Being one of only two returning regulars from last season’s supersectional run, Oswego East’s Jackson Petsche had input on where he wanted to hit in the lineup this spring.
When coach Brian Schaeffer posed the question, Petsche didn’t hesitate.
“I said the three spot because you’re always going to get to hit in the first inning,” Petsche said. “If you have really good guys at one and two, they’re going to get on and give you a chance to hit a home run or hit a ball hard into the gap and score them.
“I like batting with runners in scoring position.”
The senior first baseman/pitcher has thrived in that role, leading the team in most offensive categories this season. He’s hitting .407 with 17 runs, eight doubles, four home runs and 22 RBIs.
While the production is nice, what stands out to Schaeffer is Petsche’s contact rate.
“He has an uncanny ability to put the baseball in play,” Schaeffer said. “He doesn’t strike out very much. Putting the baseball in play in high school gives you the opportunity to compete and put runs on the board. He’s been really good at doing that for us.”
That ability doesn’t come by accident. It’s a skill Petsche actively works on to perfect.
“When I’m hitting flips or overhand, I try to swing at everything just so I can practice that two-strike approach,” Petsche said. “Putting the ball in play or fouling it off, anything can help me with that.
“A lot of it is hand-eye coordination, just being short to the ball and sometimes throwing your hands at it and trying to do whatever you can with it.”
With Bode Bregar, Patrick Flynn and Griffin Sleyko handling the majority of the pitching last season, Petsche found himself in unfamiliar territory.
He ended up in the bullpen after starting much of his life due to the Wolves’ surplus of pitching.
“Last year was a lot different,” Petsche said. “Having Patrick and Griffin in front of me, I felt confident being a reliever. This year, I thought I could compete with what they did last year.
“It’s a big jump, but I like it.”
Petsche has settled in as the Wolves’ No. 2 starter, although he usually starts the third game of every Southwest Prairie West series that are played on Thursdays. He was up 1-0 against Yorkville when Thursday’s game was halted due to rain.
Even though Petsche was recruited to Southeastern Community College in Iowa to play first base, with how he’s feeling on the mound, he could look to contribute in that area as well.
He has a 2-3 record this season with 30 strikeouts in 28 2/3 innings.
“This year has got me liking pitching a lot more,” he said. “It’s very fun.”
Petsche’s leadership role has significantly increased, too. Only Petsche and senior third baseman Andy Lewis returned from last year’s starting lineup, along with Bregar from the pitching staff.
They have to bring the mentality that led Oswego East to the program’s first supersectional to a new group of players, and Lewis is glad he’s not alone.
“We’re pretty good friends, so it’s good having that friendship, good having that guy you can always talk to, stuff like that,” Lewis said. “It’s been pretty fun giving them what’s in our head space, what we think during the game, what it’s like to play the varsity game.”
Petsche soaked in the lessons from another good friend in Flynn and also the Polubinski brothers — Josh, Mike and Zach — to prepare for this spring.
“We were in a historic season, so we had to push them and see what we had this year,” Petsche said. “We’re a very talented team. We know that. Compared to last year, it’s very different.
“We had to do what those seniors did and just lead the team.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
