Named after one of the greatest writers of the 20th century, sophomore pitcher Beckett Hulten is naturally philosophical when talking about playing baseball for De La Salle.
He just gets it.
“Just being a pitcher, hearing the sound of the catcher’s mitt brings something pure to my heart,” Hulten said afterward. “I get my energy from that, and I also keep control of my emotions.
“It gives me the greatest excitement.”
Hulten brought his brand of excitement Friday afternoon to Oak Lawn, striking out eight and scattering six hits and two walks in the Meteors’ 4-1 nonconference victory over Richards.
Junior outfielder Oisin Curry came through with two hits and an RBI for De La Salle (12-21).
Junior outfielder Noah Escobedo went 2-for-3 and ended the shutout with an RBI in the seventh for Richards (21-8).
Hulten is named after the great Irish playwright and novelist Samuel Beckett, who specialized in exploring consciousness and humanity. In his own way, Hulten is doing the same for the Meteors.
“I think the most important thing when you’re a pitcher is not being scared,” he said. “I just wanted to throw strikes. Mistakes happen every game. Somebody gets a hit or you walk somebody.
“No matter what, you have to go out and compete.”
Senior catcher Kaleb Navarro, who added an RBI, has the best relationship with the young right-hander.
“He’s my best friend,” Navarro said of Hulten. “I drive him home every day. He lives by me. He’s a very confident kid but never cocky about his abilities.
“He threw 100 pitches in seven innings, so he was very good and very consistent. With the wind blowing in, he forced them to make contact.”
As a freshman last spring, Hulten pitched only 14 innings for a team that reached a Class 3A supersectional. Taking on an expanded role, he has stepped up to heightened expectations.
De La Salle coach Glenn Kubek pointed out that Hulten leads the Meteors in innings pitched.
“It shows all of the hard work that he has put in,” Kubek said. “Whatever you need, he’s going to come through. He’s a straight-A student.”
The 6-foot-1, 170-pound Hulten isn’t overpowering. But he is crafty, smart and intuitive about how to neutralize opposing hitters.
“I don’t throw very hard,” he said. “I’m just a little skinny kid, but I’m able to throw strikes and let my defense work how they do
“We’re not having the season we wanted, but we’re all confident. You put us against the best teams in the state and you know we’re going to compete.”
His father, Brad, was a basketball standout at Fenton in the northwest suburbs. He’s now an emergency room doctor.
“I see how hard he works every day,” Beckett said. “I feel like I owe it to him. My mentality is to come out and outwork guys. You can’t worry about whether others are doing better than you.”
A classic late bloomer, Hulten didn’t start playing baseball competitively until age 13.
“I couldn’t really compete past eighth-grade level basketball,” Hulten said. “I really fell in love with baseball the summer before I started high school.”
The game became something direct and pure, especially as far as competition goes.
And over the years, he has learned what makes him go.
“I like striking people out,” he said. “As a pitcher, I get to control the game. I control how many walks or even outs I allow. You’re a part of the whole game. You always have to stay strong.
“If one thing happens, you can’t let it get to you. Take a second and keep doing what you do.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
