The Prairie Ridge senior center fielder heard the most from one large NCAA Division I school (Illinois), one small one (Evansville, Ind.) and one NAIA (St. Xavier in Chicago).
Kaczmarski admits he had doubts about the size of Evansville, a school of about 3,000 students, until he saw the Missouri Valley Conference school. Kaczmarski loved the place and committed to the Purple Aces’ coaching staff last week. Kaczmarski said his athletic scholarship offer covered about 70 percent of tuition and fees.
“It was actually the only visit [to a D-I school] I made,” he said. “It’s a smaller school, and I didn’t know if I’d like it, but it was really nice. I liked it.”
Kaczmarski was a Northwest Herald All-Area first-team selection last spring when he helped the Wolves to a 29-8 record and the Fox Valley Conference Fox Division championship. Kaczmarski, a left-handed leadoff hitter, hit .426 with three home runs and 23 RBIs, and also stole 33 bases in 39 attempts.
During his sophomore season, Kaczmarski was called up for the Wolves’ postseason run to the IHSA Class 4A state championship and utilized as a pinch-runner.
Kaczmarski was scouted heavily over the summer, when he was invited to the prestigious Area Code Games tryouts in the Chicago area, and represented the FVC in the Stevenson Showcase. Evansville called him July 1, the first day D-I coaches could call recruits.
Prairie Ridge coach Glen Pecoraro said SIU-Edwardsville, Creighton and Villanova were other D-I programs that showed interest in Kaczmarski.
“[Evansville] was one of the first teams to talk to me,” Kaczmarski said. “They’re losing some outfielders after this year. They said they don’t have a true center fielder, so that’s what I could be starting off. They want me in the leadoff spot.”
Pecoraro said Kaczmarski was interested in Illinois, but the Fighting Illini’s scholarship offer was not substantial.
“I told him, ‘Go where they want you,’ ” Pecoraro said. “I think he really made a good decision. The Missouri Valley’s one of the best conferences in the country. He’s a great kid who will get along with everybody.”
