Cole Lockwood has already made a career’s worth of plays in his three seasons as Libertyville’s shortstop.
As the Wildcats’ primary leadoff hitter, he is often in the thick of their offensive rallies too.
But Cole Lockwood’s junior season offered a different opportunity that has nothing to do with putouts or base hits. He was finally able to play on the same team as his younger brother Chase, a sophomore pitcher/infielder.
“It’s awesome, like a dream come true,” Cole Lockwood said. “We’ve been talking about it for a while. It was always, ‘I can’t wait to be on the same field together,’ and to get that chance has been so great.”
In fact, the Lockwoods are often positioned only a few feet from each other. When Chase Lockwood isn’t pitching, he’s likely at third base.
“I knew early on that he (Chase) would at least get some time out of the bullpen, so I was excited to make plays behind him,” Cole Lockwood said. “When he was at third, we really had a chance to share a lot of time together.”
Even in the face of disappointment, like during and after second-seeded Libertyville’s 16-4 loss in five innings to sixth-seeded Conant in the Class 4A Stevenson Sectional semifinals in Lincolnshire on Wednesday, the 5-foot-9, 145-pound Cole Lockwood was able to provide a way forward.
The loss was arguably the only bad outing of the season for Chase Lockwood, who entered the game with an 8-1 record and a 0.27 ERA for the North Suburban Conference co-champion Wildcats (26-10-2). He had allowed just two earned runs, struck out 55 and walked 19 in 51 2/3 innings.
But when the Cougars (27-7) forced a pitching change, Cole Lockwood went into big brother mode.
The back-and-forth started when Cole Lockwood made his customary trip to the mound to give Chase a quick debrief. They also spoke in the dugout and on the bus ride back to school, and the conversation might have continued at home.
“He’s ultracompetitive, and his mindset when it comes to hitters is, ‘You’re not better than me, and I will win,’” Cole Lockwood said. “Today was a rare off day for him, and he was a little shaken up. It’s easier for me to talk to him because I know what calms him down in the moment. I tried to get across that he can’t let this one game take away from the season he’s had.”
Cole Lockwood — who has committed to play at Valparaiso, where older brother Connor is a pitcher — also stays positive when he’s struggling, like when he started this season in a slump.
“Even when he was battling this year, he didn’t let that get to him,” Chase Lockwood said. “That says a lot about him. He’s always looking out for the betterment of the team. But it’s a completely different mindset when it’s your brother.”
Despite Cole Lockwood’s slow start with the bat, which contributed to his .255 average even as he scored a team-high 31 runs, his lock-tight defense never wavered.
In addition to making all of the plays, Cole Lockwood makes sure the Wildcats are correctly aligned on defense.
“As a shortstop, he can direct and control the whole field,” Libertyville coach Matt Thompson said. “His defense helped us win a bunch of games this year, and he took on much more of a leadership role. He was a little quieter as a sophomore.”
Cole Lockwood’s defense has never been quiet. He takes pride in being dependable on routine plays but also can make difficult ones.
“With my range, I feel like any ball hit near me is mine to make,” he said. “I’m on the smaller side, but I think I get the most out of my body. I want to be that shortstop that if there are two outs and it’s hit to me, the pitcher can just start walking to the dugout.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.
