Warren sophomore Colin Dreckmann remembers watching baseball games on TV when he was little.
The close eye that Dreckmann cast on major leaguers back then clearly made an impression, and his early exposure to the sport has led to his early debut as the Blue Devils’ starting shortstop.
“Baseball has always come naturally to me, and I’ve always had a lot of fun playing it,” he said. “When I was young, I’d like to watch any game, no matter who was playing, and copy what they all do — how they swing, how they field.”
How Dreckmann swings, fields and generally handles himself got the attention of Warren’s coaches soon after workouts began in the preseason.
“We watched him over and over and came away telling ourselves, ‘This kid is really good,’” Warren coach Clint Smothers said. “He’s plugged in every day and every practice, and he does all of the little things you wouldn’t necessarily expect of someone his age.”
Indeed, making the jump to varsity as a sophomore on a team in the competitive North Suburban Conference is no easy task. Starting at shortstop is another leap. But as the regular season winds down, Dreckmann has not only proved that he belongs, but has also established himself as one of the pillars for the Blue Devils (9-13, 3-8) going forward.
He has more than held his own at the plate, batting .309 through Monday. But what has truly distinguishes Dreckmann is his glove.
“One of our main goals is to take away runs on defense, and he’s done that countless times this year,” Smothers said. “He’s had a big hand in probably getting us two or three extra wins with his work at shortstop.”
The fundamentally sound Dreckmann almost always makes the routine plays. But he also has a knack for getting outs when the odds are against him.
Smothers recalls a play on the Blue Devils’ spring break trip when Dreckmann backhanded the ball in the hole and threw home to cut down a runner who left third base on contact.
“I’ve played shortstop pretty much since 9-and-under or 10-and-under, so I know I can trust my instincts to make the right play,” Dreckmann said. “My arm has always been my best attribute, being able to throw someone out from everywhere.”
Dreckmann’s success doesn’t mean there haven’t been bumps along the way. He a noted a point during the season when his fortunes changed swiftly.
“There was a game against Lake Zurich where I was 0-for-5 with four strikeouts, and just a couple of weeks before, on our spring break trip, I was going 2-for-3 or 3-for-3, and it changed on a dime,” he said. “That part of things has been unique, seeing the ups and downs. It’s definitely been eye-opening.”
So Dreckmann has sought advice from older, more experienced teammates.
“It’s been nice picking their brains, and they’ve come up to me and made me feel better when I’m struggling,” he said. “They would tell me that you have to keep your head up constantly and to look toward the next play. You have to play that way because if you don’t, the ball will find you.”
Among those teammates is Dreckmann’s partner in the middle infield, senior second baseman Owen Skoraczewski. It didn’t take long for Skoraczewski to notice Dreckmann’s polish as a fielder. But Skoraczewski knows the mental game is important too.
“He’s got one of the best sets of hands I’ve ever seen, and his arm is amazing,” Skoraczewski said. “If he makes an error, I try to give him a quick reminder in the dugout that he’s bigger than just one game and that he can overcome any setback.”
Dreckmann took Skoraczewski’s advice to heart during a conference game against Stevenson in early April. After making an error in one inning, Dreckmann started a 6-4-3 double play the next inning.
That kind of progress has given Dreckmann more confidence.
“I’m proud for how I earned my spot,” he said. “I’m starting to feel like this is the place I belong, and my proudest moment was holding onto that spot.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.
