Without question, the offseason is the worst time of the year for Mount Carmel’s Haiden Lajcin.
The junior right fielder loves baseball so much that the winter is just a lousy time for him.
“There is just no game like it, in my opinion,” Lajcin said. “During the offseason, man, I miss it so much. There is something about baseball that draws you to the field.
“When you step on the field and the sun is out … there’s nothing better. Not really.”
There was snow on the ground in parts of the area Wednesday morning, the day of the season opener, so the offseason was in jeopardy of lasting a few more days for Lajcin and the Caravan.
Luckily for Lajcin and his teammates, the sun came out in the afternoon because he pounded a bases-loaded triple in the second inning to break a scoreless tie in what turned out to be a 10-0 nonconference win in five innings over Morgan Park at Ozinga Field in Crestwood.
Wake Forest recruit TJ McQuillan picked up two triples for Mount Carmel (1-0), while Georgetown commit Brady Holland added a three-run double and Christian Clark scored three runs.
Lewis-bound Jake Matise struck out in four scoreless innings, giving up just two hits and two walks. Lake Land recruit Thomas Sosinski faced three batters in the fifth and struck out the side.
Gabriel Ramirez came through with a double for Morgan Park (0-1).
Lajcin, meanwhile, was a part-time player last season and batted ninth Wednesday. If the Calumet of St. Joseph recruit is going to stay in that role, he knows he needs to make the most of it.
“Honestly, at first, it hurt my feelings a little bit,” Lajcin said of batting ninth. “But being a good ninth hitter to flip to the top of the lineup, there’s nothing wrong with that.
“There are a lot of good players in Major League Baseball who do that.”
McQuillan, a power hitter who bats leadoff for the Caravan, thinks it’s important to have a good batter behind him at No. 9.
“I told him I didn’t think he was a nine-hole hitter,” McQuillan said of Lajcin. “He could bat leadoff, but he’s doing a great job there.”
“He’s really progressed this offseason,” Matise said. “It’s been fun to watch.”
Morgan Park pitcher Keenan Harrell walked three straight batters before Lajcin stepped up to the plate. Lajcin was quickly down 0-2 but took three consecutive balls to create a full count.
Then, he lashed his triple to right.
“He started me inside and then went outside,” Lajcin said of Harrell. “I knew he was mixing it on both sides of the plate. I had to stick to my approach and shorten up and try to hit the ball hard to the right side of the field.”
Mount Carmel coach Brian Hurry enjoyed that piece of hitting.
“We teach the guys with two strikes to go the other way,” Hurry said. “I was impressed a couple of guys did that. The result is nice to have, but I’m happier with the approach.
“I’m glad the ball fell in for him.”
Lajcin pointed out that he started out in baseball at a young age thanks to his father Tristan, who played in high school at Hobart in Indiana.
“He’s meant a lot to me,” Haiden said of his dad. “He pushes me to be the man that I am every single day. When I’m getting lazy, he’s teaching me discipline all of the time.
“He always shows me the right path and the right way to do it.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
