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With electric stuff that made him a Notre Dame recruit, St. Laurence senior DJ Helwig can be dominant on the mound.
But Helwig knows one thing has held him back at times — his control. He’s determined to ensure that will not be a problem this season.
“I’ve been working on it pretty much my entire high school career,” Helwig said. “It’s one of the things I’ve focused on all four years.
“It’s been a thing where I’ve known sometimes I can get a bit iffy. I just have to focus and breathe and make sure I’m calm.”
Helwig was in total control Wednesday, striking out 10 without issuing a walk over 6 1/3 innings to lead the host Vikings to a 5-1 win over Lincoln-Way East in Burbank.
Helwig allowed just four hits and held the Griffins scoreless until allowing a run in the seventh. Minnesota recruit Jameson Martin went 3-for-4 with an RBI and Illinois State commit Luke Stulga had a two-run double for St. Laurence (4-0).
Ball State recruit Zach Kwasny battled Helwig on the mound for Lincoln-Way East (5-2), throwing four scoreless innings before allowing two runs in the fifth. Pittsburgh commit Tyler Bell had a double, triple and a run for the Griffins.
Bell was pretty much the only Lincoln-Way East hitter to figure out Helwig.
“It’s definitely pretty relaxing knowing we have a pitcher as good as DJ on the mound,” Martin said. “It takes a lot of pressure off our defense. I think he also knows that we’re going to be there for him to make the plays behind him.
“Having him on the mound is amazing. It’s more than we could have ever asked for. DJ’s DJ. That’s just what it is.”
St. Laurence coach Pete Lotus appreciates Helwig’s desire to constantly improve himself.
“That’s the best thing about DJ,” Lotus said. “He’s obviously really super talented, but he comes to practice to learn every day. He wants to get better. I think he still has a really high ceiling.”
Helwig, who has pitched since age 6, believes there’s always something to fine-tune on the mound. It’s just a matter of having the desire to take the time to work.
“I think it’s mainly a mental thing,” he said. “You have to want to be better. You have to want to develop and push yourself to get to the next level and push yourself even beyond that.”
Helwig and Kwasny were locked in a scoreless pitchers’ duel until St. Laurence chased Kwasny by loading the bases with no one outs in the fifth inning on Michael Gurgone getting hit by pitch, Ryan Seddon producing a bunt single and Martin following with a single.
Stulga then ripped a two-run double down the right field line off reliever Aaron Scott, who Stulga knows as a fellow Illinois State recruit.
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“He’s going to the same college as me, so I’ve seen a bit about him before and I knew he likes to stay away to righties,” Stulga said. “I kind of cut off the whole inner half of the plate and was sitting away.
“I got that pitch out there and let my hands go. Obviously, it was a really big moment to put the team on the board.”
The Griffins could not rally against Helwig, especially after the Vikings added three runs in the sixth.
“It’s cold, wind blowing in,” Lincoln-Way East coach Eric Brauer said. “They’ve got a good arm. We’ve got a good arm. It was a tough day to hit.”
Helwig made sure of that.
“This game showed that I know who I am going forward,” Helwig said. “This was a big lift for our team.”
Steve Millar is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
