The ‘dude’ abides
Purdue recruit Cole Van Assen strikes out 14 as Brother Rice stymies Lincoln-Way West to reach state for first time since 2007
Junior pitcher Cole Van Assen has heard the chatter all spring about how Brother Rice is a one-dimensional team with a great offense but suspect pitching. He used that for motivation. “I love it,” Van Assen said. “I love being doubted. It gets my adrenaline going and it gets me fired up. I wanted to prove people wrong.
“They said we had no pitching this year. I think me and (Dylan) Warda and a few other guys have shown we have some pitching.”
Van Assen, who set the school record for wins in a season, earned his biggest victory Tuesday night.
The Purdue recruit struck out 14 in a complete game three-hitter to lift the Crusaders to a 5-1 win over Lincoln-Way West in the Class 4A Crestwood Supersectional at
Ozinga Field.
Will Flanigan went 3-for-4 with three RBIs while Zion Rose was 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI
for Brother Rice (35-5), which will play Edwardsville (31-4) at 3 p.m. Friday in a state semifinal at Duly Health & Care Field in Joliet.
The Crusaders will play at state for the first time since 2007. Their last three seasons had ended at Ozinga Field, including supersectional losses in 2018 and 2021 and a sectional defeat in 2019.
“We have this joke about how we’re cursed on this field,” Flanigan said. “To get over this hump, it just builds our confidence. We have a lot of confidence right now. It’s a great feeling.”
Colton Kachinsky threw six strong innings and allowed three earned runs on three hits for Lincoln-Way West (25-7-1), which was playing in the program’s first supersectional.
With the game postponed Monday night due to rain, Van Assen (13-0) had an extra day to think about the start. While that could build pressure for a lot of pitchers, he felt a benefit.
“It was actually easier because I already went through everything in my head,” he said of Monday’s stoppage. “I was more prepared. I felt better than I did (Monday).
“I picture striking people out. I picture hitting my spots. I just picture good things happening.”
After allowing a leadoff single to Cam Buckley in the bottom of the first inning, Van Assen retired nine straight batters and gave up only two hits the rest of the way.
Monday’s rainout altered the Crusaders’ plans as Van Assen will now be unavailable both Friday and Saturday at state due to pitchcount rules.
“I wish I could throw in the state championship game, so I’m thinking about that right now,” Van Assen said. “The season’s been great, though.”
Flanigan’s two-run single in
the third inning gave the Crusaders a 3-0 lead. He tacked on a fifth run with another RBI single in the seventh.
That was too much for the Warriors to overcome, ending a magical season.
“It’s awesome to experience this game,” LincolnWay West coach Jake Zajc said. “You have the seniors here, the leadership. I couldn’t be more proud of a baseball team coming together. They kept fighting. I don’t think anybody expected us to be in this position.
“It’s the best season we’ve had yet. This should help the young guys understand what it takes.”
Cole Crafton and Jacob Morris had singles for the Warriors, with Morris scoring on Aidan Healy’s fielder’s choice grounder in the seventh to break the shutout.
Van Assen finished off the win from there, which wasn’t surprising to Northwestern football recruit Jack
Lausch.
“He’s unbelievable,” Lausch said of Van Assen. “His confidence, his preparation, the way he competes every day. It’s no surprise that he’s 13-0. The way he handles himself is awesome.
“He’s a dude.”