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Baseball all-area team / Northwest

Petar Arbov Elk GroveArbov was the ace of very good staff for the Grenadiers, going 9-2 on the year with an ERA of 2.15 with 44 strikeouts. He played third when not on the bump and hit .340 with 14 RBI. Arbov will play at Concordia in River Forest next year. "Petar's contributions to our team were a major reason for our success this season," Elk Grove coach Terry Beyna said. "He was either pitching, hitting, or making a big defensive play for us just about every day. His passion for our team was just as important as anything he did physically for our team this season."

Josh Bergbreiter Elk GroveBergbreiter was the grease in the Grenadiers' run-scoring machine. He was on base 57 times, scoring 32 runs while driving in 18. He hit .376 with 15 doubles for the MSL champs and will play at Kankakee Junior College next season. "Josh was a leader in our offensive game," Elk Grove coach Terry Beyna said. "His ability to hit, drive in, and score runs was a key part of our success. Josh has great passion for the game of baseball and works very hard to become better every day."

Ethan Bloom Hoffman EstatesBloom did it all for the Hawks. As a four-year starter, Bloom pitched and hit as he led his team to a pair of playoff victories and a berth on the regional final. Named co-player of the year in the MSL West, Bloom hit will play at Lewis University next year. He hit .457 with 5 home runs and 14 doubles and drove in 21 runs. He was also 7-4 on the mound with a 2.29 ERA. "He is one of the most complete players you will ever see," Hoffman Estates coach Todd Meador said. "It was not just power, walks or batting average - he did everything very, very well."

Bobby Calmeyn St. ViatorCalmeyn came up especially big for the Lions in the last part of the season, finishing with a .315 average and a slugging percentage of .435. He drove in 34 runs while scoring 14 times and also had an ERA of 1.94 while going 3-3 for the Lions. Calmeyn was an all-area quarterback and will play at Indiana State."It is amazing to see how good of a baseball player he is," St. Viator coach Mike Manno said. "He has been an integral part in our success this year both on the mound at at the plate."

Jake Coon BarringtonA bruiser on the football field where he was an all-area linebacker, Coon plays baseball the same way. "It is difficult to find many players who works harder than him," Barrington coach Pat Wire said. "He is hard-nosed and tough and plays every play like it is his last." Coon led the Broncos with 15 doubles and 25 RBI. Coon hit .404 with an OBP of .511 and a slugging percentage of .561. Also a terrific fielder with a .975 fielding percentage.

Nathan Cooney WheelingThe junior was one of the reasons for the resurgence of the Wheeling program. Cooney was strong on the mound and at the plate. He hit .381 batting in the leadoff spot with 43 hits and 30 runs scored. He threw 62 innings for the Wildcats, fanning 38 while putting together an ERA of 1.58. "Nathan is one of the best two-way players in the area," Wheeling coach Jason Wieder said. "He is our tone-setter on offense and is a workhorse for us on the mound. He plays the game with a lot of emotion and is a fiery competitor."

Matt Darling St. ViatorHad one of the hottest starts of the season of any player, going 7-for -7. And Darling didn't cool off much from there, finishing the season with a .323 average while driving in 31 runs and scoring 26 times. He also stole 19 bases. "He was a catalyst at top of our lineup," St. Viator coach Mike Mano said. "Matt has a lot of confidence and we are excited for his senior season."

Danny Devereux Prospect

As a junior, Devereux came out of nowhere to be one of the top pitchers on a talented staff for the Knights. His ERA of 1.04 was one of the best in the area. He was 5-1 on the season with 1 save and 36 strikeouts. "Danny came on and was a competitive bulldog for us on the mound," Prospect coach Ross Giusti said. "He helped stabilize our pitching staff and kept our team in a position to win games on multiple occasions."

Ben Dickey St. ViatorNicknamed the Roadrunner, Dickey swiped 49 bases in 50 attempts. He hit .292 and was on base 63 times while scoring 27 runs. Also was a force defensively for the Lions where he prowled center field. Verbally committed to Northwestern, Dickey already owns the St. Viator record for stolen bases. "He is a freak athlete," St. Viator coach Mike Manno said. "He is the best baserunner in my 17 years. He is a joy to coach and I look forward to having him back next year."

Michael Fan SchaumburgAll-area last year and a two-year starter, Fan was feared in the lineup for the Saxons. He led the team the last two years in batting average and hit .368 this year while not missing a single game. He had 26 RBI and a slugging percentage of .461. Also an all-area offensive lineman for the Saxons. "Michael is a tremendous athlete and baseball player," Schaumburg coach Cal Seely said. "He has a great glove at first and would sacrifice his body if it meant having a chance to make an out. One of the most athletic first basemen I have seen in my years of coaching. His intensity and desire to win were valuable assets to the program."

