Baseball: Scouting the Class 3A/4A postseason in the Fox Valley

Class 4A Cary-Grove sectional

DeKalb regionalPairings: Monday - Game 1) No. 5 Rockford Jefferson at No. 4 Elgin (8-27), 11 a.m.; Wednesday - Game 2) No. 1 DeKalb (17-16) vs. Winner Game 1, 4:30 p.m.; Thursday - Game 3) No. 2 Rockford East vs. No. 3 Larkin (10-22); Saturday - Game 4) Winner Game 2 vs Winner Game 3, 11 a.m.

Outlook: Regionals don't come more wide open than this. The host and top-seeded Barbs are the only team with a record above .500, giving hope to teams like Elgin and Larkin that struggled against the upper-echelon programs of the competitive Upstate Eight Conference. "We like our chances, but we know that we have to handle our end of the deal and play clean baseball to give ourselves our best chance," Larkin coach Matt Esterino said. "With all the teams pretty evenly matched more or less, it will come down to who pounds the strike zone most effectively, picks up the baseball defensively and executes the fundamentals on offense. We have confidence that we can be that team and are excited for the opportunity." Offensively, the Royals are led by the Lenz twins. Dan Lenz is hitting .384 (33-for-86) with 6 doubles, 2 triples a home run and 15 RBI. He leads the Royals with 15 walks and 25 runs scored. Jon Lenz is batting .351 (33-for-94) with 6 doubles and 17 RBI. From a pitching perspective, the Royals can choose between 6-foot-7 senior Tanner Gardon (3-3, 4.67 ERA), third-year starter Will King (3-4, 4.77 ERA) and Jon Lenz, whose 2-5 record belies his team-best 1.92 ERA in 47⅓ innings. Elgin has a pair of pitchers it can depend on: Clay White (52 IP, 2.83 ERA, 29 K, 8 BB) and Scotty Palmer (46⅔ IP, 3.60 ERA). The problem for the Maroons has been the timely hit. They average 3.3 runs per game while leaving 8.2 runners on base. Leading hitters for the Maroons include catcher Tom Sobeski (.314) and Dean Anderson (.302).

Jacobs regionalPairings: Monday - Game 1) No. 5 Huntley (9-26) at No. 4 Dundee-Crown (19-12), 11 a.m.; Wednesday - Game 2) No. 1 Jacobs (24-10) vs. Winner Game 1, 4:30 p.m.; Thursday - Game 3) No. 2 Cary-Grove (23-8-2) vs. No. 3 Barrington (24-9), 4:30 p.m.; Saturday - Game 4) Winner Game 2 vs Winner Game 3, 11 a.m.

Outlook: In what seems to be an annual rite of spring, Jacobs, Cary-Grove and Barrington are again shoehorned into one of the tougher regionals in the state. This year they are joined by Huntley and upset-minded Dundee-Crown. D-C is two years removed from a regional title. Led by Memphis-bound pitcher Danny Denz (6-4, 1.98 ERA), who leads the area with 78 strikeouts in 53 innings, the Chargers boast a 2.89 team ERA. Other pitching options include Jared Ludwig (3-4, 2.33 ERA), who tossed a complete game on Saturday, Matt Wiechmann (2-2, 4.24 ERA) and freshman Erik Hedmark (1-0, 2.80 ERA). Dundee-Crown swept 2 games from Huntley, but both were 1-run affairs. The Chargers split 2 meetings with Jacobs. The host Golden Eagles were voted the top seed when ballots were cast a few weeks ago, but Cary-Grove eventually emerged as the champion of the Fox Valley Conference's Valley Division. The Trojans draw Mid-Suburban League West champion Barrington in their opener. The Broncos are led by speedy center fielder Mitch Pfeiffer and senior pitcher Anthony DeLaurentis (6-2), the MSL West player of the year. "That's a tough regional. Always has been around here," Cary-Grove coach Don Sutherland said. "You better make the most of you opportunities, have good pitching depth, have good hitting and get to other team's bullpens. These games we've had lately have been like regional games, so they're good preps for us." Cary-Grove's rotation is topped by Larkin Hanselmann and Jimmy Perkins while UIC-bound catcher Wyatt Mascarella and sophomore Tyler Pennington provide pop in the heart of the batting order. Jacobs relies on pitching and defense to win games. Though Arkansas-bound junior Brenden Heiss has not pitched since April 27, the Golden Eagles enter the postseason with a team ERA of 1.68, led by Casey Dennison (3-2, 1.78), Ryan George (6-0, 1.83), Ryan Sargent (3-2, 1.98) and closer Johnny Rohde (10 saves, 1.11). Shortstop Matt Kozlak paces Jacobs offensively with a .320 batting average.

