Baseball: Lake County team previews
NORTH SUBURBAN LAKE
Lake Zurich
Coach: Gary Simon (8th year)
Last season: 24-10 (9-3 NSC Lake)
Key players graduated: P Kirk Porter (Army), P Jimmy LaPlume (Western Illinois), OF Matt Gilhooly, OF Kevin Callahan, C Matt Johlie
Returning players: IF/OF Reid Bergstrom, sr., P/1B Steve Cleary, sr., P/IF Joey DeBernardis, sr., IF/OF Cory Halicke, sr., P Ryan Morrill, sr., C Tim Nolan, sr., 3B/P Peter Romanello, sr., OF/IF Austin Schmeiser, sr., OF/1B Brock Simon, sr., P/1B Dan Zummo, sr., IF/OF/C/P Tanner Witt, jr.
Newcomers: IF/P Sam Aslan, jr., 3B/P Austin Cox, jr., 1B/C Scott DeGraeve, jr., OF/P Ricky Erickson, jr., IF/P Chas Evans, jr., OF/P Logan Matthews, jr., OF/P Mike Miller, jr., C Peter Sandsteadt, jr., 1B/P Tyler Schmitz, jr., OF/P Greg Shireman, jr.
Outlook: Lake Zurich rolled up a school-record 24 wins last year and advanced to the North Suburban Conference title game as well as a regional championship. But since the Bears lost both of those big games, they spent the off-season feeling quite dissatisfied. "Our motto this year is 'Finish,'" Lake Zurich coach Gary Simon said. "We had a good season last year and at one point we won 13 games in a row, but we didn't finish the job. We wanted to win conference and go far in the (state) tournament and we didn't do that. We want to finish the job this year."...The Bears are off to a good start after advancing all the way to the Elite Eight of the summer state baseball tournament last summer. "Confidence-wise, I think that will really help," Simon said...It will also help to have all-conference standout Joey DeBernardis back. The senior infielder and pitcher has already committed to Penn State. He's been on the varsity for four years and has looked impressive on the mound in the preseason. The Bears should also get plenty of quality innings out of Danny Zummo, Ryan Morrill, Tanner Witt and lefties Brock Simon and Ricky Erickson. "I would say that 15 of our 21 guys can pitch," Simon said. "We're going to have a lot of depth there. Pitching will be key for us, but I think defense and hitting will also be a strength. I think we'll be a very even-balanced team."
Libertyville
Coach: Jim Schurr (6th year)
Last season: 23-11 (8-4 NSC Lake)
Key players graduated: C/P Joey Bowens (Creighton), P/3B Josh Albers (Carthage), P/1B/OF/C Ryan Kennedy (Miami of Ohio, football)
Returning players: OF Chase Guarnaccio, sr., OF Tim Matheson, sr., IF Jeremy Butler, sr., IF/P Joey Aiello, sr., P Jacob Booden, sr., P Jeff Jenkins, sr., DH/1B Lee Gough, sr., 2B Louis Educate, sr., 3B Tom Jacobson, sr., C Mason Reiff, sr.
Newcomers: IF/OF Clint Carlson, jr., IF/P Lucas Guarnaccio, jr., IF/OF Kevin Johns, jr., C/IF Jon Lewis, jr., OF Mike Styler, jr., P/IF Mike Seefeldt, jr., OF/P Adam Quinn, jr., IF Campbell Stemper, jr, C Chad Uhler, soph., P/IF Brooks McDowell, jr., P Troy Barton, jr., C Chad Uhler, soph.
