Fox Valley All-Area baseball team

John Amann | Jacobs

A three-year varsity starter and a repeat all-area selection, Amann was not only his team's best hitter but its most unselfish. The senior hit .412 (42-for-101), a team-high, and led the Golden Eagles in doubles (8), home runs (11), walks (15), slugging percentage (.822) and on-base percentage (.535). He was hit by pitches 12 times, another team high. "He was always the consummate team player," Jacobs coach Eric Sanders said. "We were only hit by pitches 23 times as a team and he took 12 of them. It shows character and the type of unselfish player he was." Amann's 11 home runs were the second-highest total in the area. He will play at Judson University next season.

Brian Brauer | Streamwood

A unanimous all-Upstate Eight selection and the honorary co-captain of the Daily Herald all-area team, this three-year varsity starter led the area in batting average (.538), hits (64), triples (3), home runs (15) and RBI (61). His total of 15 home runs is the most in a single season by any high school baseball player in the history of the Fox Valley area, tying him for No. 26 on the state's all-time list. "Our entire team got a lot better this year, but I think all the kids admired and looked up to Brian," Streamwood coach Steve Diversey said. "He was the main reason behind our success." Brauer, who will play at Judson University next season, also smacked 12 doubles, stole 17 bases in 17 attempts and finished with a slugging percentage of 1.041.

Drew Buddle | South Elgin

South Elgin's shortstop trailblazed more gaps than Lewis & Clark. Buddle led the area with 16 doubles. "Drew has really come into his own," Storm coach Jim Kating said. "He worked hard in the off-season. He has really dedicated himself to getting better and making those around him better. I think that will show up even more next year." Buddle finished the season as the area's third-leading hitter with a .482 batting average (53-for-110). The junior drew 11 walks, hit 1 home run, scored 32 runs and drove in 23. An all-Upstate Eight Conference pick, he slugged .655 and reached base safely in 54 percent of his at-bats.

Eric Chandler | Cary-Grove

Also named to the Daily Herald all-area football team last fall, this junior forced his way into a talented lineup by producing. Chandler is a natural catcher, but the position was already filled by talented incumbent Luke Mottashed. Chandler batted in the designated hitter spot and never stopped hitting. He was eventually moved to left field and impressed with his glovework as the season progressed. He bats leadoff for the Fox Valley (Valley) and Class 4A regional champs. Entering Thursday's sectional semifinal against Huntley, he was hitting .429 (45-for-105) with 7 doubles, 2 triples, 2 home runs and 26 RBI. He has an on-base percentage of .500, has stolen 13 bases in 18 attempts and has scored 31 runs. "He is having a great year in the leadoff spot for a junior," Cary-Grove coach Don Sutherland said. "He hits the ball to all fields, steals bases and he has surprised me by playing left field so well."

Riley Coleman | St. Edward

Also named to the Daily Herald all-area basketball team, this four-year varsity starter developed into the team ace and led the St. Edward baseball program to its first regional title since 2005. Coleman went 8-2 with a 1.88 ERA in 67 innings. The senior was third among area pitchers with 84 strikeouts with only 15 walks. He led the Green Wave (18-13) to its first winning season in four years and a Class 2A sectional title-game appearance. "He was a bona fide, dominant No. 1 ace, something we haven't had in awhile," St. Edward coach Gene Belmonte said. "He pitched against the other team's best pitchers usually and never blinked." At the plate Coleman hit .317 (26-for-94) with 5 doubles and 22 RBI. Coleman plans to attend the University of Illinois-Chicago and hopes to make the team as a walk-on next season.

Tanner Funke | Huntley

The area strikeout king, Funke had fanned 98 batters and walked just 16 in 782/3 innings entering Thursday's Class 4A sectional semifinal against Cary-Grove. The Southern Illinois University-bound senior has a record of 9-3 with an ERA of 1.78 and averages 8.7 strikeouts per seven-inning game. "Tanner has been a dominant force on the mound for us this year," Huntley coach Andy Jakubowski said. "He comes to practices and games, goes hard and tries to get better. I'm pleased he pitched more to contact this year and cut down on his walks." Funke is no slouch at the plate either. The lefty is hitting .378 (42-for-111) with 8 doubles, 3 home runs and 20 RBI.

