'A generational team': Why Washington baseball's run to the state finals was so special
JOLIET — Easton Harris came down off the mound and dropped into a crouch, head held in his hands moments after he led a team that wore its collective heart on its sleeve to one last triumph Saturday.
The best baseball team Washington High School ever had rallied to beat Crystal Lake South, 2-1, and take the third-place game in the IHSA Class 3A baseball state finals at Duly Health and Care Stadium.
They will be remembered as a team led by Harris and Gus Lucas, a pitching tandem headed to Bradley next season. They will be remembered as a team that never flinched, a team that produced a historic record in the Mid-Illini Conference.
"It was such a big moment," said Harris, of his emotional reaction after striking out the final two hitters to escape a bases-loaded jam in the seventh inning and seal the victory. "Bases loaded, I just felt I owed it to myself and to this team to get it done, get that third-place trophy.
"This was a generational team. A team people will remember."
A team that hoisted the third-place trophy and then began the process of saying goodbye, with nine seniors departing.
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Explosions, engineers, BU and Army
Nine Washington seniors made the elevator ride up to the press box Saturday for the post-game interview.
Six of them were in the starting lineup Saturday, including leadoff hitter Jack Limas, who tied the game with an inside-the-park home run.
Life after baseball has begun.
"I'm going to be a special education major at University of Illinois," Limas said.
Trey Fabish will go to Eureka College to study criminal justice.
Kolton Burrow is going to Bradley University to pursue an engineering degree.
Case Foster will study criminal justice at Illinois Central College in East Peoria.
Ben Tate is heading to the Army Reserves and a political philosophy major at Illinois State University.
Kyler Klings will attend Illinois State University.
Tyler Bishop is going to ICC to study fire, arson and explosion investigation.
Harris and Lucas will be teammates at Bradley.
Harris and Lucas: How a childhood bond helped Washington earn another trip to IHSA baseball state finals
For the others, many of whom have played together since they were 7 years old, baseball is finished.
"I'm going to remember every minute with these guys," Harris said. "We had some tight bonds, been together since we were kids. We have some of the funniest guys I've ever met right here on this team."
Lucas said he'll remember the bus rides, the hotel stays, the rituals that were unique to the team.
"Listening to Olivia Rodrigo before we started every ride," Lucas said, laughing. "That was part of our routine. Too funny."
Around and around he goes
Crystal Lake took a 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly in the first inning.
But the Panthers tied it in style in the third inning when Limas ripped an 0-2 pitch over the third base bag and down into the left field corner, 348 feet away. He went the distance on the bases for an inside-the-park home run.
"When I got to second base I looked and saw the (left fielder) was still running toward the corner to get the ball," Limas said, grinning. "I just kept on going, knew I could make it.
"I think that moment changed things for us."
Go deeper: How this Washington baseball star grew into an elite talent and a Bradley recruit
Harris, who threw 110 pitches, allowed two hits, one run, walked six and struck out eight. He also pitched out of a bases-loaded, no-outs jam in the fourth.
Crystal Lake (19-5) brought in reliever James Allie to open the sixth, and Bishop greeted him with a triple into the right-center gap. One out later, catcher Keegan Isbell lined into short center to plate Bishop with the winning run.
Crystal Lake loaded the bases in the seventh with one out, but Harris got Ysen Useni and Mason Struck — both looking — to end it.
Where do they go from here?
It's always bittersweet when a team wins a trophy and then breaks apart as seniors head off to another chapter in their careers and lives.
"It's a special team for sure," Washington coach Kyle Wisher said. "It was a trailblazing team. We made it to the state finals, finished third, played on the last day of the season.
"Those are good things, and it's what people will remember us for. But for me, the really big thing was going 14-0 in the Mid-Illini Conference. I think of all the great baseball teams over the years in the Mid-Illini, and no team ever did what we did, we were the first."
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Six of the nine players on the field Saturday, the top five hitters in the lineup, and the top two pitchers on the roster are gone now from a team that went 35-6. Washington, in its two games at the state finals, combined to allow just three runs and four hits.
"These guys will always have each other, in a way," Wisher said. "This team did things that they will remember and talk about until they are 100 years old."
Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. Reach him at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @icetimecleve.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Washington baseball wins third at 2022 IHSA Class 3A state finals