Outlook: With barely enough time to catch his breath, Libertyville coach Jim Schurr went straight from coaching the Wildcats in the spring to coaching Libertyville's Legion team in the summer. No wonder he's so excited about his team this spring. He's spent enough time with his players to know that they are dripping with potential. "This team could have a nice run," said Schurr, who guided the Legion team to the quarterfinals of the state tournament. "I like our pitching and I really like our outfield. We've got three of the fastest guys out there that I've had in my 10 years at Libertyville (part of which came as an assistant coach)."...Libertyville's outfield is anchored by speed demons Chase Guarnaccio, who has committed to Air Force, Tim Matheson and Adam Quinn, who is new to the team this year. Meanwhile, the pitching staff is very seasoned. Jacob Booden, Jeremy Butler and Jeff Jenkins all got some time on the mound last year. Add in Troy Barton and the Wildcats have a solid core...Barton and Booden team up to give Libertyville one of the most intimidating pitching staffs in the northern suburbs. Barton is 6-foot-5 while Booden is 6-foot-6. Booden has already committed to Bradley. "I like those guys a lot," Schurr said. "I like their mound presence and Booden has some big-game experience. I think one of our strengths this year will be our pitching." The Wildcats are also looking forward to watching the progress of two new pitchers -- juniors Brooks McDowell and Mike Seefeldt.
Mundelein
Coach: Todd Parola (14th year)
Last season: 25-11 (6-6 NSC Lake)
Key players graduated: OF Mike Petti (Carthage), IF Zak Riseon (Carthage), 3B Steve Knowles (Wisconsin Whitewater), OF Wade Leppert (Iowa, football), P Dan Smart, IF/P Sean Black, IF/P Joe Burns, C Nick Morrissey, P/OF Chris Sweno.
Returning players: IF Alex Ahonen, sr., IF Vince Wong, sr., OF/P Mark VanderVennet, sr., IF/OF/P Colton Portorello, jr., P Eric Rohe, sr., 1B/OF Jack Walliser, sr., OF Zack Adams, sr., C Kyle Preuss, sr., C Brad Medina, sr., P/1B Justin Piasecki, sr., IF Jamie Baldwin, sr., OF Matt Parssinen, sr., OF Marc Neff, sr., IF Matt Gerus, sr.
Newcomers: IF Jimmy Cantagallo, jr., IF Justin Button, sr., 3B/P Jay Mueller, jr., OF Jack Cunnion, jr., IF Kevin Barber, jr., OF Dylan Smith, jr., P Ian McDermott, jr., P Sam Carrasco, jr., OF Anthony Cancelli, jr.
Outlook: This is exactly what the Mustangs didn't knee-d. Another knee injury. Last year, Mundelein lost star catcher Nick Morrissey for much of the season to a knee injury. That scenario is replaying itself this spring. This year, the Mustangs have already lost one of their top pitchers, Justin Piasecki, to a knee injury suffered in preseason practice. He was scheduled for surgery on Friday and will likely miss a minimum of four to six weeks. "And if things don't go well with his surgery, he could be out the whole year," Mundelein coach Todd Parola said. "That changes things a lot for us. Justin was one of two pitchers for us (Eric Rohe being the other) who had some real dominant outings toward the end of the summer while playing (American) Legion ball. It's really too bad. He really worked hard and put the time in and was going to have a real solid season for us...Both Piasecki and Rohe picked up six wins for the Mustangs last spring and also got more than 50 strikeouts. Rohe got the win in Mundelein's regional championship game. It was Mundelein's third regional championship in a row. "He's very durable and competitive and he throws a lot of strikes," Parola said of Rohe. "He doesn't walk many people. He'll have to pick up the slack for us a little bit."...Defensively, Parola says that every position but one is up for grabs. Junior Dylan Smith is coming off a spectacular summer and has locked up a starting spot in centerfield. "The competition in practice so far has been outstanding and that's good for us," Parola said. "We've got a lot of guys who are solid defensively. It's really going to depend on who's hitting."
Stevenson
Coach: Paul Mazzuca (1st year)
Last season: 25-10 (16-3 NSC)
Key players graduated: P Jon Rubin, 1B Mike Borok, OF David Daar
Returning players: IF Walter Weiner, sr., IF Evan Leturno, sr., P/OF Corey Kotlinski, sr., IF Dan Morales, sr., OF David Savitt, sr., P/OF Andrew Meister, sr., IF Matt Goll, sr., P Scott Firth, jr., C Jason Douglas, sr.
