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After spending the winter taking hits on the ice as a member of Sandburg’s hockey team, senior outfielder Jason Sullivan enjoys the relative tranquillity of baseball season.
But Sullivan certainly brings some of that on-ice toughness with him to the field.
“Hockey definitely helps with mentality,” he said. “The chirps out there on the ice are a little harder than they are out here, so I’m not going to get rattled out here.
“I try to have some of that intensity. Plus, hockey gets me in shape. When I’m running the bases, I’m not even out of breath when I pull into third. I like being a two-sport athlete.”
Sullivan’s energy and edge are setting the tone at the top of the lineup this spring for the Eagles (7-1), who are off to a fast start coming off a 14-17 record last season.
“The vibe with this team is great,” Sullivan said. “The coaches say it every day that we’re a team that likes to get after it. We’re a team that fights to the end.
“The Lincoln-Way West game, we were down eight and we fought all the way to the end (in an 11-10 loss). It’s been a great start to the season.”
Mostly from the leadoff spot, Sullivan is hitting .350 with four runs, four stolen bases and five RBIs.
“Jason’s a really good athlete,” Sandburg coach Jim Morsovillo said. “He’s got good wheels. He’s got a great arm. He can help us on the mound, but he’s been doing good things in the outfield.
“He just sets the table for us. He can do a lot at the plate. He’s got good power and he can run well. He gets on base and can wreak havoc.”
Sullivan has had a baseball role model to look up to his whole life. His dad, Brian, played in the minor leagues.
“He loves the game and he made me fall in love with it when I was 3 years old and I’ve loved it ever since,” Sullivan said of his father. “He’s my biggest supporter. He’s definitely pushed me the hardest to work hard and get after it.”
The Eagles have some big early wins, including victories over Brother Rice and Lemont.
“Beating some of these teams that are ranked and competing on that level and winning those games when we maybe aren’t expected to beat them, it’s definitely a confidence builder for these guys,” Morsovillo said. “They all know that, ‘If we can do this now, wait until the weather gets warmer and we’re hitting on all cylinders. We can hang with anyone.’”
Sullivan credits team camaraderie for the success.
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“We’re so connected,” he said. “We hang out outside of school. We have our own channel on TikTok, csbaseball_eats, where we get together and go eat somewhere and show off what we’re getting.”
Sullivan knows the hot Eagles will likely cool off at some point, but he thinks they’re prepared to overcome any stumbles.
“There’s going to be a bump in the road somewhere,” he said. “It comes down to how we handle it. Do we let it be a positive or do we let a little bump knock us over?
“I think this is a good, hardworking team and I think we’ll handle that adversity when it happens. I think we’re going to win a lot more games, for sure.”
Sullivan was hitting lower in the lineup for Sandburg’s first two games before being moved to leadoff, a role he’s wholly embraced and thrived in.
“I love hitting leadoff,” he said. “I love setting the tone early, getting on base for my boys and trying to score as many runs as possible.”
Steve Millar is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