Anthony Forte ConantAs a junior, he led the Cougars in most offensive categories. Forte hit .389 with a school-record 42 hits. He had 9 doubles and 6 triples with 17 RBI and a slugging percentage of .565. Also has one of the strongest arms in the area. Also has a strong arm and is difficult to run on. "Anthony is a 5-tool player who can change the outcome of a game with his bat and his arm," Conant coach Derek Fivelson said. "This was only his junior year and with the numbers he put up, I expect he's only getting started."

Nolan Gavin Palatine

The MSL West co-player of the year, Gavin came up big for the Pirates when they needed it. He hit .354 with 40 hits, driving in 26 runs and scoring 27 times. He also had a 1.22 ERA striking out 60 in just over 68 innings pitched. "Nolan displayed tremendous leadership on the mound and in the field," Palatine coach Paul Belo said. "Very rarely did Nolan display any emotion on the hill. His ability to throw three pitches for strikes in different combinations made him unpredictable."

Jack Holden SchaumburgA three-year varsity starter for the Saxons, Holden put it all together this year. He hit .301, scoring 17 runs and slugging percentage of .534. He will attend Lincoln Trail Junior College to play baseball. "Jack is a natural baseball player," said coach Cal Seely. "He has all five tools and has room to continue his progression in the years to come. Jack's speed was an incredible advantage to our program and drove opposing teams crazy. With a fluid lefty swing, Jack spread the ball from gap to gap and led our offensive in doubles, triples, and home runs this season. Jack was an incredibly fun player to watch the play the game and always had the ability to make something big happen."

Eric Lebahn HerseyDown, but not out, Lebahn missed 12 games early in the season with a broken wrist. But he fought his way back onto the field and came back to hit .446 with an OBP of .557. Had 56 hits in 24 games with 25 of those hits doubles. "Eric did a great job at coming back and immediately contributing offensively, as if he never left," Hersey coach Bob Huber said. "He could have sulked and pouted after the injury but was upbeat. He taught me a lesson about positive attitude."

Keegan Mugerditchian Hoffman EstatesHit for power and average while being a huge defensive force for the Hawks. Mugerditchian finished the year with 5 homers, 28 RBI and a .354 batting average. He also threw out 39 percent of attempted base-stealers. "Keegan played each game with passion and enthusiasm," Hoffman Estates coach Todd Meador said. "He provided us a strong bat in the middle of our lineup and caught 30 games for us behind the plate. He improved from last year in just about every offensive category. He provided not only offensive spark, but also made many great plays behind the plate."

Adam O'Malley Elk GroveOne of the area's top competitors, O'Malley brought that fire to the baseball diamond this year to help lead his team to the MSL title. A three-sport athlete, O'Malley hit .333 with 23 RBI and a slugging percentage of .454. He was also fierce on the mound, where he was 6-4 with an ERA of 2.25 with 47 strikeouts.. O'Malley, who was an all-area quarterback, will play at St. Joseph's in Indiana next year. "Adam was a great three-sport athlete for us at Elk Grove High School his senior year," Elk Grove coach Terry Beyna said. "His contributions offensively, pitching, and playing multiple positions were keys for our overall team's success."

Jake Petersen BarringtonPetersen was one of the leading hitters for the Broncos with a .382 average and had a slugging percentage of .553. Petersen drove in 23 runs and had 13 double and 2 home runs while taking care of a quality Barrington pitching staff that had a team ERA of .2.86. Jake is an old-school, hard-nosed competitor," Barrington coach Pat Wire said. "He quietly leads through his work ethic. His hitting this year was a huge plus for us."

Mitch Pfeiffer BarringtonAn all-area selection last year, Pfeiffer again set the table for the Broncos from the leadoff position with an OBP of .483. Hit .379 and scored 37 runs in addition to stealing 29 bases. "He was our offensive catalyst and saved numerous extra-base hits patrolling center field for us," Barrington coach Pat Wire said. "He is a prototypical leadoff man who we are happy to have leading off again for us next season."

Matt Prazuch St. ViatorA catalyst at top of the lineup, Prazuch did a great job of getting of running down balls in the outfield. He hit .333 with 15 RBI and 24 runs scored. Was named all-conference after hitting .377 in the East Suburban Catholic. He can run as well, stealing 25 bases this year, which is second in school history. "Matt was one of our leaders this year and a big reason for our success," St. Viator coach Mike Manno said. "He got our offense started every game."

CJ Reichel HerseyReichel called many of the pitches for the Huskies and helped them get the most out of their ability on the mound. "Reichel is a hard-nosed, passionate player who never took a play off," Hersey coach Bob Huber said. "He is a great handler of pitchers and manager of the game. I marveled at his ability to call games." Also a tremendous hitter, Reichel hit .366 with an OBP of .445. Hit .388 with runners in scoring position, which helped him drive in 20 runs. Reichel will play at Illinois Wesleyan next year.

