Shane Torres, who caught 25 games on the Varsity in the first year last spring, was a defensive anchor for Waubonsie Valley throughout his playoff series. And it’s not a shock.
The pitch was essential for the Warriors, but what is happening behind the set is just as important.
“He is one of the best there is,” said Waubonsie coach Bryan Acevedo about Torres. “I really believe that. He is able to manage all our different launchers and block everything in dirt.
“We can trust that we can do anything in any count. Even with a guy on the third goal, we know that it does not attract him. And this year, he added the offensive. He is irreplaceable for us.”
High praise, especially for a second year student like Torres. And he was there again on Saturday.
Torres managed a jewel launched by the right-hander senior Nick Lambert while the 10th seeded warriors upset Downers Grove North 5-0 in the Class 4A Lockport section at Ed Flink Field.
The 5-foot torres 10 inches and 190 pounds, which beats left, also led the offensive for the Waubonsie skyrocketing (23-12) with two single, a walk and two points produced.
“He does an incredible job,” said Lambert, who did the same by launching five blows with three stick with sticks and without walks on only 75 throws. “He is a good supervisor, a good blocker.
“He keeps the racing game, which really helps.”
The Warriors also had only five strokes, but enjoyed seven bullet goals emitted by three launchers for the best classified Trojan horses (30-8), which did not help their cause with three errors.
Waubonsie did not make a mistake behind Lambert, who followed the first-rate effort in the semi-finals of AS Owen Roberts.
“Nick was incredible for us on the mound this year,” said Acevedo. “He improved each time. He launched it last year, and we talked during the offseason. He asked what he had to do to be in rotation.
“I said:” You have to be a little sharper “, and, I did this. Owen gets a lot of notoriety, but Nick was just as good. We play a good defense behind him and find ways to score races. It’s special.”
Last season, Waubonsie lost 3-2 against Downers Grove North in the section of the section on a Walk-Off circuit in the seventh. Lambert, who launched the Warriors last week in the regional title, did not launch this match in 2024 but still remembers.
“It gave me some confidence,” said Lambert about the regional victory. “But I came here quite nervous. I try to work quickly, to launch strikes, to let them put the ball in play and to trust my defense.”
Lambert finished it in style for the Warriors-who play on Monday at 6 p.m. in Illinois Wesleyan Supersctional against Normal Community (35-4), a winner of 10-8 against O’Fallon-aligning a ground back and making him run for the first goal itself.
This won the first title section of the program since Michael Bowden, who continued to play for the Cubs of Chicago, led Waubonsie in the AA class of the finals in 2005.
“We came to understand that we are playing with a little money at home,” said Acevedo. “We are not supposed to be here and that helped us detach. Having been here last year too. ”
The main defensive player Josh Hung also led in two points with a sacrificial fly and a bachelor. Roberts, playing the second goal, scored twice after reaching the base three times.
Torres, an academic choice of conferences, which uses a large position on the plate he developed by himself, said that Waubonsie’s approach was to be patient and not. And it worked well.
“For me, this is a simpler and less case of movement,” said Torres. “There is less head movement that helps me see the ball better.”
Torres had a narrow position with a huge leg kick in eighth year.
“It didn’t work really well, so I simplified it and I came myself,” he said. “With two strikes, I would take it a little and I hit better, so I thought:” Why don’t I stay there just? “”
It is not surprising that his coach said of Torres: “He is special.”
