Off The Beaten Path For Baseball Journeyman Lucas Danielewicz

Written by Paul Chanan, DYBSA Co-Director of Publicity

Thousand Oaks, California is a long way from Deerfield, Illinois. It’s even longer if you didn’t travel there in a straight line. For Lucas Danielewicz, the power hitting outfielder currently playing for the California Lutheran University Kingsmen, the winding, sometimes uneven and rocky path to the West Coast, has provided perspective and life lessons which might not have presented themselves had the journey been a straight and narrow path.

Danielewicz, one of DYBSA and DHS’ most talented baseball players of all-time, grew up in Riverwoods with his mom, Sara, a high school cross country coach and admissions director, his dad, Michael, an attorney and long-time youth baseball director and coach, and his younger sisters, Allie and Tatum, both star athletes in their own rights on the diamond.

At an early age, it was clear to everyone watching that Lucas would develop into a well-rounded athlete. He partook in many sports while growing up and shared the same enthusiasm for them all. As he started to develop, his passion for competition on the baseball field led him to focus on baseball as his primary sport. He began playing house-league baseball at five years old and began his competitive journey through travel and club baseball when he turned nine.

Danielewicz would say his travel teammates remembered him as hard working, disciplined, fiercely competitive, and laser focused on fundamentals, conditioning, and strength training. But he would personally recall those days as more about simply playing the game of baseball and laughing and having fun as a kid with his best friends. A top player at his age group, Lucas was always a leader on the top team in the Deerfield Travel Baseball program, where he played all eligible seasons from 9U through 14U, primarily as a catcher and cleanup hitter.

Lucas would go on to have a stellar high school baseball career for the Deerfield (DHS) Warriors. After playing on the sophomore team as a freshman in 2017, Lucas got promoted to the varsity team the following season. Under then-Deerfield Head Coach Kevin Marsh, a sophomore starting for the varsity team was very rare. But Lucas would go on to be a 3-year starter, hitting a career .332 batting average, .416 on-base-percentage, .959 fielding percentage, and contributing lofty power numbers. Lucas’ presence on the varsity roster was felt, as the team jumped from a 12-21 record his sophomore year, to go a combined 38-23-1 his final two varsity seasons. During his DHS career, he finished his junior season in the state’s top-100 in slugging percentage (#80 in Illinois) and finished his senior season in the top-25 in home runs (#24 in Illinois Class 4A).

“If I look back on high school and DYBSA,” Danielewicz said, “I remember the transition to high school was the first time I really took my development into my own hands. I’m thankful for DYBSA and DHS because it gave me the opportunity to really push forward and focus on what I wanted to do at the time.”

Danielewicz’ DHS varsity assistant coach, now current DHS varsity head coach Mark “Zues” Januszewski, recalls his days coaching Lucas fondly.

“Lucas worked for everything he got,” said Coach Januszewski. “He didn’t believe in handouts; he was all about earning it. He was a starter on varsity as a sophomore. We didn’t really bring sophomores up back then, but we knew he was just too talented to keep down. He wasn’t the most vocal player, but his teammates followed him based on the examples he set, how he handled his business on the field and in the weight room. I really enjoyed watching him grow as a player and a person while playing for Deerfield. And I love how he’s still competing today."

After graduating with three varsity letters from DHS, Danielewicz received a D1 offer to play at Southern Illinois University (SIU). Carbondale was a relatively short drive from the north shore, and what looked to be a great opportunity to play high-caliber competition. During the fall season his freshman year, he was told he would likely red-shirt, meaning he would mostly sit out that season, while retaining all four years of eligibility. That plan changed in the spring, when the coaching staff decided to utilize Danielewicz in the lineup.

He got his first college start against Belmont, played in over a dozen D1 games that season, and felt he had jumped the learning curve to become a productive college ballplayer. But following an unexpected coaching change, Danielewicz had his first experience with the harsh realities of high-level collegiate sports. He was told he was not part of the new staff’s plans, as they wanted to bring in their own guys, so Lucas made the decision to enter the transfer portal.

Transferring D1 baseball programs for younger college players had become very messy, due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. Older players had automatically retained another year of college eligibility, so coaches were more reluctant to go with younger, less experienced athletes. Lucas’ best baseball opportunity was to play junior college ball (JUCO) which led him to accept an offer to play for JUCO powerhouse Mesa Community College. Although always a catcher, Danielewicz realized his best chance for playing time was to become more versatile defensively, and he sought out opportunities other than behind the plate. He initially played first base for Mesa and would eventually settle in as a starting corner outfielder for the Thunderbirds.

“Mesa was good, it was a lot different than Southern Illinois,” said Danielewicz. “The coach at the time was an old school guy; he used to be a boxer. We ran six-minute miles every week, and if you didn't finish the mile in time, you didn't get a jersey at the end of the end of the fall, so it was pretty strict, pretty disciplined.”