Newcomers: OF Pat Colbourn, jr., P/IF Michael Donovan, jr., P/IF Kyle Ruchim, soph., IF Bill Dorn, jr., P Tom Kelly, jr., P Matt Robin, jr., OF Brian Kaufman, jr., P/IF Brad Sorkin, jr., C Joe McWeeney, jr., IF Josh Lebovitz, jr., C Matt Geissler, jr., P Josh Howard, jr., OF Alex Goldman, jr.
Outlook: This is the first time in 30 years that a Stevenson team won't be coached by Bob Mackey. Mackey retired from Stevenson last spring and has spent the winter skiing in Utah. Ironically, the person who Mackey asked to check on his home here in the suburbs from time to time is the same person who has inherited his former home away from home: Paul Mazzuca. Mazzuca, a longtime assistant at Stevenson, has taken over Mackey's spot in the Stevenson dugout and is ready to put his own footprint on the program. "I spent a lot of time thinking about who I am replacing," Mazzuca said. "But once Feb. 25 (the first day of official practice) came, I got really busy and just went straight to work. There's been a lot to do. But we've also made sure to spend time talking with the kids about the Bob Mackey era and how he has laid one of the best foundations in the state of Illinois. Our job is to build on that."...Mazzuca has some good building blocks. Junior pitcher Scott Firth is drawing interest from colleges all over the country. He went 5-0 last year as a sophomore. "He's going to be our horse," Mazzuca said. "He's a hard thrower and he's got a good mental makeup, especially for being so young."...Backing up Firth will be a solid defense anchored by shortstop Dan Morales. "Dan's a quiet leader, but a real solid player who had a great football season as well. I'm looking for him to bring that toughness to baseball," Mazzuca said. "He and Firth will be our two main guys."...Mazzuca is looking forward to seeing how one of his new guys works out. Sophomore Kyle Ruchim is expected to start at second base. He'll also pitch occasionally as well.
Warren
Coach: Clint Smothers (1st year)
Last season: 16-16, 4-8 (NSC Lake)
Key players graduated: P Mario Perez (Carthage), C Brennan Drew
Returning players: P/3B Tony Roberts, sr., SS Ryan Economos, jr., 2B Mark Lavery, sr., P/1B DJ Schaefer, sr., P/1B Sean Kennedy, jr., C Mike McCann, sr., OF Reid Johnson, sr., P Nate Pass, sr., OF Vince Viverito, sr., OF Aaron Dahlke, sr., P Mike Cole, sr., P Scott Geske, sr., P/OF Ryan Pyles, sr.
Newcomers: P/3B Chad Johnson, jr., C Vince Campanella, jr., OF Joe Badini, jr., OF Ryan Brown, jr., P Marc Silverstein, jr., 1B Bobby Jones, jr., 1B Pat Walters, jr., 3B Adam Tussing, jr.
Outlook: When former Warren coach Dar Townsend announced that he would retire at the end of last season, school officials didn't have to look very far for his replacement. After spending seven years as an assistant coach for Townsend, Clint Smothers has moved up a rung to take over the top job. "I can't tell you how excited I am," said Smothers, who played football and baseball at Southern Illinois. "I never knew just how much was involved -- from shoe orders to budget issues to dealing with the media. But I love it. I'm having a lot of fun."...Smothers got to work right away. At the beginning of last summer, he put his players through a rigorous 22-week lifting program that was aimed at adding some muscle to the Blue Devil offense. "We've never been a power team," Smothers said. "We've always played small ball, mostly because of the kind of players we've had. We've never had those big, power players. I wanted to get our guys lifting, get them bigger and see what would happen." Smothers says he can already see a difference in the batting cages. His players are hitting the ball with a lot more force. "The kids really bought into it and I see a lot more strength," Smothers said. "We've got at least three guys who have gained 15 to 20 pounds just in muscle."....Smothers said that Chad Johnson, Sean Kennedy and Tony Roberts have been big gainers in the weight room. All three also happen to be among Warren's top pitchers. Kennedy returns after having logged 55 innings last year...Defensively, the Blue Devils also welcome back veteran senior outfielder Vince Viverito, who has been a starter since his freshman year.
