Will Rewers Leads St. Rita to State Championships

Will Rewers excelled in a pivotal game for St. Rita. He pitched exceptionally, securing a place in the state tournament for the Mustangs, their first since 2019. Rewers, filled with emotions, expressed his overwhelming joy. “I can’t even put it into words,” he stated. “I’ve dreamed of playing for a state title since freshman year. It’s incredible to be here.”

Rewers, committed to St. Ambrose, effectively neutralized Nazareth’s offense. He allowed only two hits and struck out ten batters. His efforts resulted in a 2-0 victory at the Class 3A Crestwood Supersectional held at Ozinga Field. Julio Gutierrez contributed offensively with two hits, including a double and a scored run. Frank Garofalo added a single and a run for the Mustangs, who now pursue their fifth state trophy.

St. Rita will play East Peoria, who triumphed 8-1 over Geneva, in a state semifinal. The matchup is scheduled at 10 a.m. on Friday at Slammers Stadium in Joliet.

After the game, Rewers described the intense atmosphere and his effective strategy against top talents like Florida State recruit Landon Thome. Rewers kept his composure, allowing two hits and walking two, with one batter hit. He expressed pride in striking out Thome, an MLB prospect, in their third encounter, which ignited enthusiasm among his teammates.

Rewers’s performance improved his season stats to 8-1 with a 2.47 ERA and 70 strikeouts over 51 innings. Despite challenges like elbow surgery as a freshman, Rewers adapted his pitching style. “The surgery wasn’t full Tommy John but a partial reconstruction,” he explained, detailing his recovery path and improved pitching mechanics.

Rewers’s teammate, Gutierrez, praised his capabilities. “Will’s unbeatable,” Gutierrez stated. His clutch performance in the Crestwood Supersectional affirms his standing as one of the best.

In the game, Gutierrez set the stage with a fourth-inning double, later scoring on a balk. Garofalo scored a second run off a wild pitch in the seventh. St. Rita coach John Nee commended Rewers, foreseeing his performance as part of future team stories. “We shared tales of past successes before the game, and now we’ll include Will’s,” Nee said.

Rewers’s excitement is boundless. He joked he would sleep with the supersectional plaque and expressed hope for an even more significant achievement. “This is the best game of my life,” Rewers stated, adding that a state championship would be the only thing to surpass it.