Brady Hespen didn’t take time to admire his first home run in a year.
The Manteno sophomore’s first varsity at-bat produced a three-run homer over the left-field fence in a 16-1 home win against Grant Park on March 18.
But he didn’t expect it to leave the park.
“Honestly, I didn’t even look at it,” Hespen said. “I didn’t think there was any way it was going out. I was, like, sprinting.”
He followed that with a pair of RBI singles, finishing 3-for-3 with two runs scored and five RBIs as part of a big offensive day for the Panthers.
Cleanup hitter Jake Stevens was 3-fior-4 with two doubles and four RBIs for Manteno in a game called because of the mercy rule in the bottom of the fourth. Andrew Norred went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, while Nolan Canfield and Cameron Tillman combined on a no-hitter.
Hespen’s offense was a nice plus for a Manteno lineup that has several other key hitters back from a 19-6 team that played for a regional championship.
“He ran into one and, as you can see, he was still running (around the bases),” Panthers coach Matt Beckner said. “So I don’t know how many of those he’s hit before, but he was excited. And we’re excited for him.”
Ditto for Hespen’s potential to add depth to the lineup from the No. 9 spot.
“He’s down there not to hit home runs,” Beckner said. “He’s down there because he’s fast. … It’s nice having a (No.) 9 guy who’s not an automatic out. Being able to roll it over to the top spot and have somebody on base for those guys as well, that helps.”
Hespen will miss some time for the Panthers this spring, but it’s for a good reason. He plays club hockey for the Dyer, Indiana-based Midwest Blackbirds, who will be heading to a national tournament.
He’s no rookie on the ice. “I started skating at 3, hockey started at 5 or 6,” Hespen said.
It began when his dad saw a flyer for a Daddy and Me skate at the Kankakee Valley Park District’s Ice Valley Arena. “I just kept going from there,” Hespen said.
What does he like about hockey?
“It’s fast, it’s physical and it’s good — you get real close with your boys on the team,” Hespen said.
As for baseball, he has a simple goal.
“Basically, just keep consistent,” Hespen said. “There’ll be highs and lows, but just stay medium.”
There’s another sport in his future, too, as he plans to go out for football this fall.
“I want to play next year,” Hespen said. “It’ll work out with hockey.”
If it works out as well as baseball, he and the Panthers will be pretty happy.
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