Blake Baumgartner

Nick Lopez delivers a bunt for the Kansas City Royals during the first inning of a game against the Minnesota Twins at Kauffman Stadium on Friday, Oct. 01, 2021.

Naperville’s Nick Lopez moved to shortstop and hit .300 for the Kansas City Royals. About the Gold Glove snub? ‘I should win it.’

November 4, 2021 at 6:44 p.m.

Numerous examples are easy to find if you know where to look for them. As the season went on for the Kansas City Royals, they kept popping up more and...

Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne (10) throws during the first half of Big Ten game against Indiana in Bloomington, Indiana on Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021.

It’s Michigan vs. Michigan State. Both teams are 7-0. Naperville Central graduate Jayden Reed says the game ‘boils fire into you.’

October 28, 2021 at 6:36 p.m.

Life experiences offer opportunities to develop perspective. And Jayden Reed certainly has a perspective when it comes to Michigan. Reed's two encounters with the Wolverines — in 2018 with Western...

Naperville Central graduate Danny Hughes (24) takes a handoff for Michigan during a game in Ann Arbor, Michigan on Saturday, Sep 18, 2021.

Danny Hughes plays special teams for Michigan. Jayden Reed returns punts for Michigan State. Could the former Naperville Central teammates meet on the field?

October 26, 2021 at 7:35 p.m.

It's a proposition sure to cross Danny Hughes' mind this week. At the very least, it's something Hughes will be well aware of, especially from experience. During the 2017 season,...

Michigan State wide receiver Jayden Reed (5) runs down the sideline for a touchdown during the first half of a game against Rutgers in East Lansing, Michigan on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020.

Jayden Reed started out No. 4 on Western Michigan’s depth chart. Now, the Naperville Central graduate wears No. 1 for Michigan State.

August 24, 2021 at 1:54 a.m.

Courtney Hawkins knows the road Michigan State wide receiver Jayden Reed is on. Hawkins, a wide receiver for the Spartans from 1988 to 1991, played in the NFL for nine...

Texas Rangers second baseman Nick Solak turns a double play during the fifth inning of a game against the Boston Red Sox in Arlington, TeaSunday, May 2, 2021, in Arlington, Texas.

Naperville North graduate Nick Solak hits home run for Texas Rangers in return home against White Sox: ‘That’s a memory I’m going to have forever.’

May 4, 2021 at 10:41 p.m.

Nick Solak's appreciation for playing in front of family and friends came quickly. Called up in late August 2019 by the Texas Rangers to make his major league debut, Solak's...

Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne (10) drops back to pass against Penn State during a football game in State College, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020.

Naperville’s Payton Thorne made a difference in his first start at QB for Michigan State. Now, he wants to do that with regularity.

April 6, 2021 at 11:31 p.m.

With State College, Pennsylvania, as the backdrop, Payton Thorne took advantage of the opportunity last December in his first career start at quarterback for Michigan State. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound redshirt...

Kansas City Royals shortstop Nicky Lopez takes a practice grounder during the second inning of a spring training game against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Scottsdale, Arizona on Monday, March 9, 2020.

Naperville’s Nick Solak and Nicky Lopez look to build upon momentum in sophomore MLB seasons: ‘I’m pretty comfortable with everything.’

July 7, 2020 at 6:59 p.m.

Last year, Nicky Lopez and Nick Solak made their respective MLB debuts just over three months apart. The Naperville natives were riding waves of momentum. The coronavirus pandemic eliminated the...

Blake Baumgartner

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