Prairie Ridge regionalPairings: Monday - Game 1) No. 5 Crystal Lake Central (13-17-1) at No. 4 Grant, 11 a.m.; Wednesday - Game 2) No. 1 Prairie Ridge (29-5) vs. Winner Game 1, 4:30 p.m.; Thursday - Game 3) No. 2 Crystal Lake South (24-8) vs. No. 3 McHenry (21-13), 4:30 p.m.; Saturday - Game 4) Winner Game 2 vs Winner Game 3, 11 a.m.

Outlook: If seeds hold, Crystal Lake South and Prairie Ridge would collide in a compelling all-Crystal Lake final. The host Wolves ran away with the Fox Division of the Fox Valley Conference. They won 19 straight games between April 11 and May 13, led by catcher Dustin Thelander (Brigham Young) and Bradley-bound right-hander Ben Cilano, two figures who played key roles in PR's charge to a fourth-place finish in Class 4A in 2014. The Gators finished tied for second in the rugged FVC Valley, 3 games behind league champion Cary-Grove. They won 11 straight games between April 2 and April 23. Shortstop Garrett Bright is the area's leading hitter with a .520 batting average (53-for-102). He has swatted 12 doubles, a triple and 3 home runs, driven in 40 runs and scored 30 more. The rotation is led by senior right-handers Matthew Schingel (Northwest Missouri State) and Ryan Wilkening (Wisconsin-Oshkosh). Schingel is 10-0 with a 1.71 ERA. A contact pitcher with a big breaking ball, he has 31 strikeouts and 25 walks in 57⅓ innings. Wilkening is 6-3 with a 1.64 ERA. He has struck out 34 and walked only 8 in 59⅔ innings. The Gators have been focused on this regional since a 2-game sweep at the hands of Cary-Grove last weekend ended their conference title aspirations. "We have to move forward with our next set of goals and that's to win the regional," CL South coach Brian Bogda said. "It's a tough regional, nothing different than we've faced the last several years. McHenry is a real good team. We'll have Matt and Ryan ready to go for them. The goal is to get to Saturday." McHenry and South split 2 games last week. McHenry won the first game 12-2 on Monday. CL South rebounded to win Wednesday's game 5-1. Prairie Ridge defeated CL South 9-6 on April Fool's Day.

Advancement: The winner of the Jacobs regional plays the winner of the DeKalb regional in a Cary-Grove sectional semifinal on Wednesday, June 3 at 4 p.m. The winner of the Prairie Ridge regional plays the winner of the Rockford Boylan regional in the second semifinal on Thursday, June 4 at 4 p.m. The top two seeds at Boylan are the host Titans and Hononegah. The winners play for the sectional championship on Saturday, June 6 at 11 a.m.

Class 4A St. Charles East sectional

Wheaton North regionalPairings: Monday - Game 1) No. 17 Wheaton North (10-22) at No. 15 Hoffman Estates (14-13), 11 a.m.; Wednesday - Game 2) No. 2 Willowbrook (25-9) vs. Winner Game 1, 4:30 p.m.; Thursday - Game 3) No. 7 South Elgin (20-7) vs. No. 10 Batavia (16-18), 4:30 p.m.; Saturday - Game 4) Winner Game 2 vs Winner Game 3, 11 a.m.

Outlook: The Storm hope to recapture the same postseason magic they tapped into last season en route to a third-place finish in Class 4A. South Elgin enters the playoffs hitting .338 as a team, led by some key veterans: third baseman Kyle Hays (.446, 4 doubles, 2 triples, 2 HR, 20 RBI, 23 runs), Iowa Western center field commit Nick Menken (.392, 4 doubles, 19 RBI, 20 runs), EIU-bound shortstop Dane Toppel (.372, 7 doubles, 26 runs) and senior Antonio Danesi (.355, 5 doubles, 12 RBI). South Elgin enters the postseason with a team ERA of 1.97, led by Max Keough (5-1, 0.91 ERA, 37 K, 12 BB) and Ryan Weiss (5-2, 2.21). Batavia defeated South Elgin 5-4 in their only meeting on May 2.

Schaumburg regionalPairings: Monday - Game 1) No. 19 Streamwood (4-27) at No. 16 York (14-21), 10 a.m.; Wednesday - Game 2) No. 1 St. Charles North (30-4) vs. Winner Game 1, 4:30 p.m.; Thursday - Game 3) No. 8 Schaumburg (12-13-1) vs. No. 9 Bartlett (16-17), 4:30 p.m.; Saturday - Game 4) Winner Game 2 vs Winner Game 3, 11 a.m.

