Any hitter with the stature of St. Charles North’s Colin Ryder, who checks in at 6-foot-6 and 235 pounds, has to be conscious of his mechanics.

If one thing goes out of whack with those long levers, the swing can be altered quickly.

“I try to take batting practice as much as I can to try to keep my mechanics the same,” Ryder said. “I try to be short to the ball with all my longer limbs — just staying tight and through the ball.

“Center field to right-center is where I’m trying to hit the ball. Fastballs I take there, and breaking balls I can slow down.”

Big man Ryder had everything locked down Thursday during a 13-0 DuKane Conference win at Geneva. The junior first baseman went 3-for-3 with a walk. He doubled, hit his second homer, drove in four and scored three runs.

Joshua Caccia went four innings, striking out six to earn the win. Jackson Spring had two hits for St. Charles North North (14-3-1, 8-1). Mike Buono, Brad Lins, Parker Reinke and Spring each scored two runs. Lins doubled and homered.

Geneva (11-7, 6-3) only managed a double from JT Frieders and singles from Sam Seykora and Nate Stempowski in the game that lasted five innings.

Knowing he was playing in a smaller ballpark also kept Ryder on task. He was consistent transferring what he worked on in the cage, hitting his homer to center, singling to center and yanking a breaking ball to left for his double.

“You can’t change your mindset at a smaller field,” Ryder said. “You just have to stick to your approach.

“The at-bat before (the homer), I got a lot of two-seamers up and in, so I was looking for that. Then I got it. It was more middle, but I was ready for it.”

North Stars coach Todd Genke knows he can rely on Ryder, who batted cleanup Thursday, to provide some thump in the middle of the order.

“He’s a very good hitter,” Genke said. “When he gets locked in he can hit balls a long way. We love seeing him staying in the middle of the field so he’s not pull happy.

“He’s a specimen. I think he’s like 6-foot-12. He’s a good hitter, and he’s a dynamite player for us.”

Ryder got it done with the glove as well.

Geneva had some traffic on the base paths early on, but in the second and third innings, Caccia picked off a runner. Ryder’s smooth work with the glove helped complete those plays.

“He does a great job at first, too,” Genke said. “Some of those picks we had early in the game set the tone. He’s a big part of that.”

While Ryder will always be known for his bat, he doesn’t take that side of the game for granted.

“Those were huge,” Ryder said. “Caccia has a great move. I’m just there to catch it. I take a lot of pride in my defense.”

Caccia took care of the rest on the mound. Although he’s only 5-11 and 170 pounds, the junior right-hander packs a punch. He worked in the mid-80s Thursday.

“He’s been lights out for us,” Genke said of Caccia. “He’s not the biggest kid in the world, but he’s got a lightning bolt in his arm. He’s a competitor. He comes right at guys. He’s got a really good mix.

“We feel very confident when he’s on the mound.”

The North Stars are riding high, with an 11-1 record in their last 12 games. A series against crosstown rival St. Charles East looms next weekend.

“We’re feeling great,” Ryder said. “The boys are hot. It’s been amazing.”

Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.