HOME meets in Red - Conference meets are bold

Away meets in Blue, click on the school for directions.

Day	Date	Location/Opponent	Time/Result	W-L
Sat	3/15	Mather - Cancelled	-
Tue	3/18	Grayslake North - Cancelled	-
Thu	3/20	Lakes	WIN 15-2	1-0
Sat	3/22	@ Grayslake Central (DH) - Cancelled	-
Mon	3/24	@ Danville	WIN 14-2	2-0
Tue	3/25	@ Carbondale	WIN 10-2	3-0
Wed	3/26	@ Cobden	WIN 9-1	4-0
Thu	3/27	Fenton @ Cobden	WIN 10-0	5-0
Sat	3/29	Wheeling - R/S to 4/26	-
Mon	3/31	North Chicago - R/S to 4/14	-
Tue	4/1	Wauconda - R/S to 4/16	-
Thu	4/3	@ Vernon Hills	(Susp.)
Fri	4/4	@ Grayslake North - Cancelled	-
Sat	4/5	Evanston	L 17-4	5-1
Mon	4/7	@ Praire Ridge	WIN 4-1	6-1
Wed	4/9	@ Crystal Lake Central	WIN 8-2	7-1
Fri	4/11	@ Antioch	WIN 11-2	8-1
Sat	4/12	@ Rolling Meadows (DH)	-
Mon	4/14	North Chicago	WIN 10-0	9-1
Tue	4/15	@ Libertyville	WIN 4-1	10-1
Wed	4/16	Wauconda	WIN 2-1	11-1
Thu	4/17	Libertyville	WIN 6-2	12-1
Fri	4/18	Vernon Hills - resume 4/3 game	WIN 1-0	13-1
Sat	4/19	@ Lake Zurich (DH) Game 1 Game 2	WIN 2-1 L 14-0	14-2
Tue	4/22	Lake Forest	WIN 11-8	15-2
Thu	4/24	@ Lake Forest (West Campus - Rt. 60 & 43)	WIN 7-2	16-2
Fri	4/25	@ Waukegan - Cancelled	-
Sat	4/26	Wheeling	WIN 14-2	17-2
Tue	4/29	@ Zion	WIN 8-2	18-2
Thu	5/1	Zion	WIN 3-2	19-2
Sat	5/3	Stevenson (DH) Game 1 Game 2	WIN 1-0 WIN 11-0	21-2
Tue	5/6	Warren	L 2-0	21-3
Thu	5/8	@ Warren - Almond Campus	WIN 4-2	22-3
Mon	5/12	Grant	WIN 9-1	23-3
Tue	5/13	@ Waukegan - Weiss Field Take Washington east to Lewis Ave. Left on Lewis, Field is ½ a block on left side.	WIN 13-2	24-3
Wed	5/14	@ Round Lake	WIN 17-0	25-3
Thu	5/15	Evanston	WIN 10-0	26-3
Sat	5/17	@ Highland Park	L 8-1	26-4
Mon	5/19	New Trier - Senior Night	L 10-0	26-5
Wed	5/21	IHSA Regionals @ MHS MHS v. Palatine	WIN 11-3	27-5
Sat	5/24	IHSA Regionals @ MHS MHS v. Fremd	WIN 5-0	28-5
Thu	5/29	IHSA Sectionals @ Libertyville MHS v. Buffalo Grove	L 3-2	28-6

HOME meets in Red - Conference meets are bold

Away meets in Blue, click on the school for directions.

