Zach Hirsch might be one of the top left-handed pitchers in the state, but baseball can wait.
That’s because Hirsch and his St. Charles North boys basketball teammates are one of 32 teams left in the Class 4A state playoffs going into this week’s Elgin Sectional at Chesbrough Field House.
Known more for wicked pitching skills that earned him a scholarship to play at Nebraska, Hirsch manages to make his presence felt on the hardwood thanks to a smooth, high-arcing perimeter jump shot that made him one of the most dangerous three-point shooters in the Upstate Eight Conference.
As is the case on the pitching mound, the 6-foot-4 senior seems to go about his business on the basketball court in an unassuming and somewhat effortless way. However, don’t let that demeanor fool you into thinking Hirsch doesn’t appreciate his current circumstances.
“I’m really enjoying basketball and I don’t want that to end, but obviously I have a pretty good outlook for the spring and summer, so I’m just looking forward to everything,” Hirsch said.
Hirsch is 67-for-181 (37 percent) from three-point range going into Tuesday’s sectional semifinal meeting with Rockford Auburn. That’s good for an average of over two treys a game, and he knocked down a season-best six three-pointers against Mundelein in December.
However, North coach Tom Poulin cautions that Hirsch isn’t just a one-trick pony. Hirsch is North’s fourth-leading scorer with 8.3 points per game, but his best attributes don’t always show up in the box score.
Although he isn’t the most talented basketball player on his team, Hirsch’s shooting touch creates space for talented guards Nick Neari and Jon DeMoss to penetrate into the lane. Meanwhile, his height comes in handy on defense.
“I don’t think Zach even took a shot for us last game (against South Elgin in the DeKalb Regional championship) and he still impacted the game,” Poulin said. “He gives us everything he has defensively and he’s really made an effort this year to get on the glass.
“He’s an intelligent kid with a high basketball IQ that knows what to do, and he really does complement Neari and DeMoss and some of our other players.”
Hirsch seemed mature beyond his years when he joined North’s varsity baseball team as a sophomore, so it is no surprise he is so adept at filling a specific role and putting his teammates first.
He follows a similar path with the baseball team. Although Hirsch has been the ace of North’s staff the past two years — as evidenced by his 12-3 record, sub-1.00 ERA and 109 strikeouts in 93 2/3 innings — he doesn’t swing a big bat and didn’t spend much time in the field when he wasn’t pitching the past two years.
If anything, credit Hirsch for getting the most out of his abilities and for knowing how best to help his teammates, whether it be on the baseball field or, for now, in the gym.
“It’s nice to know my role because then I don’t try to do too much,” Hirsch said. “All the other guys have been really doing a great job in their roles too, and Nick and Jon creating opens things up for everybody. It all works pretty well.”
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