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Lake Zurich was one out away from a season-defining win in early April when a funky ground ball barreled toward shortstop Jonathan Fleaka.
The Bears led eventual Class 4A Mundelein Sectional champion Stevenson 3-2 in the seventh inning, and Fleaka made a signature play.
“There was a ground ball up the middle, and it was going to be a tough play for me to get the final out at first,” he said.
“So I charged it, stuck my glove out and bobbled the ball a little. I faked a throw to first and then saw a runner going from third to home. So I threw home to the catcher. He tagged the runner out, and we won the game.”
For Lake Zurich coach Scott De Caprio, the scoop-and-throw on April 3 epitomized Fleaka’s impact.
“When Jonathan makes big plays like that, odds are we’re going to win the game,” De Caprio said. “And as a defensive-minded coach, I appreciate his attention to detail with defense. He’s a defense-first player.”
Fleaka, a UIC commit, hit .352 with a team-high .545 slugging percentage during his junior season, which ended when the Bears (12-13) lost to Mundelein in a regional semifinal on May 25. He was named all-conference in the North Suburban.
But Fleaka is most proud of being captain for Lake Zurich.
“For my whole life, my parents have told me to be a leader,” he said. “It was an honor to be given the captain spot. It was a big role to fill.”
According to De Caprio, Fleaka thrived in that role.
“He’s so vocal,” De Caprio said. “He’s pretty much an extension of our coaching staff. Jonathan was the MVP of our team. He’s the heart of our team.”
Fleaka had already committed to play at UIC in April 2022 when he became captain.
“They offered me, and I knew this was the spot I wanted to be in,” he said. “The coaches are really invested in me. They trust in me. My family and my grandparents can all watch me go play.
“Committing as a sophomore, I felt really accomplished. There are a lot of kids out there that wish they could be in my spot. I’m really grateful UIC saw what they saw in me.”
But the early commitment put a target on Fleaka’s back as he assumed the mantle as Lake Zurich’s starting shortstop last year.
“I felt really pressured,” he said. “If I made an error, I’d get chirped from the other side. People would ask, ‘Why is he committed there?’ ‘Oh, this is the kid going to UIC?’
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“But then I realized that I can’t be perfect. Baseball is a game of failure. That’s a big part of the game. Knowing that I’m going to fail took a lot of pressure off of me.”
That understanding has been imperative to Fleaka’s development.
“He had to overcome the sky-high expectations he had for himself,” De Caprio said. “And as coaches, we’d always have to tell him, ‘Next play. Next play.’ He really expects a lot out of himself, and he’s learned to control that and just move on to the next play.”
Fleaka’s contagious energy can’t be contained by just baseball. He is also the captain for Lake Zurich’s boys basketball team. He suffered a right ankle sprain in January but says he feels stronger both physically and mentally after recovering from it.
Fleaka’s senior season at Lake Zurich is still to come.
“Coming to Lake Zurich, I was a little intense,” he said. “But I listen more now. I’ve matured a lot not just as a player but as a person. That’s what’s important.”
Sam Brief is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.