In addition to the regular fall and spring college seasons, Lucas played in the Expedition League during his college summers, as a member of the Caldwell (now Casper) Spuds out of Caldwell, Idaho. There, he competed with and against a combination of the top D1, D2, D3, and JUCO players across the Region. The Spud players lived with host families around small-town Caldwell. Lucas and his teammate lived with 80-year-old grandmother, Joye Meyer, whom he developed a close relationship with. He connected with Joy due to her always positive attitude, her happy demeanor, and her focus on gratitude.

“She always had a smile on her face,” Danielewicz recollected of Joye. “She never complained and always seemed grateful for every day. That’s something I try and keep top of mind regardless of what’s going on.”

After Danielewicz’ two-year stint at Mesa and Caldwell, he hit a bit of a speedbump. In order to transfer to a university to finish up his final years of college baseball eligibility, he needed to gain more academic credits and boost his grades. As he explained, he had spent his first three college years almost entirely focused on baseball and had let his academics become secondary. He recognized during his attempts to transfer, that he would need to clean up his academic transcripts in efforts to open certain baseball doors.

“I loved athletics. I can spend all day training and working out. But when it came to getting my schoolwork done, I just didn’t love it at the time and was resistant towards it.”

So, Lucas came home to Deerfield, enrolled in college classes locally at College of Lake County, and put his academics at the forefront while taking a year off from playing the game, his first break since he first picked up a bat at five years old.

“[Not going back to playing] was definitely a thought throughout the process. There were some ups and downs with it. I was happy with what I’d done in the game, but I felt like there was still some things left on the table and I didn’t want to leave any stone unturned. I wanted to get the most out of myself. I wanted to get the most out of my playing career.”

Fortunately, Lucas was able to transfer his sharp baseball focus back to the classroom, and his newfound academic success opened the door to a new opportunity to finish his college baseball career in California. He received an offer to play at California Lutheran, a well-respected baseball program in Thousand Oaks, which competes in the SCIAC (Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference).

“Cal Lu has been great. I knew some of the guys coming in here, so it was an easy transition. It’s in a great area with super good competition. We had four teams from our conference go play in regionals this year. It’s a good culture, not just for baseball, but for the entire school. Everyone’s there to strive, succeed and support each other.”

With the Kingsmen, Lucas had an opportunity to step right back into the game, and transition back into competitive baseball. This past spring, Lucas had a stellar first season in Thousand Oaks, starting in the outfield and becoming a huge contributor offensively to a team that advanced to the regional playoffs. He has up to two seasons left of college eligibility and plans to remain with California Lutheran where he will finish his academic career with a bachelor’s and master’s degree. After college, Lucas plans to try to stay in the game for as long as possible.

“I just want to continue playing baseball at the highest level I can. I would love to play professional baseball. Trying to play as much as I can while I can do it, and then whatever happens there, if for better or worse, whether it’s baseball or sales, or whatever, I’m ready for the next step.”

In terms of life lessons and perspective gained along the way, Lucas offers great insight that from a well-travelled young man that can be passed along to young athlete regardless of what sport they play. Danielewicz suggests really understanding what is important in life. His priority is his family, which he refers to often when discussing the keys to happiness. “Family is everything to me,” he said.

He credits his father, Michael, for both his time invested in his baseball development as a mentor and coach, as well as the “hard love” he gave him both on and off the field. He also appreciates his mom, Sara, a high school coach herself, for passing down her highly competitive nature, as well as her fun-loving, inspirational philosophy on sports and life. Lucas also loved teaching and learning alongside his sisters, and all remain very close despite being separated by distance.

Danielewicz looks back on his own journey and says that young athletes need to balance hard work and fun. He says that to achieve anything competitively, a player needs to commit to the game, make sacrifices in order to reach one’s potential, and stay sharp and focused on their goals. He believes an athlete, regardless of the sport, should always keep some tasks light and fun, have a sense of humor, and make sure to smile and laugh every day.

“Baseball gave me an avenue to be focused and strive towards something greater. It gave me an opportunity to work on communication with my teammates, peers, and coaches. It gave me structure and taught me how to strategize in terms of playing or positioning. Going out there every day, striving to win, regardless of the result, I was just happy to be in the fight, the man in the arena, just putting your best shot forward and knowing the good things will happen eventually even if they’re not happening right in the moment.”

Danielewicz came to realize as his story unfolded and as he traveled down his beaten path that versatility was a big key to success, both as a player, and in life. On the field, a young athlete should work hard to learn several positions, should focus on both offense and defense, and should be looking to find as many ways to be an asset as possible.

“Any way you can stay on the field, contribute, and help the team win games,” said Danielewicz. “Players need to keep up with their studies, as well as make sure to work on their relationships and friendships. The game may be super important to all great players, but there must be more to one’s life than just baseball. Being well-rounded and happy is as important as reaching your goals as a competitor.”

Baseball fans around Deerfield will always remember the name Lucas Danielewicz. And through all the twists, turns, and forks in the road of his college baseball journey, Lucas Danielewicz will never forget Deerfield. Wherever he is and wherever he goes, the community that raised him will always be proud of the beloved man in the arena, or in the case for Lucas, the well-travelled baseball journeyman.