NORTH SUBURBAN PRAIRIE
Antioch
Coach: Paul Petty (16th year)
Last season: 17-19
Key players graduated: 2B/OF Trevor Popp (North Park), C/P Craig Holst, IF Brett Paramski, OF Bjorn Jarenson
Returning players: P/1B Jim Fracek, sr., P/OF Jeff Baird, sr., C/3B Logan Kent, jr., SS/2B Andy Danna, jr., P/OF Ken Karagiorgas, jr., 3B/2B/OF Austin Grimm, sr., OF Jim Maltese, sr., OF Nick Colon, sr.
Newcomers: 2B/3B/OF Dillon Healy, jr., 1B Alec Paramski, jr., OF Cody Mathias, jr., OF/P Cody Cerbes, jr., OF Tim Runyard, jr., OF Tom Gilbert, jr., OF Max Quinett, jr., P Andy Kloster, sr., P/OF Josh Lewis, C Gage Ecklund, jr., 2B/SS Tom Sears, fr.
Outlook: In the wake of Antioch's split with sister school Lakes a few years ago, numbers have been down in the baseball program. Until now. Coach Paul Petty says that he's finally starting to see his numbers go up program-wide. "I kept 19 kids this year, which is a lot for us," Petty said. "We haven't had the numbers in recent years, but we're starting to get more and more -- at the freshman and sophomore levels, even at eighth grade night we had more kids sign up than in the past. We're starting to get better numbers and that's a good sign for the program."...Another good sign for the Sequoits is the return of their top two pitchers, seniors Jim Fracek and Jeff Baird. Along with Ken Karagiorgas, also a veteran, they'll provide a formidable starting rotation. "The pitching experience we have is a big thing," Petty said. "Those guys know what they need to do. They know what's expected at this level. They've played a lot of varsity ball and that should help us."...Offensively, Antioch will get some power from Fracek and Logan Kent, but will usually need to look for other ways to generate runs. "We're going to have to be creative offensively," Petty said. "We've got some explosive hitting. But I think for the most part, we're going to have to work hard to find creative ways to win, like by bunting (or stealing bases)."...Petty is looking forward to seeing how one of his rookies develops. And we mean rookie. Freshman Tom Sears was promoted to varsity and will likely start at either second base or shortstop. "I haven't brought up a freshman since Chandler Kent (Logan's brother). (Sears) has done a great job and we will start him."
Grant
Coach: Mike Mizwicki (4th year)
Last season: 18-17 (10-2 NSC Prairie)
Key players graduated: SS Anthony Kaskadden (College of Lake County), 2B Jacob Cobb (CLC), P Martin Farmer (CLC), P Brian Swanson, P Mike Thompson, P Dan Andrews, 1B Jon Manarik
Returning players: P Kyle Stroup, sr., C Gerik Wallsten, sr., P/3B Adam Ticker, sr., P/OF Ryan Thorsen, jr., 3B/SS Nate Lucas, jr., DH Mike Kedzorski.
Newcomers: P/IF Thomas Gier, soph., P/OF Ryan Magnuson, jr., P/OF Nick Gueanthar, jr., P David Dickinson, jr., 1B Brad Baron, jr., 1B Jeremy Wiker, jr., OF Peter Tragos.
