Oakton Owls baseball team reflects on historic season

At the start of the 2018 season, Oakton Community College's baseball team sought to “return to conquer” with a goal of winning 40 games. The Oakton Owls (44-17) surpassed all expectations by earning their first first-ever national championship in dramatic fashion during the final game of the 2018 NJCAA Division III World Series, rewriting the record book in the process.

“Oakton is special for me because I went to school here, and winning the national championship puts the school in rare air,” head coach Bill Fratto said. “Everybody now knows that Oakton baseball is a nationally-ranked program, and this puts us on the map.”

As a team, Oakton established a school record with 44 wins in a single season, surpassing the previous record of 43 from in 2012. The Owls also set single season records for innings pitched (459) besting the previous record of 454 set in 2012 and at bats (1,887) eclipsing the previous best of 1,847 set in 2012.

Offensively, the Owls clicked on all cylinders. The team finished second in the nation in runs scored (503), walks (289) and sacrifice flies (31) and third in hits (632), extra base hits (187), at bats (1,887) and total bases (932). Also, Oakton tallied 425 RBI and 45 home runs while amassing a .335 team batting average.

Pitching played a key role for the success of the Owls in 2018 with a 4.67 team ERA. Workhorse Alexander Crinigan (Hampshire, Hampshire High School) led the nation in wins (12), strikeouts (107) and innings pitched (98 1/3). Providing an ideal complement, southpaw Tommy Gertner (Northbrook, Glenbrook North High School) finished second in the country in wins (10) and strikeouts (103).

Crinigan shattered individual team pitching records with wins (12), innings pitched (98 1/3) and strikeouts (107), surpassing the previous records set respectively by Ryan Stobart (9) in 2006, Ken Lowden (84 2/3) in 2012 and Derek DeYoung (104) in 2012. Offensively, Dan Sullivan (Palatine, St. Viator High School) demonstrated why he’s so dangerous by establishing new school single season records for home runs (13) and RBI (71). Sullivan eclipsed the previous records of 10 homers by Brett Synek in 2012 and 70 RBI by Tim Scanlan in 2010.

Players on the 2018 roster know that they will always have an elite place in school history.

“A championship is what you play for,” said Gertner, who was the most valuable player in the 2018 World Series. “There’s something special about being part of the first team to bring a national title to Oakton. This is a unique experience as our team will be remembered for a long time.”

Besides talent, team chemistry played a large role in the historic season, according to the players.

“We all got along so well and never stopped believing in each other,” third baseman Jose Vera Sanchez (Guatemala City, Guatemala, Guatemala Academy) said. “Many of us took a lot of the same classes, so we were a tight-knit group. We are like family, and we always had each other’s back.”

Gertner added, “Comradeship was a big reason why we took care of business. Throughout the season, we were always chanting for each other in the dugout, showing how much we care about one another. We all celebrated winning the World Series by jumping in a big dog pile. That’s something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”

The Owls returned to the Des Plaines campus for a June 5 rally at the Student Center, showing off all the hardware and banners collected along the way to the title. The center was packed with coaches, players and members of the community.

“Your grit, resiliency and triumph is a reminder that anything is possible,” Oakton President Joi Smith told the team at the rally, recalling a game announcer describing the Owls’ ‘relentless pursuit’ of their championship. “I love that because at Oakton we talk a lot about persistence and sticking with it. You personified that ‘relentless pursuit.’”

“Now, being national champions, hopefully this a start for something bigger and better,” Fratto said. “We want to be a team people worry about playing.”

Those interested in playing for the Owls can learn more by visiting the team website, www.oakton.edu/studentlife/athletics/intercollegiate/teams/baseball/.