Soph Sets Table For Walk-Off Win In Varsity Debut

With the numbers that he’s put up so far for the Evanston junior varsity baseball team, Aaron Shalin’s promotion to the varsity level was going to come sooner rather than later.

And the timing for that move played out perfectly for the Wildkits --- and Shalin --- on Monday.

The sophomore infielder went 2-for-4 as a designated hitter in his varsity debut, and his leadoff single in the bottom of the 7th inning set the stage for a “walk off” bases-loaded walk to Jake Kobus as the Kits edged Maine West 4-3 in a Central Suburban League crossover game.

ETHS head coach Frank Consiglio summoned both Shalin, a first baseman, and classmate Isaac Hanrahan, a third baseman, to the varsity in an effort to bolster his team’s depth now that conference action is heating up. The Wildkits will face rival New Trier on Tuesday and Thursday in a home-and-home series that could go a long way toward determining the eventual CSL South division championship.

Now 10-3-1 overall, Evanston moved to 2-1 league play and bounced back Monday after losing to Niles West in another crossover contest last week.

Shalin’s timing couldn’t have been better in more than one way. He slugged the first home run of his high school career last Monday in a JV game against DePaul Prep, with all three varsity coaches in attendance, so the sophomore certainly knows how to make an impression.

“I got a text from coach Friday telling me to meet with him, so I had a feeling about what was happening,” Shalin said. “I had been hitting the ball pretty well for the JV team. I was really excited when I got that text. I know I’ve gotta be ready to play at all times.

“In that last inning, my teammates were telling me that their pitcher (reliever Konrad Dudzik) was throwing mostly fastballs. I let the first one go --- I probably should have swung at it --- but I was ready for the second one. I just wanted to start a rally.”

Shalin lined a single to center, then departed for a pinch-runner, Alex Van Durmen. After a walk to Jonah Hofeld and Vinny Miller’s bunt single filled the bases with no outs, Maine West pitcher Connor Woodford walked Kobus on a 3-2 pitch to end the game.

Shalin and Hanrahan join catcher Harrison Boes as the only sophomores on the varsity roster. Whether those promotions turn out to just be temporary, or permanent, Consiglio noted that one message that is sent to every player in the program is that you will get moved up if you dominate at any level.

That’s what Shalin has done to date.

“He checks all the boxes,” Consiglio praised. “It was an absolute no-brainer to bring Shalin up. You don’t see many kids with an OPS (on-base percentage) of 1600 and a batting average of almost .630 at the JV level.

“He attacks the baseball, he really understands the game and he’s a leader. He swings at good pitches and he’s not scared in the moment. A lot of guys in their first varsity game would fold after going 0-for-2 with runners on base the first two times up. But he made adjustments and got hits in big spots in his last two at-bats.

“We talk with all the players about dominating a level and it’s definitely time for him to be here with us. To get through the CSL schedule we felt we had to add some depth, especially with so many position players who are also pitchers, because April and May are always very intense months.”

Monday’s win was achieved despite erratic pitching and baserunning that showed the Wildkits have a lot to work on if they want to contend for a division championship.

Starting pitcher Henry Rouch only allowed the Warriors (5-6 overall) to hit one ball out of the infield in his five-inning stint. But the right-hander couldn’t locate his slider or his fastball as he issued three walks and hit two batters while yielding a pair of unearned runs.

Reliever Charlie Kalil struck out the side in the 6th, but allowed West to tie the game in the top of the 7th on a bases loaded sacrifice fly by J.T. Torres.

The Wildkits also left 15 runners on base and blundered their way into a couple of double plays on the basepaths to help bail West’s pitchers out of jams.

In the ETHS 4th, a two-run single by Owen Vander Velde with the bases loaded got the hosts on the scoreboard. But with runners on first and second and no outs, Braden Grimm lifted a high popup that the Maine West shortstop couldn’t field.

Grimm was automatically out thanks to the infield fly rule, however, and Vander Velde ran to second base after the ball fell safely. Teammate Kobus was already standing on the bag, and the gaffe turned into a rally killing double play.

In the 5th, Noah Cryns lined a triple to right center and scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch by West starter Zack Steingard. But the inning could have been even bigger, except that Hofeld was doubled off first base when Miller lined out to right field and that twin killing killed the rally.

“We’re doing something I’m not accustomed to seeing. We’re beating ourselves and putting ourselves at a very substantial disadvantage with the way we’re running the bases,” said Consiglio. “It’s affecting the way I can coach them because I’m not confident in our runners moving around. We’re not doing well on the bases across the board.

“Right now our two best baserunners are Kalil and Cryns, and it’s not because of their speed. Noah read that triple so well, and then two pitches later he read that ball in the dirt and scored. I need to see more of that, good reads, not just speed.”