Outlook: The scouts keep coming...and Grant coach Mike Mizwicki loves it. He loves the fact that every Major League team is pounding down the door to get a look at pitcher Kyle Stroup. It's been exciting for Stoup, the rest of the guys on the team -- and Mizwicki himself. In fact, Mizwicki has been thinking about ways he can get scouts to watch his team practice every day. "One time, we had a scout from the Red Sox at practice and it was like the best practice we've ever had as a team," Mizwicki said. "The guys really played well. We're thinking that we need to just get people from the community to dress up and pretend to be scouts. I mean, no one knows who those (scouts) are anyway. Anyone could do it. If having a scout at practice means we'll practice well, I'm all for it."...With Stroup leading the way, the Bulldogs should look good this season, no matter who's in the stands. The 6-foot-4 Stroup is consistently throwing in the low 90s and seems to get only better when the games get bigger. "When Kyle is pitching, we can beat anyone," Mizwicki said...Stroup has one of the best catchers in the area to throw to in Gerik Wallsten, who is big, strong and smart behind the plate. "It should be difficult for people to run on us," Mizwicki said....Then again, it could be difficult for the Bulldogs to do much running themselves if they don't find a way to get on base. They lost the bulk of their offense, including seven starters, to graduation. "We have 14 to 15 really good players, we just don't have a lot of experience," Mizwicki said. "We're going to play a lot of different guys so that we can see what we've got."
Lakes
Coach: Mark Tschappat (3rd year)
Last season: 14-22 (5-7 NSC Prairie)
Key players graduated: P Kevin Lewis (Augustana), 3B Dan Riedel
Returning players: OF Andrew Highland, sr., OF Kyle Frye, sr., OF Jared Baker, sr., 2B Pat Maki, sr., 2B Trey Williams, sr., SS Aaron Piekarz, sr., OF AJ Gumino, sr., C DJ Szuhay, sr., P Randy Ratajczyk, sr., 1B Andy Callahan, sr., 1B Haris Nayani, sr., 1B Justin Hotle, jr., P Tim Ryan, jr.
Newcomers: OF Eric Lopez, jr., SS Zach Percival, jr., 2B Tyler Boardway, jr., OF Andy Donavan, jr., 3B Billy Brown, jr., 3B Kevin Kelly, jr., P Sam Mackie, jr., C Dominic Costa, jr., P Brian Baiocchi, jr., 3B Travis VanderWall, soph.
Outlook: As part of a community service project, the Eagles helped stuff 3,000 Easter baskets with goodies. Meanwhile, they're all hoping to taste quite a bit of success this season. The seniors on the team are the first to go through four years with head coach Mark Tschappat, who has overseen the program since the school opened for business four years ago. "I have been waiting four years for this group to be our leaders," Tschappat said. "I coached these guys as freshman (when Lakes split from Antioch) and then we started our own varsity program and we've gone from seven wins in our first season to 14 wins last year. It's a good group and I have very high expectations for this year. I think we have a good chance to be very successful."...Leading the way will be pitchers Randy Ratajczyk, Tim Ryan and Justin Hotle. Ryan was the team's ace last year and got four victories. "Tim did a good job for us last year and he's added a new pitch. He really didn't have a good changeup last year and he worked hard on that last summer. Now, he's got a good changeup and that makes him even tougher."...Defensively, the Eagles boast the return of all but one starter, including outfielder Andrew Highland, who can turn up the jets. He made good on 34 of 36 stolen base attempts. "He's fast," Tschappat said. "And (in the outfield) he gets a great jump on balls."
Round Lake
Coach: Fred Colon (1st year)
Last season: 3-25
Key players graduated: 1B/P Brian Young, P/IF Chris McCracken, SS/P Kevin Konke, OF/P Doug Smyth, IF Chris Baum, C/OF Tony Gonzalez
Returning players: C Nikko Carroll, sr., P David Ershbock, sr., P/3B Anthony Milianti, sr., 2B/P Carlos Villeda, sr., P/2B Jose Sanchez, sr., P Jeff Nicoline, jr., 2B Scott Pacelt, sr.
Newcomers: OF Damon Harvey, sr., 2B/OF John Summers, jr., OF Matt Douglas, jr., OF Matt Ortiz, jr., OF Mike Fuller, jr., C Adam Fernandez, jr., SS Chris Rodriguez, jr., P Gerardo Campos, sr., P/OF Angel Velazquez, fr.
