Senior outfielder Jackson Cullen was all business for Joliet Catholic.
So, he did not have the time to reflect upon the home run and triple he hit for the Hilltoppers during Saturday’s Class 2A state championship game.
Until Sunday.
“In the moment, it was kind of like, ‘It’s just another hit. It’s not done yet,'” Cullen said. “Then even that night, it wasn’t really hitting me. I woke up the next morning and I was like, ‘God, that really just happened.’
“It felt so good to finally be satisfied.”
That satisfaction wasn’t guaranteed.
Cullen’s three-RBI performance, however, led the Hilltoppers to the baseball program’s fourth state title with a 12-3 win over Richmond-Burton at Dozer Park in Peoria.
Joliet Catholic (26-10) actually trailed 3-2 before a five-run fourth inning that began with two outs and nobody on base and ended with Cullen ripping a three-run homer for a 7-3 lead.
“For Jackson to hit that ball and put that exclamation point on that inning was just awesome,” Joliet Catholic coach Jared Voss said. “It created a ton of energy and excitement and we never looked back after that.”
Cullen was able to grant a wish for his mother, Stephanie.
“My brother (Max) never got a state championship, so my mom was always like, ‘You’ve got to get a ring for me,'” Jackson said. “It’s just crazy that I actually did it for her.
“I’ve been dreaming of this day since I was a little kid. I knew this was day was coming. It’s been our goal all year, so I’m glad we came through.”
Joliet Catholic gave up three runs or less in all seven of its playoff games. Junior TJ Schlageter led the pitching staff, allowing just one run in 18 innings over three starts.
Jake Gimbel, Jake Spotofora and Dom Coda also had big performances on the mound.
Cullen felt the Hilltoppers’ tough regular-season schedule had them ready for the playoffs.
“We keep getting all this slander about being a 2A school, but we go through our whole season playing 3A and 4A schools and beating a lot of them,” Cullen said. “We had some tough losses, but never really any bad losses.
“That’s what made the difference between us winning or losing that state championship. That prepared us.”
Joliet Catholic was motivated by its loss to Chicago Christian in a 2021 regional championship game.
Senior shortstop Aidan Voss — Jared’s nephew — gave a speech before the playoffs that the head coach believed was influential.
“We lost to Chicago Christian in a regional last year and it was terrible because we were a good team,” Aidan said. “I felt like I had to talk to the team before the first playoff game and say, ‘If we’re going to do this, we have to get going right now.’
“Everyone followed along, we got to work and we did it.”
Aidan Voss was one of 10 players on the baseball team who also were a part of the Hilltoppers winning the state championship in football in the fall.
“It’s pretty rare to be able to win two,” he said. “Winning football was the greatest feeling ever and I brought that strive to the baseball team. I told them, ‘We’ve got to do this again. It’s the coolest feeling ever.'”
Jared and Aidan Voss also had the thrill of winning a state championship together.
“It’s amazing,” Jared said. “It’s such a blessing to be able to coach him. He’s such a joy to watch. It was awesome watching him in football. I was jealous that I wasn’t a football coach.
“So, to get to win a state championship with Aidan, it’s just absolutely beyond words.”
Steve Millar is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
