St. Charles North’s Keaton Reinke may be the area’s hardest working young man this spring.
The right-handed pitcher is one of the top-ranked junior arms in the state. He’s also taking over duties in center field from his brother Parker, who’s now playing baseball in college at Taylor.
Keaton maintains a 5.0 GPA. Oh, and he’s also one of the most sought-after football recruits in the state after a breakout season at receiver, leading to offers from Iowa, Northwestern and Stanford.
“For me, I like to have a finite schedule,” Reinke said at preseason baseball practice. “I do the same thing every day. After school, a lot of it is the same — go to practice, get homework done.
“Just having a schedule I can fall back on in order to get everything done is the key.”
St. Charles North coach Todd Genke knows how special of a time this is for Reinke and he’s doing all he can to be in his corner.
“It’s a very unique situation,” Genke said. “I wholeheartedly support everything he’s doing. I feel very blessed because I get to see him in the fall (as an assistant football coach) and in the spring.
“I’ve got a great view of what he’s doing.”
There’s certainly a lot to see. North Stars football coach Rob Pomazak knew he had something special on his hands when Reinke was young. It set the table for opportunities he now has.
“It’s well-deserved,” Pomazak said. “We all believed he was very talented. That’s why we wanted to make him such a big part of the offense. He had a huge game against Palatine to start the season. As the season went on, it was more of the same.
“It’s something I kind of expected, but he might even be a little surprised at the way things have gone this offseason.”
The football recruiting process picked up in January. Reinke’s first offer came from Toledo. He’s now up to 11 after the three-star recruit picked up another recently from Air Force.
“Personally, for me, it’s been fun,” Reinke said. “The guys that I talk to are really good to me. It’s just fun talking to them. Being blessed with the opportunity to get these offers is all I can ask for.
“The stress of picking which school is best for me is definitely a stressor, but talking to my family about it makes it a lot less stressful.”
The feedback he’s getting from football coaches now echoes the feedback he was getting from baseball coaches over the summer. The 6-foot-4 Reinke throws in the low 90s with a developing change-up and a curveball.
He’s ranked third for right-handed pitchers in his class according to Prep Baseball Report, slotting in around players committed to Michigan State, Notre Dame and TCU.
“It was basically the same thing as football, if I’m being completely honest,” Reinke said. “They think I could play at a high level in baseball. That’s still not off the table.
“If I play well and something pops up, you never know.”
Genke is going to rely heavily on Reinke this season in all aspects of the game, including an increased leadership role, something Reinke said he got help from his brother Parker.
St. Charles North’s Keaton Reinke (29) celebrates hitting a double against Batavia during the third inning of a Class 4A Geneva Regional championship game on Saturday, May 27, 2023. (H. Rick Bamman / The Beacon-News)
“He’s going to get the ball in the biggest games and he’s earned that opportunity,” Genke said of Keaton. “We also need him in the field. He’s going to take over for his brother in center field.
“I’m excited to see him develop out there too.”
As he has shown throughout his time at St. Charles North, Reinke is ready for everything.
“Being able to help the team both ways will definitely be a fun challenge,” he said. “The past few days we’ve been able to get outside. I’ve thrown a couple of bullpens already.
“My arm already feels like it’s in midseason form.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