Outlook: As a private investigator, Fred Colon is often hired to dig up the goods. As Round Lake's new head baseball coach, he's ready to dig a new foundation and start the rebuilding process. "I love to take teams and rebuild them," said Colon, who has coached at virtually every level -- from park districts to high school and college. "We've come in here and gotten the kids to work really hard at practice and with a new conditioning program. We've had kids in here at 5 a.m. We've had open gyms. We've gone from a crawl to a walk to a run and now we're going to find out if all that hard work is going to pay off."...Colon says that pitching will be a strength this year. He expects to give consistent work to a large rotation that will include David Ershbock, Anthony Milianti, Jeff Nicoline, Angel Velazquez, Chris Rodriguez and Adam Fernandez. "The thing I like about those guys is that they really understand the strategy of the game," Colon said. "They've all got great attitudes and they're going to be a big part of our team."...Offensively, Colon is looking for a balanced attack and says production should be much improved over last year. "I don't know if I can say who the strongest hitters are at this point," Colon said. "But my theory is that we want all nine of our guys to be strong hitters. I think they will be. I'm confident that we have a lot of guys who will go out and do their jobs well."
Vernon Hills
Coach: Jay Czarnecki (8th year)
Last season: 23-14 (11-1 NSC Prairie)
Key players graduated: 3B Steve Gorski, OF Evan Christensen, SS Tim Lane, C/2B Kevin Hencier, OF Matt Baruch, IF/OF/P Ricky Barranco, P Evan Moy, P Brad Mahrenholz
Returning players: P/OF/1B Brad Schnitzer, sr., P/3B Zack Schwartz, sr., C/SS/P Nick Mazza, jr., P Jeff Epner, sr., OF Ryan Jordan, sr., 1B Joe Nichols, sr.
Newcomers: OF PJ Marsek, jr., 1B/DH Matt Peterson, jr., IF Mike Tice, jr., P/IF Keith Kamman, DH Mason Hezner, sr., OF/DH Miguel Gallegos, sr., OF Nathan Moraton, jr., 2B Mark Argianas, jr., P Brett Heneks, sr., P Jamie Manhard, jr., P Jon Rathod, jr.
Outlook: Because of flooding and drainage problems, it wasn't until May 7 last spring that Vernon Hills was able to practice on its own field. The parking lot was the only alternative. Yet, despite the less-than-ideal makeshift practice venue, the Cougars made the best of their situation and won more than 20 games, as well as the North Suburban Conference championship. To defend its title, it looks like Vernon Hills will be starting out the same way it did last year: on the parking lot. Something else mirrors last year. But it's a good thing. The Cougars welcome back their top two pitchers in Brad Schnitzer and Zack Schwartz. "It's nice when you have your two best pitchers back," Vernon Hills coach Jay Czarnecki said. "If they stay healthy, they will definitely be very effective."...How effective the rest of the bunch will be is somewhat of a question. The Cougars lost six everyday starters from last year's team, which was very sound defensively. "Our inexperience is going to be a concern -- both defensively and offensively," Czarnecki said. "We don't have a lot of guys who've been out there before, who have faced varsity pitching. We are pretty well-balanced and we have some very capable guys. But we're going to have to be patient (with development) and at the same time learn on the fly."
Wauconda
Coach: Bill Sliker (6th year)
Last season: 11-19 (6-6 NSC Prairie)
Key players graduated: P/3B Travis Pederson (College of Lake County), P/OF Rich Masceri (CLC)
Returning players: C Eric Anstedt, sr., C Jamey Carey, sr., 2B Joe Ciolek, sr., OF Austin Ditommasso, sr., P/1B Josh Hartnett, sr., 2B Eric Johnson, sr., OF Matt Machon, sr., OF Kevin Matesi, sr., P/1B John Ryan, sr., SS Brad Shippee, sr., P/OF Adam Tagli, sr., P/3B Kyle Tanzillo, OF Jimmy Willams, sr.
Newcomers: P Justin Boisvert, jr., 2B Brandon Dill, jr., P Nick Jay, jr., P/3B Bryce Larhman, jr., P/OF Brian Lindberg, jr., C Ted Litberg, jr., SS Mike Mrohen, jr., P/OF Sam Theys, jr.
