McHenry freshman Carver Cohn beginning to carve his niche

McHenry’s new, professionally made, multi-colored school-record board decorates the side of the Warriors’ dugout by the on-deck circle.

It already needs an additional line: Most career inside-the-park grand slams.

Freshman Carver Cohn might have made team history Saturday when he accomplished the feat against visiting Larkin.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen one, to be honest,” said Brian Rockweiler, who’s been McHenry’s head coach since 2007.

Cohn came to the plate in the fourth inning with two outs and Jeffry Schwab on first base, Zach Readdy on second and Donovan Christman on third. The left-handed-hitting Cohn pulled a pitch into the gap, and the ball rolled to the right-field fence. He was rounding third when the ball reached the cutoff man in shallow right, and he kept sprinting.

Cohn slid home and beat the throw, which bounced in.

“As soon as I hit that ball, I was thinking about being on four [bases],” Cohn said. “I was heading home, no less expectations. I didn’t want a triple. I wanted to score.”

The grand slam capped a 13-run inning, as McHenry won the nonconference game 14-2 in five. Cohn also had a bloop single in the fourth.

“I’ve done it a couple of times,” Cohn said of the inside-the-park homer. “Speed plays.”

Rockweiler said he has had few freshmen play for his varsity team. They’ve included Cody Freund (Cohn’s brother), Bobby Miller of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Owen Patzin and, more recently, sophomore pitcher/third baseman Kaden Wasniewski.

Cohn, who throws left-handed, starts in center field and bats leadoff. Those are big responsibilities for any player, let alone a 15-year-old varsity rookie. Cohn also pitches.

“He just plays the game hard,” Rockweiler said. “When you watch him, you don’t look at him like he’s a freshman. He doesn’t look like a freshman [physically]. And he’s probably light years ahead as far as mental stuff because he’s been around it his whole life.”

Besides Freund, who coaches first base for the Warriors, Cohn also is the brother of Cooper Cohn, who was a three-year varsity starter for McHenry and now is a sophomore catcher for Northern Illinois.

And the family athleticism doesn’t end there. Sister Camille Cohn is a McHenry junior and a former gymnast who now does cheer. Grandfather Bill Blankenhorn played baseball and basketball at NIU.

Rockweiler calls Cohn, Wasniewski, Louisville commit Brandon Shannon and Schwab probably the four fastest kids in the school. That speed comes in handy defensively and on the bases for Cohn, so even if he isn’t hitting the ball hard, there are multiple ways he can impact the game.

“He’s struggled a couple of times,” Rockweiler said. “The hardest part is telling him, ‘That’s going to happen. You’re 15 years old going against 18-year-olds.’ ”

The adjustment to varsity has seemed almost seamless for Cohn.

“I feel like I fit in,” Cohn said. “I’ve played up most of my life up until last year, when I started playing [against players] my own age. I’ve been around older kids my entire life.”

Warmer weather often coincides with hotter hitters. When temperatures eventually heat up, it could translate to Cohn’s potential being realized sooner than later.

“I try not to think about the cold too much,” Cohn said. “It’s not very fun to go stand in the outfield and be freezing, but I just try to play my game and be a leader on the team.”

He’s off and running.

Starting pitching depth: Shannon and Wasniewski, who went a combined 15-1 last season, are McHenry’s Nos. 1 and 2 pitchers in the rotation.

Which makes Bryson Elbrecht quite the luxury.

Elbrecht, who’s committed to McHenry County College, posted a 1.84 ERA in 26⅔ innings last year. On Saturday against Larkin, the right-hander allowed two hits and two runs (zero earned) in four innings with six strikeouts, earning the win against Larkin.

Elbrecht hit three batters [all on breaking pitches] and walked one.

“If he just throws strikes consistently, nobody will touch him,” Rockweiler said.