Leading off a state championship game with a triple could be considered vintage Cole Lockwood.
But the circumstances made it even more special for the Libertyville shortstop.
“It was definitely a perfect way to start in the way it electrified not only our dugout but the student section,” Lockwood said. “As soon as I hit it, I blacked out and just remember getting to third.
“It’s probably the coolest moment I’ve ever had on a baseball field.”
Libertyville has seen a lot of cool moments with Lockwood on the field over the past four seasons, although the bookends of the Valparaiso recruit’s varsity career are notable enough.
Late in his freshman season in 2022, Lockwood went 2-for-3 in his debut as the starting shortstop in the Class 4A regional semifinals. Back then, Libertyville coach Matt Thompson said of Lockwood, “I think the future’s bright.” Little did Thompson know.
On Saturday, Lockwood went 2-for-2 with a double, a triple, a sacrifice and two runs scored in the Wildcats’ 4-1 win against McHenry in the 4A state championship game in Joliet.
Few players win their final high school game. Even fewer make the impact Lockwood did.
That was years in the making.
“One vivid memory I have was from either 2015 or 2016,” Lockwood said. “My dad and I were coming home from a game, and we went to the high school to see the team play, and they lost in a walk-off.
“Even at that age, I could see how much it meant to the players. So going out like we did as seniors is the way to do it.”
Lockwood accomplished that feat alongside senior catcher Quinn Schambow, an Oklahoma State recruit who is attending the MLB draft combine this week, and senior pitcher/first baseman Joshua Holst, an Air Force recruit who was masterful for the North Suburban Conference champion Wildcats (37-4) in the state final.
“We like to call us three The Trio — the best 1-2-3 in the state,” Schambow said. “It starts with the connection we have off the field.”
The Wildcats’ lineup started with Lockwood, who batted .418 with a .518 on-base percentage, nine doubles, two triples, three home runs, a team-high six sacrifice bunts and a team-high 52 runs scored this season.
“You saw what Cole is capable of,” Schambow said. “He hits a jack, and the next at-bat, he puts down a perfect bunt. Not many players have the speed to beat those out and also put balls out. He’s made huge strides over the years.”
Indeed, Lockwood has always been a terrific shortstop, but his offensive production wasn’t on the same level until this season. He hit .218 as a sophomore and .255 as a junior.
“I’ve gotten better and better every single year as I’ve been seeing more arms,” he said. “I struggled sophomore year, and I was a little better last year but still not the greatest. But this year is exactly where I wanted to be, and it showed. It helped us get here.”
Lockwood’s next chapter has already begun. Less than 24 hours after winning the state title, he was on the road to the St. Louis area to play in the Premier Collegiate Development League.
“It will be a jump for sure, quality-wise, but it will be a good change,” he said. “My college coaches arranged for me to play. They thought it would be helpful to get some at-bats off some college arms to get ready for fall.”
At Valparaiso, Lockwood will join his older brother Connor, a 2021 Libertyville graduate who will be a fifth-year senior pitcher next season.
Such a family dynamic will be nothing new for Lockwood. For two seasons, he has played with his younger brother Chase, a junior who didn’t allow an earned run in eight innings in Libertyville’s 2-1 win against Normal Community in the state semifinals on Friday.
Chase Lockwood was happy to see Cole go out on top.
“It was always fun playing with him, but it really did make it special this year,” Chase Lockwood said. “It always gives you an extra edge to be the younger guys who help get the older guys the big prize, and it was especially great personally with Cole.”
Having such a rooting interest benefited Chase Lockwood too.
“If I had a bad game, it made it easier to pull out of that because I saw him having success,” he said.
Tangible evidence of that success will go to Valparaiso with Cole Lockwood, who intends to bring his state medal.
“I’ll definitely find a spot in my dorm room for it, probably front and center,” he said. “’Pride’ is probably one of the words that comes most to mind. It’s one thing to win a state championship, but it’s another to be as confident and dominant as we were all year. We had all the pieces in place, and to go out and actually win it all, there’s a lot of pride.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.