Mack Rosman FremdRosman was the Vikings' go-to guy on the mound. The junior, who has verbally committed to Northwestern, was 5-2 with hard-luck losses coming to Mundelein and Barrington. He struck out an amazing 79 batters in 56 inning pitched and had the best ERA in the area at .865. "Every time he is on the mound he gives us a chance to win," Fremd coach Chris Piggott said. "He has an electric fastball and tough slider. He wants the ball in tough games and wants to pitch against the best. He's not afraid of a challenge."

Matt Saltess PalatineThe team's emotional leader in the clubhouse, Saltess was fiery on and off the field for the Pirates. He hit .371 with 46 hits, driving in 28 runs with an OBP of .428 while leading the Pirates with 13 stolen bases. "Matt brought and energy and intensity that was unmatched," Palatine coach Paul Belo said. "When he sensed that we were not at our best, he let his teammates know it. Matt demonstrated strong defensive capabilities and really excelled in clutch offensive situations."

Erik Schurtz Rolling MeadowsSchurtz was one of the few holdovers from the Mustangs' MSL championship team last year. He flirted with a .500 batting average all year and ended up hitting .475 with 47 hits. He had an OBP of .522 and a slugging percentage of .686 while driving in 30 runs. Also the Mustangs' No. 1 pitcher with an ERA of 2.28 while going 6-3 with 28 strikeouts. He will attend Millikin next year. "Erik had an outstanding season for us this year," Rolling Meadows coach Jim Lindeman said. "He led us offensively and on the mound. He hit the ball hard all season long and had one of the best offensive seasons in school history. He is a natural leader on and off the field."

Brad Schwind SchaumburgSchwind was exceptional on the mound for the Saxons this season, with nearly a 5-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio (51 strikeouts, 11 walks). Had an ERA of 1.60 and finished 5-1. "Brad is an outstanding competitor on the field," Schaumburg coach Cal Seely said. "His ability to keep us in games fueled the other guys around him to become better. Brad is tough, focused, and deliberate, day in and day out. He is an intelligent player who knows how to motivate those around him."

Zach Serna PalatineA three-year varsity starter, Serna continued to improved offensively, leading the Pirates in every offensive category. He led the area in home runs with 6 while driving in 38 runs. Serna hit .389 with an OBP of .489 and a slugging percentage of a whopping .713. "Zach really worked on his defense and got to baseballs that most high school third basemen couldn't," Palatine coach Paul Belo said. "He had great range and a strong arm made him a defensive asset. Offensively, he had the ability to separate at-bats pitch by pitch, which is what set him apart."

Joe Silva HerseyOne of the main reasons the Huskies were able to pick things up in the second half of the season, Silva led his team in RBI with 21 despite batting in the lead off position. Finished the season hitting .352 with an OBP of .421 while stealing 15 bases. Silva, who is a two-year starter, will play at Concordia in River Forest next year. "A great leader for entire program," Hersey coach Bob Huber said. "A passionate player who always brought his 'A' game regardless of practice, game or weight room session."

Mike Smith ProspectSmith was solid all season for the Knights, taking on most of his team's top opponents. Even faced with that, he ended up 6-2 on the season with an ERA of 2.20 while fanning 32. "Mike was Mr. Consistent," Prospect coach Ross Giusti said. "Every outing he gave us was a quality start. This is a kid who worked for everything he earned and provided our team with good leadership on the mound."

Brenden Spillane Wheeling

One of the top rated juniors in the midwest, Spillane has committed verbally to Illinois. Despite battling injury most of the year, he hit .389 with 42 hits. Had a school-record 7 triples to go with 7 doubles and 3 home runs while knocking in 34 runs. Also swiped 34 bases. "Bren is one of the purest hitters in the MSL," Wheeling coach Jason Wieder said. "He can do it all on the field when healthy - hit for average, power, speed, throw and field. Bren has a passion for the game of baseball unlike any kid I've ever been around. He is always trying to learn more and plays the game the right way, extremely hard."

Matt Swanson Maine WestDespite just a 4-4 record this year, Swanson was outstanding for the Warriors. He surrendered just 15 earned runs in 50 inning pitched for an ERA of 2.16. He struck out 58 for with a 4-to-1 ratio for strikeouts to walks. He was named all-conference in the Central Suburban League. "Matt pitched our big games," Maine West coach Joseph Pederson said. "We did not do a good job picking it up for him. He gave us all he had every time he stepped on the mound."

Wyatt Trautwein BarringtonTrautwein was a three-year varsity starter who will head to Bradley next year. Pitching is in his bloodlines with his grandfather, dad and uncle all making it to the big leagues. Trautwein gave up 1 earned run or less in his last 4 starts and finished with an ERA of 3.26 while striking out 35. "He got real hot for us down the stretch," Barrington coach Pat Wire said. "Wyatt was one of the best pitchers in the area, hands down."

