When Cyclones baseball started the season, they knew they would have a powerful offense. Once they put all the other pieces together on the field, they hit their stride. 

 

The talent on the squad ran deep, with many players boasting impressive performances. After rolling through the ups and downs at the start, the Cyclones figured how to play as a unit. 

 

"It started out rough. Going into the year, I didn't know what we'd have pitching-wise, but I knew we'd hit. Our offense was consistent," said Head Coach Tyler Zunkel, culminating his second season at the helm. "We had to figure out how to win. If the pitchers showed up one day, the hitters wouldn't and vice versa. We got it by the end. It was a solid year for a lot of guys." 

 

A string of close losses gave the players a sense of urgency to turn things around. The turning point came on April 13 in their doubleheader with Bryant and Stratton College. After falling 5-3 in the first game, the Cyclones came back in the night cap from a 6-0 deficit thanks to a three-run homerun from freshman Carlos Flores (Evergreen Park). The momentum spurred the Cyclones to finish over .500 in their last 21 games, including a four-game win streak.

 

"The guys were sick of being so close to winning and not being able to finish," Zunkel explained. "A lot of them want to have that urgency to win from the jump next season."

 

Overall, the Cyclones finished 18-36 and went 6-8 in the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference, ending the season in the region playoffs. Collectively, they had a .327 batting average with 53 homeruns and some aces in the lineup. 

 

Freshman infielder Valente Melero (Argo) led the offense, averaging .439 with 46 RBIs and 14 homeruns to break a Moraine Valley record and earn All-Conference second team and All-Region first team honors. He had some assistance from sophomores Jared Velez (Lincoln-Way East), an infielder who batted .388 with 36 RBIs and 14 doubles, and catcher Aiden Radtke (Tinley Park), who averaged .374 with 42 RBIs, 17 doubles and six homeruns. The latter earned All-Conference honorable mention. 

 

"Radtke stepped up and caught most of the games. He sprained his ankle badly and still played at a high level while injured. He wouldn't sit out, and we needed that toughness. Velez was great on offensive and played third base all year. If Valente keeps putting up those numbers, he'll be a Division I player," Zunkel noted.

 

Sophomore infielder/outfielder Michael Fiedor (Lockport) and freshman pitcher Will Swierczynski (Reavis) also earned All-Conference second team while freshman pitcher Ryan Burke (Lemont) and freshman Michael Swatkowski (Lincoln-Way Central) received All-Conference honorable mention. Swatkowski started at shortstop, making few errors at the busy position.

 

Freshman Christian Deshazer (Lake Park) was another big bat in the lineup, averaging .354 with 37 RBIS and seven homeruns, while freshman Dylan Hullinger (Tinley Park) had a strong bat in pinch-hit situations.

 

Zunkel has seven arms returning, including his ace on the mound, Flores, along with Michael Bielski (St. Laurence), Brandon Elting (Hinsdale South), Carter Benoit (Lincoln-Way Central) and Burke. Big bats from Deshazer and Melero, as the heart of the offense, also should make a difference. Zunkel is ready to keep the program on a winning trajectory.

 

"The outlook is awesome, and I'm excited," Zunkel exclaimed. "I think Moraine Valley baseball has been looked over by many athletes in the area and they've turned away because we haven't won, but I think our players tried to turn it around and have a championship mentality. They want to work. We're going to get better and succeed."