Day	Date	Location/Opponent	Time/Result	W-L
Sat	3/17	Mather	WIN 9-0	1-0
Sat	3/24	Grayslake Central	L 3-1	1-1
Mon	3/26	@ Danville	WIN 17-5	2-1
Tue	3/27	@ Carbondale	WIN 2-1	3-1
Wed	3/28	@ Cobden	WIN 17-0	4-1
Thu	3/29	@ Seneca	WIN 15-1	5-1
Sat	3/31	@ Wheeling	WIN 2-0	6-1
Mon	4/2	@ Grayslake North	WIN 13-0	7-1
Tue	4/3	Lakes Community	WIN 7-3	8-1
Thu	4/5	@ Antioch - Cancelled	-
Sat	4/7	@ Evanston - R/S to 5/12	-
Mon	4/9	Prairie Ridge	WIN 3-2	9-1
Wed	4/11	@ Crystal Lake Central - Cancelled	-
Sat	4/14	Rolling Meadows - Cancelled	-
Tue	4/17	@ Lake Forest	L 7-4	9-2
Wed	4/18	Grant	L 8-2	9-3
Thu	4/19	Lake Forest	L 13-0	9-4
Sat	4/21	@ Zion-Benton- DH Game 1 Game 2	WIN 6-0 WIN 9-1	11-4
Tue	4/24	@ Stevenson	L 3-1	11-5
Wed	4/25	Wauconda - R/S to 5/7	-
Thu	4/26	Stevenson - R/S to 5/2	-
Mon	4/30	@ Antioch	WIN 18-6	12-5
Tue	5/1	Lake Zurich	L 10-0	12-6
Wed	5/2	Stevenson	L 16-6	12-7
Thu	5/3	@ Lake Zurich	WIN 5-4	13-7
Sat	5/5	Libertyville - DH Game 1 Game 2	L 4-2 L 5-4	13-9
Mon	5/7	Wauconda	WIN 5-1	14-9
Tue	5/8	Warren	WIN 3-2	15-9
Wed	5/9	@ Round Lake	WIN 10-5	16-9
Thu	5/10	@ Warren - Almond Campus	WIN 2-1	17-9
Fri	5/11	Lake Forest Academy	WIN 11-1	18-9
Sat	5/12	@ Evanston	WIN 9-5	19-9
Mon	5/14	North Chicago	WIN 12-2	20-9
Tue	5/15	@ Deerfield	-
Wed	5/16	@ Vernon Hills	-
Fri	5/18	Vernon Hills (finish of 5/16 game)	WIN 10-4	21-9
Sat	5/19	Highland Park	WIN 11-7	22-9
Mon	5/21	@ New Trier	L 8-6	22-10
Tue	5/22	Lakes - Senior Night	WIN 18-0	23-10
Thu	5/24	IHSA Regional Semi-Finals @ Grant MHS v. Grant	WIN 10-2	24-10
Mon	5/28	IHSA Regional Finals @ Grant MHS v. Libertyville	WIN 8-3	25-10
Wed	5/30	IHSA Sectional Semi-Finals @ MHS MHS v. Lake Forest	L 13-10	25-11

MEDIA PREVIEWS OF SECTIONAL TOURNEY



FROM SATURDAY
MUSTANGS WIN SECOND CONSECUTIVE REGIONAL TITLE!
Mundelein continued to build on its already storied baseball program by adding another first. With a 6-0 win over Waukegan, the Stangs'  won back-to-back Regional Championships for the first time in school history. This comes on top of last year's accomplishment of winning the Conference and Regional in the same year.

The Mustangs rode the arm of Adam Ketzner, who pitched a complete game, 2 hit shutout. Ketzner, who had great command of both his curveball and fastball, struck out 6 Bulldogs and picked off 2 base runners at first. The game started with a leadoff walk for Waukegan and a stolen base. But a strikeout, an out on a rundown between second and third and a diving catch in leftfield by Brian Betti set the tone for the day, as the Mustangs were determined not to lose. After Mundelein was set down 1, 2, 3 in the first, they came up with 2 runs in the second. After a Brian Betti (1-2, 2 Runs) single, Mike Petti (2-3, HR, 1 Run, 2 RBI) hit his second homerun of the Regionals over the right centerfield fence, giving Mundelein a 2-0 lead.
Meanwhile, Ketzner kept cruising along, pitching to the minimum 12 batters through the first four innings. He did help himself by picking off a base runner in the third and got some more help from his defense in the fourth, when Ryan Ricci took a high throw at first base, but spun around to tag the runner. The Mustangs added 4 big runs in their half of the fourth. Betti drew a leadoff walk, followed by a base hit by Petti. Steve Knowles (1-3, 1 Run) laid down a perfect bunt and beat the throw, to load the bases. After a passed ball allowed Betti to score, Rick Neff (1 Run) grounded into a fielders choice when Petti was tagged out on a close play at home. Mundelein continued to play small ball when Ricci (1-2, 1 Run, 1 RBI) bunted a single to score Knowles. Brian Martin (1-2, 1 RBI) singled in Neff and Sanchez followed with a base hit. Mark Maday (1 RBI) hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Ricci, to give the Mustangs a commanding 6-0 lead.