Outlook: St. Charles North, champion of the Upstate Eight River, is the pick to win the fifth regional title in program history. Led by Kansas State-bound senior Cory Wright, the North Stars enter the playoffs on a 16-game winning streak. However, Bartlett has a recent history of tormenting high seeds. In 2012, the Hawks upset No. 1 Geneva in a semifinal and went on to win the regional. They won another regional in 2013, beating the lower-seeded North Stars 1-0 along the way. Last season, No. 15 Bartlett took No. 1 seed Batavia to 10 innings before dropping a 4-2 semifinal decision. The Hawks are led offensively by junior Tripp Paris, who is batting .400 (38-for-95) with 13 doubles, 2 home runs, 28 RBI and 19 runs. Other key contributors include Myles Zilinsky (.373, 23 RBI) and Michael Pfaender (.349, 8 doubles, 20 RBI). On the mound, Paris (5-3) has been the workhorse, logging 42 strikeouts, 17 walks and a team-best 1.61 ERA in 52⅓ innings.

Advancement: The winner of the Schaumburg regional plays the winner of the Geneva regional in a St. Charles East sectional semifinal on Wednesday, June 3 at 4:30 p.m. The top two seeds at Geneva are No. 4 Glenbard North and No. 5 Geneva (18-11). The winner of the Wheaton North regional plays the winner of the Addison Trail regional in the second semifinal on Thursday, June 4 at 4:30 p.m. The top two seeds at Addison Trail are No. 3 St. Charles East (25-9) and No. 6 Conant. The winners play for the sectional championship on Saturday, June 6 at 11 a.m.

Class 3A Sycamore sectional

Hampshire regionalPairings: Monday - Game 1) No. 5 Wheaton Academy (28-6) at No. 4 Kaneland (18-12), 11 a.m.; Wednesday - Game 2) No. 1 Burlington Central (24-8) vs. Winner Game 1, 4 p.m.; Thursday - Game 3) No. 2 Hampshire (17-16) vs. No. 3 Sycamore (25-11), 4 p.m.; Saturday - Game 4) Winner Game 2 vs Winner Game 3, noon.

Outlook: How loaded is this regional? For starters, two league champions will square off in Monday's play-in game. Wheaton Academy, champion of the Metro Suburban West, is the No. 5 seed, partly because the Warriors were blown out 12-1 on April 24 by No. 4 Kaneland, champion of the Northern Illinois Big XII West. The Knights are led by top pitcher Colton Fellows (6-2). The right-hander retired 12 of 14 Batavia hitters to earn a win on Tuesday. The Wheaton Academy-Kaneland winner earns a semifinal date with Burlington Central, which won its fourth straight title in the Big Northern East. Central coach Kyle Nelson will pick from a handful of pitchers, possibly using them in combinations. That group includes Brenden Bushy (4-0, 1.58 ERA), Steve Wisnieski (2-2, 2.05), Jonny Frederickson (1-1, 1.94) and Dylan Berry (4-0, 3.10). Central's offense is keyed by Air Force-bound shortstop Drew Wiss and ECC-bound second baseman Tanner Smith. Wiss is hitting .438 with 12 doubles, 2 triples, 5 home runs and 28 RBI. Smith is batting .486 with 8 doubles, a home run 21 RBI and 39 runs scored. The Rockets, who hit .340 as a team, aren't concerned with which opponent they draw. "I don't know if it matters who you face in our regional because it has five No. 1 seeds," Central coach Kyle Nelson said. "You have to win and advance against some tough teams if you want to make a run." Hampshire boasts three solid pitchers in Alex Crinigan (5-3, 1.69 ERA), Jacob Manning (5-3, 2.27) and Xavier-bound Trey Schramm (3-2), who owns a 1.25 ERA in 6 starts. Schramm has 36 strikeouts and 11 walks in 28 innings.

Advancement: The winner of the Belvidere North regional plays the winner of the Hampshire regional in a Sycamore sectional semifinal at Sycamore Park on Wednesday, June 3 at 4 p.m. The top two seeds at Belvidere North are No. 1 Rockford Lutheran and No. 2 Belvidere. The winner of the Freeport regional plays the winner of the St. Francis regional in the second semifinal on Thursday, June 4 at 4:30 p.m. The top two seeds at Freeport are No. 1 Rock Falls and No. 2 Rochelle. The top two seeds at St. Francis are the No. 1-seeded hosts and No. 2 Aurora Central Catholic. The winners play for the sectional championship on Saturday, June 6 at 11 a.m.