Senior left fielder Michael Page played a crucial role in Naperville Central reaching the Class 4A state semifinal. Despite the pressure, Page was committed to savoring every moment, regardless of the game’s result. “It was just awesome,” he expressed. “The atmosphere with so many people, so many fans, and playing on the biggest stage is always great.” However, the Redhawks’ unexpected quest for a state championship, their first since 2010, ended with a 9-1 defeat against Maine South at Slammers Stadium in Joliet.
The defeat brought an end to the Redhawks’ 15-game winning streak but Page was not at fault. As a committed player bound for North Central College, he went 2-for-3 with a walk, scoring the sole run for the Redhawks (30-10) and successfully catching all three balls that came his way. Naperville Central coach Mike Stock praised Page’s performance, “I said it at our awards night, you can’t have a better senior year. Every player goes in with a plan, and you want to be a certain type of player. He’s been a great outfielder for us. He’s turned himself into a plus left fielder, and he’s the best hitter I’ve seen consistently all season.”
Page, who raised his average to .383, made a significant impact against Maine South (26-15). He initiated the game with an opposite-field single in the top of the first inning and followed up with another single to right in the third inning. “I just think my first at-bat, jumping on that first fastball, really got us going a little bit,” Page said. Despite these efforts, the Redhawks left bases loaded in both the first and third innings, ultimately stranding ten overall.
The Hawks capitalized on five errors from Naperville Central, scoring three runs in the first and four in the second to establish a 7-0 lead. Despite the setback, reaching such a stage was a surprise for the Redhawks. “At the very start of the season, it was probably not what I was thinking was going to happen, but we’re a senior-heavy team, and we used a bunch of different guys throughout the season,” stated Page. “As the season went on and we got to the end here, we kind of found our nine, and we just got hot.”
Page and senior third baseman/pitcher Grant Umbright proved to be stellar leaders for the team. Umbright also went 2-for-3 with a walk and shared the field with Page after each of their first three at-bats. Recognizing Page’s contributions, Umbright said, “There was no better teammate to play with. In the field, I don’t think he’s made an error all season. Any ball in the air he’s catching, so I have 100% trust in everywhere he is.”
Umbright, who followed Page in the batting order, valued having such a dependable teammate. “Hitting right after him has always been good. I always have trust in him at the plate. He always gets the job done.” Umbright praised the team’s starting hitters, including Page, for their contributions. “I come in after him and drive in some runs if possible. I had a lot of RBIs this year. Props to a lot of our starting hitters, including Mike. He really carried us far.”
Page’s stellar play came as a result of diligent work, as observed by Stock. “He works his butt off. He got stronger, he got confident and he never got in a slump. He hit safely in 14 of our 15 games in conference. I’m just real proud of him, and he’s the reason we’re here, along with Grant.”
Although the Redhawks won’t compete for a state title, they have another chance to conclude with a win when they face Mount Carmel in the third-place game at 7 p.m. Saturday. “This whole thing has just been an awesome experience for us,” Page shared. “We have 17 seniors, so I think we couldn’t have asked for a better way to go out. We’ve been really hot, and today we just fell a little bit short.”
Matt Le Cren provided reporting for this story.