Waukegan tried to rally in the fifth when they loaded the bases with 2 out, but Ketzner got out of the jam by striking out the batter looking. He then set down the Bulldogs quietly in the 6th and 7th to preserve the win.  

Coaches Parola and "Mac" were proud of the boys performance. They came ready to play and will need that same focus when they face Stevenson in their Sectional semi-final game at MHS on Wednesday @ 4:30.

REGIONALS GAME 2	1	2	3	4	5	6	7		R	H	E
Waukegan	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	2	0
Mundelein	0	2	0	4	0	0	x		6	7	0

HR: Petti


NORTH SUBURBAN CONFERENCE
ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM MUSTANGS!
Congrats to Mark Maday (Sr.), Kevin Mitchell (Sr.), Ian Sanchez (Sr.) for making the NSC All-Conference team. And congrats to Brian Betti (Sr.) and Steven Knowles (Sr.) for getting Honorable Mentions.

FROM WEDNESDAY
MUSTANGS TAKE FIRST GAME IN REGIONALS
Mundelein defeated North Chicago 15-0, in just 4 1/2 innings, taking the first step towards a second regional championship. The 'Stangs pounded out 13 hits, including back-to-back jacks by Mike Petti and Ryan Ricci. Ian Sanchez started on the bump and pitched just 2 innings to record the win, including striking out the side in the second. Adam Ketzner pitched the third and also struck out the side. Dan Smart cleaned up the fourth and fifth with 4 K's of his own.

Mundelein scored twice in the first. Mark Maday (2-2, 3 Runs, 2 RBI), bunted for a single and stole second. Kevin Mitchell (1-1, 1 Run, 3 RBI) got an RBI base hit. Chris Sweno came in to run for Mitchell and promptly stole second. Brian Betti (2-3, 1 Run, 1 RBI) singled and Mike Petti (1-2, HR, 1 Run, 3 RBI) walked to load the bases. Rick Neff (1-2, 1 Run, 1 RBI) hit a ground ball to score Sweno. The Mustangs added three more runs in the second. Brian Martin (1-2, 2 Runs, 1 RBI), Ian Sanchez (2-3, 2 Runs, 1 RBI) and Maday hit consecutive singles and Mitchell hit a sacrifice fly.

The floodgates opened up in the third, as the Mustangs would put 8 big runs on the board. Neff led off the inning with a base hit and Knowles (1 Run) reached on an error. Sweno was hit by a pitch and Martin grounded into a fielders choice, which scored a run. Sanchez then singled, Maday walked and Mitchell hit his second sacrifice fly of the game. Betti singled in another run and Petti hit a 3 run homerun to right center. Ryan Ricci (1 Run, 1 RBI) finished off the inning with a solo shot down the right field line.

Mundelein would finish the game with 2 final runs in the fourth. With 2 outs, Pat Barron (1 Run) and Cameron Adams (1 Run) drew a couple of walks, followed by a Nick Morrissey base hit. Wade Leppert (2 RBI's) hit a 2 run single that ended the scoring.

The Mustangs will play the winner of the Libertyville / Waukegan game for the Regional crown on Saturday at 11:00 a.m., so come on out and cheer on the Mustangs.

REGIONALS GAME 1	1	2	3	4	5	6	7		R	H	E
North Chicago	0	0	0	0	0	x	x		0	3	1
Mundelein	2	3	8	2	x	x	x		15	13	0

2006 VARSITY

HOME games in CAPS - NSC-Lake games in bold - Tourneys/SpringTrip in red - Blue (Directions)

