Northwest Herald Baseball Coach of the Year

Wikierak guides Marian back to state

By JOE STEVENSON

Marian Central baseball coach Gregg Wikierak rarely is one to hold back his criticism during a game.

If a baserunner makes a mistake, Wikierak might let him know from the third-base coaching box.

If a fielder throws to a wrong base, he is likely to hear about it long before getting back to the dugout between innings.

The players realize it is not personal.

“He's a perfectionist,” Hurricanes pitcher and shortstop Bill Bulaga said. “He never picks out individuals. It's just him getting on us because he knows we can do better than we're doing at the time.”

Wikierak knew this season especially, with a senior-loaded team, that doing every little thing properly could matter. The Hurricanes have delivered with a return trip to the IHSA Class A State Tournament.

For meeting those lofty expectations, Wikierak is a repeat winner of Northwest Herald Baseball Coach of the Year. Wikierak was selected by the sports staff from several worthy candidates, including Crystal Lake Central's Jeff Aldridge, Dundee-Crown's Fred Bencriscutto and Lake Zurich's Gary Simon.

Wikierak also won the honor last year and in 1998, both of Marian's previous trips to state.

“They worked their [butts] off all year,” Wikierak said after Monday's 1-0 Rockford Supersectional victory against Rock Falls. “After accomplishing everything they did, the only thing left in our season was this [trip to state]. They wanted that last part of the puzzle.”

Marian (30-7) set the school record for wins and won the tough Suburban Catholic Conference at 13-1. After an early loss to St. Francis, the Hurricanes ran the table in the SCC.

The Hurricanes have won 18 consecutive games heading into Friday's Class A state quarterfinal game against Williamsville.

“Right from the beginning, [Wikierak] taught us that if we do all the little things well, it will pay off,” Bulaga said. “Everything we were doing in the winter, when it was freezing outside, was worth it.”