'Baseball guys': Chatham Glenwood seniors form potent tandem at top of order
CHATHAM — Chatham Glenwood’s senior class has ascended to the state finals twice before in junior high. That group even claimed the Illinois Elementary School Association Class 3A state title its eighth-grade year in 2017.
This next trip is on an entirely different level.
The Titans (32-7) will appear in the Illinois High School Association Class 3A state semifinals against Washington (34-5) at the Duly Health & Care Field in Joliet 10 a.m. on Friday. The winner advances to the state final against either Crystal Lake South or LaGrange Park Nazareth on Saturday.
“The competition is way different,” Glenwood senior catcher Will Plattner said. “Obviously, we were pretty good in eighth grade, but once you get to high school, there's really good pitchers. It's a lot different.”
Army of bleach blonds
About most of the team exudes a certain measure of confidence and swagger in the form of bleach blond hair.
The seniors have happily dyed their hair every season since freshman year, encouraged by former player Jake Curtis, according to Plattner.
“I love it,” Plattner said. “I do it first. I did it first last year, and I did it first this year. I did it right in the middle of our year. I just like it. I feel like I play better with it.”
“It’s pretty fun,” added senior shortstop Nolan McMasters.
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McMasters and Plattner form a potent duo at the top of Glenwood’s batting order.
McMasters carries a .436 batting average with nine home runs, 38 RBIs and 54 runs in the leadoff spot while No. 2 hitter Plattner has a .340 average with six homers, 38 RBIs and 11 runs.
“I've been a leadoff hitter for a while,” McMasters said. “I just like to start the game to get on base.”
McMasters said he’s always been a pretty good hitter, too.
“It comes pretty easy to me,” McMasters said.
Glenwood coach Casey Erickson described both as hard workers.
“They are baseball guys,” Erickson said. “If something's not working for them, they work hard to fix it and just to keep that consistency in their swing.”
Titans in their own right
Plattner has been a catcher for most of his life other than a couple of years in junior high.
“It just gave me time to really think about where I wanted to be on the field,” Plattner said of the brief respite. “Catching, you have to kind of control the game and I really missed that, so I came back to it.”
Plattner, who jumped up to varsity midway through freshman year, said mashing balls has been one of his fortes since middle school. He recalled hitting a walk-off home run at state in eighth grade.
“It starts with just trying to hit the ball square,” Plattner said. “I'm not trying to hit home runs. You just try to hit a line drive, but when you get that backspin, it goes.”
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The Titans have also flourished on the defensive end.
Starting pitchers Parker Detmers and Zane Danielson have combined for 19 strikeouts in the last two games.
Danielson, who is committed to Lincoln Land Community College, also completed his second straight postseason shutout in Monday’s 3-0 victory over Troy Triad in the Class 3A Decatur Supersectional.
“They've always been our guys, but they've stepped up even more,” Plattner said. “Zane and Parker are both throwing complete games almost. Parker got one out that he didn't get (against Mahomet-Seymour) but them throwing complete games and being able to save our bullpen is huge for us because we just don't need to use them and they can come back the next week and do it again.”
Plattner will later play at NJCAA Division I Wabash Valley College.
McMasters, meanwhile, will compete at University of Illinois Springfield, which recently made its first ever appearance in the NCAA Division II championships. He hopes the Prairie Stars can return to Cary, N.C.
He also hopes the Titans can pick up two more wins.
“This team's great,” McMasters said. “These guys are like my best friends. We've been playing together since I was like 8. This weekend's going to be a lot of fun.”
Contact Bill Welt: (217) 788-1545, bill.welt@sj-r.com, Twitter.com/BillWelt
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: IHSA baseball finals: Seniors key Chatham Glenwood run in 3A