Jimmy Gordon | Huntley

While other players were struggling to get warm in April's cold, wet conditions, Huntley's senior catcher had already caught fire. Gordon opened the season with an 18-game hitting streak and didn't stop hitting until a hand injury kept him from gripping the bat for the past two weeks. He entered Thursday's Class 4A sectional semifinal against Cary-Grove hitting .464 (32-for-69) with 7 doubles and 20 RBI. The Judson University recruit also has a rocket for an arm. "As good as he was offensively, he was just as valuable for us with his defense, blocking pitches and throwing runners out," Huntley coach Andy Jakubowski said.

Nick Hahn | Burlington Central

Previously unheralded, this sophomore made a name for himself with a record-breaking first varsity season. Hahn (11-0) pitched his way into the Central record book by winning his school-record 11th game Monday in a 6-5 victory over Kaneland for a Class 3A regional title. He has an ERA of 1.77 in 591/3 innings with 34 strikeouts and 22 walks. This season he beat the likes of Western Sun champion Batavia, Geneva and Streamwood, not to mention Miami-bound Johnsburg ace Jerad Grundy. "You never expect a sophomore to come out and do something like that," Burlington Central coach Kyle Nelson said. "He's a real talented and competitive kid. Put those things together and you get this kind of a season." Hahn is also a force at the plate. Entering Thursday's Class 3A sectional semifinal against Rock Island, he was hitting .419 (36-for-86) with 8 doubles, a triple, 4 home runs and 27 RBI.

Austin Jarvis | Burlington Central

Championship baseball teams have great catchers. Jarvis filled that role for the undefeated Big Northern East and Class 3A regional champion Rockets. A repeat all-area selection as a junior, Jarvis entered Thursday's sectional semifinal against Rock Island with the area's second-highest batting average of .489 (45-for-92). He also hit 12 doubles, a triple, 6 home runs and 24 RBI. His go-ahead 3-run home run against Kaneland on Monday snapped a 3-3 tie and proved to be the difference in 6-5 title-game victory. He is arguably just as important for his defense. "He's going to hit, but his real value is defensively," Central coach Kyle Nelson said. "He threw out well over 60 percent of basestealers this year. It got to the point teams would just completely shut down their running games."

Justin Kalusa | Larkin

A unanimous all-Upstate Eight Conference selection, this fleet-of-foot center fielder is one of the best hitters in the area. He entered Wednesday's Class 4A sectional semifinal against Hononegah hitting .471 (49-for-104) with 9 doubles, 3 triples, 5 home runs and 24 RBI. He drew 13 walks, reached base at a .559 clip, stole 7 bags, and scored 37 runs. Kalusa committed only 4 errors while patrolling center field and saved several runs with running catches. "He's a special athlete period," Larkin coach Matt Esterino said. "He's a hardworking kid, very coachable. He had a great year last year, so every team knew about him. They either pitched around him or tried to pitch carefully to him and he still had a great year, which tells you a lot about him." On the mound, Kalusa is 4-1 with 40 strikeouts and an ERA of 2.95 in 38 innings. He will play for Elgin Community College next season.

Ryan Kiesel | Streamwood

An all-area pick as a sophomore, this senior was a sparkplug at the top of the order for the Sabres in 2009. Named all-Upstate Eight Conference, the three-year varsity shortstop hit .470 (55-for-117) with 12 doubles, 3 triples, 3 home runs and 19 RBI and finished with a slugging percentage of .701. He set the table for an offense that outscored opponents 226-192 by getting on base in 53.3 percent of his at-bats. "He had a great year," Streamwood coach Steve Diversey. "It seemed like Ryan would always be on base in the first inning for one of our guys to knock him in. It's always better to play with a 1-0 lead." Kiesel drew 17 walks against 9 strikeouts and stole 11 bases in 11 attempts for a team that went 58-of-58 in stolen base attempts.

Kyle Kinyon | South Elgin

An all-Upstate Eight Conference pick, this junior was mainly a catcher but was versatile enough to play third base, first base and pitch. Kinyon enjoyed a big year at the plate, hitting .419 (44-for-105) with 11 doubles, 2 triples, a home run, 23 RBI and 25 runs scored. He slugged .590, stole 5 bases in 9 attempts and finished with more walks (11) than strikeouts (6). "He worked very hard in the off-season on his flexibility and his hitting, and he always threw well," South Elgin coach Jim Kating said. "He still has more offensive skills to work on. I don't think we've seen the top yet of what Kyle can do." In 4 appearances on the mound, Kinyon went 3-0 with a 2.02 ERA.

