Kaneland’s Kanon Baxley has earned the accolades he’s achieved during his young career. He’s ranked as the seventh-best player in the state for his class by Prep Baseball Report.
While the sophomore shortstop tries to keep that buried in the back of his mind, there are times where it does come into play, however.
“I’m sure it helps the other guys understand, ‘Hey, we’ve got this guy,’” Baxley said of the pressure that comes with the hype. “And I want to be that guy to help the team win every game.
“I want to be that guy in the box to hit that grand slam.”
That opportunity knocked Monday for Baxley. Down four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, Kaneland loaded the bases for Baxley, who launched a 3-1 pitch to left in dramatic fashion.
His grand slam tied the game. Then in the bottom of the eighth, Baxley legged out an infield single and scored on an error to give the host Knights a wild 11-10 Interstate Eight Conference win over Rochelle in Maple Park.
Baxley finished with three hits for Kaneland (4-7-1, 2-1). Aidan Whildin added three hits with two doubles, two runs and two RBIs. Brady Alstott hit a solo homer, singled and drove in two runs.
Kaneland coach Brian Aversa pulled the batters ahead of Baxley aside before the bottom of the sixth. The objective was to get Baxley up there with a chance to tie the game.
“He delivered again and that was gutsy,” Aversa said. “He winds up coming across for the winning run, too. Those are the guys we want up there. He’s come through time and again.”
Kaneland squandered a 5-1 lead and suddenly trailed 9-5 when Baxley came up in that sixth.
“We were down four runs at the time, so it’s not like I’m trying to hit a grand slam,” Baxley said. “I’m just trying to keep the line moving.”
Although Baxley just wanted to extend the inning, that wasn’t the goal of his teammates.
“Everybody in the dugout was thinking it,” said Whildin, who was on first for the grand slam. “He hit it and I was running. I didn’t know if it had enough launch angle. He hit it hard enough, for sure.
“It didn’t get too high up in the arid. I was hustling, then I saw it go over and I saw he was pretty excited so I was pretty excited. It was a great moment.”
Baxley wound up with a memory that will stick with him for a long time.
“It was just amazing, running around the bases, seeing all the guys cheering,” Baxley said. “It was great to bring the energy to the boys. Energy means a lot in baseball.
“Those moments create a lot of energy and we were able to stick with it the rest of the game.”
Aversa feels like the whole package — moments like this, rankings, recognition — all have been earned by Baxley.
“He does things the right way,” Aversa said. “He gets his sleep. He eats right, studies, everything. He’s a really good kid when it comes to all of that stuff. He’s just reaping the rewards from doing things the right way.
“It’s nice to see him get that. He’s handling it the right way, talks up his teammates. He puts in the work. That kid should take everything that comes to him.”
Whildin is also happy to have Baxley around.
“That’s the guy that’s going to get us going and keep us going,” Whildin said. “He knows his role. He doesn’t think he’s better than anyone else. He’ll do anything.
“He’s a great kid, great grades, super respectful. I’m glad he’s on our side.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
