Baseball notes: Michigan State recruit Brady Chambers a catalyst to Lyons’ strong spring

Lyons senior pitcher Brady Chambers came into this season aiming to take his game up another notch.

The Michigan State recruit already was a highly regarded talent on the mound.

After a strong basketball season showing off a diverse game, the 6-foot-6 Chambers turned his attention to his best sport.

Chambers said he’s been pleased with his progress this season.

“I’ve been feeling really good on the mound so far,” Chambers said. “I’ve been throwing my fastball and curveball consistently for strikes as well as working in my changeup for strikes. Being able to throw more than two pitches for strikes is huge because it keeps the hitters off-balance and keeps them guessing. We’ve faced some really good competition so far. I’ve competed really well against good teams.”

Besides having multiple pitches, Chambers, a right-hander, said he worked more on the mental side of pitching. His strong approach on the mound is another dimension to his rapidly developing game.

“I’ve been really happy with my command so far this year,” he said. “I’ve really limited my walks, which has been helping me out. I’ve also gotten much better on the mental side of pitching this year. If someone gets a hit off me, I just have to clear my head and get onto the next batter and keep competing. Staying composed when I’m pitching has definitely helped me pitch better.”

Lyons coach Kevin Diete said his team is playing well, especially in the West Suburban Conference Silver Division. The Lions (15-4, 7-1) primarily have used three pitchers for most of the season, led by Chambers.

Diete said several hitters have come through in the clutch, noting Jake Shumaker’s go-ahead, three-run home run against St. Laurence in a 6-5 win April 17. Shumaker closed out the game by retiring the last three batters.

“Our three pitchers have led the way through all of our difficult competition,” Diete said. “We’ve had some timely hits from guys up and down our lineup.”

Nazareth is 26-0 and counting

Twenty-six games into the season, two-time defending Class 3A state champion Nazareth doesn’t look like a team lacking motivation.

The Roadrunners have dominated the competition. A 5-4 victory over Ridgewood on March 18 and 2-1 win over Benet on April 23 are their only one-run games.

Nazareth coach Lee Milano didn’t want to make any excuses, but he noted the weather was pretty cold in the win over Ridgewood.

“The thing is early in the year the weather is bad,” Milano said. “When you factor in the equalizer, not taking anything away from them, but you can play baseball and you play games hard every game. You can’t take for granted no matter who you are playing. We’re a veteran group.”

The Roadrunners are 11-0 in the East Suburban Catholic Conference.

“It’s really a unique group for me to have these kids in they’re all so talented but more importantly they’re great kids,” Milano said. “They work really hard and are not satisfied with just wanting back-to-back state titles. But we don’t really look ahead. We kind of compartmentalize. That’s in the past.”

Several seniors have been in the program for four years, but senior shortstop Cooper Malamazian is putting a memorable stamp on the program. The Indiana recruit is sparking the Roadrunners in their run for a third consecutive state championship.

“Cooper is special,” Milano said. “We knew he was special. His arm is different. His hands are different. Cooper is a special talent. I told Cooper and his parents during his freshman year that he would be the best shortstop we have ever had. He’s done it. He’s done some really special things and is a very unique talent.”

Malamazian said it’s odd being a senior.

“It definitely feels different being a senior, just coming up the past three years,” he said. “Being a leader for this team and telling the younger kids how it goes after being a part of the team and how there’s bumps in the road.”

Downers Grove North’s special year

Downers Grove North is having a special season. The Trojans were trailing by a run in an April 23 conference game against Glenbard West but scored five in the seventh to pull out a victory.

The Trojans are 20-4 and 12-0 in the West Suburban Conference Silver Division.