Baseball is in Libertyville junior third baseman Bode Rohrbach’s bloodlines.
His grandfather Ken Rudolph was a catcher in Major League Baseball for nine seasons, including four with the Chicago Cubs. His uncle Mason Rudolph, also a catcher, was selected by the New York Mets in the 17th round of the 1988 MLB draft.
But Rohrbach didn’t start playing baseball until he was 10 years old.
“I started out pretty late,” he said. “One of my best friends got me into baseball and just wanted me to try it out. I went to the tryout and actually didn’t make the team but worked hard, came back and made the team, and I’ve loved baseball ever since.”
Rohrbach might have been a later arrival to the sport, but he has caught up, and he’s making a difference for the Wildcats.
The 6-foot-4, 200-pound Rohrbach had two hits, including his first home run of the season, in second-seeded Libertyville’s 7-0 victory over 16th-seeded host Hoffman Estates in the Class 4A regional semifinals on Wednesday.
Rohrbach, a North Suburban Conference honorable mention, is batting .333 with a .420 on-base percentage, eight doubles, 12 RBIs and 18 runs scored for the Wildcats (30-4), who will play either seventh-seeded Highland Park or 10th-seeded Rolling Meadows in the regional championship game at noon Saturday.
“Bode did a great job last year for us defensively,” Libertyville coach Matt Thompson said. “But our biggest thing this year, we wanted more out of his bat. He’s a lot more comfortable at the plate. He didn’t have bad at-bats last year but didn’t get the results he wanted.
“This year he’s doing really well defensively, but nice to have his bat going for sure. He took good swings today.”
Rohrbach, who also plays outside linebacker and safety in football, said his home run over the left-field fence was a confidence booster after a strong regular season.
“Last year, I kind of struggled at the plate, so that was what I wanted to work on in the offseason because I knew my fielding was there,” he said. “I’ve been working on my two-strike approach and just looking for a ball I can crush.
“I did that with my home run. I was looking for a good pitch to hit and found it right in my zone up and took it over the fence. It was my first in a while, so it felt good.”
Libertyville senior shortstop Cole Lockwood, a Valparaiso recruit, said Rohrbach’s defense is well-established.
“He’s always been a leader out there, and I love playing on the other side of him because we bounce off each other with the same energy,” Lockwood said. “We communicate well. I know how far he can go, and we have that unspoken chemistry.
“Now at the plate, he’s been unbelievable.”
Libertyville senior pitcher/first baseman Joshua Holst, an Air Force recruit who also plays football with Rohrbach, appreciates having him at third too.
“It’s good on the mound for me knowing that any ball that gets hit to third, he will make a play,” Holst said. “He’s improved a lot since last year and now has the experience of two years. He’s very confident in the field, and that’s nice for me as a pitcher.”
Rohrbach said he isn’t done improving.
“I still have another year to show myself,” he said.
Rohrbach hopes to continue to follow in his family footsteps.
“My grandfather worked with me ever since I started baseball,” he said. “He’s really had a great impact on my game, and I really look up to him and am trying to go to the stop he was at.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter.