Kent Larson | Hampshire

A two-time all-area selection, this junior pitcher fulfilled the prophecy of Hampshire coach Steve Ream, who said of Larson in this very space a year ago "He should be even better next year." Ream was spot on correct. Larson improved on his sophomore year ERA of 1.76 in 631/3 innings by lowering it as a junior to 1.46 in 72 innings. The left-hander finished the season with a record of 9-2, struck out 75, walked 26 and allowed just 1 home run to the 296 batters he faced. Larson held opposing lineups to 15 earned runs on 55 hits, only 6 of which were extra-base hits.

Zach Liebman | Huntley

This senior right-hander enjoyed a breakout season for a team that won 30 games and a Class 4A regional title. Committed to Judson University, Liebman entered Thursday's sectional semifinal game against Cary-Grove with a record of 9-1 in 10 starts, 2 shutouts, an ERA of 1.72 in 65 innings, 65 strikeouts and 15 walks. Opposing lineups were hitting just .208 against him. "His change of speeds is outstanding," Huntley coach Andy Jakubowski said. "He works hard, works fast, gets anything over in any count and he's not intimidated by anybody. He's taken the ball every fifth day and exceeded our expectations."

Craig Lipp | Huntley

A three-year varsity starter and three-time all-area selection, the honorary co-captain of the all-area team enjoyed a brilliant season on the mound and at the plate. As a full-time starting pitcher for the first time at the varsity level, the senior entered Thursday's Class 4A sectional semifinal against Cary-Grove with a record of 8-1 and an area-low ERA of 0.91 in 691/3 innings. He has 82 strikeouts against 24 walks, and has held opponents to a batting average of .181. The Heartland Community College recruit is one of the area's best hitters of all time. This year he hit .333 with an area-high 16 doubles, a triple, 9 home runs and 38 RBI. In his three varsity seasons combined he hit .356 (124-348) with 43 doubles, 7 triples, 19 home runs, 101 RBI and 104 runs scored. "He goes up there with a sense of purpose," Huntley coach Andy Jakubowski said. "He's looking for something middle-in that he can drive. He's a very aggressive hitter, but he has a plan."

Jon Meidel | Larkin

An all-Upstate Eight Conference selection, Meidel got in shape by playing varsity soccer for the first time last fall. He carried over his newfound agility to the baseball diamond. "The talent was always there with him, but soccer got him in shape and improved his footwork," Larkin coach Matt Esterino said. "He's been very unselfish for us as well." Meidel played seven of the nine positions before he settled in at shortstop during conference play. Entering Wednesday's Class 4A sectional semifinal against Hononegah, the senior was hitting .402 (49-for-122) with 12 doubles, a triple, 9 home runs and 41 RBI. He is third in the area in RBI and tied for fourth in doubles and home runs.

Luke Mottashed | Cary-Grove

Bound for Heartland Community College, this three-year varsity catcher is one of the area's best. "I think Luke is one of the finest catchers I've ever had, if not the best," 22nd-year Cary-Grove coach Don Sutherland said. "He is so good defensively, so good offensively and he calls a good game. Teams just don't run on him." Mottashed has thrown out 15 of 30 would-be basestealers. That's a huge imbalance in favor of the Trojans, who have stolen 92 bases themselves in 115 attempts. Mottashed has also been a force in the batter's box. The senior entered Thursday's Class 4A sectional semifinal against Huntley hitting .429 (54-for-126) with 11 doubles, 1 triple, 6 home runs, 31 RBI and a slugging percentage of .675.

Matt Nelsen | Cary-Grove

Spotless again. After finishing his junior season 8-0, this senior right-hander entered Thursday's Class 4A sectional semifinal against Huntley with a 10-0 record and an ERA of 3.44 in 63 innings pitched. He has completed 6 of the 10 games he has started, winning 2 by shutout. Last Saturday he lasted 62/3 innings in the Trojans' 11-5 regional title-game victory over defending state champion Prairie Ridge. A repeat all-area baseball selection also named to the Daily Herald all-area football team last fall, Nelsen has struck out 43 and walked 25. The Trojans' cleanup hitter has been tearing it up for a team that has won 28 games. A third baseman when he doesn't pitch, Nelsen is hitting .375 (39-for-104) with 11 doubles, 4 home runs, 36 RBI and has scored 22 runs. "He's just been a tremendous asset to this team, both at the plate and on the mound," Cary-Grove coach Don Sutherland said.

