McHenry advanced to the IHSA baseball state finals in Joliet in 2022. The Warriors lost two games by a combined score of 26-4 and headed home. Most fans around the state probably figured that was a nice, one-season run for the Fox River town of 27,000 up near the Wisconsin border.
But that may just have been the beginning of a special run. McHenry is 87-27 over the past three seasons and will play Libertyville in the Class 4A state championship on Saturday at Duly Health and Care Field.
Louisville recruit Brandon Shannon led the way in a 4-1 victory against favored Brother Rice on Friday in the Class 4A semifinals.
The 6-3 senior threw 111 pitches to earn the win. He allowed one run and four hits over six innings with eight strikeouts and three walks.
Shannon, who throws in the mid 90’s, was a little shaky early, giving up two walks and a single to the first four batters. But he found his footing after that and held the Crusaders to their lowest offensive output of the season.
“I’m not very good at that starting right off the gate,” Shannon said. “It always takes me like two innings, I don’t know why. I just take a deep breath and calm my nerves, that’s at all.”
Senior Zachary Readdy came in and shut the door in the seventh, allowing just one hit to earn the save.
“We wanted to get as many outs as we could with [Shannon],” McHenry coach Brian Rockweiler said. “We were going to take him out after the fifth [when he hit 100 pitches] but he wanted it.”
Win or lose in the title game on Saturday, the future is bright for the Warriors. A freshman and two sophomores lead McHenry’s lineup .
Freshman center fielder Carver Cohn and sophomore third baseman Kaden Wasniewski are top 20 players in the country in their classes. Sophomore Landon Clements, the second baseman, hits second.
Cohn scored two runs, stole a base and had a key bunt hit in the sixth. Clements scored a run, reached base twice and stole a base.
Wasniewski delivered the biggest moment of the game when he singled to right with two out and two on in the sixth to give the Warriors (36-4-1) a 4-1 lead and a vital cushion heading into the seventh.
“It is so hard to win,” Rockweiler said. “There are a lot of good coaches and good teams and good players that never get here. We did it. We have one more tomorrow.”
McHenry will take on Libertyville (35-4), which knocked off Normal 2-1 in eight innings in the first semifinal.
Carson Holmes’ single to right field in the top of the eighth knocked in catcher Quinn Schambow to give the Wildcats a 2-0 lead.
Then starting pitcher Chase Lockwood emerged from the dugout to finish what he started. The 6-2 junior earned the win with a complete game. He allowed no earned runs and five hits over eight innings with seven strikeouts and three walks.
Lockwood knew early on Friday that he had his best stuff.
“I threw my first pitch in the pen and knew these hitters didn’t stand a chance,” Lockwood said.