Hampshire’s Wilson Wemhoff took one for the team last season.
Seeing a rotation stacked with future college arms, Wemhoff was willing to come out of the bullpen or make a spot start — whatever his team needed.
Coming into his senior year, however, that mentality flipped.
“Last year, I was a relief pitcher and proved myself,” Wemhoff said of the situation. “Now, I want to come out and start and dominate. I wanted to be a starter. I wanted to be our No. 3.”
Wemhoff took a big step in that direction Friday night during an 11-1 nonconference win in six innings over host Schaumburg at Wintrust Field.
Flashing a low-90s fastball and devastating slider, Wemhoff worked four scoreless innings for the Whip-Purs (7-0). He struck out nine, allowing two hits and three walks. He also drove in a run.
Ari Fivelson stole three bases and scored three runs. Shane Pfeiffer and Luke Jackson each scored two runs, while Jack Perrone added two hits. Anthony Karbowski had an RBI triple.
Matthew Williams came up with two of the four hits for Schaumburg (1-4).
Karbowski (Louisville) and Calen Scheider (Bradley) headline Hampshire’s rotation, but Wemhoff brings a whole different dimension. His velocity has jumped up a couple mph since last season.
“To prove that I’m a starter took a lot of hard work in the offseason,” Wemhoff said. “I have to trust my process. It has something to do with mechanics but more to do with flexibility and mobility.”
Wemhoff offers a different look than Karbowski and Scheider, which will come in handy in the Fox Valley Conference.
“He adds a lot of depth,” Karbowski said of Wemhoff. “He’s more of a fastball-heavy guy. Calen and I like to let our stuff move a little bit more, but Wilson will just attack hitters.
“Teams are used to seeing Calen and I and then they see Wilson and it’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, what’s going on here?’”
Wemhoff said he has always wanted to pitch in a big stadium, and he made that experience worthwhile Friday. He did want to finish the game, though.
But at 81 pitches, coach Frank Simoncelli decided that was enough for the night.
“It’s a great confidence booster for him to get a win, get on the mound and throw a nice game,” Simoncelli said.
Simoncelli, who has seen a mentality shift in Wemhoff, is giving him the chance in the rotation.
“Last year, he was being selfless coming out of the pen,” Simoncelli said. “It was a nice combo when you had Scheider and then bring in Wemhoff.
“This year, giving him the opportunity to get on the mound, he’s going to compete out there. He has a nice mix of pitches, athletic movements on the mound, pounds the zone.”
Wemhoff got into trouble in the third and fourth innings. He left the bases loaded in the third inning and left runners on second and third in the fourth to keep the shutout intact.
“I felt absolutely amazing,” Wemhoff said. “Not really my best stuff, but I felt really good on the mound. I threw a couple change-ups, mostly sliders. I have a curveball in the arsenal, but since they couldn’t hit the Frisbee, I just had to keep expanding on that.
“I just have to clean up the walks, clean up the fastball up in the zone, pound it low.”
Wemhoff had already established himself as a potent bat and a big arm in the outfield. Lincoln Trail College liked his arm as well, so they recruited him as a two-way player.
It helped lead to his offseason focus on the mound.
“I was just blessed with a really, really strong arm,” Wemhoff said. “I had to take advantage of that and start pitching.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
