A broken leg in seventh grade turned out to be a blessing for Conor Essenburg.
The Lincoln-Way West pitcher/outfielder played actually played baseball, football and basketball in his younger days. The broken leg inspired him to make a lasting decision on his athletic future.
“That ended basketball and football for me,” Essenburg said of the early injury. “When I got to high school, I loved baseball, so I really wanted to focus on this and make it my life.
“After that, everything just went uphill for me.”
Uphill? More like up Mount Everest.
The Kansas State recruit has been a standout again this season, hitting .446 with eight doubles, three homers and 16 RBIs for the undefeated Warriors (20-0).
Essenburg, who bats right-handed but pitches left-handed, is 6-0 on the mound with a 1.33 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 26 1/3 innings.
Teammate Cole Crafton, a Louisville recruit who is missing the season after ACL surgery, has been watching Essenburg closely.
“He’s a competitor out there,” Crafton said of Essenburg. “He always brings 110% effort on the mound and at the plate. He plays with a lot of passion.
“I just love watching the kid.”
Lincoln-Way West’s Conor Essenburg delivers pitch against the host Eagles during the Class 4A Sandburg Regional championship game against Sandburg in Orland Park on Saturday, May 27, 2023. (Jon Cunningham / Daily Southtown)
As a sophomore last season, Essenburg hit .363 with seven homers and 40 RBIs. He also ended up 5-1 on the mound with a 2.98 ERA with 98 strikeouts in 54 innings. He was the SouthWest Suburban Red’s player of the year and an all-area selection.
“He had a really successful year as a sophomore,” Lincoln-Way West coach Jake Zajc said. “Going into this year, he hasn’t regressed. He’s taken a step further.
“He’s done a lot of team things at the plate for us.”
Speaking of the team, the Warriors’ unbeaten record hasn’t come easily.
They were down 8-0 on May 9 against Marian Catholic and turned that into a 14-12 victory. They flirted with trouble on April 15 against Stagg, trailing 7-0 going into the bottom of the fifth inning before rallying for an 8-7 win.
Even on Saturday, Lincoln-Way West went down 4-3 at Lemont after the first inning before pouring it on and winning 18-5.
Lincoln-Way West’s Conor Essenburg smashes an RBI single against the host Eagles during the Class 4A Sandburg Regional championship game against Sandburg in Orland Park on Saturday, May 27, 2023. (Jon Cunningham / Daily Southtown)
“Our team never gives up,” Essenburg said. “The later in the game, the more competitive we get.”
He said the win over Stagg was huge because it took one play to spark the team.
“It was really fun,” Essenburg said. “Everyone was getting down on themselves. We laid a bunt down the third base line, and that changed the entire game. We got all of the energy from that.”
Essenburg, who believes the Warriors’ red-hot start has been no accident, thanked Zajc and his coaching staff for that.
“I give the credit all to the coaches,” he said. “The amount of work that goes in trying to figure out the pitching staff is honestly insane.
“Preseason, they are having us lifting, and every guy is faster, stronger and better than ever.”
Essenburg lives in Manhattan and his future college is located in Manhattan, Kansas. He made his decision in February 2023.
Lincoln-Way West’st Conor Essenburg (8) delivers a pitch against Lincoln-Way East during a SouthWest Suburban Conference crossover in Frankfort on Monday, April 24, 2023. (Steve Johnston / Daily Southtown)
He wasted no time committing to Kansas State after a trip to the other Manhattan.
“It was the most amazing experience of my life,” he said. “Everywhere you go, the entire town is purple. It’s the greatest community ever for a college team.
“All the football games, the basketball games and the baseball games — everything is completely sold out. At sections of grocery stores, there will be a whole back half that will be selling Kansas State merchandise. It’s insane down there.”
He confirmed that he couldn’t leave town before purchasing some of that purple swag.
“I bought shirts and hoodies,” Essenburg said. “I spent a lot of money there.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
