Near No-Hitter Nothing New for GBN Star Pitcher

Alex Hermeling came one strike away from a no-hitter Saturday and described his performance as ‘not too bad.’

That’s how good the Glenbrook North pitcher has been this year. Hermeling is a big reason why the Spartans are 24-2 and have already clinched the Central Suburban League North title.

The 6’5” right-hander got off to a shaky start against Waukegan on Saturday, hitting the first batter and allowing a run in the first, but settled down and began to dominate. With the Spartans’ red-hot offense giving him run support early and often, Hermeling was able to find his groove.

“I thought he got better as the game went on,” GBN coach Dom Savino said. “Once he is able to locate his breaking ball he becomes a very, very tough pitcher to face.”

Hermeling, who finished with ten strikeouts, retired 16 of 17 batters after getting out of the first to take the no-hitter into the seventh inning. After striking out the first two batters he got the count to 0-2 on Bobby Berrera. 

The way Hermeling was mowing down the batters, six of the seven final outs came via strikeouts, and it seemed like a sure bet that Berrera would fall victim as well. However, on the next pitch he hit a soft grounder that had eyes and found its way between first baseman Mark Johnson and second baseman Brad Ruchman for a single.

“I knew we had something going and once he got the hit I kind of looked over to the dugout like ‘Oh no he just blew the no-hitter,’” said catcher Jason Scholl, who hit a solo home run in the first. “He’s been pitching great all year and the no-hitter would have been a great cherry on top, but it’s alright. I think he’ll get it one day, if not this season.”

Hermeling struck out the next batter to seal the 9-1 win. After the game, the senior said it didn’t bother him that he wasn’t able to complete the no-hitter.

It’s performances like these that earned Hermeling the chance to play at Louisiana-Monroe next year and have pro scouts armed with radar guns regularly in attendance. On Saturday, Hermeling’s fastball was clocked at 88-89 mph in the first inning, but that’s not the only thing that makes him successful.

“With his height and his frame and where he’s at in terms of a release point combined with a high velocity and the ability to consistently locate pitches, that’s a great start,” Savino said. “Once you mix in that breaking ball it’s a very tough combination.”

Obviously, you don’t just wake up one day and suddenly have control of a quality breaking ball and a high 80s fastball. Hermeling, a self-proclaimed hard worker, has put in the hours to become a pitching prospect the rest of the area has struggled to solve.

“I make sure I lift as much as I can during the season,” he said. “Offseason, I’m in there five to six times a week. I play catch as much as I can to strengthen my arm. I work on pitches. I’ve worked on really focusing in and knowing that it’s fun to play, but you’re out there to do a job. I’m really proud of myself for focusing.”

Louisiana-Monroe seems like an odd choice for a kid from Northbrook, but, as the Spartan ace put it, everything fell into place. The Warhawks first contacted him last summer and happened to have his desired major, aviation.

“I went down and visited and it’s warm down there,” Hermeling said. “They play in the Sun Belt, which is a great conference. They ended up having my major, which was one thing that really drew me to them.”

Hermeling was a pitcher as soon as they let kids pitch in park district games, which he says was around second or third grade. Pitchers tend to have a different mentality than hitters and that seems to suit Hermeling, who says he loves being in control.

The importance a pitcher has in a game is part of what has driven him to the position., he said.That desire to be in the spotlight has also helped him deal with the attention he’s received from scouts.

“I’m involved with every play,” Hermeling said. “I may not play every day, obviously once a week, but when I do get a chance to play I’m in control. I just know that it’s all in my hands and everyone is looking at me.”

Hermeling is leading the Spartans to a spectacular season and is headed to play Division I baseball next year, so that leaves just one question: Cubs or Sox?

“I’m a Cubs fan. As painful as it is, I am a Cubs fan,” he said with a smile.