It’s been 35 years since a Public League team has won a state baseball title. In I973, Hubbard high school defeated edged Belleville West to snare the crown.
Will this finally be the year that a city team gets to celebrate that elusive state title? “Our teams are getting better and better each year and we feel that we can compete with any team on the state level,” said Public League baseball coordinator, Eddie Curry.
Among the Public League teams on the rise this season is Simeon high school. After struggling the past two seasons, the Wolverines are starting to jell. In one of their biggest wins in recent years, head coach Leroy Franklin’s squad knocked off perennial state title contender Mt. Carmel, 5-3.
“That was one of the biggest wins we’ve ever had here at Simeon,” said long time Wolverine head coach Leroy Franklin. “However, our kids didn’t consider it anything special. They went into the game expecting to win.”
Leading the Wolverines to the victory over the Caravan was second baseman Steve Florence, who ripped a two-run homer in the second inning; catcher Jon “Campy” drove in three runs with a double. Michael McSmith, meanwhile, got the job done on the mound for Simeon, hurling 6 1/3 strong innings.
Florence is following in the footsteps of his head coach. He has committed to Grambling State University as has Wolverine ace pitcher Troy Williams. “I just think it’s great that our kids our starting to recognized the benefits in attending a Black college,” Franklin said. Defending city champion Whitney Young high school is the number one team in the first Public League weekly baseball poll of the season.
Picked second is Simeon followed by Lane Tech third; Von Steuben, fourth; and Taft, fifth. Rounding out the top ten are Jones College Prep, Lake View, Clemente, Kenwood Academy and Harlan. Jonathan Mills helped lead the North Lawndale basketball team to the state Class 2-A title last month.
The junior also was named to the Class 2-A all-state team and was a Defender top pick for boy’s basketball.. However, Mills has put away his basketball and is throwing strikes for the Phoenix baseball team. A hard-throwing right-handed pitcher, Mills struck out 10 batters in just four innings in his first game after returning from basketball.
“He’s a baseball player first and then a basketball player,” said North Lawndale athletic director and head basketball coach, Lewis Thorpe. “He definitely has a future in the game of baseball.” After losing seven players to graduation, Harlan head coach, Kenny Fullman, knew it would take some time for his team to get it going this season.
“This is really a rebuilding season for us,” Fullman said. “We had some outstanding players (such as all-city shortstop Elliott Armstrong) go on to college.” Despite the losses to graduation, the Falcons managed to go 6-3 in the pre-season. “We’ve been hitting the ball well, but our defense has got to get better,” Fullman added.
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