Greg Partyka | Bartlett

Bartlett's catcher punishes baseballs. "He hit balls harder than anyone I've seen in my career," Bartlett coach Chris Pemberton said. "He came in and did it right away. As a junior they threw him every pitch they could throw him and he hit the ball to all fields with power and put a lot of teams in tough spots as far as what they could throw to get him out." Few teams ever figured out how to pitch Partyka. The 6-foot-3, 235-pound left-hander finished fourth in the area with a batting average of .475 (47-for-99), third in home runs (10) and second in RBI (42). An all-Upstate Eight pick, he drew 12 walks and struck out only eight times.

Bo Price | Hampshire

The quintessential leadoff man, this senior speedster executed at the top of the order for Hampshire. Price reached base 66 times in 126 plate appearances for an on-base percentage of .524. Once on the base paths, he was normally given the green light. Price tormented opposing pitchers and catchers for 28 stolen bases, tops in the area this season. An honorable mention all-area wide receiver in football, he finished his senior year hitting .381 (40-for-105) with 4 doubles, 3 triples, 1 home run, 17 RBI and 35 runs scored. He also drew 16 walks, was hit by pitches twice and was safe on 9 errors by the opposition.

Devin Rowland | Bartlett

Bartlett needed a pitcher to step to the fore and senior Devin Rowland heeded the call. The right-hander softened the loss of the team's injured ace by turning in a terrific season. Rowland won his final 8 decisions to finish 8-1 with a .198 ERA in 492/3 innings. The all-Upstate Eight selection was at his best in league play, when he allowed just 1 earned run for an ERA of 0.34. "We needed someone to give us a good outing every time he took the mound, and Devin was that guy for us," Bartlett coach Chris Pemberton said. "He righted the ship and his record speaks for itself." Rowland struck out 56 hitters and walked 29. In 58 at-bats, Rowland hit .328 with 2 doubles, 1 triple, 1 home run and 13 RBI.

Brandon Siewert | Westminster Christian

A repeat all-area selection, this leader helped the Westminster Christian baseball program bridge heavy graduation and finish with a 26-9 record in 2009. "Coming into this year we were looking for him to put the team first and himself second, and that's exactly what he did," Westminster Christian coach Jeff Moeller said. "His leadership helped us a lot. He was focused on doing what was best for the team and did a great job." At the plate Siewert finished eighth in the area with a .453 batting average (43-for-95). He finished third in doubles (14) and tied for eighth in RBI (31). He also tripled, hit 4 home runs and slugged .747. On the mound, the 6-foot-3, 220-pound senior went 9-4 with an ERA of 2.48 in 632/3 innings. He struck out 52 and walked 14.

Chris Waylock | Cary-Grove

Special teams boast special players, and this outstanding junior shortstop fits the bill. Waylock has been the catalyst for Cary-Grove's 28-win season at the plate, on the bases and in the field. He entered Thursday's Class 4A sectional semifinal against Huntley hitting .459 (50-for-109) with 5 doubles, 3 triples, 8 home runs and 39 RBI. "He toyed with .500 most of the year, and we don't play many easy teams or face many easy pitchers," Cary-Grove coach Don Sutherland said. Waylock has stolen 25 bases in 27 attempts and has scored an area-best 52 runs. A hard-throwing, quick-release shortstop with great range, he has a .927 fielding percentage with 85 assists and 54 putouts against 11 errors.

Alex VanNess | Bartlett

After playing third base last season, this senior accepted a move to left field to make room in the lineup for another bat. "He was very unselfish," first-year Bartlett coach Chris Pemberton said. "A great team guy and a good guy overall to have around. He gave his heart in everything he did." VanNess excelled at the plate for a team that finished 21-13. He hit .441 (45-for-102) with 10 doubles, a triple, 5 home runs and drove in 18. The leadoff man stole 9 bases, and his 43 runs were the third most in the area. He drew 18 walks compared to 13 strikeouts and finished the year with an on-base percentage of .528 and a slugging percentage of .706. In 221/3 innings on the mound, mostly in relief, he went 2-2 with 3 saves.

James Vazquez | Crystal Lake South

This second baseman was the constant offensive force for a squad that finished the season 21-13. An SIU-Edwardsville recruit, Vazquez led the Gators with a batting average of .434 (43-for-99). He tied for the team lead in doubles (11), socked 3 home runs and drove in a team-best 31 runs while scoring 32, also tying him for team honors. He stole 18 bases for a running club that swiped 101. "James has improved his game every year he was at CLS," coach Brian Bogda said. "He continues to amaze me with his glove and bat. He is the complete team player." Vazquez was awarded his school's highest athletic honor at the spring awards night: a place on the CL South Wall of Fame.

<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>