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Richmond-Burton Frosh Jake Rosing Deals In Shutout Over Marengo

May 6, 2015

By Ryan Quigley
Illinois Scouting Director

MARENGO, IL – Very few freshman are physically able to compete at the varsity level in Illinois high school baseball. Often times the ones that can are advanced in size for their age, or have matured early. Richmond-Burton righthander Jake Rosing currently stands 6-foot-1, 150-pounds soaking wet, unassuming physically, until he takes the mound that is. Rosing can’t drive a car yet, but the freshman phenom can unleash heaters faster than the 85 miles per hour I cruised up I-90 West at to catch the action between R-B and Marengo on a wet Tuesday afternoon.

Rosing was in command from the beginning, striking out the opening batter of the game on a sequence that went 87 mph fastball, 71 mph curveball, and 88 mph fastball on the black away for a strikeout looking. After a bloop single and a flyout, Rosing ended the first striking out Marengo’s cleanup hitter with 86 mph heat. Early on the young frosh sat 85-86 mph consistently with his fastball.

Marengo threatened in the fourth thanks to a leadoff single by two-hitter Jake Lasota. After a dropped flyball in left field put runners on second and third with no outs, Rosing went to work. He struck out the No. 4 hitter again on a nasty 71 mph curveball down in the zone, loaded the bases with a walk, and then struck out another hitter for the second out. During the at bat he reached back, touching 89 mph with his heater. The lanky freshman escaped any damage with a flyout to right, maintaining the Rockets 2-0 lead.

Richmond-Burton broke the game open offensively in the top of the fifth. Rosing, hitting leadoff, singled hard to left to start the rally. Two-hole hitter Brett Sheahan followed up with a single up the middle, and a walk to Wichita State-commit, third baseman Joe Dittmar, loaded the bases. First Baseman Trevor Anderson grounded out to second to score Rosing, and after a hit-by-pitch re-loaded the bases, Adam Hoevel’s swinging bunt ended up scoring two runs on the ensuing throwing error by the pitcher. A perfectly executed safety squeeze by Jake Moeller produced the fifth run of the inning, giving the Rockets a 7-0 lead, the game’s final score.

Rosing pitched the fifth inning in 1-2-3 fashion before being lifted due to pitch count. The righthander allowed only two hits and one walk with eight strikeouts in his dominating performance, his first varsity win (1-4 on the season).

“He’s (Rosing) been pitching very well all year, the last two have been his best yet (Rosing lost a 1-0 pitcher’s duel last Monday against Genoa-Kingston ace junior Brady Huffman). He’s in command of all three, ahead in the count, and hitters are at his mercy. He’s unique in that he’s level-headed, the upside is really high, and he’s very coachable…willing to learn. It’s nice to get a win today, he’s been facing some tough teams, “ said Richmond-Burton coach Mike Giese.

Rosing also led the Rockets offensively, going 2-for-4, with an RBI single and a run scored. Dittmar added a triple deep off the wall in left in the fourth, and finished 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored. Senior infielder Cody DeLucia also finished with two hits.

Marengo’s Jake Lasota had both hits for the Indians in the loss. Richmond-Burton improves to 7-14 overall on the season, 6-5 in the Big Northern Conference.

Check the Illinois Scout Blog for insider scouting information on this contest, available shortly.

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