1997 Kaneland Knights Spring baseball enters it's second second. Last
year was the first time in Kaneland history it had a spring baseball team.
Previously baseball was played in the summer after school was over, and thus
Kaneland baseball was not recognized as a IHSA sport.
Also, this is the
first year for Kaneland Sophomore and Freshman baseball. Head coach Steve
Auchstetter says, " I'm really excited about the program. Having a full
schedule for 3 levels is what was needed to start a tradition".
The
head sophomore coach is John Pavlak and the head Freshman coach is Dennis Brown.
This
years varsity team is a little inexperienced, but that is what happens when you
start a new program. "High School baseball is something different for
these kids," says coach Auchstetter, "now they have something to shoot
for while they play during the summer months at the various levels and age
groups."
BOYS VARSITY BASEBALL SCHEDULE AND RESULTS | ||||||||
Day | Date | Opponent | Time | Location | W/L | R | H | E |
Tue | April 01 | Lisle | 4:30 | Lisle | L | 0 | 1 | 2 |
. | . | . | . | . | . | 6 | 9 | 2 |
Thur | April 03 | Sandwich | 4:15 | Maple Park | W | 6 | 10 | 2 |
. | . | . | . | . | . | 2 | 4 | 2 |
Fri | April 04 | Wheaton St. Francis | 4:00 | Maple Park | L | 1 | 4 | 2 |
. | . | . | . | . | . | 5 | 8 | 1 |
Mon | April 07 | East Aurora | 4:15 | Maple Park | Cancelled | |||
Sat | April 12 | Aurora Christian (DH) | 10:00 | Aurora | Post 4/29 | |||
Mon | April 14 | Geneva | 4:30 | Geneva | L | 0 | 1 | 4 |
. | . | . | . | . | . | 24 | 18 | 0 |
Tue | April 15 | Geneva | 4:30 | Maple Park | L | 1 | 4 | 1 |
. | . | . | . | . | . | 5 | 6 | 4 |
Wed | April 16 | Geneva | 4:30 | Geneva | L | 2 | 3 | 2 |
. | . | . | . | . | . | 10 | 6 | 1 |
Fri | April 18 | Morris | 4:30 | Morris | L | 3 | 2 | 3 |
. | . | . | . | . | . | 13 | 8 | 0 |
Sat | April 19 | Morris (DH) | 10:00 | Maple Park | L | 2 | 6 | 0 |
. | . | . | . | . | . | 5 | 5 | 1 |
Mon | April 21 | Morris | 4:30 | Morris | L | 3 | 4 | 2 |
. | . | . | . | . | . | 19 | 12 | 0 |
Tue | April 22 | Oswego | 4:30 | Oswego | L | 1 | 4 | 0 |
. | . | . | . | . | . | 9 | 9 | 0 |
Wed | April 23 | Oswego | 4:30 | Maple Park | L | 1 | 2 | 8 |
. | . | . | . | . | . | 13 | 10 | 0 |
Thur | April 24 | Oswego | 4:30 | Oswego | L | 7 | 7 | 1 |
. | . | . | . | . | . | 5 | 12 | 1 |
Mon | April 28 | Hinckley Big Rock | 6:00 | Cougar Stadium | W | 4 | 10 | 1 |
. | . | . | . | . | . | 1 | 4 | 2 |
Tue | April 29 | Aurora Christian | 4:00 | Maple Park | W | 7 | 12 | 3 |
. | . | . | . | . | . | 6 | 9 | 1 |
Wed | April 30 | Burlington | 4:15 | Maple Park | Cancelled | |||
Fri | May 02 | Yorkville | 4:30 | Yorkville | Cancelled | |||
Sat | May 03 | Yorkville (DH) | 10:00 | Maple Park | Post 5/12 | |||
Tue | May 06 | Batavia | 4:30 | Batavia | L | 2 | 3 | 2 |
. | . | . | . | . | . | 3 | 8 | 2 |
Wed | May 07 | Batavia | 4:30 | Maple Park | Post 5/8 | |||
Thur | May 08 | Batavia | 4:30 | Batavia | L | 1 | 3 | 1 |
. | . | . | . | . | . | 14 | 16 | 0 |
. | . | Game 2 | . | . | L | 2 | 6 | 2 |
. | . | . | . | . | . | 6 | 10 | 0 |
Fri | May 09 | Minooka | 4:30 | Maple Park | L | 0 | ||
. | . | . | . | . | . | 11 | ||
Sat | May 10 | Minooka (DH) | 10:00 | Minooka | L | 1 | ||
. | . | . | . | . | . | 11 | ||
. | . | Game 2 | . | . | L | 0 | ||
. | . | . | . | . | . | 7 | ||
Mon | May 12 | Yorkville (DH) | 4:30 | Yorkville | L | 4 | ||
. | . | . | . | . | . | 7 | ||
. | . | Game 2 | . | . | L | 3 | ||
. | . | . | . | . | . | 7 | ||
Tue | May 13 | Sycamore | 4:30 | Maple Park | L | |||
. | . | . | . | . | . | |||
Wed | May 14 | Sycamore | 4:30 | Sycamore | L | 2 | ||
. | . | . | . | . | . | 6 | ||
Thur | May 15 | Sycamore | 4:30 | Maple Park | L | 1 | 4 | 2 |
. | . | . | . | . | . | 6 | 10 | 0 |
