Last week, Brother Rice’s Braydon McKendrick discovered that he had landed an unforgettable opportunity. A passionate Chicago White Sox fan, he was going to pitch in a rivalry game.
Better yet, it would be at Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs.
It probably felt like traveling to a foreign country for the Mount Greenwood native.
“I had a hard time sleeping,” McKendrick said with a smile. “I was super pumped, very excited, and I didn’t really feel any nerves. I never thought I’d be on a big-league field, so I felt very grateful.
“I also recognized this was a once-in-a-lifetime thing.”
McKendrick rose to that challenge Thursday. The senior left-hander struck out six and allowed just two hits, leading the Crusaders to a 4-1 Catholic League Blue win over Mount Carmel.
Junior shortstop Colin Campbell led off the bottom of the first inning with a triple and scored on an errant throw, while senior infielder Brent Nevils and junior outfielder Gavin Stanislawski also drove in runs as Brother Rice (13-7, 3-0) won its seventh straight game.
Senior righty Jake Matise struck out seven and gave up only four hits for the Caravan (10-7, 2-1), who used two walks and an error to load the bases with no outs in the top of the seventh.
McKendrick (5-1) responded, however, with a strikeout and by forcing two shallow fly outs. For the John A. Logan recruit, it was his second complete-game effort in a week.
Senior catcher Treylan Webster, for one, wasn’t surprised at all.
“When he got the ball, I went up to the mound and told him, ‘Nobody is better than you,’” Webster said. “He got ahead of their batters, threw strikes and was able to throw his secondary pitches.
“He forced a lot of grounders and weak contact.”
Weeks in advance, Brother Rice coach Sean McBride planned to pitch McKendrick for the special game at Wrigley Field.
“He earned the ball at this moment,” McBride said. “Most people don’t see the behind-the-scenes stuff that he does like calling me up on a Sunday and asking me to open up the weight room.
“Today’s performance had almost nothing to do with today and more about the work he puts in, the mentality he has and the desire to be great.”
The only comparable atmosphere for McKendrick was a game last June he has spent trying to erase from his memory. He started the Class 4A state semifinal against McHenry.
McKendrick struggled with his accuracy, walking three and throwing strikes on just seven of 28 pitches. He lasted only two-third of an inning in the 4-1 loss.
“I thought about the game almost every day, but I don’t let it eat at me anymore,” McKendrick said. “Now, I use that game as motivation. I always know what I can do physically.
“But I knew (Thursday) was going to be all mental, so I prepared myself all week.”
Meditation was one of his primary emotional outlets in preparing for the Wrigley Field experience.
“I’m not going to lie, I was concerned about overthinking everything because the McHenry game was a hump I had to get over,” he said. “I had a lot of confidence with these guys behind me.”
Like most pitchers, McKendrick has an acute feel for hand-eye coordination. It applies to a unique hobby he has — juggling.
“I’m like most guys my age,” he said. “I like hanging out with my guys and I like weightlifting. Learning how to juggle when I was younger is just a part of my desire to always explore.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
