By Mike Morton
The 2013 season could not have started worse for the Cathedral Preparatory baseball team. The Crusaders of Elmhurst lost their first five games, failing to win a game against a tough non-divisional schedule.
The early struggles against top competition did not discourage Cathedral, however. It motivated them instead.
“I think that fueled us to keep pushing,” sophomore infielder Danny Debiase said. “We felt bad about not being able to win a non-league game, so we knew we had to work harder to win our league games. I think that helped us to work harder and win our league games.”
While the Crusaders’ rise to second place in the CHSAA Division “A” might have come as a surprise to some, it has not to them. Cathedral (6-7, 6-2) finished 6-6 last season and reached the semifinals before being eliminated. Head Coach Rolando Lopez said he expected a team similar to last year’s, which relied on pitching and defense to win.
To his surprise, however, the Crusaders have developed into an offensive-powered team.
“For some reason this year our bats have woken up,” Lopez said. “Our kids have understood the concept of trying to hit the ball and putting the ball in play.”
The key to the offense has been Debiase. He has come into his own this season after playing sparingly last year as a freshman due to injuries to teammates and ineligible players. He leads the team with a .327 batting average, as well as in RBIs and on-base percentage.
“It feels good to be one of the younger players and still playing a big role on the team because a lot of people when they see a sophomore on varsity they’ll think little of you,” Debiase said. “To be able to do big things feels good.”
The Crusaders will look to continue their hot streak into the playoffs, where they will try to keep putting the ball in play and play strong fundamental baseball.
“As the season winds down and gets closer and closer to the playoffs; it’s more about details and more about situational, rather than trying to go over everything else,” Lopez said. “It’s all about situations and basic baseball.”
