Naperville North’s Will Richards never lost hope.
Richards got fewer than 10 at-bats as a junior last season, and he weighed the pros and cons of continuing his career. He believed in himself, though.
“Definitely last year I questioned myself, if I was right for baseball, seeing all of these other guys doing it easy,” Richards said. “So when your performance doesn’t show up on the field, you definitely question yourself. But my parents taught me resiliency and making sure I only worry about what I’m doing, not anybody else.”
Well, Richards is doing a lot for the Huskies (7-10, 4-5), who are coming off their first series victory in the DuPage Valley Conference this season after winning two of three games against Naperville Central. The senior first baseman is batting .439 with 12 RBIs and nine runs scored.
Naperville North coach Jim Chiappetta said he’s thrilled that the team-oriented Richards is making a difference.
“He has stepped up,” Chiappetta said. “He got an opportunity to play early and has done nothing but great things. He forced us to put him in the lineup.”
Indeed, Richards made it happen.
“He understood where he was as a junior and understood he had to put in the work,” Chiappetta said. “The credit goes all to him for having the right mindset to succeed. He locked into wanting to be the best baseball player he could be.”
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Richards, who has committed to play baseball at Benedictine, said he grew 2 inches and gained nearly 15 pounds of muscle since last season.
“I’ve been able to hit the ball harder,” he said. “I feel last year in the summer season I hit a lot of singles. This year I’m driving the ball a lot, hitting doubles as well as hard singles.”
Richards’ value to the program can’t be measured solely by numbers, according to Chiappetta. He said Richards has been nominated for two awards: the Rob Koranda Scholarship and the Michael Gustafson Sportsperson of the Year, both given to student-athletes who are positive influences.
“That speaks volumes that he was nominated for both,” Chiappetta said. “He’s one of the greatest human beings in our program. When he graduates, he will be tough to replace in terms of a leadership standpoint. I’m happy for the kid. Not every kid gets after it like he does.”
Richards, a captain, said he cherishes his leadership role.
“I feel like to be a leader, you have to show people the best way to lead, whether that’s doing something the right way or having the stats showing it,” he said. “People will follow your lead. You have to emulate the person you want to be.”
Naperville North senior pitcher Zakery Sumser praised Richards’ contributions.
“He’s always the first to help out and encourage the team,” Sumser said. “It’s been great watching him play this year. He got his chance, and the hard work he put in behind the scenes is showing through. He’s one of our top clutch hitters this year and has been playing a solid first base.”
Richards is also the sports editor for the Naperville North newspaper, which has given him a different perspective.
“Doing interviews has taught me how I want to present myself to the world,” he said. “In interviews, I’ve noticed some people are not very present or are thinking about other things. I’ve learned how to relate to everyone, changing my tone in different conversations. It’s helped me with my younger teammates.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter.