Fri | May 16 | Plainfield | 4:30 | Plainfield | L | |||
. | . | . | . | . | . | |||
Sat | May 17 | Plainfield (DH) | 10:00 | Maple Park | L | 1 | ||
. | . | . | . | . | . | 6 | ||
. | . | Game 2 | . | . | L | 1 | ||
. | . | . | . | . | . | 13 | ||
Tue | May 20 | IHSA Regionals | 4:15 | Aurora Christian | L | 5 | ||
. | . | . | . | . | . | 6 | ||
Sat | May 31 | IHSA Sectionals | TBA | TBA | ||||
Mon | June 02 | IHSA Sectionals | TBA | TBA | ||||
Fri | June 06 | IHSA State finals | TBA | TBA |
Lisle 0-6
In the first game of the season Kaneland was only able to muster one hit to Lisle's 9. But who can fault the Knights who are really in their first full season of competition, while Lisle had the luxury of playing two games prior to Kaneland's visit.
"For some of these kids, it's their first time with a bat and ball in real competition," Kaneland Head Coach Steve Auchstetter said
"Last year we played a lot of junior varsity teams because we had to rush to put a schedule together, so each game will be a learning experience for these kids this year," added Auchstetter.
Sandwich 6-2
Down 2-1 going into the bottom of the 6th the Knights exploded for 5 runs, with 6 hits, including a HR by Zach Augustine (3-4 with 3 RBI's and a double), two doubles, by Andy Swanson and Aaron Augusten, and a triple by Aaron Siebens. Aaron Siebens gets the win with 9 strike outs and no walks.
Wheaton St. Francis 1-5
The Knights scored their lone run when Brian Gemmer reached first with a walk, then scored on a long double by Zach Augustine. Kaneland only managed 3 hits in the game. Kirk Anderson pitched a gutsy five innings, allowing three earned runs of the five given up, and four hits. He was hurt by 5 Kaneland errors -struck out 3 while walking 4. Augustine pitched two shut-out innings to finish the game.
Geneva 0-24
In Kaneland's first SPC Conference game of the year the Knights traveled to near by Geneva and got off to a rough start losing 24-0. The Knight's bats where stone cold getting just one hit.
Geneva 1-5
After losing 24-0 the day before to the same team Kaneland managed to make this a good game, but errors and a botched pick-off attempt ultimately cost Kaneland the game losing to Geneva by 4 runs, 5-1.
"Right now, what we need to work on is our fielding," Coach Auchstetter said. "The hits are going to come and we just have to be patient. At this stage of the game, the main thing I am concerned with is building and developing a baseball program that we all can be proud of."
Geneva 2-10
For the third day in a row Kaneland lost to Geneva - this time 10-2. Kaneland was only able to muster 3 singles in the game. Andy Swanson pitched a complete game giving up only 5 hits while striking out 5.
Morris 3-13
The Knights held a 3-2 lead after two innings when rain forced the game to be continued the following day as part of a doubleheader. However, as Coach Steve Auchstetter put it, "they just started hitting the ball". End result a 13-3 lose.
Morris 2-5
In the second game of the doubleheader the Knights hung tuff, but came up short 5-2. Despite the lose Zach Augustine and Dan Reckinger both ended the game hitting .333. Andy Swanson pitched the complete game giving up just only 5 hits for the second game in a row.
Morris 3-19
With the bus arriving 5 minutes before the game Kaneland couldn't get started and took a hard 19-3 lose in five innings to Morris for the third time this season.
Oswego 1-9
Oswego's Dave Schoeberlein who's ERA is a microscopic 1.16 simply out matched the Kaneland bats. Kaneland managed a pair of singles and a pair of doubles from Zach Augustine and Aaron Augusten.
Oswego 1-13
Again Kaneland's bats were cold muster only two hits, one a double by Andy Swanson. Kaneland also had problems in the field committing 8 errors.
