If this is bliss, the Conant baseball team won’t want to leave it.
Conant High School senior Matt Mays may be dubbed “Mr. Sectional” after leading No. 6 Conant High School (28-7) to a win over No. 1 Stevenson High School (25-14) on Friday, May 31 to claim the school’s first ever district championship. Conant High School was down 2-1 after the fifth inning but came back to beat the Patriots 5-3 in the district final.
Conant’s Franklin Kirchner holds his district championship plaque aloft as he approaches his teammates after the win.
Conant’s Franklin Kirchner (smiling) holds up the district championship plaque and celebrates with his teammates after the win.
Mays (1-for-3) hit a home run to center field in the fourth inning about 360 or 365 feet, but the fence was marked at 370 feet and Stevenson’s Brandon Schultz caught it on the warning track. The long popout was a preview of what was to come in the top of the sixth.
The game was tied 1-1 when Mays popped out, but it didn’t stay that way for long.
Stevenson’s Frank Costabile (2-for-3, 2 RBI, 2 runs scored) hit a solo home run over the left-center field fence off Conant third-year starting pitcher Franklin Kirschner (7 innings, 7 hits, 3 runs, 3 earned runs, 3 strikeouts, 1 walk) to put the Patriots up 2-1 entering the bottom of the fourth inning.
Stephenson’s Frank Costabile (9) hit a solo home run to give the Patriots a 2-1 lead.
Stephenson’s Frank Costabile (9) enjoys himself as he rounds the bases after hitting a home run.
Conant threatened to score with a runner on second base in the fifth inning, but the Cougars were thwarted by Stevenson starting pitcher Ben Forsett (five innings, three hits, one run, one run allowed, four strikeouts, one walk).
Stevenson pitcher Ben Fauset will be pitching against Conant.
Kirchner (9-1, 2.39 ERA) has had a breakout year and picked up the biggest win of his career on Friday, surviving multiple close calls throughout the game to lead the Cougars to their first-ever Supersectional appearance.
Conant pitcher Franklin Kirchner throws the ball to home plate.
Stevenson had a chance to load the bases in the bottom of the fifth, but Kirchner grounded out to end the inning, and Fauset was replaced before the start of the sixth, replaced by Ryan Harris.
Conant reached base in the top of the sixth on a walk by Logan Gayle and a single by Isaiah Rhodes (2-for-4, 1 double, 1 RBI). Austin Potocnik came in to pinch-run for Rhodes.
Mays, who went 2-for-4 with 1 home run, 1 double, 5 RBI and 2 runs scored in the district semifinal against Libertyville, was up to bat next.
Mays swung at the first pitch Harris threw and launched a three-run homer over the center field fence, not far from where his first attempt fell a few feet short.
Conant’s Matt Mays came to bat with his team down 2-1 and hit a three-run homer to give the Cougars a 4-2 lead.
Conant’s Logan Gayle rounded third base on his way to home.
Conant’s Logan Gayle (1) and Cooper Hanson (2) celebrate after teammate Matt Mays’ three-run home run.
Conant’s Logan Gayle (1) and Cooper Hanson (2) celebrate after teammate Matt Mays’ three-run home run.
Conant’s Logan Gayle looks excited as he waits for his teammates at home plate after scoring.
Conant’s Logan Gayle looks excited as he waits for his teammates at home plate after scoring.
Conant’s Logan Gayle (1), Austin Potocnick (13) and Cooper Hanson (2, right) look excited to greet Matt Mays (10) at home plate after his three-run home run.
“We had a great year last year and coming into this season, our seniors were fired up,” Mays said. “The whole team caught on and played with a lot of enthusiasm all year and that’s one of the reasons we’ve done so well. We know we’re a great team and we can compete with anyone, and that’s what we’re doing right now.”
The three-run homer gave the Cougars a 4-2 lead, their first of the game. Harris (0.0 innings, 2 hits, 3 runs, 3 runs allowed, 0 strikeouts, 1 walk) was replaced before recording an out.
Stevenson relief pitcher Ryan Harris warms up after giving up a three-run homer to Matt Mays in a loss to Conant.
Stevenson got out of a pinch by bringing in Nick Rayan (two innings, two hits, one run, one run allowed, three strikeouts, three walks) to pitch in the sixth inning. Prior to that home run, the Patriots had either led or shared the lead throughout the game.
Stevenson opened the scoring with a run in the bottom of the first. Schultz (1-for-3, 1-run) doubled to start the inning and advanced to third on a successful bunt by Sam Adelman (1-for-4). Costabile then hit a grounder, sending Schultz home in the process.
Stevenson’s Brandon Schultz led off the bottom of the first inning with a double.
Stevenson’s Brandon Schultz, who plans to attend Eastern Illinois University, celebrates the win by striking a crane kick pose at second base.
Conant tied the game in the top of the third on a similar trajectory to Stevenson. Jacob Spiganovich (2-for-3, 1 double, 1 run), who wears the number 20 uniform like Schultz, hit a double to stop Fauset’s no-hitter. He advanced to third base a few batters later on Arjun Patel’s grounder. Jake Purpet (2-for-4, 1 RBI), Conant’s best hitter this season, came to the plate and hit a one-run RBI single to send Spiganovich home and tie the game at 1-1.