Outlook: With 13 seniors and three players who are entering their third years as starters, Wauconda isn't short on experience. "Experience is definitely our strength," Wauconda coach Bill Sliker said. "Even our seniors who didn't play a whole lot last year have some experience and that should help us out a lot."...The return of Josh Hartnett, Eric Johnson and Jamey Carey should do the same. Those are the Bulldogs' three-year veterans. Carey will give Wauconda a strong presence behind the plate and Hartnett will likely serve as the team's ace. He won three games last year en route to earning all-conference honors. Meanwhile, Johnson will anchor the defense at second base...Sliker says he's got at least 10 players who can pitch -- and five of them are lefties. One of the newcomers to the staff is Bryce Larhman, who has all kinds of potential in his 6-foot-4 frame. "He's done a lot of pitching and he's going to add a lot of depth to our rotation." So will senior Adam Tagli...Offensively, Carey will likely again lead the way. He's strung together the best batting average on the team for the last two years. "I look for Jamey to do the same this year, too," Sliker said. "Over the last two years, he's hit in either the high .300s or the low .400s. He's been pretty consistent."
FOX VALLEY CONFERENCE
Grayslake Central
Coach: Troy Whalen (6th year)
Last season: 25-11 (10-5 FVC Fox)
Key players graduated: P Steve Kuligowski (Parkland College), C Pat Garvey (Illinois Weslyan), P Gerry Martinez (Parkland College), P Nate Gomez (North Central), P Scott Haines (College of Lake County)
Returning players: SS Matt Schmidt, sr., OF Shawn Tobie, sr., 2B Kurt Schmidt, jr., P/OF Kevin O'Rourke, jr., P/IF Aaron Snyder, jr.
Newcomers: C Sean Seiler, jr., P Mike Gentile, soph., P Pete Toth, sr., P Zach Dorfman, jr., U Nick Tielke, sr., 3B/P Kevin DeRue, soph., U Angelo Gargano, soph., P Steve Gawinski, sr., OF Jordan Williams, sr., P Mitch Tielke, soph.
Outlook: Four pitchers from last year's Grayslake Central team, which won the Fox Valley Conference Fox Division title, are now pitching in college. They combined to pitch more than 200 innings for the Rams, which means that there was little left over for anyone else -- including those who return to the mound for the 2008 season. Not that Grayslake Central coach Troy Whalen is sweating it, though. In fact, he says he is the most excited he's ever been heading into a season. "Granted, we lost a lot, but we have some talent coming back and while some of these kids may not be household names today, they will be by the end of the year," Whalen said. "We have a lot of talented arms. They are unproven and just need some game experience, which they will get plenty of."...Whalen has just two pitchers with varsity experience in Kevin O'Rourke and Aaron Snyder. But he says six other players should see action on the mound...Meanwhile, the defense will be anchored by brothers Matt and Kurt Schmidt, who give Grayslake Central one of the best double-play tandems in the area. Matt has already committed to Yale. He led the Rams in stolen bases last season with 15. Kurt was second on the team with 21 RBI. "Our defense and offensive depth 1 through 9 will be as good as we have ever had it," Whalen said. "It boils down to our pitchers making quality pitches at the right time."
Grayslake North
Coach: Andy Strahan (2nd year)
Last season: 8-21 (3-12 FVC Fox)
Key players graduated: None. 2B/P Ed Ballaron moved to California
Returning players: OF Dylan Chisenhall, sr., P Chris Craig, sr., P Jason Denikas, sr., OF Drew Doering, jr., SS Tim Elias, sr., P/1B Jordan Field, sr., 1B Ryan Guttierrez, jr., P/OF Nick Harrington, sr., C/P Clay Henricksen, sr., 2B/P Grant Henricksen, jr., 3B Stephan Kalina, sr., P/OF Tim McCann, sr.