Day	Date	Location/Opponent	Time/Result	Bus	W-L
Wed	3/22	MATHER	WIN 10-3	-	1-0
Sat	3/25	@ Grayslake	L 5-3	-	1-1
Tue	3/28	@ Carbondale - DH Game 1 Game 2	WIN 6-1 WIN 11-3	-	3-1
Wed	3/29	@ Cobden	WIN 4-2	-	4-1
Thu	3/30	@ Danville	WIN 15-4	-	5-1
Sat	4/1	WHEELING	L 5-4		5-2
Mon	4/3	MAINE EAST	WIN 13-7	-	6-2
Tue	4/4	@ Lakes Community	WIN 13-1	-	7-2
Thu	4/6	ANTIOCH	WIN 6-5	-	8-2
Sat	4/8	EVANSTON - DH Game 1 Game 2	L 4-0 WIN 6-0	-	9-3
Tue	4/11	CRYSTAL LAKE CENTRAL	WIN 3-1	-	10-3
Wed	4/12	@ Prairie Ridge	L 5-4	-	10-4
Thu	4/13	@ Wauconda	L 9-7	-	10-5
Sat	4/15	@ Rolling Meadows	WIN 6-5	-	11-5
Tue	4/18	LAKE FOREST	WIN 10-0	-	12-5
Wed	4/19	GRANT	WIN 12-2	-	13-5
Thu	4/20	@ Lake Forest	L 7-3	-	13-6
Sat	4/22	ZION-BENTON - DH Game 1 Game 2	L 14-2 WIN 15-3	-	14-7
Tue	4/25	STEVENSON	L 3-1		14-8
Thu	4/27	@ Stevenson	WIN 6-3	-	15-8
Tue	5/2	@ Lake Zurich	L 8-4	-	15-9
Thu	5/4	LAKE ZURICH	L 14-5	-	15-10
Sat	5/6	@ Libertyville - DH Game 1 Game 2	WIN 13-2 WIN 9-7	-	17-10
Tue	5/9	@ Warren (Almond Rd. Campus)	L 5-1	-	17-11
Wed	5/10	ROUND LAKE	WIN 6-5	-	18-11
Thu	5/11	WARREN - Cancelled	-	-
Mon	5/15	@ North Chicago - Cancelled	-	-
Tue	5/16	WARREN	L 6-5	-	18-12
Thu	5/18	@ North Chicago	WIN 17-0		19-12
Fri	5/19	VERNON HILLS	WIN 3-1	-	20-12
Sat	5/20	@ Highland Park	L 2--0	-	20-13
Mon	5/22	Prairie Ridge (Senior Night)	L 7-1	-	20-14
Wed	5/24	IHSA Regionals @ Libertyville v. North Chicago	WIN 15-0	-	21-14
Sat	5/27	IHSA Regional Finals vs. Waukegan	WIN 6-0	-	22-14
Wed	5/31	IHSA SECTIONAL SEMI-FINALS vs. STEVENSON	WIN 2-1	-	23-14
Sat	6/3	IHSA SECTIONAL FINAL vs. Grayslake	L 6-3	-	23-15

STEVIE T's 2-OUT 2-RUN TRIPLE LIFTS MHS TO 5-2 WIN
MUSTANGS BUZZ ANTIOCH TO BECOME
REGIONAL CHAMPIONS!

A little girl was buying a hotdog during the top of the 5th of the regional championship game between the Mustangs and Antioch. The hotdog sales-mom asked the girl "Which team are you rooting for?" The little girl pointed to the Mustangs dugout and said "That's my team." Appropriately, the front of her sweatshirt read "The Incredibles." How true.

After completing the 5-2 come-from-behind victory, coach Todd Parola told "The Incredibles"  that they had made MHS history. They had become the first team in the storied Mustang baseball program to win both conference and regional championships.

But this one had its anxious moments as MHS appeared tight in the first three innings when Antioch grabbed a 2-0 lead. This group of Mustangs had never beaten the Sequoits on Antioch's home field, and it looked like stigma was still in effect. But in the bottom of the 4th inning, Brian Wilhelm finally turned the momentum towards the 'Stangs by driving a double to the left-center gap. He scored later from third on a balk. MHS tied the game on Steve Tonsul's RBI groundout.

Starting pitcher Matt Tye took care of the Sequoits after that by giving up only a pair of hits. Then the big blow came for the Mustangs in the bottom of the 6th when with 2 outs Kevin Sashko laced a double down the left field line. Tye got intentionally walked to set up the double play and then Sashko stole 3rd with Tonsul at bat. Tonsul battled in the at-bat by fouling off multiple pitches and worked the count full. He then got a pitch he could drive and he did exactly that as he pounded a triple into the gap in right-center to score both Sashko and pinch-runner Ian Sanchez to give MHS a 4-2 lead. Tonsul made it 5-2 when he scored on a wild pitch.

The Mustangs move on the Stevenson sectional where they'll meet the host Pats on Thursday at 4 pm. The winner gets either Carmel or Lake Zurich in sectional championship game next Saturday.

Incredible!


'STANGS DEFY THE ODDS! WIN 1st PENNANT IN 5 YEARS!
MHS FULFILLS NSC FANTASY!

