After three games this spring, junior shortstop Nick Czerak was installed as Aurora Central Catholic’s new leadoff hitter. The three-year varsity starter understood the assignment.
He wasn’t there to hit home runs. He wasn’t there to power up.
“The mindset is pretty similar — get on base,” Czerak said. “I feel like I can be a little more aggressive in the one spot, early in the count, get something I can hit and get on base.
“We have a couple good hitters behind me, so any way I can get on base and score a run.”
Czerak did that Thursday to start off an 11-1 Catholic League White loss to St. Ignatius in five innings. Czerak began the bottom of the first with a walk and moved up on a sacrifice fly.
After a wild pitch, Czerak scored on a single by Brodie Curry, who ended up going 2-for-3 for ACC (10-18, 4-10). Ryan Sexton settled in after the first to lead St. Ignatius (19-10, 11-3). He went five innings, striking out five and allowing a run on two hits and walk.
Czerak produced a red-hot start this season for the Chargers hitting in the second spot, which got the immediate attention of coach Rich Swann.
“He had been hitting the ball pretty well for us, getting on base from the two spot,” Swann said. “We thought maybe we would flip-flop some guys around.
“Instead of him being the guy moving guys over, let him be the guy on base and see if we can find a guy to get him over.”
That guy ended up being Leo Corral, who has a .427 on-base percentage and a team-best 16 walks. Czerak is hitting .337 with a team-leading 33 runs. He’s even added six extra-base hits.
The beneficiary of all of that is Curry and Tyler Davis. The duo has combined for 51 RBIs from the third and fourth spots in the order. The Czerak-Corral combo at the top is a big reason why.
“Nick is always a guy you can count on to get a hit, and that’s good for me because I put the ball in play more times than not,” Curry said. “It’s nice when you have that runner on base.
“It gives you that extra motivation to try to get that runner in, try to put the ball in play.”
The top of the order executed to perfection to give the Chargers the early lead Thursday.
Czerak walked and Corral followed with a sacrifice bunt. Curry’s RBI single created a 1-0 lead. And that’s how Swann envisioned it going when he moved up Czerak.
“Exactly what we expected,” Swann said. “Get on base, we’ll get you over and someone will get you in. It’s been very effective for us. He’s done a good job with it.
“And the guys behind him have done a great job getting him over and getting him in.”
Davis struck out the side in the top of the first, so ACC was feeling good.
“We thought if we could go out and get a lead and make them chase us, see what happens,” Swann said. “We just didn’t respond well after that.
“We’ve just got to understand as a team that we have to do a better job of fighting through adversity.”
Czerak, who’s also coming off being honorable mention all-conference in basketball, realizes he’s in a unique position in having the chance to be a four-year varsity player in two sports.
“I’ve been lucky enough to play varsity for both since freshman year,” Czerak said. “I feel like every year it’s more experience and I’m getting better. I’m excited for the future, one more year as well.
“To get four years in two sports is pretty fun.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