Newcomers: 3B Joe Bowes, jr., C/OF Jimmy Butler, jr., IF Jason Conklin, jr., P/IF Seth Foster, jr., OF Vinnie Licciardello, jr., P/OF Brandon Schroth, jr., OF Nick Sostaric, jr., 2B/P Nate Sousa, jr.
Outlook: What a difference a year makes. In just 12 months, Grayslake North goes from the least experienced team in Lake County, to the most experienced. Last year, the Knights had no seniors at all in their brand new school. And they took some lumps on the diamond. But now, with pretty much everyone back, they're ready to dish out some hurt of their own. "This summer, we won 20 games and you could just tell that the kids were much more confident (than in the spring). They took the field with confidence," Grayslake North coach Andy Strahan said. "I think that will continue into this season. We've already been able to expand on everything we're doing. The kids retained everything from last year and we were able to review quickly and move onto more advanced things. It's been nice having everyone back."...The Knights have three solid pitchers in Jordan Field, Nick Harrington and Tim McCann. Field and Harrington are both lefties. "Those three got a lot of experience last year," Strahan said. "I really like what they can do because they throw strikes and they battle."...Offensively, the Knights will be led by the strong bats of Harrington, Field, Clay Henricksen and Vinnie Licciardello. "I think we've made huge strides offensively," Strahan said. "I think we'll also run the bases a lot better than last year, too."
EAST SUBURBAN CATHOLIC
Carmel
Coach: Chuck Gandolfi (20th year)
Last season: 31-6 (15-3 ESCC)
Key players graduated: SS John Brennan (Southern Illinois), P/C Jonathan Miller (Kishwaukee College), 1B Zach Amrein (College of Lake County), 3B Jack Perrin, P Mike McElwee,
Returning players: C Scott Bierman, sr., C David Venegoni, sr., 2B John Zeffery, sr., P/LF Jordan Sivertsen, sr., CF Brian Siedlecki, sr., OF/P Joe Pudlo, sr., 1B Ryan Morrissey, sr., 3B/P Bobby Lyne, sr., IF Kenny Felicelli, sr., P Jeff Moree, jr., P Joe Burg, jr.
Newcomers: U Rickey Kolb, sr., P Tommy McGuire, sr., SS Kevin Hendricks, jr., 1B/OF/P Donald Stopka, jr., P/1B/OF Zach Starzyk, jr., P Mike Bergstrom, jr., 1B Jimmy Brzezinski, jr., P Jeff Fox, jr., OF Tyler Lindberg, jr., C Neil Misak, jr., P Derek Norman, jr., IF David O'Connell, jr., P Alex Salvi, jr.
Outlook: With 497 career wins, Carmel coach Chuck Gandolfi is on the brink of quite a milestone. That's one of many reasons it could be a special year at Carmel this spring. "We think we will be very good, probably a better team than last year," said Gandolfi, whose team was nothing to sneeze at last year. The Corsairs not only won 30 games, but also came within one game of winning the rugged East Suburban Catholic Conference title. "We have some juniors coming up who are really good, but they'll probably just have to wait their turn. We've got some quality players in the senior class."...At the head of the class are pitchers Jordan Sivertsen and Bobby Lyne. Sivertsen, a four-year starter, has already committed to Southern Illinois and Lyne is reportedly on Southern's wish list, too. Lyne emerged as one of Carmel's top pitchers last year in part because Sivertsen stayed away from the mound to nurse a sore shoulder. He stayed mostly in left field. But now, Sivertsen's shoulder is healthy and he's back on the mound, which should give Carmel one of the best pitching duos in the northern suburbs. To top it off, the Corsairs also boast the return of lefty Joe Burg, who threw a no-hitter last year...Defensively, the Corsairs have experience at every position. They've got two catchers in Scott Bierman and David Venegoni, who each caught about 50 percent of the team's games last year. In the outfield, Sivertsen and Brian Siedlecki, a three-year starter, combine for seven years of varsity experience. Meanwhile, second baseman John Zeffery anchors the infield and also happens to be leading hitter from last year's team. "We're really excited about this season," Gandolfi said. "This team has the capability to do something special."