Naperville North senior right-hander Yash Desai is already known as a steely competitor.
Desai earned his reputation in late-game situations in his sophomore season.
“The second he got here on varsity, he showed he had the ability, even pitching in tight, high-level situations,” Naperville North coach Jim Chiappetta said. “That’s really tough to do in the sixth and seventh inning when the game is on the line.”
Desai maintains his composure regardless of the situation, which has been important as his role for the Huskies evolved.
“He’s very calm and collected, especially under pressure,” Chiappetta said. “He doesn’t show any emotions.”
Desai, a Wesleyan commit, isn’t closing games anymore, but he’s still getting the job done as Naperville North’s ace. Desai (2-0) hasn’t allowed a run and has struck out 12 in two starts this season.
Little has changed, as far as he’s concerned.
“I’ve always had the mentality that I’m better than the guy in the box,” he said. “It comes from all the time and all the preparation I put into everything, even aside from the actual game itself.
“At the end of the day, it’s me versus the other person. I can’t overthink it, like my sophomore year as a reliever and I had to come into a game with the bases loaded with no outs and get the job done. I had no room to think or to shy away.”
Naperville North senior catcher Zach Bava, an Illinois State commit, confirmed Desai remains even-keeled as a starter.
“Yash’s ability to calm everyone down and slow the game down on the mound makes him a good pitcher,” Bava said. “Yash never loses his cool on the mound and gives all of our position players confidence every time he steps on the mound.
“His ability to slow the game down really shows how mentally strong he is and how much work he puts into his pitching. Yash truly shows everyone how to be in tough situations.”
Desai expressed confidence in his teammates too.
“So far this year, I’m getting a good amount of strikeouts and am keeping hitters off balance, but I also trust my defense and the guys behind me,” he said.
Naperville North senior Matt Sonnenschein, a Wisconsin-La Crosse commit who plays shortstop when he’s not pitching, said that trust influences Desai’s approach to hitters.
“He has confidence in his defense and isn’t afraid of pounding the strike zone,” Sonnenschein said.
Desai was primarily an infielder when he was younger. He also played football during his freshman and sophomore years, but ankle injuries convinced him to give up the sport.
“The past couple of years, I started focusing on pitching,” Desai said. “I didn’t take travel league seriously for pitching, but I had a couple of good outings. So going into high school, I had a lot of success on the frosh/soph team. When I stopped playing football, I improved a lot. I realized baseball was my future and I couldn’t risk an injury again.”
Desai went 1-1 with two saves, 13 strikeouts and a 1.82 ERA in 15 1/3 innings during his sophomore season. Last year, he showed he could lead the pitching staff, finishing 1-2 with 26 strikeouts and a 3.50 ERA in 34 innings. He also recorded two saves.
“He’s got sneaky power that I think gets by hitters,” Chiappetta said. “He can mix his pitches in with good command all the time.”
Desai’s four-pitch repertoire includes an improved change-up and a fastball that can reach 85 mph.
“The offseason work I put in on my secondary pitches helps even more,” he said. “I’ve brought those pitches up to par and am able to mix everything else in.”
Desai intends to keep improving.
“I want to get better each game,” he said. “I know I can’t be complacent in life. That drives me outside of baseball too. That drives my success.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter.
