Colin Cimala isn't the Hinsdale Central baseball team's designated hitter by choice, but rather as a result of some bad luck.

The senior would prefer to be behind the plate at catcher, as he had expected, but a torn rotator cuff in his throwing shoulder during an offseason practice ended those plans.

"I don't know how it happened," Cimala said. "I was told no throwing for the rest of the season. It was basically devastating, especially because last year I was injured half the season with tendonitis. But I've always enjoyed hitting and that's how I can contribute to the team the most now."

Cimala contributed the game-winning single on an 0-2 pitch after fouling off three pitches to lift the Red Devils to a dramatic 7-6 come-from-behind win against Wheaton-Warrenville South March 29 in Hinsdale.
Hinsdale Central improved to 6-0 Saturday after opening West Suburban Conference Silver Division play by sweeping Proviso West 15-0 and 15-5 in a pair of five inning games in Hillside.

The perfect start, which included a 2-0 win over area-ranked Andrew, has the Red Devils thinking big.
"This is the year for us," Cimala said. "We have the team, the pitching, all the components, that could possibly go all the way. We feel we can be the first team at our school to go downstate, make a good run and win it."

Mark Noth (2 for 3, 3 RBIs, double) and Sam Katz both hammered two-run homers to power Hinsdale Central's 14-hit attack in Saturday's opener. Drew Bailey (3 for 3, 3 runs), Andrew Nicholas (3 for 4, 3 RBIs), Alex Bellusci (2 for 3, RBI) and Tobi Adeyemi (2 for 4, 2 RBIs) also had big days. Winning pitcher Kasey Ourada (2-0) threw a one-hitter with eight strikeouts and one walk.

In the second game, Brett Morse (2 RBIs) hit a solo homer, while Nicholas (2 for 3, 3 RBIs), Adeyemi and Brett Suchy (2 for 4, 2 RBIs apiece) and Bellusci (2 for 4, triple, RBI) also swung big bats. Katz also had an RBI double and Cimala added another RBI single. Nick Kurash (3-0) gave up one hit but walked four and hit two batters in four innings on the way to the pitching win.

"Coach (Tom) Dorrance is having us do a lot of hitting drills and that's working out well. A lot of us are seeing the ball better," Cimala said.

Against Wheaton South, the Red Devils rallied from a 5-2 fifth-inning deficit behind Nicholas and Bailey's RBI doubles and Suchy's RBI single. Three straight walks that forced in the tying run in the bottom of the seventh set the stage for Cimala's heroics. Kevin Quirke (1-0), who came in to strike out two batters with the bases loaded in the fifth, got the win with 2 2/3 innings of one-hit relief.

"I think I'm seeing the ball real well," said Cimala, who's making the most of his new role. "It's kind of hard to stay focused because I'm not in every play. Since I was 8 I've been a catcher and I've been in every single play of every game and not been able to look away for a second. Now I have to pay more attention to being focused and make sure my teammates on the bench are loud and into the game."

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