The Willowbrook baseball team’s winning streak hit 26 games after the Warriors posted four victories last week.
The Warriors completed a perfect 18-0 record in West Suburban Gold Conference play by sweeping last week’s three-game conference series against Morton. Willowbrook closed out the week with Saturday’s 10-4 non-conference win at Lyons Township. The Warriors raised their overall season record to 27-4 with Saturday’s victory over the Lions.
Willowbrook is closing its regular season with three games this week—a home contest against Marmion Academy, this Friday’s road game at Lincoln-Way West, and this Saturday’s home game against Oak Park/River Forest. Willowbrook head coach Vic Wisner, who is retiring at the end of this season, will be honored at the regular season finale. Willowbrook has designated this Saturday, May 23, as Vic Wisner Day.
Willowbrook will open up IHSA Class 4A post-season play by hosting a regional. The Warriors will play in a regional semifinal on May 27. A victory in that game would propel Willowbrook to the regional final—against Wheaton Warrenville South or York—on Saturday, May 30.
If the Warriors win the regional title, they will advance to the Bartlett Sectional. Willowbrook is the sectional’s No. 1 seed.
The Warriors had already clinched the conference title before they began last week’s series against Morton. Willowbrook edged the Mustangs 4-3 in the series opener in Villa Park on May 11. The Warriors scored one run in the bottom of the inning to even the score at 3-3. The game ended when Willowbrook scored on a Morton wild pitch in the bottom of the seventh inning.
The Warriors earned a 4-0 win at Morton on May 13. Willowbrook closed out its perfect 18-0 conference season with its 11-7 victory over the Mustangs in Villa Park on May 14.
Senior Jory Crocker went 2-for-2 and scored the winning run for the Warriors in their series opener against Morton. Senior Noah Edison pitched the first six innings of the contest and allowed two earned runs and five hits while recording nine strikeouts. Senior Jacob Bylsma pitched a scoreless seventh inning for Willowbrook and struck out two batters. Bylsma earned the win after the Warriors scored in the bottom of the seventh inning to end the game.
Senior Bobby Biggs pitched a shutout for Willowbrook in the May 13 battle at Morton. Biggs allowed two hits and no walks in seven innings on the mound. He struck out five batters in his shutout performance.
Senior Jake Bonino went 2-for-4 with a home run and drove in three runs for the Warriors in the series finale against Morton. Senior Charlie Roelle went 3-for-3 with three RBIs for Willowbrook. Junior Ben Swanson went 3-for-3 and drove in one run.
The Warriors scored four runs in the top of the first inning to take a quick 4-0 lead over Lyons Township. Willowbrook added four more runs in the top of the sixth inning to expand its lead to 10-2.
Junior catcher Alex Rodriguez went 2-for-3 and drove in three runs for the Warriors in Saturday’s win. Rodriguez also threw out a Lion attempting to steal second base.
Willowbrook junior Mikey Garner pitched the first four innings of Saturday’s game and earned the victory. Edison pitched the next two innings, and senior Alek Ramey completed the victory by retiring the side in order in the bottom of the seventh inning.
After Saturday’s victory, Wisner discussed the pressure that can build on a team with a lengthy winning streak.
“After a win, we get on the bus, and it’s flushed already; they’ve done a really good job of that,” said Wisner while describing the Warriors’ ability to focus on playing one game at a time.
Early in the 26-game winning streak, Wisner told the Warriors to make sure they didn’t beat themselves.
“Let’s make sure that if we are going to lose this streak, we lose it because a team comes out and plays better than us, not because we’re tight or we’re concerned about our record,” said Wisner while recalling what he told the team. He added that the Warriors are playing hard for him in his final season.
“They talk about doing it for me,” said Wisner. “If that’s what they do, it’s awesome. But I know they’re doing it for themselves.”
