Riverside Brookfield High School senior Ethan Smith has turned a strong 2024 finish into another strong start this baseball season.
“I just learned a lot about my approach [at-bat]. I started off very good and then I just learned throughout the season,” Smith said.
The starting left fielder is among the reasons the Bulldogs are off to a 5-3 start. Smith has a team-best .481 batting average with three extra-base hits and five runs batted in. Other standouts include seniors Sean Campbell (.400, HR, 8 RBIs), Brady McCallum (.400, 7 RBIs), Zach Ryzewski (.360, 5 RBIs) and Jaden Despe (6 RBIs) and junior Damian Noe (7 RBIs).
The Bulldogs are hitting .309 collectively with a .404 on-base percentage, 52 strikeouts and 27 walks. That’s even after losing 8-0 to undefeated Class 4A state power Nazareth Thursday and 2-0 to DePaul on Monday.
“Our offense has been fantastic this year. Strikeout numbers have been very low,” Smith said. “Everyone’s coming together. We’ve got a lot of chemistry, support on the team.”
Riverside-Brookfield’s second baseman Brady McCallum (17) applies the tag at second base to Nazareth’s Gavin Hartigan (4) during a nonconference game Thursday, April 3, 2025 in Brookfield. | Steve Johnston 
Riverside-Brookfield’s Aidan Polich (3) delivers a pitch against Nazareth during a nonconference game Thursday, April 3, 2025 in Brookfield. | Steve Johnston 
Riverside-Brookfield’s Gino Pigoni (12) follows through on his swing against Nazareth during a nonconference game Thursday, April 3, 2025 in Brookfield. | Steve Johnston 
Riverside-Brookfield’s shortstop Sean Campbell (19) goes back in the hole to field the ground ball hit by Nazareth during a nonconference game Thursday, April 3, 2025 in Brookfield. | Steve Johnston 
Riverside-Brookfield’s Aiden Pankros (34) delivers a pitch against Nazareth during a nonconference game Thursday, April 3, 2025 in Brookfield. | Steve Johnston 
Riverside-Brookfield’s Ethan Smith (4) puts the ball in play against Nazareth during a nonconference game Thursday, April 3, 2025 in Brookfield. | Steve Johnston 
Nazareth’s Andrew Kouris (5) heads out of the batter’s box after making contact against Riverside-Brookfield during a nonconference game Thursday, April 3, 2025 in Brookfield. | Steve Johnston
BBHS has three 10-run wins, along with two close ones – 8-7 over Whitney Young, March 18, and 5-3 over Hinsdale South, March 21. The Bulldogs were edged by Plainfield Central 1-0, March 25. They trailed Hinsdale South 3-1 before a three-run fifth. They led the Dolphins 8-4 after four innings.
“We’ve been playing well, minus today. We’ve swung the bat well, pitched well, played good defense,” RBHS coach Mark Ori said after the Nazareth game.
“[Overall] I’m very happy with how we’ve started … our run production, limiting strikeouts. When you put the ball in play, especially in high school, good things are going to happen.”
Campbell (North Central) and Despe (Milwaukee School of Engineering), who were all-conference last year, and McCallum (Benedictine) are set to play college baseball. Smith is still deciding. His hope is for consistent offense after enduring two rough stretches in 2024 between his strong start and finish, where he hit .218.
“Toward the end of [last] season, I came on strong,” Smith said. “We have a lot of hope for our team.”
Against Nazareth (11-0), shortstop Campbell made a diving catch and initiated a double play. RBHS had two hits. The Roadrunners scored their runs in the first two innings while No. 1 pitcher and Western Kentucky recruit Mac McGarry struck out 12 in his six innings of work. RBHS had solid relief pitching from Aidan Polich and Finn Lubeck.
“[Last season] has just motivated me to do better everywhere,” Campbell said. “I think just the amount of hitting we did in the offseason [helped]. Last year, I feel like we didn’t do as much machine work so that helped us in the winter.”
Lyons Township baseball
Senior pitcher Tucker King and his Lyons Township baseball teammates opened West Suburban Conference Silver Division play impressively Friday. King threw a complete-game one-hitter with three strikeouts and one walk as the Lions won 7-0 at Oak Park and River Forest High School.
“I would rank this start with my favorites because it was a great game for everyone,” said King (2-0, 10 strikeouts in 13 innings), a Cincinnati recruit and varsity regular since 2023. “I couldn’t have done it without my offense and defense behind me. It was definitely a meaningful game because we needed to send a message out to our conference, and we did that by beating OPRF.”
The Lions (5-1) now have won five straight — their previous four by at least eight runs — after losing their March 22 opener to Naperville Central 6-4. That included beating Neuqua Valley 14-4, March 28, and Downers Grove South 18-9, March 24.
Top hitters include seniors Noah Fitzgerald (.438, 12 RBIs), Luke Nicholaus (.300, HR, 7 RBIs) and Cam Clarke (.333, 5 RBIs), sophomore Blake Ragsdale (.474, HR, 7 RBIs) and juniors Lon Roberts (.400, 5 RBIs) and Justin Heydorn (.333, 6 RBIs).
Against OPRF (2-4), King only allowed a one-out single in the fourth, which shortstop Ragsdale almost thwarted with a dive and slightly late throw to first base.
“Tucker did an excellent job locating his pitches, focusing on control rather than trying to overpower their offense,” LTHS coach Kevin Diete said. “He allowed them to put the ball in play, and our defense said exceptionally well, staying sharp and making key plays behind him to keep the pressure off and maintain control of the game.”
A six-run fourth against OPRF gave King breathing room. Ragsdale (double, triple, 2 RBIs) and Fitzgerald (double) each had two hits. Roberts (triple, 2 RBIs) and Heydorn (double) also contributed.
“We have been working so hard on fixing little things we can work on as a team and have been improving as a group day by day,” King said. “Once our offense gave me some cushion in the fourth, I knew what I had to do to shut the game down.”