Facing Marian Ace Really No Big Deal for Marist Baseball Team

The Marist baseball team faced a tough challenge when it squared off against Marian Catholic ace Brett Lilek in a 4-1 setback on Monday afternoon.  Lilek is considered one of the best junior pitcher's in the state.

Couple that with the fact the RedHawks have struggled to get clutch hits, and one would think the task would prove too much to handle.

But the harsh reality of the real world hit the RedHawk program early Friday morning when players learned one of their classmate's--Paul Simmons Jr.--died after collapsing while playing basketball during a senior lock-in at the Southside school.

“I can’t speak for the kids on how they feel, but I know their playing with heavy hearts,” RedHawks coach Tom Fabrizio said.

Simmons was one of the cornerstones of the senior class. He struggled at first to make it Marist, but then earned a GPA above 3.0 and made the varsity basketball team as a junior.

Without him the RedHawks were no mtach for Lilek. He was on point despite getting into some early trouble. He struck out 11, including some who showed their frustrations after doing so.

“I ask them to focus for two hours a day,” Fabrizio said. “I told them that there are bigger things than baseball. I realize this, and I told the kids that if we go 0-for-4 with four strikeouts, it is nothing in comparison to what some people are going through.”

Marist students returned to class Monday for the first time since the passing of Simmons. The RedHawks will play the Spartans at Standard Bank Ballpark in Crestwood Tuesday afternoon before attending the funeral on Wednesday.

“It is tough losing real good kid,” RedHawk catcher Pat Nelson said. “He brought smiles to all of our faces.”

An autopsy determined that Simmons died of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a genetic condition in which the heart becomes unusually thick. The condition often goes undetected but can create abnormal heart rhythms, which can cause sudden collapse and death.

“Being on the field helps,” Nelson said.  “The first day back at school we didn’t do much. It's tough--there are only seven days left of school, and he is not going to be with us.”

Despite the on-the-field loss, the Redhawks are learning a valuable lesson about life.

“We were talking about it as a team once we come out here it really helps us out,” Nelson said.