Conant’s Jake Purpet is excited to tie the game at 1-1.
With Conant taking the lead in the top of the sixth, Stevenson was forced to fight back for the first time in the game in the bottom of the sixth. The Patriots started the inning with consecutive hits from Costabile and Rayan (1-for-3). Costabile stole third base and scored on a sacrifice bunt by Joe Dolenga (1 RBI) to cut the score to 4-3. Kirschner quickly got out of the jam by getting the next two batters out. Stevenson sent the tying run to third base, but was unable to get it home.
Conant needed some extra runs to give himself a breather. Patel walked in the top of the seventh and advanced to third on a single by Parpet. Parpet stole second while Gayle was at home plate. Rose hit a big double to send Patel home to make it 5-3. On the same play, Parpet tried to homer from second base but was called out at home plate. Parpet collided with Stevenson catcher Matteo Nolasco, but the umpire didn’t like it and, to Parpet’s surprise, ejected the Cougars star.
Conant’s Jake Purpet (3) was tagged out at home by Stevenson catcher Matteo Nolasco (16) and was ejected from the game for bumping into the catcher.
Conant’s Jake Purpet is shocked to be thrown out of the game.
Conant couldn’t score any more runs and took a slim 5-3 lead into the bottom of the seventh. The Cougars had a pitcher warming up in the bullpen, but none took the field. Kirchner got Jackson Mardaro to ground out and Mason Nolasco to a liner for the two outs. Schultz, an EIU commit, dropped three strikes and advanced to first base to keep the Patriots’ hopes alive. Adelman, who would have hit the tying run, was out with a fly out to right field, and Conant players took to the field to celebrate the program’s first district championship in history.
“When Franklin is on the mound, you know it’s going to be a good day,” Mays said. “We know we’re going to win. We have confidence in both our pitchers, Bryce (Leger, 10-0) and Franklin. They both don’t give up and they don’t give up. Again, I think that’s one of the reasons we do such a great job as a team. We get down (a few runs), but we never give up.”
That same day, Conant High School head coach Derek Feivlson sent his players a short video about the Seattle Mariners.
“Coach sent me a video and the key to it was refusing to lose,” Mays said. “We got down early, but we refused to lose. We came back and got the win.”
After the game, Conant’s Gayle and Parpet had the class to go over and hug a dejected Schultz while their teammates celebrated just a few feet away. The three players are teammates on a top-tier traveling baseball team.
Stevenson’s Brandon Schultz (left) embraces Conant’s Jake Purpet (3) after the game. The two were teammates at the top tier over the summer.
Stevenson’s Brandon Schultz (center) is overcome with emotion after a 5-3 loss to Conant in his final game at Stevenson. Conant players Jake Purpet (3) and Logan Gayle (1) comfort and embrace Schultz after the game.
Conant had a great season last year, setting several new school records and numerous top 10 records in program history. Purpet had 45 hits last year, second in Conant history, and with his two hits on Friday he tied that total this year. Only Matt Fauth (54 in 2015) has more hits in a season.
“We’re fortunate to be playing in June, especially hanging out with this team a little longer,” said Mays, who will play at Parkland College next year. “We got eliminated in the second round in May last year, so it’s great to be playing in June and I’m excited to be with this team for a few more games.”
Conant High School players jump out of the dugout to celebrate their first district championship, with Josh Barnett’s father celebrating behind them.
Conant players are celebrating after winning a district championship.
Nearly 60 years after the program’s inception, Conant is finally a district champion, and Mays hopes this will be a foundational piece for years to come.
“I love this era that I’m coaching,” Feivelson said. “We come into the supersectional (against Glenbrook North) on a 12-game winning streak, which is unbelievable. This team was ready to go. We went to BG and won the conference championship. We went to Hershey and won the regional championship and now we went to Stevenson and won the sectional championship. We beat all three teams on our home turf. These kids are tenacious. They faced some adversity today, partly at my direction, but they battled through. I’m proud of them.”
Fivelson knows all too well what it means to sacrifice for the team, having been forced to miss his son Ali’s Hampshire play-off game on Wednesday. He thinks of his players as his own kids and they make him proud every time they play.
Here are some other actions from the game:
Conant’s Aidan Kovaca (5, left) was tagged out at third base by Stevenson’s Sam Adelman (11).
Conant’s Cooper Hanson (2) was tagged out by Stevenson’s Sam Adelman (11) for the out at third base.
Conant’s Cooper Hanson (2) checks in with his coach after reaching second base.
Conant’s Isaiah Rhodes (25) caught the ball at first base, beating Stevenson’s Joe Doreña (3).
Conant pitcher Franklin Kirchner throws the ball toward home plate.
Stevenson pitcher Ben Forsett (five innings, three hits, one run, one earned run, four strikeouts, one walk) will face Conant.
Conant first base coach Greg Grana presented Jake Purpet (left) with a Sour Patch Kid at first base, continuing a fun tradition the team has continued all season.
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