Senior left fielder Michael Page played a key role in helping Naperville Central reach the Class 4A state semifinals. Despite their loss on Friday, Page focused on embracing the experience. It was just awesome,
he expressed. The atmosphere with so many people, so many fans, and playing like that on the biggest stage is always great.
The Redhawks’ bid for their first state title since 2010 ended with a 9-1 defeat to Maine South at Slammers Stadium in Joliet. Despite the setback, which ended a 15-game winning streak, Page’s performance was notable. He went 2-for-3, drew a walk, scored Naperville Central’s lone run, and handled all fielding opportunities successfully. Coach Mike Stock praised Page, saying, Every player goes in with a plan, especially seniors, and you want to be a certain type of player…what he delivered was about as good as it gets.
Page, committed to North Central College, raised his batting average to .383. His impact against Maine South was immediate with the game’s first hit. Reflecting on his performance, Page noted, My first at-bat, jumping on that first fastball, really got us going a little bit. That was probably my favorite part of the game.
Unfortunately, Naperville Central left the bases loaded twice, failing to convert opportunities. The Redhawks stranded a total of 10 runners throughout the game. Meanwhile, Maine South capitalized on five errors to gain a 7-0 lead by the second inning.
Despite the loss, Page acknowledged, At the very start of the season, it was probably not what I was thinking was going to happen, but we’re a senior-heavy team, and we used a bunch of different guys throughout the season.
As the season progressed, the team found its rhythm, buoyed by senior leaders Page and Grant Umbright.
Umbright, a senior third baseman and pitcher, mirrored Page’s statistics, going 2-for-3 with a walk. Both players consistently reached base, creating scoring moments for Naperville Central. There was no better teammate to play with,
Umbright commented, expressing confidence in Page’s abilities both in the field and at the plate.
Coach Stock credited Page’s success to dedicated effort. He works his butt off,
Stock remarked. He got stronger, he got confident and he never got in a slump.
Page missed hitting safely in only one of the team’s 15 conference games.
Although the Redhawks fell short of a state championship, they still have an opportunity to end the season on a high note in a third-place game against Mount Carmel. Reflecting on the experience, Page said, This whole thing has just been an awesome experience for us. We have 17 seniors, so I think we couldn’t have asked for a better way to go out.
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.