As a first-year varsity quarterback, Libertyville’s Brady Buenik is fully immersed in football.

Route trees and coverages are on his mind, not arm slot and spin rate.

But Buenik is also one of the nation’s top-ranked pitchers in the junior class, and the 6-foot-3, 215-pound right-hander unplugged from football long enough to end his relatively brief but high-profile recruitment by committing to 2024 Men’s College World Series champion Tennessee last week.

“A goal of mine for quite a while was to play Division I baseball, so, yes, I’ve accomplished that step,” he said. “I put aside a couple of days to enjoy it with my friends, family and everyone who’s helped me get to this point. But it’s only the first step in my dreams.”

Buenik’s short celebratory period was necessitated by the fact

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