Craig Lipp: Co-captain Fox Valley baseball

The face of Huntley baseball is streaked.

The eye black starts under senior Craig Lipp's eyes and curves down both sides of the center fielder's face.

A three-year varsity starter who coach Andy Jakubowski called "the face of Huntley baseball," Lipp could buy eye black in bulk.

Catcher Jimmy Gordon wears it the same way. It's their exercise in intimidation via cosmetology, particularly when Lipp pitches. The two picked up the idea after watching players in the College World Series turn eye black into something akin to medieval war paint.

"I think they think it makes them look cool," Jakubowski said. "Maybe a little intimidating as well. But they're having fun."

Even if Lipp had gone grease-less all season, he still would have had fun intimidating players throughout the northwest suburbs with his strong left arm and dangerous left-handed bat.

The 17-year-old made a full-time return to the mound this season for the first time since his freshman year and turned in a tremendous performance for a team that won 30 games and its first regional title since 1987.

Lipp leads the area with an ERA of 0.91 in 691/3 innings. He has allowed just 9 earned runs all season. He has 82 strikeouts compared to 24 walks, and opponents are hitting just .181 against him.

At the plate Lipp continued to be one of the area's top sluggers. A three-time Daily Herald all-area pick, he is hitting .333 entering Thursday's Class 4A DeKalb sectional semifinal against Cary-Grove. He owns a team-best slugging percentage of .669. Of his 42 hits, 26 have been for extra bases (16 doubles, a triple, 9 home runs).

For these reasons Craig Lipp of Huntley has been named honorary co-captain of the 2009 Daily Herald Fox Valley all-area baseball team. He shares the honor with slugger Brian Brauer of Streamwood.

Lipp's three-year totals demonstrate his consistent approach at the plate. As a Huntley varsity player he has hit .356 (124-for-348) with 43 doubles, 7 triples, 19 home runs, 101 RBI and 104 runs scored.

Told he would be called upon to join the rotation as a senior, Lipp worked all winter perfecting a changeup to go with his fastball and biting curve. He threw at least once a week with a coach from his summer team, the McHenry County Hurricanes, and learned to throw the changeup for strikes in big situations. For the first time he was a three-pitch pitcher.

"My curveball has always been fine, but my changeup I could sometimes overthrow or not throw so accurate," Lipp said. "This year I've improved it to the point I can throw it for strikes as an out pitch. It's a lot better than before."

Baseball runs in Lipp's Lake in the Hills family. Older brothers Dan and Matt both played for Huntley. Dan went on to play at Monmouth College and McHenry County College.

Craig Lipp will play at the next level, too. It's just a question of which level. He made a commitment early last winter to join the outstanding baseball program at Heartland Community College in Normal. However, his long-term dream is to play at the professional level, perhaps soon.

"I have been talking to one scout and there's a chance I could possibly be drafted," said Lipp. "If I'm not, hopefully, after college I can get a chance. That's one of my biggest goals, to try to play professionally."

Joining coach Nate Metzger's program at Heartland is the perfect option if the sweet-swinging center fielder is not selected during Major League Baseball's First-Year Player Draft, which takes place June 9-11. Unlike players at four-year programs, who must wait three years to be drafted a second time, junior college players are eligible again after a year.

"We've had some scouts out here to look at him this year and we're keeping our fingers crossed at draft time," Jakubowski said. "If not, he goes to Heartland. He has a great place to play and coach Metzger does a great job down there. He'll get noticed and re-evaluated after a year. Then we'll see what happens. But that's his ultimate dream - to play pro ball."

Lipp isn't a mouthy player, just one Jakubowski will talk about years after his graduation.

"I'd say he's the best all-around player I've ever coached," Jakubowski said. "He has a workmanlike attitude. He never shows any emotion. He's a quiet person, but he leads by example. I love the kid. I hope he does well. He's exactly what a high school athlete or an athlete in general should be all about."

Lipp has accomplished his primary goal of helping Huntley (30-6-1) win its first regional championship since 1987. Another goal, winning the Fox Division of the Fox Valley Conference, didn't materialize. Huntley took two out of three from defending Class 4A champion Prairie Ridge, but the Wolves won the division by a game.

Nevertheless, Lipp takes solace in the series win against PR, a rival that swept his Red Raiders a year ago. He'll remember the first game of the Prairie Ridge series in particular, when he swatted a 2-run home run that staked Huntley to a 3-0 lead in a game it eventually won 3-1.

"I'd have to say that was my most memorable hit in high school," Lipp said. "To be able to beat PR like that was just awesome. Last year they beat us three times, so for us to get that first win of the series against them was huge."

Heartland C.C. recruited Lipp as a hitter, but an ERA of 0.91 could alter the plan slightly. If given the choice, would "Lipper" prefer to hit or pitch?

"I've always just been more of a hitter," he said. "I know I did good pitching this year, but I enjoy hitting off pitchers."

On the mound or at the plate, Lipp is sure to intimidate opponents at the next level with his talent. Eye black or not.

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>All-Area Teams</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Cook County</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=298406"><B>Softball</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298405">Softball captain: Nikki Goranson</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298398"><B>Baseball</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298397">Baseball captain: Jon Carlson</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298403"><B>Girls soccer</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298402">Soccer captains: Laura Mayer, Mary Kubiuk</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298401"><B>Boys volleyball</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298400">Volleyball captain: Chris Falknor</a></li> </ul> <h2>DuPage County</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=298388"><B>Softball</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298392">Softball captain: Hannah Santora</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298388"><B>Baseball</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298582">Baseball captain: Jack DeAno</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298391"><B>Girls soccer</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298394">Soccer captain: Leah Fortune</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298390"><B>Boys volleyball</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298393">Volleyball captain: Joe Kelly</a></li> </ul> <h2>Fox Valley</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=298362">Softball captain: Kimberly Pierce</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298660"><B>Baseball</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298356">Baseball co-captain: Brian Brauer</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298355">Baseball co-captain: Craig Lipp</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298658"><B>Girls soccer</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298361">Soccer captain: Cori Wronski</a></li> </ul> <h2>Lake County</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=298410"><B>Softball</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298408">Softball captain: Olivia Duehr</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298407"><B>Baseball</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298396">Baseball captain: Chas Evans</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298404"><B>Girls soccer</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298409">Soccer captain: Courtney Levy</a></li> </ul> <h2>Tri-Cities</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=298385"><B>Softball</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298383"><B>Baseball</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298382"><B>Girls soccer</B></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>