At the crack of the bat, sophomore outfielder Gavin Helpingstine didn’t hesitate for Brother Rice.
On a slow grounder down the third base line, Helpingstine wasn’t about to look back whatsoever from the point of no return. He made a mad dash and sprinted toward his final destination.
“The only thing going through my mind was I had to score with it being a close game,” Helpingstine said of his breakneck attitude on the bases. “I always try to get every base I can.
“I really feel like it transferred the momentum of the game right back to us.”
Indeed, it was Helpingstine’s leadoff double and aggressive baserunning that would produce the go-ahead run Friday for the host Crusaders in a 9-2 victory over Marian Catholic in Chicago.
Senior catcher Treylan Webster hit a two-run homer and junior shortstop Gavin Stanislawski drove in a pair of runs for Brother Rice (3-3).
Marian (4-1) forced a 2-2 tie in the top of the fourth inning on run-scoring plays by senior pitcher Matt Gonzalez and freshman catcher Aiden Garcia. Junior outfielder Jazarris Mackmore added two hits and scored a run for the Spartans.
Helpingstine, however, punctuated his standout performance with an RBI triple during a five-run sixth. He finished 2-for-3 with two runs. He also made a spectacular catch in left field.
That deprived Marian from threatening a comeback in the sixth. Senior reliever JJ Manos, who picked up the pitching win, wasn’t surprised by Helpingstine’s heroics.
“He’s a pretty shy guy, but I like how he just puts his head down and works,” Manos said. “He’s one of those guys who just gets after it. You saw the way he ran on the bases.
“He’s really athletic and fast and has great instincts.”
Senior outfielder Nolan Ramoley, who notched an RBI single in the first inning, is one of several veterans showing Helpingstine the ropes.
“It’s tough sometimes being a young guy on the varsity,” Ramoley said. “I did it my sophomore year. A few of the seniors that year did the same thing for me. I really felt like it helped.
“You don’t always know what you’re doing at that age. You need somebody to guide you, and some of the captains helped him out. He’s a good player who’s going to help us in a lot of ways.”
Helpingstine was a receiver and kick returner in football for the Crusaders, who won the Class 7A state title. He brings the same fearless mentality in running the bases or tracking down fly balls.
“Football is a really fun sport,” he said. “The physicality and the athleticism have definitely helped with my speed. Baseball, I feel like, just comes more naturally to me as a sport.
“Nobody in my family has played before me, but I’ve just always felt that natural bond and wanted to make the game my own.”
Batting ninth in the order, Helpingstine proved he’s a viable threat as a hitter and runner, too.
“We have the ability to go through the whole lineup any inning I come up, so I’m always ready when I go up there to hit,” he said. “I’m definitely more of an opposite-field guy, like the triple I had, or getting into those gaps.”
Reserved off the field, Helpingstine enjoys traveling with his family to Florida. On the field, he’s solidifying his role in baseball for Brother Rice, which took fourth last year in Class 4A.
“I’ve found my way into the starting lineup,” he said. “The older players have helped me feel wanted, and this was by far the biggest game of my career. I am more of a relaxed person.
“But this team is definitely bringing out a more outgoing version of myself.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
