State baseball: Scouting Huntley vs. St. Rita

Class 4A State Finals

Site: Silver Cross Field, Joliet

Semifinal matchups: Naperville Central (36-4) vs. Stevenson (34-3), today at 3 p.m.; St. Rita (31-9) vs. Huntley (29-9), today at 5 p.m.

Outlook: Fox Valley Conference (Valley) co-champ Huntley competes in the state finals for the first time in school history. The Red Raiders are the fourth team from the FVC to reach the 4A finals in as many years, preceded by Dundee-Crown (2007), 2008 champion Prairie Ridge and Cary-Grove (2009).

St. Rita makes its fourth state finals appearance, all since 2004, and its second straight. The Mustangs were nipped in the 2009 title game by New Trier, 4-3.

Both teams have boppers in their lineups, but games in Joliet are decided more often than not by pitching, defense and minimizing mistakes. Whichever team most effectively pressures the other's defense can gain the upper hand.

"When they get runners on, they're going to try to run or fake bunt, try to steal," Huntley coach Andy Jakubowski said of St. Rita. "They're going to try to take you out of your element.

"We're going to have to do a lot of stuff in terms of picks, make sure we're in the proper bunt coverage, things of that nature. We're going to let our kids know they're going to try to put pressure on you. Make sure your off infielder is staying home on hit-and-runs and make them go to the pull side."

St. Rita will take a similar fundamental approach.

"We know we need to execute, we know we need to stay out of the big innings, we know we need to do the little things to win," Mustangs coach Mike Zunica said. "We know they're going to be a great baseball team. Obviously, they're in the Final Four so they're hot. We're treating them like the best team we've played all year."

Zunica said Wednesday he intends to throw one of his lefties against the Red Raiders. Northern Illinois-bound senior Anthony Andres is 10-3 with an ERA of 3.38 in 681/3 innings. He pitched Monday in a 3-1 win over Andrew at the Crestwood supersectional. The other lefty is junior Joe Filomeno (7-2, 4.97 ERA, 68 strikeouts, 47 walks), who is verbally committed to Louisville.

"We know they have two power lefties in their rotation, so offensively we're going to have to be short and quick to the baseball and try to bang that right-center gap," Jakubowski said. "Ultimately, if we play the game like we did against Wheaton North - get good pitching, get good defense, try to keep that leadoff hitter off - I like our chances."

In a 2-1 victory over Wheaton North at the Rockford supersectional, the Red Raiders played errorless defense and pitchers Jake Staab (5-1, 3-00 ERA, 49 IP), Jeremy Ahillen (9-1, 2.70, 70) and St. Xavier-bound Chris Klein (6-4, 2.01, 552/3) combined to hold the Falcons to a lone run on 7 hits.

Huntley will face a potent Mustangs lineup. Sophomore leadoff hitter Zach Soria hits .315 with 43 runs scored. He's followed by Holy Cross recruit Kyle Stearns (.388, 15 2B), Arizona State-bound Mark Payton (.441, 12 2B, 9 HR, 41 RBI), Filomeno (.459, school record tying 14 HR, 63 RBI) and sophomore Stefano Belmonte (.375, 14 2B, 11 HR, 52 RBI).

"I'd say the meat of the order, power-wise, makes this one of our better hitting teams," Zunica said.

Huntley counters with second baseman Andre Sopena (.345, 36 runs), left fielder Carlos Alvarez (.311, 14 2B), Klein (.433, 12 2B, 8 HR, 41 RBI), catcher Phil Pupillo (.362, 7 2B, 4 HR, 42 RBI), first baseman Tom Crohan (.356, 13 2B, 41 RBI), Zach Staab (.339) and shortstop Matt Szytz (.400, 22 RBI). The Red Raiders start two talented freshmen: third baseman Bryce Only (.278, 7 HR, 24 RBI) and right fielder Collin Lyman (.356).

The winner will play the winner of Stevenson vs. Naperville Central for the title. Stevenson beat the Redhawks, 10-4, on April 10.

The North Suburban Conference champion Patriots made the state finals for the first time, led by pitchers Tyler Radtke (9-0, 1.68) and Kyle Ruchim (7-2, 1.19). Northwestern-bound Ruchim is hitting .458 with 16 doubles and 11 home runs.

DuPage Valley Conference champion Naperville Central makes its third state finals appearance, directed by 29th-year coach Bill Seiple. The Redhawks reached state in 1969 and won the Class AA title in 2006. The pitching staff is headed by lefty Shane Conlon (11-0, 1.21) and Dan Ludwig (8-0, 1.62). Conlon, a Kansas State signee, played for St. Rita last season. He went 2-for-4 in the title game but struck out to end the game with the tying run at second base. Conlon tossed a 4-hitter to beat O'Fallon in the Bloomington supersectional, 3-2.

Title game: Semifinal winners advance to the state championship game Saturday at approximately 5 p.m. Semifinal losers play for third-place at 3 p.m.