Neuqua Valley’s Mike Langan rarely lets a slump bother him.
The senior infielder draws inspiration and perspective from watching his 12-year-old brother, Liam, who has Down syndrome. Liam was diagnosed with leukemia when he was younger.
“He really opened my eyes,” Langan said. “He’s a strong kid, and he’s helped push me. He’s always in the back of my head when I’m playing.”
Langan, whose younger brother Jack is a standout swimmer for Neuqua Valley, said his entire family inspires him.
“We’ve been through a lot, but that has brought us closer together, just knowing things will get better, going through the whole process with Liam, staying persistent and keep working no matter what,” Langan said. “Like when working out, thinking the work you put in will pay off, l learned that from him.”
The 6-foot-1, 206-pound Langan’s efforts are certainly paying off for him, according to Neuqua Valley baseball coach James Thornton. Langan batted .309 last season.
“Defensively, he put in a lot of work with his arm strength,” Thornton said. “You could see it in the uptick in terms of velocity as he throws the ball across the infield. He’s also so accurate. He has quick hands and reflexes. Offensively, he’s driving the ball to the opposite field. He’s gotten stronger.
“He has a drive, and he wants to play at the next level. He’s rounding into a complete ballplayer.”
Thornton has noticed Langan’s bond with his younger brothers too.
“Mike’s a great kid and comes from a really cool family,” Thornton said. “There’s such a connection between Mike and his brothers. It’s very unique how they feed off each other and love to be around each other.”
Neuqua Valley senior catcher Carson Stevens, who has committed to Wabash Valley, and senior first baseman/outfielder Joe Barkley noted Liam is around the program a lot.
“In some ways, we’re all Liam’s big brother,” Stevens said. “We look out for him and support him.”
Barkley said Langan supports his teammates.
“Mike is a good leader because he keeps the team in check, knows when to have fun and when to lock on, and is a positive example for the underclassmen,” Barkley said. “He’s also very coachable and has a passion for the game and is very inclusive.”
Langan said he has spent the summer preparing for a move back to shortstop next season. He played primarily at third base last season, when the Wildcats (16-20, 6-10) finished near the bottom of the DuPage Valley Conference but won a Class 4A regional title.
“I grew up basically playing shortstop my whole life,” Langan said. “It’s so much fun, just controlling the field and being able to call my call and turning two. I have more space to cover, and I’m a pretty vocal person, so I can talk to anybody. It’s fun for me to hype everybody up.”
Langan said he’s motivated to earn a spot on the all-conference team next season after being named honorable mention the past two seasons.
“It should be a super fun year,” he said. “All my close friends were on the JV last season, so it will be fun finally playing with them.”
Thornton said Langan will be prepared.
“Mentally, he got a lot better,” Thornton said. “The game has slowed down a lot for him. Even when he went through a little slump, he worked his way out of it. He takes to instruction really well and is able to listen and put the things into play.”
Langan, who said he has a 4.05 GPA, is also looking for the right college fit for him.
“My parents are huge on getting a degree to be set up for life because baseball will end at some point,” Langan said. “I want to make sure I’m set up academically for the future.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter.