Baseball: Scouting Lake County

NORTH SUBURBAN CONFERENCELake Zurich BearsCoach: Rick Erickson, 2nd season

Last year: 16-19 (7-14 NSC)

Last year's tournament advancement: Lost to Highland Park in the regional semifinal, 4-0.

Key players lost: P Matt Svanson (Lehigh), P/C Prevor Niedzwiecki (Wisconsin-Oshkosh), Dylan Niedzwiecki (Wisconsin-Oshkosh), P Shane Nolan (Wisconsin-Platteville)

Key players returning: C/OF Tyler Snep, jr., IF Austin Matuszewski, sr., P/1B Ben Cornelius, sr.

Key newcomers: IF Anthony Mangano, soph., P/OF Noah DeLuga, soph., OF Austin LePage, jr., P Jake Schwartz, jr., P Jake Green, jr., P Cameron Orgeron, jr.

Outlook: Lake Zurich didn't last long in the state tournament last year, out in the first round to a Highland Park team that pitched a shutout, 4-0. "We were very disappointed in the ending of last season," Lake Zurich coach Rick Erickson said. "We felt like we had the pitching staff and the talent to make a long playoff run. We had some pretty devastating injuries right before the playoffs which was unfortunate, but that has made this group very hungry." The hungriest Bears are three players who have a signficant amount of experience. Junior catcher and outfielder Tyler Snep, an Iowa commit, has started since his freshman year. Senior infielder Austin Matuszewskiand senior pitcher Ben Cornelius have been starting since their sophomore years. "We have a very deep and talented roster this season," Erickson said. "There are a lot of really good players who will be competing for starting spots throughout the season. I believe that this daily competition will make us a very good baseball team this spring. We are hoping to build consistency this year. Last year, our players proved that they can compete with anyone. This year, we need to take the next step and finish off big games and come out with a victory. We had quite a few losses last year that were 1- or 2-run ball games against some very good teams." A newcomer who could help the Bears get to that next level is sophomore infielder Anthony Mangano, who has already committed to Iowa.

Libertyville WildcatsCoach: Matt Thompson, 2nd season

Last year: 30-7 (19-2 NSC)

Last year's tournament advancement: Lost to Mundelein in sectional semifinal, 4-3.

Key players lost: OF Dan Marks (Rockhurst), SS Brant Kym (Hope), C/DH Jack Petersen (Penn), P Ben Land (DePauw), P Caleb Haddon (DePauw)

Key players returning: P Riley Gowens, sr., P Colin Fields, sr., OF Nick Angel, sr., C Luke Plunkett, sr., OF Micah Holzworth, sr., IF Tim Jean, sr., IF Grifin Murphy, sr., OF Ben Arnold, sr.

Key newcomers: IF Tommy Rigali, sr., IF Andrew Kim, jr., OF Tanner Kelly, jr., P Derek Calamari, jr., C Garrison Bennett, jr.

Outlook: There is all kinds of reason for optimism at Libertyville. The Wildcats finished last season with 30 wins and a North Suburban Conference championship and return a boatload of players from that team. "I think one of our biggest strengths is our experience," Libertyville coach Matt Thompson said. "We return six position players and our 1a and 1b pitchers. The top two pitchers are probably our biggest asset. However, having our returners in the field will really help. A lot of them had a ton of quality playing time last year and they continue to improve." Behind top pitchers Riley Gowens (an Illinois commit) and Colin Fields (a Valparaiso commit), Libertyville will be particularly strong up the middle with the return of middle infielders Andrew Kim, Jr., Tanner Kelly and Tommy Rigali. Kim Jr. is an Illinois commit. With a large roster that includes a lot of talented juniors, the Wildcats will also have depth at every position. "Those kids will compete for jobs and would start on most varsity teams," Thompson said. Libertyville is out to defend its conference title but has its sights set well beyond that. "I believe we will be one of the top teams in our conference and state," Thompson said. "The number one goal this year is to head to Joliet in June. Everyone in our program is buying into that concept and looks forward to the challenge."

Mundelein MustangsCoach: Randy Lerner, 1st season

Last year: 33-7 (16-5 NSC)

Last year's tournament advancement: Lost to Crystal Lake South in the supersectional, 6-2.

Key players lost: P Will Michalski (Wisconsin-Whitewater), P Brendan Murphy (Milwaukee Brewers), P Zack Zentz, IF Nick Stricker, IF/OF Brett Parola

Key players returning: OF Jim Martin, jr., P/IF Steven Sanchez, sr., P Austin Greco, soph., OF Jeff Morton, sr., SS Ryan Patel, sr., IF Drew Breitenreiter, sr., C Mason Schaller, sr.

Key newcomers: IF T.J. Yakimisky, jr., P Rahul Champaneri, jr, P Ethan Ekstrom, sr., OF Connor Ashton, sr., IF Ben Holly, sr.

Outlook: Mundelein, which won 33 games last year and advanced to the supersectional, has a first-year head coach in Randy Lerner, who replaced the retired Todd Parola. But experience will be a strength for the Mustangs on the field, both literally and figuratively. "Our team strength is our seniors," Lerner said. "We are returning five seniors who started last year, three of whom played in the state championship game in 2016, so there is a lot of great experience in those guys. They will be the core of this team, not just the figurative core, but they are the central positions as well, catcher, pitcher, second base, shortstop and center field. They are strong defensively, but will need to become offensive leaders this year as well." Leading the way within that senior group is pitcher Steven Sanchez, who signed early with Arkansas and will be under the watchful eye of Major League Baseball scouts this season, much like ace pitcher Brendan Murphy was last year. Murphy is now in the Milwaukee Brewers organization. Sanchez finished with a 0.46 earned run average last season. He will be throwing to senior catcher Mason Schaller and will be backed up by senior shortstop Ryan Patel and senior second baseman Drew Breitenreiter and senior centerfielder Jeff Morton. "We will probably start the season a little ahead in our pitching," Lerner said. "Our pitchers have had great off-season workouts. I do expect our hitting to catch up once we all start to buy into our team hitting philosophies.We are focusing on eliminating the strikeout and working to put the ball in play and put pressure on defenses."

Stevenson PatriotsCoach: Pat Block, 3rd season

Last year: 18-14 (13-8 NSC)

Last year's tournament advancement: Lost in regional semifinal to Fremd, 5-4.

Key players lost: OF Henry Marchese (Iowa, football), P Michael Marchese (Illinois, football), OF Charlie Bourbon (Northwestern), Justin Rayyan, OF Charlie Ling, Daniel Lubelfeld, Michael Sobel

Key players returning: P Matthew Mittlemark, P Michael Thon, P Jacob Rosencranz, P Hayden Brotz, SS Jack Housinger, 3B Ryan McElhinny, OF Evan Kiah, 2B Ben Chestler, OF/P Michael D'angelo

Key newcomers: C Nathan Ralston, C Zach Taylor, OF Isiah Hart OF Matt Dutler, OF/P Nick Bruekert, SS/P Chris Farina, 1B Connor Horton, OF/3B Caleb Evans, P Nick Wank, 2B Josh Snider, P Nick Bonk

Outlook: It was a tough tryout process at Stevenson, but exciting at the same time. "This was a really cool year because we had over 44 players try out for the varsity team," Stevenson coach Pat Block said. "We could keep only 24 players, obviously this makes it very difficult on the coaching staff. But it shows how popular baseball still is in the area, and the strength of the support, which is exciting for our bright future. We had high turnout at our lower levels as well." The Patriots boast some other impressive numbers, such as 10 seniors on the roster, many with extensive varsity experience. They also have a deep pitching staff, with 11 pitchers, all of whom are game-ready for varsity action. Those experienced pitchers include: Matthew Mittelmark, Michael Thon, Jacob Rosencranz, Hayden Brotz and Michael D'angelo. "We know that, as any team, even with the experience, we will go through some growing pains," Block said. "But we look forward to learning from those experiences." Block is also looking for leadership from senior shortstop Jack Housinger, who is the team captain. "Our seniors were not happy with the way the season ended last year, as they were hoping to go deeper in the playoffs," Block said. "This has made them even more determined and they want to leave their mark on the program."

Warren Blue DevilsCoach: Clint Smothers, 11th season

Last year: 29-10

Last year's tournament advancement: Lost to Mundelein in sectional championship, 8-1.

Key players lost: P Jack McCullough (Army), P Nate Styles (Air Force), 1B Ricky Lee (Marian), OF Robert Archbold (Illinois-Springfield), Parker Reinhard (Wisconsin-Platteville), Matt Temaner (Monmouth), C Vic Perez (Heartland), 3B/C Cal Poremba (CLC), Luke Schmitt (Wisconsin-LaCrosse), P Jeff Stajduhar (CLC)

Key players returning: P Riley Kocen, sr., P Evan Hill, sr., P Liam Hannigan, sr., P Pasquale DeFilippis, sr., P Matt Langevin, sr.

Outlook: Warren nearly hit the elusive 30-win mark last season with 29 wins overall. The Blue Devils also advanced to the sectional championship and boasted 13 seniors who have gone on to play college baseball this season. But the price of that success has left Warren in a tough position this year. Youth and inexperience have been the buzzwords around the program during the preseason. "I feel this season will be a rebuidling year," Warren coach Clint Smothers said. "We have zero returning position players who started last season. We lost 13 seniors. We will be very young and have up to four sophomores up with us this spring on the varsity level. We will have three pitchers back who could keep games close and give us a chance to win some games this year." Pitchers Riley Kocen, Evan Hill, Liam Hannigan, Matt Langevin and Pasquale DeFilippis all got good experience on the mound last year. Kocen has comitted to Trident, Hill to Illinois Wesleyan and DeFilippis to College of Lake County.

NORTHERN LAKE COUNTY CONFERENCEAntioch SequoitsCoach: Chris Malec, 3rd season

Last year: 15-15 (10-8 NLCC)

Last year's tournament advancement: Lost to Grayslake Central in regional championship, 4-3.

Key players lost: OF Alex Unekis (Concordia Wisconsin), 1B Thomas Boeh (CLC), 3B Ben Gutke (Robert Morris, football)

Key players returning: OF Patrick Day, sr., C/OF JR Johnson, sr., P Nick Sheren, sr.

Key newcomers: C Logan Delgado, sophomore, 1B Jack Gillespie, jr., IF Sean Weiser, jr., P Sawyer Phillips, jr.

Outlook: Like most teams, Antioch has made improvements over the off-season. "I think we will be a younger, faster, deeper version of last year's team," Antioch coach Chris Malec said. "We will be able to hit 1 through 9, but we lost three senior pitchers so it's just about finding the right combination to replace those innings. The whole lineup will be faster including senior John Petty and juniors Sean Weiser and Jack Gillespie. They will contribute throughout the batting order. We should again be in contention for the 2018 NLCC title and hope to make a deep playoff run." To fill the voids in the pitching rotation, Malec will look to seniors Nick Sheren, Colin Wieska and Austin Delgado as well as juniors Sawyer Phillips, Austin Andrews, Eric Hart and Ethan Almaria. "They will all be competing for spots in our rotation," Malec said. "They have all looked really good throwing the ball indoors this spring."

Grant BulldogsCoach: Dave Behm, 9th season

Last year: 19-14

Last year's tournament advancement: Lost to Crystal Lake South in the regional championship, 8-3.

Key players lost: 3B Ben Kusiak, P Aidan Earl (Carthage) SS Logan Lewis, P Sam Fernandez, C Jake Mitchell, OF Ray Guardado

Key players returning: P Nick Malmberg, P Chris Nesterowicz, OF Nolan Unger, IF Jimmy Friel, IF/P Chase Maifield, Henry Kusiak, Jay Patel, Jacob Splitt, David Villan

Key newcomers: OF Danny Laughery, C Jimmy Taylor, C Joe Gorden, IF/P Mikal Ashley, IF/P Valentin Cerna, IF/P Carlos Martinez, P Mason Sekulich

Outlook: There is a youth movement at Grant this season as five sophomores are up on the varsity. And head coach Dave Behm expects all five to compete for signficant playing time. "They are a really solid group that will provide some depth to this year's team," Behm said. "We are looking for two or three of them to break out and provide an impact as an everyday player." The five sophomores are: DannyLaughery, Jimmy Taylor, Mikal Ashley, Valentin Cerna and Mason Sekulich. A few players return to Grant with good varsity experience and two of them are pitchers: Nick Malmberg and Chris Nesterowicz, who combined for 7 wins last season. "We have a good crop of returning pitchers who should be ready to go this spring," Behm said. "I feel our pitching staff should be a strength to start the year. We feel we can be a balanced team that is solid in all aspects of the game. We have a good core retuning from last year but as always, we will need juniors and sophomores to step into the holes left by the graduating seniors."

Grayslake Central RamsCoach: Troy Whalen, 16th season

Last year: 21-15

Last year's tournament advancement: Lost to St. Viator in sectional championship, 8-2.

Key players lost: OF Ben Fitzgerald, C Ben Kordek, P Justin Shepley, P Ryan Spicer

Key players returning: C Benton Troehler, sr., P Clay Stoffel, sr., OF Tony Neuman, sr., OF Max Snowsen, sr., P/IF Coby Moe, jr., P Ray Bradley, sr., OF Nic Presutti, jr., OF Tony Crews, jr., IF Kevin O'Brien, jr., P Eric Sturm, jr., IF Marcus Maristella, soph.

Key newcomers: IF Colton Kugler, sr., C Alex Berry, jr., P Ethan Peterson, jr., IF Brandon Mikes, sr., IF Clayton Bloemke, sr., P Jack Fortmann, sr., P Tyler Marson, jr., OF Garrett Martin, sr., P Nate Twardock, jr., IF Joey Webster, jr., OF Gabe Lobeman, jr.

Outlook: It was par for the course last season for Grayslake Central. The Rams won their sixth regional title in the last eight years. "We made our usual postseason run in 2017, losing to eventual Class 3A state champion St. Viator in the sectional final," Grayslake Central coach Troy Whalen said. "I think we will be right in the mix again and our goal in the postseason remains unchanged in that we expect to play into the first weekend in June." The Rams will count on junior pitcher Coby Moe to lead the way. As a sophomore last season, Moe won three postseason games in relief, and he pitched 55 innings overall. "Coby is being heavily recruited by several Division I programs," Whalen said. "He has established himself as a big-game pitcher and he's just starting his junior season. He's been pitching on the varsity since he stepped on campus as a freshman and his confidence and mound poise continue to improve and match his selection of pitches. He's our horse, but he can't do it alone." Two other pitchers with significant experience are Ray Bradley and Clay Stoffel, who combined for 50 innings pitched and four wins last season. Eric Sturm also picked up a couple of wins last year. "We have a nice stable of quality arms behind Coby who have varsity experience," Whalen said. "Given the pitch-count guidelines, you need a stable of arms to get through the season. We have that this year." Offensively, Grayslake Central returns six starters, and three of them are still not seniors. The catalyst is junior lead-off hitter Nic Presutti, who hit .350 last season and scored nearly 30 runs. Presutti also gives the Rams a lot of speed, as do Tony Crews and Max Snowden. All three will be in the outfield for Grayslake Central. "This is probably one of our more athletic teams and we have a lot of experienced at-bats returning, which really helps you get thorugh a long season," Whalen said.

Grayslake North KnightsCoach: Brett Hill, 3rd season

Last year: 22-10 (13-3 NLCC)

Last year's tournament advancement: Lost to Buffalo Grove in regional championship, 5-1.

Key players lost: P Patrick Schaefer (North Central), P/IF Danny Yates (CLC), SS Declan Peterson (Concordia-Chicago), OF Charlie Burr (North Central), IF Chris Kelly

Key players returning: C Austin DeLao, sr., P/2B Sebastian Sancen, sr., P/IF Nate Marshall, sr., P Edward Erickson, sr., OF Andrew Keaskowski, sr., OF/C Regen Marsell, sr., OF Nick Lovitsch, jr.

Key newcomers: P/SS Jason Donohue, soph., P Adam Calhoun, jr., 1B Lane Getka, sr., IF Matt Heery, jr.

Outlook: The foundation for Grayslake North this season was set a long time ago. Last season, to be precise. "Our biggest strength this year will be and already has been leadership," Grayslake North coach Brett Hill said. "In our post-season meetings last year, our kids talked about being hungry to build off of last year's conference title and regional final game. To have a taste of success by winning conference and competing for a regional title, they believe they can win and have pushed themselves in the weight room to be better. Our older guys have been great mentors to the young players and have worked hard in the offseason to prepare for the spring." The Knights return three all-conference players in catcher Austin DeLao and pitchers/infielders Sabastian Sancen and Nate Marshall. "Nate was statistically our best pitcher in the NLCC last year," Hill said. "Edward Erickson was our go-to reliever last year and we will look to him to start for us this year. We have a great mix of seniors, juniors and sophomores. I would like to see us score more runs this year as we relied heavily on our pitching las year. It would be nice to put more runs o the board to support the arms."

Lakes EaglesCoach: Bob Holst, 2nd season

Last year: 18-16 (8-10 NLCC)

Last year's tournament advancement: Lost to Grayslake Central in sectional semifinal, 10-3.

Key players lost: OF Stephen Mogged (SIU)

Key players returning: P Matt Grubb, sr., P Joe Glassey, jr., C Jason Volpe, jr., P Logan Mueller, jr., OF Quinn McQuade, sr., OF Michael Behrendt, sr.

Key newcomers: P Carson Cobb, jr., P Anthony Touhy, sr., P Ed Roncone, sr.

Outlook: Lakes was up and down and back up again last season. "We started off well and then didn't do so well in the middle of the season, getting swept by Grant and Grayslake Central, but then we did sweep Antioch,"Lake coach Bob Holst said. "We were young last year but return a nice handful of seniors and juniors who started on varsity as sophomores. We have evolved over the last 365 days with a different culture. We want to get back to where we were and we want to try to win a third third straight regional and go to sectionals and finally get it done." Lakes will lean on senior pitcher Matt Grubb, who led the team last year in innings pitched. Meanwhile Quinn McQuade and Logan Mueller were both all-conference selections last season.

Round Lake PanthersCoach: Ed Adamson, 10th season

Last year: 3-25 (0-18 NLCC)

Last year's tournament advancement: Lost to Glenbrook North in regional quarterfinal, 11-1.

Key players lost: C Zackery Husk, P Paul Lew, 1B Laim Negrete-McGinley

Key players returning: P/OF Lucas Hollingsworth, sr., P/IF Tyler Roman, sr., IF Amadeus Pope, sr., IF Angel Cueves, jr., IF Jorge Contreras, jr., P/OF Wyatt Hill, jr., P Gio Cirelli, jr., P Bryant Porcayo, jr., OF Jason Galindo, jr.

Key newcomers: IF Charlie Burton, soph., P/OF Wesley Daniels, soph., C Lennard Pureza, soph.

Outlook: Times were tough last season for Round Lake, which won only three games and went winless in the Northern Lake County Conference. "We have been trying to increase the level of competitiveness," Round Lake coach Ed Adamson said. "Whether it is with contests or in live pitching or hitting matchups. As a team, we need to stay healthy and to continue to get better in all aspects of the game." Because Round Lake was so young last year, most everyone returns, including senior pitchers Lucas Hollingsworth and Tyler Roman. Seven other players return with varsity experience. "We have only three seniors, so we are young (again)," Adamson said. "But all of our infielders are returning, so I believe defense should be a strength of ours. Our core of infielders can play multiple positions, which gives us some flexibility with pitching. Sophomore Lennard Pureza brings a good set of skills behind the plate, which is crucial to having a good defense. So far this spring, our focus has been very good and we have a bunch of guys who want to get better and compete."

Wauconda BulldogsCoach: Bill Sliker, 16th season

Last year: 17-13 (11-7 NLCC)

Last year's tournament advancement: Lost to Lakes in the regional championship, 4-1.

Key players lost: P/SS Jacob Bicknase, P/3B Trevor Sefcik, P Mike Turzynski, OF Alex Machon, 2B Tonty Cairo, P/3B Ty Janik, P Conner Olson, OF Conner Pyne, OF Spencer Bills, C Tyler Husko, P/OF John Herbst

Key players returning: P Brock Glavey, sr., P/IF Jake Harmon, sr., P/IF Dan Sperling, sr., C/IF Ryan Gertz, sr., C Doug Antonucci, jr.

Key newcomers: OF Jake Gick, sr., P/2B Austin Pilaski, sr., P/3B Noah Viner, sr., OF Drew Coe, jr., P Bobbt Efflandt, jr., P/2B Jacob Jensen, jr., SS Brett Winkel, jr., P/OF Ryne Jerard, jr., P/OF Anthony Bonk, soph., P/3B Ryan Meyer, soph., P/1B Clark Morgan, soph., C Cam Janik, fr., P/3B Riley Kirk, fr.

Outlook: Almost a third of Wauconda's wins from last year return in pitchers Brock Glavey and Marcus Keller, who each won 3 games and had impressive earned run averages, at 1.60 and 0.69 respectively. "I think early in the season our team strength could be starting pitching with having two guys who are returning," Wauconda coach Bill Sliker said. "Also, the top of our lineup could be pretty good with some returners in those spots." The Bulldogs bring back Dan Sperling, who finished with a .329 batting average, as well as Jake Harmon, Ryan Gertz and Keegan Henley, all with batting averages of .250 or better. "As the season goes along, we hope the defense will become strong, especially the middle of our defense," Sliker said. "Our guys had a good Legion schedule last summer where they gained some good experience. The players are improving every day in practice so far with a good work ethic. We feel we can be competitive in the NLCC."

CENTRAL SUBURBAN NORTHVernon Hills CougarsCoach: Jay Czarnecki, 17th season

Last year: 18-14-1 (10-6 CSL North)

Last year's tournament advancement: Lost in to Woodstock in regional semifinal, 10-6.

Key players returning: P/C/OF Kyle Fasbinder, sr., IF Tony Brown, jr., P/C Danny Wizceb, jr., OF Jake Morris, jr., P/OF Caleb Thomson, jr.

Key newcomers: IF Josh Boyer, jr., P/OF Logan Cody, jr., IF/OF Quinn Geren, jr., P/C Derek Jarrell, jr., P/C Jack Peterson, jr., P/OF Zack Taylor-Frane, jr., P/OF Caleb Thomson, jr., P/OF Kaden Zahnow, jr.

Outlook: The group Three Dog Night sings that "One is the lonliest number that you'll ever do." Poor Kyle Fasbinder could find it a little lonely at the top this season at Vernon Hills. He will be the one and only senior on the entire roster for the Cougars. "Kyle Fasbinder will be leading the team as the only senior," Vernon Hills coach Jay Czarnecki said. "That means a lot of new faces and a lot of competition. So far, all of our players are working hard and they are starting to jell as a team. We look forward to see how quickly the youthful Cougars can adapt to varsity competition." Fasbinder returns as the Cougars' most experienced pitcher, but he can play multiple positions. "Kyle had some opportunities in the outfield and also first base (as well as pitcher)," Czarnecki said. "We expect that he will be in the lineup at one of those positions. Meanwhile, junior Danny Wizceb returns with experience on the mound and in the infield and junior Tony Brown started at second base last season. "For all other positions, there will be a lot of competition between juniors and seniors," Czarnecki said.

EAST SUBURBAN CATHOLICCarmel CorsairsCoach: Bill Taylor, 3rd season

Last year: 23-8 (14-4 ESCC)

Last year's tournament advancement: Lost to St. Viator in sectional semifinal, 8-3.
Key players lost: OF/P Eddie Pietschmann (Wisconsin-Whitewater)

Key players returning: SS/P Drew Wiegman, jr., CF Austin Ehren, sr., P/3B Ben Wiegman, soph., P/1B Lukas Galdoni, jr., P/OF Jay Ward, sr.

Key newcomers: P/IF Charley Dir

Outlook: Opposing pitchers will probably always be a little unnerved when they face Carmel. Base runners could mean trouble as the Corsairs will be a bunch of speed demons this year. "We will feature one of the fastest teams we have ever had in my 26 years here at Carmel," Carmel coach Bill Taylor said. "I also love the mix of power we have in the middle of the lineup. Hopefully our mix of speed and power will make us a very dangerous offensive team." The core of last year's team is back for Carmel, including the entire infield of shortstop Drew Wiegman, third baseman Ben Eiegman, and first baseman Lukas Galdoni, and last year's starting centerfielder in Austin Ehren. Drew, a junior, and Ben Eiegman, a sophomore, are both Louisville commits and Taylor calls Drew a legitimate five-tool player. "I am looking forward to what this season brings for my team," Taylor said. "We return five pitchers from last year. The strength of our team will be depth on the mound. If our pitchers throw strikes, they should yield the benefits of a very talented infield."