Oswego 5-7
After being held to only 6 hits in the previous 2 games against the Oswego Panthers, Kaneland went on a hitting spree with 12 hits, only to find themselves on the back-end of a 7-5 score at the end of the game. Kaneland led 3-0 and 5-3 but the Panthers scored in 4 of the last 5 innings to out last the Knights.
Zach Augustine went 3-for-4 with one RBI, came in for relief of Andy Swanson and stuck out 7. Aaron Siebens also contributed with a 2-for-3 evening including a double and RBI. Nick Gillis was 2-3, and Brian Gemmer 1-2.
"We really played our best game of the year by far," said Auchstetter. " I am so proud of these kids for the way they played tonight. We played baseball the way it was meant to be played."
Hinckley Big Rock 4-1
Zach Augustine, a senior right-hander, struck out 14 Hinckley-Big Rock batters and walked only one in a four-hit, 4-1 victory over the Royals at Elfstrom Stadium in Geneva. Augustine struck out the side in the 4th, 5th, and 7th. He was backed by Mike Sigmund's two RBI's and single RBI's from Andy Swanson and Aaron Augusten.
Augusten had a double and Nick Gillis a leadoff triple in a two run third inning. The win brings the Knights record to 2-11. "I think as a team we finally relaxed and realized when you lose it isn't the end of the world," coach Auchstetter said.
Aurora Christian 7-6
Zach Augustine was 2-for-2 at the plate and hit an inside the park home run in the first inning for the Knights. Teammate Dan Reckinger scored three runs and was 3-for-4. Aaron Augusten hit a two-run shot over the left field fence in the sixth inning. Andy Swanson was 2-for-3, and hammered two doubles for Kaneland. This was Kaneland's second win in a row.
Batavia 2-3
Kirk Anderson pitched a tough 8 hit three run ball game. He held Batavia to one run going into the 6th inning, put gave up two in the sixth to lose a heartbreaker 3-2. Kaneland had only three hits for the day - all singles.
Batavia 1-14 and 2-6
After playing losing to Batavia by just one run 2 days prior, Kaneland ran into a buzz saw losing 14-1 in the first game of a doubleheader and then lost the nightcap 6-2. In the first game Kaneland managed only 3 hits - all singles. In the second game Aaron Siebens hit a double for Kaneland's only extra base hit in all three games against Batavia.
Minooka 0-11
No information available
Minooka 1-11 and 0-7
No information available
Yorkville 4-7 and 3-7
No information available
Sycamore Lost
No information available
Sycamore 2-6
No information available
Sycamore 1-6
No information available
Plainfield Lost
No information available
Plainfield 1-6
No information available
Plainfield 1-13
No information available
Aurora Christian 6-5
Kaneland played one of it's most exciting games of the year, in the first round of the sectionals Tuesday afternoon, only to see their season come to an end on the last play of the season. Andy Swanson was the starting pitcher for the Knights. He gave up five runs in the first inning, then put on a terrific performance battling AC every inning thereafter, shutting them out until he was relieved in the seventh. In the mean time the Knights pecked away at the five run lead scoring 2 runs in the fifth and adding one more in the sixth.
Then in the final at bat, Nick Gillis hit a two run homer over the right field fence to tie the game at 5. In the bottom of seventh Zach Augustine came in to pitch. With two outs and two men on base, Aurora Christian hit a line shot to center field. Nick Gillis came charging in and dove head first for the ball. Gillis thought he caught the ball, but the umpire said no, that it had bounced first and that the run scored, ending Kaneland's baseball season.
Kaneland finished the season 3-25 with no conference wins.
1997 Kaneland Varsity Baseball Roster | |||
BLACK | GRAY | PLAYER | YR. |
22 | 11 | Zach Augustine | 12 |
45 | 9 | Aarpm Augusten | 12 |
63 | 10 | Dan Reckinger | 12 |
36 | 16 | Andy Swanson | 12 |
20 | 20 | Kirk Anderson | 12 |
7 | 7 | Brian Gemmer | 12 |
21 | 2 | Nick Gillis | 12 |
4 | 4 | Mike Sigmund | 12 |
33 | 13 | Chad Johnson | 12 |
5 | 5 | Roy Gustafson | 12 |
17 | 17 | B.J. Mires | 11 |
18 | 18 | Clint Biddle | 11 |
3 | 21 | Drew Augusten | 11 |
15 | 15 | Steve Reckinger | 11 |
24 | 14 | Aaron Leuer | 11 |
12 | 12 | Casey Barrett | 11 |
8 | 8 | Aaron Siebens | 11 |
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