All-area roster

Player School Yr. Pos.

Petar Arbov Elk Grove Sr. P/3B

Josh Bergbreiter Elk Grove Sr. SS

*Ethan Bloom Hoffman Estates Sr. 3B/P

Bobby Calmeyn St. Viator Sr. P/DH

Jake Coon Barrington Jr. 3B

Nathan Cooney Wheeling Jr. 2B/P

Matt Darling St. Viator Jr. 2B

Danny Devereux Prospect Jr. P

Ben Dickey St. Viator Jr. CF

Michael Fan Schaumburg Sr. 1B

Anthony Forte Conant Jr. OF

Nolan Gavin Palatine Sr. P/DH

Jack Holden Schaumburg Sr. LF

Eric Lebahn Hersey Sr. 1B

Keegan Mugerditchian Hoffman Estates Sr. C

Adam O'Malley Elk Grove Sr. P/3B

Jake Petersen Barrington Jr. C

Mitch Pfeiffer Barrington Jr. CF

Matt Prazuch St. Viator Sr. RF

CJ Reichel Hersey Sr. C

Mack Rosman Fremd Jr. P

Matt Saltess Palatine Sr. 2B

Erik Schurtz Rolling Meadows Sr. 1B/P

Brad Schwind Schaumburg Sr. P

Zach Serna Palatine Sr. 3B

Joe Silva Hersey Sr. CF

Mike Smith Prospect Sr. P

Brenden Spillane Wheeling Jr. SS/DH

Matt Swanson Maine West Sr. P

Wyatt Trautwein Barrington Sr. P

* All-area team captain

Honorable mentionBrad Bauer (Palatine, Sr., C), Brendan Beck (Schaumburg, Jr. P), Christian Camacho (Elk Grove, Soph., 2B), Pat Donohue (Prospect, Jr. 2B), Anthony Delaurentis (Barrington, Jr., P), Geoff Duckmann (Maine West, Sr., SS), Grant Gerdes (Prospect, Sr., 3B), Peter Grob (Christian Liberty, Jr., 2B), Austin Jetel (Fremd, Sr., 1B), Jake Jordan (Wheeling, Jr., P), Aaron Karr (Christian Liberty, Sr., P/Inf), Alex Kiszkowski (Schaumburg, Jr., 2B), Brian Mackey (Leyden, Sr., P/1B), Mike Matej (Conant, Sr., P), Grant Miller (Prospect, Jr., C), Marcus Middlebrook (Fremd, Sr., SS), Alex Niecikowski (Rolling Meadows, Sr., 2B), Mike Piet (St. Viator, Sr., P), Brandon Post (Elk Grove, Jr., CF), Joey Sciaccotta (Barrington, Sr. 2B), Andrew Segalla (Hersey, Sr., SS), Chris Selgrad (Maine West, Sr., CF), Mark Stephens (Leyden, Sr., SS), Bobby Suchecki (Rolling Meadows, Sr., C)

Special mentionRyan Allain (Hersey, Jr., P/RF), Johnny Assimakopoulos (Elk Grove, Sr., C), Jack Bellinger (Schaumburg, Soph., P), George Burny (St. Viator, Jr,. P), Andrew Cole (Buffalo Grove, Sr., 2B), Aaron Cunningham (Christian Liberty, Sr., 1B), Austin Jablenski (Maine West, Sr., 3B), Dan Kubiuk (Barrington, Sr., SS/P), Tom Flahaven (Prospect, Sr., OF), Jeremy Firszt (Buffalo Grove, Sr., SS), Brett Gibson (Rolling Meadows, Jr., P), Ty Lawson (Elk Grove, Sr., P), Chris Macahon (Palatine, Jr., SS), Jeff Mayes (Hoffman Estates, Jr., SS), Jack McElroy (St. Viator, Sr., P), Jacob Nunez (Leyden, Jr., 3B), Eric Outlaw (Maine West, Soph, 1B), Daryl Rivera (Elk Grove, Sr., 1B), Matt Wary (Elk Grove, Sr., LF), Ryan Woloszyk (Schaumburg, Sr., 3B)

Selections and capsules by Dick Quagliano

Josh Bergbreiter
Ethan Bloom
Bobby Calmeyn
Jake Coon
Nathan Cooney
Matt Darling
Dan Devereux
Ben Dickey
Michael Fan
Anthony Forte
Nolan Gavin
Jack Holden
Eric LeBahn
Keegan Mugerditchian
Adam O'Malley
Jake Petersen
Mitch Pfeiffer
Matt Prazuch
CJ Reichel
Mack Rosman
Matt Saltess
Brad Schwind
Erik Schurtz
Zach Serna
Joe Silva
Mike Smith
Brenden Spillane
Matt Swanson
Wyatt Trautwein
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