Scouting the Northwest Class 3A/4A baseball postseason
Class 4A
Barrington sectional
Regional hosts: Libertyville, Lake Zurich, Mundelein, Stevenson
Top four seeds: 1. Stevenson, 2. Warren, 3. Carmel, 4. Mundelein
Outlook: Can anyone break up Lake County's "fab four?" North Suburban Conference champion Stevenson has overcome preseason pitching troubles behind Northwestern-bound SS-P Kyle Ruchim leading a solid lineup and hopes this is the year it breaks through to the state tourney. It would face either Mid-Suburban West champ Fremd, led by P Clint Terry, or hard-hitting Prospect and UIC-bound John Coen in a regional final. Warren, behind Virginia Tech-bound C Scott Heelan, looks to regroup after struggling down the stretch and East Suburban Catholic Conference champion Carmel has a potent lineup led by Northern Illinois-bound 1B Chris DiVarco, Paul Poirier and Jimmy Spagna. Mundelein had another solid season but is in a difficult regional with No. 5 Hersey, the MSL East champs led by Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne P Steve Danielak and a powerful lineup with no easy outs. No. 6 Libertyville gets a chance to avenge a sectional semifinal loss last year to No. 10 Barrington, which has had strong pitching all year and had Jackson Lundmark and Tyler Tureck step up with its 1-2 punch of Illinois-bound Rob McDonnell and Sean Buchholz out with arm trouble. Potentially dangerous teams are No. 11 Highland Park, which won its last five Central Suburban games to share the North title, No. 13 Palatine with SS Cody Bobbit leading a strong lineup and P Byron Skinner at the Mundelein regional and No. 14 Buffalo Grove with its 1-2 hitting/pitching duo of Jeremy Salzman and Greg Sanders at Libertyville. Both MSL teams played well down the stretch to finish a game out in their division races.
Larkin sectional
No. 1 seeds at regionals: Cary-Grove (host), Huntley (host), South Elgin (at Dundee-Crown), Rockford Boylan (at Machesney Park Harlem).
Outlook: The IHSA seeded this sectional by predetermined regional groups rather than in a sectional complex format. Cary had a slow start after losing its top two pitchers from last year's fourth-place state finisher, but Kevin Weber has stepped up and SS Chris Waylock is a tough out. The Conant-Rolling Meadows winner gets the Trojans while Fox Valley contender McHenry opens with Hoffman Estates, which made an early run at the MSL West title. Two Fremd grads leading their programs to success are Andy Jakubowski at Huntley and Jim Kating at South Elgin. Schaumburg opens with one of Streamwood's better teams in recent years and Boylan is led by SIU-bound P-1B Tyler Dray and Valparaiso-bound SS-OF Michael Morman.
Niles West sectional
Regional hosts: Leyden, Notre Dame, Glenbrook South, New Trier
Top four seeds: 1. Maine South, 2. Evanston, 3. Glenbrook South, 4. Notre Dame
Outlook: An interesting field considering defending 4A state champ New Trier is a No. 5 seed after a slow start with Illinois-bound junior OF Charlie Tilson. Maine South and Illinois-bound P-OF Ronnie Muck bounced the Trevians from the top spot in the Central Suburban South. CSL North co-champ Maine West and four-year starting OF Tommy Ross had some early adversity but hope to avoid an early exit with a potential regional final against Notre Dame. Leyden got a No. 6 seed but has two solid pitchers in Illinois State-bound Dan Savas and Jeremy Stawychny for its opener with Niles West and what it hopes is a shot at Maine South in the regional final.
St. Charles East sectional
Regional hosts: Elk Grove, Geneva, Wheaton North, Willowbrook
Top four seeds: 1. St. Charles North, 2. Wheaton North, 3. Willowbrook, 4. Geneva.
Outlook: St. Charles North emerged as one of the Chicago-area's top programs behind Nebraska-bound SS Ryan Richardson and Central Michigan-bound C Matt Stevens, but it didn't get an easy draw having to go to Elk Grove and possibly open with the hosts, who haven't been close to the season it expected but do have potential solid pitching in Southern Illinois-bound 3B Donny Duschinsky and Kyle Pfister. Well-tested are Wheaton North from the DuPage Valley and Willowbrook and SIU-bound P Brian Monette from the West Suburban Gold. Geneva P Riley Perry, an Oakton recruit, could have a tough regional final with No. 5 St. Charles East, which has been solid in its first year under former Conant player, Fremd and Palatine assistant and Prairie Ridge head coach Dave Haskins. York is led by Bradley-bound P Steve Adkins.
Class 3A
Johnsburg sectional
No. 1 seeds at regionals: St. Viator (at Elmwood Park), Marian Central Catholic (host), Grayslake Central (host), Glenbard South (host)
Outlook: This sectional was also seeded by predetermined regionals . St. Viator has struggled the last two weeks but veteran pitchers Julian Sipiora and Brendan King hope to lead a run similar to what they did in getting to the basketball supersectionals. The Lions could open with No. 4 Ridgewood, which just won their game last week and has 20 wins. Easily the toughest regional is at Grayslake Central, where the hosts finished fourth last year and return hard-hitting Hofstra recruit Angelo Gargano and SIU-bound P Matt Murphy. The Rams will be challenged by No. 2 Lakes, the North Suburban Prairie champ led by a dynamic mound duo of D.J. Snelton (Minnesota) and junior Nick Hibbing (Iowa). Hard-throwing P Dave Luczak leads Marian Central.