Lemont Baseball Headed Back to IHSA State Finals for Second Time in Three Years

It would be understandable if fans of Lemont High School’s baseball team had a sense of déjà vu while watching the squad’s IHSA Super-Sectional contest. For the second time in three years, the Indians squared off against De La Salle at Crestwood’s Standard Bank Stadium with a state finals berth on the line. And, just like in 2014, head coach Brian Storako’s team jumped out to a big lead on its way to winning the game and securing a trip to the state finals. Lemont triumphed by a 10-4 score over De La Salle to advance to the 2016 IHSA Class 3A Baseball State Finals, which will be contested at Silver Cross Field in Joliet on Friday, June 10, and Saturday, June 11. Lemont will face St. Viator in a state semifinal game at 10 a.m. on June 10.

Storako and his team are hoping for one more repeat from 2014. That season, Lemont captured the IHSA Class 3A State Championship, the school’s first-ever team state title in a boys’ sport.
After a scoreless first inning in the super-sectional, Lemont (28-9) scored in each of the next five frames to build a 9-0 lead after five innings. That was more than junior Nate Madej needed, as he tossed 5-plus innings to pick up his fifth win of the season. The lefthander allowed just one earned run on three hits while striking out six and walking two.

Junior left fielder Ryan Sublette was 3-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and three runs scored to pace Lemont offensively. He also pitched the final inning, striking out one in a perfect inning of work. Senior first baseman Nick Wisz doubled, tripled, drove in two runs and scored twice, while senior catcher Casey O’Brien and junior second baseman Angel Salinas each had a double among their two hits.

Lemont has been on a tear in the postseason, averaging 9.2 runs per game and outscoring foes by a combined 46-8 margin in five playoff victories. The Indians won their seventh South Suburban Conference-Blue Division crown in eight seasons, captured their third straight IHSA Regional crown, and picked up the program’s second IHSA Sectional and IHSA Super-Sectional titles.

Baseball is the 10th Lemont High School sport to be represented in IHSA State Finals competition this year. The cheerleading squad was the runner-up at the IHSA Medium Division State Finals; the girls’ cross country team competed at the IHSA Class 2A State Finals; the dance team competed at the IHSA Class 2A State Finals; the boys’ golf team qualified for the IHSA Class 2A State Finals; Maggie Micetich competed in the IHSA Class AA Girls’ Golf State Finals; Grace Horky, Ashley Mathews and Gabby Rabianski all competed in the IHSA Girls’ Tennis State Finals; the doubles tandems of Faraz Longi and Peter Rogers and Charles Balisalisa and Arjun Reddigari competed at the IHSA Boys’ Tennis State Finals; Chris Thompson finished as the state runner-up in the 400-meter dash at the IHSA Class 3A State Finals, while the 4x400-meter relay team also competed; and wrestlers Egan Berta (state runner-up), Damyen Gothard, Jake Kirkman and John Polk all competed at the IHSA Class 2A State Finals.