The weather was the biggest opponent for Viking baseball this season, but the team did its best. Whether he was pitching or hitting, Thomas Anderson was one of the Vikings’ best players this season.
When speaking of highs and lows in sports, most people refer to riveting wins and close losses. But this year’s Cook County High School baseball team will look back at the spring of 2013 and talk about the lows—low temperatures that is. Snowy fields and cold temps marked most of their season. But when games finally began, like the earlier snows, they came in a flurry. And then came the last game loss to Marshall in the playoffs.
“First of all, our last game versus Marshall was crushing, at least at first,” said Head Coach Arleigh Jorgenson, noting his team had a 7-4 lead going into the seventh inning.
“We cruised into the bottom of the seventh with a 7-4 lead, tasting victory, and gave it up. This was another game, in a season of close, competitive games, that we should have won, but didn’t.
“I think now, that the season was just too short for us.
“Our senior leadership was exceptional. It is always hard to see seniors go, but this duo is in a class by themselves. Colin [Everson] brings a quiet, but generous work ethic day after day. It spreads.
“Kale Boomer brought a daily competitiveness to every drill and respectful joy to the task of ‘playing some ball.’ No one, even the seventh graders who came out, was diminished by this team.
“I have had some great teams with some fine young men, but I am uniquely proud of this team. My concern, in the end, is that we didn’t discover just the quality of our game, just how good we actually were.
“The torch is now being passed to Thomas Anderson, Joe Borud, and Charlie Lawler. These are fine young men who will continue to follow in the footsteps of Colin and Kale. They know the walk of a champion. It has begun.
“Richie Furlong follows the seniors into his junior year. His work development behind the plate was huge. He played his best game against Marshall. He is at a point where even getting better will happen naturally and daily.
“We also have 10 players, 10 real players, who are about to become sophomores, and sophomores who can really play this game. Expectations exceed those of any previous year in our program.
“I know that these players will rebound. Win or lose, we will have fun this summer. We will play hard for ourselves and for each other,” said Jorgenson.
The team plays five double headers beginning next Tuesday, June 11, the first against Marble at noon at home.
“There will be lots of at bats and steady growth on our home field in front of home town fans. To a man, we are already chomping at the bit to get to the spring of 2014,” Jorgenson said.
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