Loeger’s gem elevates Conant to MSL championship

Bryce Loeger makes Conant party like it’s 1999.

Loeger pitched a complete game shutout as Conant won its first Mid-Suburban League baseball championship since 1999 with a 5-0 victory over host Buffalo Grove.

“I just came into this game treating it like any other game,” Loeger said. “I didn’t let the moment get too big and I just did what I do.”

Conant coach Derek Fivelson said Loeger was dead the entire game.

“Once we scored a point and then had a two-point advantage, I knew we were good,” Fivelson said. “He hasn’t allowed two runs in a game all year. When you have a big right-handed pitcher like that, you can just turn him up. You just want to watch it and enjoy it.

Loeger was rock solid for Conant (23-7). The senior, committed to Dartmouth, allowed just one hit while striking out 9. He threw 91 pitches, including 67 for strikes.

The only hit Loeger allowed was to the leadoff batter of the game. Payton Diaz threw a ball that a diving Logan Gale just missed.

“Their first batter smoked a fastball,” said Loeger, who improved to 8-0. “After that, I let it go. I just locked myself away after that. “

Conant receiver Jake Parpet, who caught Loeger all four college seasons, said his and Loeger’s approach was to treat this like any other game.

“It was just another day here,” Parpet said. “That’s what we told ourselves. It’s just easy when we’re there.

Fivelson said it was an experience he and his team won’t forget.

“I told the guys this is the biggest game of your life,” Fivelson said. “We had to overcome this difficult conference and this grueling conference schedule. It’s difficult to do. And for a guy who is near the top of the conference’s veterans, I understand how difficult that is. This is something we’ve had our eyes on since the start of the season.

Conant scored his first batter in four innings. And in all these innings, the Cougars managed to score.

They gave Loeger all the points he needed in the second inning.

Matt Maize led off with a bloop double. He came home to score on Cooper Hanson’s double. Hanson scored on Josh Barnett’s single to make it 2-0.

“He (Loeger) has been phenomenal for us all season,” Hanson said. “We have a lot of confidence in him. I know my successes were enormous. The key to our success is that we believe in ourselves. »

The Cougars added another run in the fourth. They loaded the bases when Maize led off by being hit by a pitch, Alex Martinez singled and Hanson reached on a perfectly placed bunt. Maize scored on Jacob Szpiganowicz’s fielder’s choice.

In the fifth, Arjun Patel led off with a walk. He would later score on Isaiah Rhodes’ sacrifice fly.

Hanson scored the Cougars’ final run in the sixth when he led off with a walk. He would later score on a throwing error that made the score 5-0.

Buffalo Grove, which won the MSL title in 2021 and 2022, managed just four baserunners on a hit, an error, a batter and a walk. Two of them were wiped out on the basepaths following a caught steal and diving tag by Szpiganowicz.

“Our guys thought we would be here,” Buffalo Grove coach Bill Montemayor said. “Our goal is always to win the East. I was proud that we were able to get that back and put ourselves in that position. Number 12, this Loeger kid, he’s special. He’s the best we’ve seen this year. Two years to be honest.

Both teams will begin the state tournament next Thursday. Conant plays Fremd in Hersey while Buffalo Grove plays in Schaumburg.