Sefcik & Co. bring the heat for Carmel
Glenbrook South baseball coach Steve Stanicek made sure there was no confusion about his thoughts on Carmel starting pitcher Quinten Sefcik.
“He’s the best pitcher we’ve faced. Easily,” Stanicek said of the Illinois-bound senior right-hander after the Titans’ 3-0 loss to Carmel on Tuesday. “Has great stuff, and he was down with all of his pitches. We didn’t get a lot to hit.”
A three-year veteran of Carmel’s rotation, Sefcik is one of a pair of aces. Senior right-hander Dalton Wright also is considered a topof-the-rotation starter. Sefcik and Wright, along with a bullpen that features junior right-hander Garrett McClellan and sophomore righthander Jordan Fuller, are part of a staff that could carry the Corsairs (10-2-1) to the state tournament for the first time since 2004, when they took third in Class AA.
“I do think we have the pitching to get us there,” Sefcik said after he struck out 15 Titans. “We don’t have a weakness. We trust all of our pitchers, and we trust all of our players.”
Carmel has a team ERA of 1.68 in 79⅓ innings with 104 strikeouts.
Sefcik is 2-0 with a 0.82 ERA and a WHIP of 0.94. He has 29 strikeouts in 17 innings. Wright is 1-1 with a 2.28 ERA and 1.57 WHIP. Fuller, the team’s closer, has thrown 8⅔ innings. He has allowed only eight baserunners while striking out 16 with a 1.62 ERA.
“Jordan has been lights-out for us,” Carmel coach Dann Giesey said. “These two young guys [McClellan and Fuller] have been forcing us to use them.”
Sefcik is a traditional power pitcher, one whose fastball can reach into the upper 80s, according to Giesey. He also throws a changeup and a curveball for strikes. In the bottom of the third inning against Glenbrook South, Sefcik struck out two looking, both with breaking balls.
“He’s a complete pitcher, not just someone who can throw hard,” Giesey said. “He does a great job of locating his pitches and changing speeds.”
Stanicek said he was impressed with Sefcik’s competitiveness. After walking a batter to start the fourth, Sefcik struck out Glenbrook South’s cleanup hitter with a fastball.
“He just reached back, found something extra and blew the ball by our guy,” Stanicek said.
Wright, meanwhile, pitches more to contact. He doesn’t throw as hard as Sefcik, but Giesey said his fastball can get into the mid-80s.
“He relies on the movement of his pitches,” Giesey said. “Everything he throws moves.”
During a 10-out stretch in the team’s 14-3 win over Stevenson on Saturday, Wright retired nine batters on ground balls.
“He can be really tough to hit,” Giesey said.
Sefcik was nearly untouchable against the Titans.
“He was a model of excellence,” Giesey said. “In my mind, he missed three spots all day. That’s phenomenal, unheard of. He had it all.”