When school started on Friday morning (the Class of 2005's last day of classes in their high school careers), the weather was much like the newspapers' pre-season forecasts for the Mustangs' baseball season -- dreary, gloomy, and looking ominous. But by mid-morning, the dark clouds moved out, and by the time starting pitcher Matt Tye threw his opening fastball for a strike, the sun was shining brightly. Just as bright as the Mustangs unanticipated success this season.

The 2005 North Suburban Conference Championship started out well for the Mustangs as the Zion-Benton Zee-Bees, the NSC Prairie Division champs, went scoreless in the 1st. In the MHS half of the 1st, Kevin Sashko reached first on an infield hit after the first 2 Mustangs were retired. After Sashko stole 2nd, Tye and Steve Tonsul both walked to load the bases with 2 outs. Jay Schroeder then lined a single to right scoring Sashko and pinch-runner Ian Sanchez to give MHS an early 2-0 lead. After the 2-run hit the Z-B 1st baseman told Schroeder, "Nice hit, but 2 runs won't win it." He must not have known who was on the mound for the Mustangs.

Tye came up big firing a gutsy 2-hitter but the Mustangs had to dodge some bullets along the way. None bigger than in the top of the 4th when with nobody out and a man on 1st, the Z-B batter launched a sky high fly to right that got grabbed by a stiff wind blowing out. MHS right-fielder Tonsul watched the ball take off, turned his back to the infield and got on his horse. The ball barely missed flying over the fence for a game-tying home run, instead it hit at the base of the wall where a hustling Tonsul quickly picked it up and fired it to relay man, Andrew Thompson. The Mustang second baseman pivoted in short right-center and laser-beamed a perfect throw to catcher Nick Ustanko who put a major league quick tag on the sliding Zee-Bee on a bang-bang play. The home plate umpire bellowed "Yer ouuuut!" and Mustang Nation went wild. But the Zee-Bees did manage to get one run in later in the 4th on a wild pitch to make it a 2-1 game.

While the Mustang bats were silenced after the 1st inning, Zion-Benton kept their offensive pressure on. The 'Stangs simply came up big-time on defense. Schroeder, Mark Maday, and Tonsul all snagged long, loud fly outs off the Z-B bats. The Mustang infield also rose to the occasion as Tom Shaver, Sashko, and Thompson each repeatedly gobbled up solidly ripped shots, while first baseman Ryan Ricci came through with a couple of clutch scoops that wiped out Z-B opportunities.

This game was one for the ages. The big crowds for both teams (and even some players & coaches from other NSC teams) felt the excitement and anxiety increase first by each inning, then by each batter, and finally by each pitch. By the time the top of the 7th rolled around at The Corral, the place had a buzz and electricity rarely seen at a baseball game. The final Z-B batter jacked up the voltage one last time when he blasted a towering drive to left-center that the northeast wind knocked back and pushed to the deeper distances of center field where Maday squeezed it in his mitt.

The MHS overall record rose to 21-10. Tye's record jumped to 8-2. It was the 5th win in his last 5 starts with his last loss coming way back in the Crystal Lake Central game when the Mustangs record was 3-6. That seems like a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away....

The conference championship is special for so many reasons. For the juniors on the team, it means they made a huge difference in helping to transform a losing team in 2004 into the NSC Champ. They'll pass along what they've learned firsthand-- that it's not important if others say you can't do it. What matters is that if you believe in yourself and give it everything you've got, then you can make good things happen.

But probably most of all, the conference title has to be especially rewarding to this team's senior players who have had to work through a lot of difficult things, including the frustration and bitterness of last year's season -- a season where they were embarassingly called one of the worst teams in the history of a school that has a proud tradition in baseball. The 2004 team went 0-10 in the NSC-Lake and was outscored 79-20 in those 10 games. They were understandably written off by most before the season even began. But somewhere during this season and for some reason, they stopped believing the negative stuff and decided they had (as the song goes) only "one shot, one opportunity" left to stand up and be noticed. The players who have been on both the 2004 & 2005 varsity teams each have a unique story where they've battled adversity of one kind or another. Each of them had to reach deep down to rebuild their baseball self-esteem and learn the other life lessons that sports often teach. For this group of players, they get to experience not only the joy of a high school conference championship, but the sweet feeling of redemption.

Congratulations Mustang players, coaches, and families! Now on to the State Tournament!