As one of the most complete players in the area, Naperville North’s Matt Sonnenschein knew he was talented enough to play college baseball.
But after his junior season, Sonnenschein thought perhaps that wasn’t his Plan A.
“I was like, ‘Is this really what I want?’” he said. “I realized that maybe this wasn’t what I wanted to do.”
Sonnenschein was torn. He figured that enrolling at a large state school, and not being attached to a sport, might be his best option. At one point, he even called a coach who had been recruiting him with a verdict: College baseball wouldn’t be in his future.
Then an impactful visit to Wisconsin-La Crosse rocked Sonnenschein’s world.
“I loved the campus,” he said. “Everything about the school really attracted me. I knew right when I stepped on campus that it was definitely a good fit for me.
“It reminded me of summer ball, just a bunch of guys having fun, playing good teams and being good.”
Under Chris Schwarz, who has led the program for 21 years, La Crosse has made back-to-back NCAA Division III tournament appearances. The Eagles racked up 36 victories last season, tried for the second most in team history.
“Being good” is also an accurate descriptor for Sonnenschein, a shortstop/pitcher who has emerged as a key two-way player for DuPage Valley Conference leader Naperville North (11-12, 7-4). Through the weekend, he was hitting .349 with three doubles, two triples, 14 RBIs and nine runs scored, and he was 3-1 with a 0.75 ERA, one save and 32 strikeouts in 28 innings.
La Crosse’s interest in Sonnenschein peaked over the summer, when coaches came to watch him play in a game for his travel team, the Chicago White Sox Elite. In his first at-bat that day, Sonnenschein hit a deep fly ball off the wall. Then he homered to straightaway center field.
“He does all the simple things that coaches look for,” La Crosse assistant head coach Scott Gillitzer said. “He runs hard out of the box every time. He has good instincts and always seems to be in the right place. There’s never a time when you question his effort level on the field.”
The La Crosse coaches promptly offered Sonnenschein a spot on the team and brought him to campus for that consequential visit.
“I remember when they took me to their field, and I was just blown away,” he said. “It was the nicest field I’ve ever seen. That was definitely the bow tie on the present. I really saw it as a place I could be for the next four years.”
So Sonnenschein changed his mind and decided to play baseball there.
“The people I met made me feel like I was really invited to the team,” he said. “Going back in the car and leaving there, knowing that it’s where I’d play baseball at the next level, was probably the most rewarded I felt in a long time.”
Perhaps Sonnenschein can reward La Crosse, which has been to eight Division III tournaments, as early as next season.
“He’s versatile enough to help us anywhere in the infield,” Gillitzer said. “The more I kept coming back to see him play, his bat showed up. He’s got a chance to help us offensively, to be a guy that will be pushing for playing time next year.”
Naperville North coach Jim Chiappetta knows La Crosse has acquired a gem in Sonnenschein.
“I’ve seen a lot of growth from him,” Chiappetta said. “When he was a sophomore, we saw his potential. Going through that season with some ups and downs only made him that much better as a player.”
Sonnenschein’s coaches and teammates affectionately call him “Sonny” and say he has a gregarious personality that uplifts everyone around him. He’s also a successful student and recently received Naperville North’s Accounting Student of the Year award.
“He’s just a joy to be around every single day,” Naperville North senior catcher Zach Bava said. “Whenever I’m feeling down about myself, I always turn to Sonny. I know that he’ll bring me up always.”
Sam Brief is a freelance reporter.
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