Libertyville’s Carson Holmes, a senior outfielder, was not seen as an obvious hero for the Class 4A state championship game on Saturday. Despite a batting average of .500 in seven postseason games the previous year, Holmes had been hitless in his last ten at-bats with six strikeouts.
In the top of the eighth inning at Wintrust Field in Joliet, Holmes faced a slump when he took his position at the plate. He had been switching bats in recent games to find success. For his final high school plate appearance, he opted for the bat he had relied on last year but had set aside recently. “It was more of a mental cleansing than anything else. What I was doing wasn’t working, so I figured I’d try something else. I decided to go back to old reliable, and it paid off,” Holmes said.
Holmes delivered the game-winning hit, a single to left field, allowing junior pitcher Madden Cotts to score the decisive run. The Wildcats defeated Maine South 7-6, claiming their second consecutive state title. “It was a full-count fastball high and in,” Holmes explained. “At first, I was nervous that it was going to hang up long enough for the left fielder to get to it, but he wasn’t playing very shallow. After I saw it fall, it was an electric feeling.”
Senior shortstop Trevor Wallace, who had popped out before Holmes’ at-bat, overheard teammates expressing confidence in Holmes. “After they saw which bat Carson picked, two guys said, ‘He’s got his old bat. Watch, he’s going to get a hit,’” Wallace shared.
Despite Holmes’ recent struggles, he batted third all year, earning respect and trust from his team during Libertyville’s notable 31-10-1 run. Holmes said, “Even though I wasn’t playing well, I knew that the team would have my back. We came into the playoffs off a loss, so we knew it wasn’t going to be easy with us being the defending champions.”
Coach Matt Thompson expressed faith in Holmes despite challenges. Before Holmes’ previous at-bat in the seventh inning, Thompson reentered Holmes into the game after senior Nicholas Farmakis had temporarily replaced him. “During some ups and downs, we had talked to him and reiterated to him that ‘you’re our guy,’” Thompson stated. Despite pinch-hitting concerns, Holmes practiced well, which maintained the team’s confidence in him.
In the middle of Holmes’ final at-bat, senior outfielder Jack Cenar scored on a balk, providing Holmes a breather. His single was vital as Maine South scored a run off Cotts in the bottom of the eighth. Holmes’ hit to a similar spot had been crucial in the Wildcats’ 4-1 win over McHenry in the previous year’s state final.
After the game, Holmes received the game ball to add to his collection of mementos, which includes two state medals and two championship rings. “I’ve probably watched video of that last at-bat about 30 times, and there are recaps all over social media,” Holmes reflected. “I still can’t believe what happened. It was a perfect storm of us doing all the right things to win.”
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