six runs the Bears scored in the fifth inning to break open a 3-3 tie. 'That kid was pounding curveballs on the first pitch getting ahead, so I was just sitting curveball and took it the other way,' Chung said. 'In every inning, you just have to keep on going, and my hit might have sparked it. Then everyone after me did their job to continue to have a good approach at the plate.' That's Chung's kind of hitting, and Lake Zurich employed it throughout the game by producing nine runs on six hits, seven walks and a hit-by-pitch. Chung's strategy at the plate is unusual given that he's the cleanup hitter. Lake Zurich first-year coach Mike Manno moved Chung up a spot in the order before a 3-0 victory against Stevenson on May 22, when Chung also earned the win by allowing just three hits over six innings. 'He's a contact guy who gives us good at-bats and builds pitch counts on pitchers,' Manno said. 'That's why we moved him there. The beauty of having him there is that he's able to do a lot of different things for us, and he's really come through.' Chung is batting .296 with 19 RBIs, and his team-high six sacrifice bunts, including one Wednesday, have given teammates behind him a chance to drive in runs. 'He (Manno) has confidence in me bunting guys over,' Chung said. 'My approach is to find gaps. It might not look like a typical four hitter, but the job gets done, attacking strikes when I get them and putting the ball in play.' Chung follows Lake Zurich's most productive hitters, seniors Cash Kaczmarek and Owen Strahl. 'Colin is the most consistent No. 4 hitter I've ever been in front of in my life,' Strahl said. 'Every time I get on, I can expect something good out of Colin. He's just constantly on every pitcher. It's always good when he has those six-, seven-, eight-pitch at-bats.' That's not the kind of at-bat Chung wants to see when he's on the mound. He has been a great complement to senior right-hander Josh Marzec, who pitched Wednesday. Chung has recorded a 1.31 ERA in nine starts and one relief appearance over 42 2/3 innings with 56 strikeouts and 21 walks. 'I've been throwing a lot more change-ups this year,' Chung said. 'I started to add that to my repertoire, and it has helped keep hitters guessing, which is how I like to pitch — mixing in off-speeds and keeping hitters off balance. I have confidence in throwing it for a strike on any count.' Lake Zurich has shown confidence in Chung. 'I sort of knew that I would have a spot with the team pitching,' he said. 'But with a new coach, I didn't know how I would pitch or hit and fit in the lineup. So I'm just happy I've been able to perform and be a contributor.'
Chicago Tribune
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Lake Zurich's Cash Kaczmarek steps into the box knowing a hit is likely. ‘Stepping away' is likely a reason.
Lake Zurich's Cash Kaczmarek is learning less is more sometimes. The senior outfielder has never played better, and the timing is notable. 'I ended junior year pretty well, and I didn't do as much baseball-wise in the offseason,' Kaczmarek said. 'I think that helped.' Kaczmarek, a Wisconsin-Oshkosh baseball commit, decided to play basketball this past season. He didn't play the sport during his junior year so he could give more attention to baseball, but returning to the court at Lake Zurich boys basketball coach Terry Coughlin's invitation turned out to be a win-win. 'Coach asked if I wanted to go to some open gyms in the fall, and I realized how fun it was,' Kaczmarek said. New baseball coach Mike Manno voiced his support, and Kaczmarek became the Bears' sixth man. 'Junior year, baseball was everything,' Kaczmarek said. 'This year, I couldn't lift as much because of basketball, and stepping away from baseball like that was something that I needed. I worked on my mental approach a lot.' Manno's arrival also pushed him. 'Two months ago, I really didn't know where I stood,' Kaczmarek said. 'There was some stress and uncertainty, which was good. First impressions are huge for me. I felt like I had to fully reprove myself. It was kind of like being a freshman again.' Not that he's playing like one. Kaczmarek, who began the season batting cleanup but has moved into the No. 2 hole, is on a tear at the plate for the Bears (11-6, 4-2). Including Lake Zurich's 5-3 nonconference win against Deerfield on Wednesday, he has hit .583 with a 1.810 OPS, four home runs, 14 RBIs and 14 runs scored in the past seven games. 'I'm just going up there wanting to hit it right back at the pitcher and thinking that I'm better than him,' he said. Kaczmarek, who hit two home runs all of last season, went 4-for-4 with a homer and five RBIs during Lake Zurich's 17-9 nonconference win against Normal West on Saturday. His home run during the Bears' 4-3 North Suburban Conference win against Lake Forest on Tuesday was his third in as many games and couldn't have been more clutch, coming in the top of the seventh inning of a tie game. 'He's always been a hitter at heart, and when he gets hot like he is right now, there's no stopping him,' Lake Zurich senior pitcher Josh Marzec said. 'It looks like he's adjusting really well to pitches and he's hitting beach balls. 'What's also great about him is that he's a great teammate and leader who holds everyone to the same standard.' Manno didn't know what to expect from Kaczmarek but quickly came to believe he would make a big impact this season. 'He's been easy to coach from day one, and you could tell, even early in workouts, that he carries himself the right way,' Manno said. 'There's a grit about him that is infectious for the rest of the team.' Kaczmarek also knows how to deal with the failure that is inevitable in baseball. 'I've gotten better at not dwelling on negatives, and I think a lot of that is being a year older,' he said. 'I try to not think about mistakes too much and move on to the next game or the next pitch.' As the Bears prepare for their next game, they have won five in a row. 'The heart of our lineup is heating up, and we're starting to feed off each other,' Kaczmarek said. 'I'm enjoying this season a lot, and I just want to enjoy my last time playing high school baseball.'
