Daniel Coyle sometimes gets some surprised reactions from opponents when he comes up to bat in the first inning for St. Laurence.
After all, the 5-foot-9, 160-pound sophomore infielder doesn’t resemble a typical No. 3 hitter for a powerhouse program.
“I get those looks sometimes,” Coyle said. “It does give me motivation. I want to show them what I can do here.”
Coyle had plenty to show for his efforts Tuesday, going 3-for-3 with a double and two runs to lead the host Vikings to a 3-2 Catholic League Blue win over Providence in Burbank.
Parkland recruit Matthew Carrano brought in Coyle with the game-tying RBI triple in the bottom of the sixth inning and Cory Les followed with a go-ahead sacrifice fly for St. Laurence (19-4, 5-2).
Black Hawk commit Declan Musil allowed just one earned run on four hits over six innings to earn the win for the Vikings, while Louisville recruit Joe Olson picked up the save.
Creighton recruit Nate O’Donnell homered for Providence (16-4, 6-1) and also pitched six innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits. Xavier commit Nolan Galla went 2-for-3 with a double.
Coyle raised his batting average to .429, with 21 of his 27 hits being singles.
St. Laurence’s Daniel Coyle talks with his first base coach after getting on base against Providence during a Catholic League Blue game in Burbank on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. (Vincent D. Johnson / Daily Southtown)
St. Laurence coach Pete Lotus understands why Coyle might get some of those surprised looks for hitting in the No. 3 spot, but while Coyle may not provide a ton of power, his consistency is huge in the middle of the order.
“I think the same thing standing down there,” Lotus said. “I look at other people’s No. 3 hitters and ours, and yeah, it looks different. But, man, I’ll tell you, he’s a tough kid.
“There’s a value to putting the bat to the ball these days, and he does that all the time. He’s never fazed by the situation. We saw it last year as a freshman.”
Coyle, who has 23 runs and 22 RBIs this spring, continues to produce by making sure he does not try to do too much as a young hitter in such an important spot.
“Sometimes it’s pressure, but I stay within myself,” Coyle said. “I’ve got my guys behind me and I know they’re going back me up if I do back, but I’m always confident up there.
“I’m looking to put a good swing on the ball and help out my team.”
Providence’s Mitch Voltz slides under an airborne Jameson Martin against St. Laurence during a Catholic League Blue game in Burbank on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. (Vincent D. Johnson / Daily Southtown)
St. Laurence trailed 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth before Coyle started a rally with a one-out double. Carrano’s triple followed to tie the game, and Les put the Vikings in front for good.
Olson struck out two in the seventh to nail down the win. It was Olson’s first outing following a short layoff. The Vikings are giving him rest after he dealt with arm injuries last season.
“I was so dialed in,” Olson said. “I went to Dan when I was ready to come in, and I didn’t even know it was the seventh inning. The adrenaline was definitely going.”
It was a key win for the Vikings, who suffered through a three-game losing streak last week.
St. Laurence’s Declan Musil delivers a pitch against Providence during a Catholic League Blue game in Burbank on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. (Vincent D. Johnson / Daily Southtown)
Coyle said he had to shake off some tough results at the plate during that stretch and stay true to himself.
“Last week was a little rough,” Coyle said. “I hit a lot of line drives that were caught. But I just wanted to stay with my approach and not fall off with that approach. It worked (Tuesday).”
Lotus appreciates that maturity from a sophomore with a huge role on his team.
“Daniel is so much more of a vocal leader now,” Lotus said. “He kind of sat back a little bit last year with a lot of the seniors. We kind of talked to him about being more vocal this year because he’s a very influential person on this team.”
