A different day, a different hat for Lake Zurich junior Colin Chung.
As the season has progressed, the Bears have come to expect Chung will do something positive each game, and those contributions don’t come only in his most high-profile position as a starting pitcher.
“The fact that I’m playing a bigger role is great,” he said. “It’s a lot more fun to be in the mix.”
The 5-foot-11, 170-pound Chung isn’t merely in the mix, however. He’s one of the main ingredients. On Wednesday, when Chung was playing second base, he delivered the go-ahead single in the eighth-seeded Bears’ 9-3 win against fourth-seeded Mundelein in the Class 4A Stevenson Sectional semifinals in Vernon Hills.
As a result, Chung will pitch Saturday, when Lake Zurich (26-11) will play another North Suburban Conference rival, second-seeded Libertyville (32-4), in an attempt to win the program’s first sectional title. The Bears will also be pursuing their 14th victory in their past 16 games.
“I’m always excited to get on the mound again and attack hitters and try to win my team a game,” he said. “I’ve always had confidence in my ability to pitch.”
Chung’s bat was the problem for the Mustangs (23-11-2). His one-out single to the opposite field off senior reliever Brody Paluch drove in the first of the six runs the Bears scored in the fifth inning to break open a 3-3 tie.
“That kid was pounding curveballs on the first pitch getting ahead, so I was just sitting curveball and took it the other way,” Chung said. “In every inning, you just have to keep on going, and my hit might have sparked it. Then everyone after me did their job to continue to have a good approach at the plate.”
That’s Chung’s kind of hitting, and Lake Zurich employed it throughout the game by producing nine runs on six hits, seven walks and a hit-by-pitch.
Chung’s strategy at the plate is unusual given that he’s the cleanup hitter. Lake Zurich first-year coach Mike Manno moved Chung up a spot in the order before a 3-0 victory against Stevenson on May 22, when Chung also earned the win by allowing just three hits over six innings.
“He’s a contact guy who gives us good at-bats and builds pitch counts on pitchers,” Manno said. “That’s why we moved him there. The beauty of having him there is that he’s able to do a lot of different things for us, and he’s really come through.”
Chung is batting .296 with 19 RBIs, and his team-high six sacrifice bunts, including one Wednesday, have given teammates behind him a chance to drive in runs.
“He (Manno) has confidence in me bunting guys over,” Chung said. “My approach is to find gaps. It might not look like a typical four hitter, but the job gets done, attacking strikes when I get them and putting the ball in play.”
Chung follows Lake Zurich’s most productive hitters, seniors Cash Kaczmarek and Owen Strahl.
“Colin is the most consistent No. 4 hitter I’ve ever been in front of in my life,” Strahl said. “Every time I get on, I can expect something good out of Colin. He’s just constantly on every pitcher. It’s always good when he has those six-, seven-, eight-pitch at-bats.”
That’s not the kind of at-bat Chung wants to see when he’s on the mound. He has been a great complement to senior right-hander Josh Marzec, who pitched Wednesday. Chung has recorded a 1.31 ERA in nine starts and one relief appearance over 42 2/3 innings with 56 strikeouts and 21 walks.
“I’ve been throwing a lot more change-ups this year,” Chung said. “I started to add that to my repertoire, and it has helped keep hitters guessing, which is how I like to pitch — mixing in off-speeds and keeping hitters off balance. I have confidence in throwing it for a strike on any count.”
Lake Zurich has shown confidence in Chung.
“I sort of knew that I would have a spot with the team pitching,” he said. “But with a new coach, I didn’t know how I would pitch or hit and fit in the lineup. So I’m just happy I’ve been able to perform and be a contributor.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.
