If you ask Jack Cozzi, there’s no place he would rather be than playing baseball for St. Edward.
Considering his family history attending the school, there wasn’t much of a choice, either.
“This is where my dad and my uncle went,” Cozzi said. “I wanted to continue the legacy.
“I think I’m doing a pretty good job of that.”
Considering his impact over the past three seasons, it’s hard to argue with Cozzi.
He became the face of the program for the Green Wave as they progressed from an 0-25 record his sophomore season to earning a top seed in the Class 1A St. Edward Regional this spring.
The senior center fielder/pitcher has been an integral part of the program’s turnaround.
Going into Wednesday’s game against Marian Central Catholic, Cozzi was hitting .373 with 21 runs, seven steals, seven doubles, a triple, five homers and 18 RBIs. Out of the bullpen, he’s also posted a 2.62 ERA over eight appearances, striking out 38 and walking 13 in 18 2/3 innings.
“He’s our motor,” St. Edward coach Darius Lugo said. “He gets us going. That’s why I like him and Joe (DuSell) up top. It sets the tone for everyone. We try to have fun. We try to attack the fastball.
“He’s someone that definitely does that. All our other guys are kind of learning that.”
The combination of DuSell and Cozzi handling the top two spots of the batting order has been the catalyst of that success for St. Edward (7-15, 1-8).
DuSell is hitting a scorching .576 in his own right, and he knows that when he gets on base, it won’t be long before he’s back in the dugout because of Cozzi and his teammates.
“The two batters after me are great power hitters and they get on base all the time,” DuSell said. “I usually end up scoring by the end of the inning. I feel like that’s really great because you’re starting the game with a run. That gets the momentum high up and it goes through the game.”
This is Lugo’s second season at the helm, and he knows it helps having players like Cozzi building the foundation for what he’s trying to accomplish. Long after he’s graduated and playing somewhere in college, Lugo knows that Cozzi’s impact will be felt.
“I’m going to miss him,” Lugo said. “But I tell him, his legacy is the standard in the culture he set for the program. We’re just looking to build something here.”
Cozzi has aspirations of playing in college, and according to Lugo, he has some offers lined up already with more to come. Cozzi hopes to figure out his future plan sooner rather than later.
“Recruiting is a hard thing to do,” Cozzi said. “It’s probably the hardest thing about being an athlete in general. Some guys get overlooked. Some guys get the notoriety that is warranted.
“I’m still working. I’m not finished yet.”
Having elite players like Cozzi buy into the program has been a big boost for Lugo and his staff.
“If I have these guys for four years, by the time they’re seniors, we should be playing really good baseball,” Lugo said. “It does take time. We have the vision. Now, it’s just trusting the process.”
Part of that process would be winning the program’s first regional title since 2009. The Green Wave also have never won a sectional. That would be the final piece of Cozzi’s legacy.
The journey starts at 4:30 p.m. on May 15 against seventh-seeded Schaumburg Christian.
“We think that’s very doable considering the bracket we’re in,” Cozzi said. “Just win ballgames and have fun. We’re hosting it. We get the home-field advantage. That’s never a problem.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
