Scouting Lake County baseball teams
North Suburban Lake
Lake Zurich
Coach: Gary Simon (10th year)
Last season's record: 25-9-1
Key players lost: P Chas Evans, P Ricky Erickson
Key players returning: 2B/P Parker Asmann, jr., LF Kyle Sanders, sr., C Jordan Johnson, sr., OF Justin Russell, sr., OF Danny Johnson, sr., 1B Tim Bavester, sr., 1B Chris Baumann, sr., IF Ryan Baartmans, sr., IF Anthony Orlando, sr., P Kevin Wheelock, sr., 2B Hunter Hughes, sr.
Key newcomers: P/3B Mike Schnur, jr., P/3B Ben Gullo, jr., P/1B Mike Irgang, jr., P/OF Mark Dorfman, jr., P/OF Danny Minogue, jr., P/IF Ryan Moncrieff, jr., P/OF/IF Tim Sayre, jr., P/IF Eddie Sczarkowicz, jr., P/OF Brian West, jr., C/1B Jeremy Reusch, jr., C/2B Richie Magoncia, jr., P/IF Zach Till, soph., P/3B Mike Lutz, soph.
Outlook: Lake Zurich has won three straight North Suburban Lake Division titles and is the two-time defending overall North Suburban Conference champion.
Keeping those streaks intact is the goal this season. That's an easy call.
What won't be so easy is actually doing it.
The Bears lost eight starters and all but two pitchers from last year's team to graduation. They'll be young and inexperienced this season.
"We realize that we will take our lumps early on," Lake Zurich coach Gary Simon said. "But our kids are very spirited and hardworking and are coming together. Once we gain the game experience, we will be a factor."
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Junior Parker Asmann will certainly be a factor. As a sophomore last season, he set the school record with 8 saves on the year. He'll start the season as the Bears' ace and will play second base on his off days.
Also back is speedy outfielder Kyle Sanders, who was one of the team's best hitters last year, and catcher Jordan Johnson, who has looked good in preseason practice after finishing the final part of last season on the bench with a wrist injury.
Several newcomers should get enough innings to give Lake Zurich a fairly deep pitching rotation. Junior Mike Schnur will likely fill the No. 2 slot while Ben Gullo, Mike Irgang, Mark Dorman, Danny Minogue, Ryan Moncrieff, Tim Sayre, Eddie Sczarkowicz and Brian Wiest will all be in the mix.
Simon says that even Zach Till and Mike Lutz, both sophomores, will also likely get some time on the mound.
"We have a number of talented players," Simon said. "Our job is to just get them the experience they need to be successful. We are approaching the season from a 'get better each game' philosophy."
Libertyville
Coach: Jim Schurr (8th year)
Last season's record: 22-12
Key players lost: P Troy Barton (Eastern Illinois), P Brooks McDowell (Southern Illinois-Edwardsville)
Key players returning: SS Tyler Schweigert, sr., 2B AJ Schurr, jr., 3B/DH Chad Uhler, sr., P Joey Eichmann, jr., 1B/OF Brad Martin, sr., C/LF Josh Prochotsky, sr.
Key newcomers: P Dar Townsend, soph., CF Brandon Fowkes, jr., 3B/P Mike Whartnaby, sr., RF Nate Clark, sr., DH/P/IF/OF Davis Ogilvie, jr.
Outlook: The season is young, but shortstop Tyler Schweigert and second baseman AJ Schurr are already rolling up the double plays.
"I would say we're going to be strong defensively everywhere," Libertyville coach Jim Schurr said. "But our defense up the middle is really strong, from catcher to centerfield. Josh Prochotsky caught for a big chunk of last season, Brandon Fowkes can run a lot down in center and Tyler and AJ just work so well together. The other day, they had three double plays in three innings. We're going to play defense very well this season."
Schurr also expects big numbers from his offense.
What he isn't sure about is his pitching, which is young-and younger.
"Well, my No. 1 is a junior, and my No. 2 is a sophomore," Schurr said. "Pitching is the one area that will be suspect, not because we don't have good guys there, but because we're young."
The good news is, both of Schurr's young guys are actually fairly experienced.
Junior Joey Eichmann got plenty of work last year, rolling up an 8-0 record as a sophomore. Meanwhile, sophomore Dar Townsend is the son of a former baseball coach and has been around the game his entire life.
Townsend's father Dar used to be the head coach at Warren.
"Both of those kids are a lot older than their age states," Schurr said of Eichmann and Townsend. "They've both played on some very competitive travel teams. Joey got a lot of great varsity experience last year and Dar obviously has a great feel for the game. They both know what they're doing.
"I don't consider them the typical sophomore or even junior on varsity. We're going to be able to count on them a lot."
Mundelein
Coach: Todd Parola (16th year)
Last season's record: 26-9
Key players lost: P/3B Jay Mueller (CLC), SS Kevin Barber, CF Dillon Smith, 2B/P Colton Tortorello (Chicago State), 1B Anthony Cancelli, RF Jack Cunnion
Key players returning: OF/DH Tyler Adams, sr., 3B Colin Franklin, sr., C Matt Risdon, sr., P Dante Martinez, jr.
Key newcomers: 2B Ryan Black, sr., SS/P Mike O'Donoghue, sr., P Ben Mahar, jr., OF/P Kevin Rohe, sr., 1B Bill McMahon, 1B Luis Carrasco, 3B/2B Austin Ozog, 2B Charlie Gandolfi
Outlook: It will be a revolving door at times this season at Mundelein.
"We'll be taking a different approach than in the past," Mundelein coach Todd Parola said. "We're going to be trying a lot of different rotations because we're getting a lot of competition in practice. We've got 13 players competing for nine spots and we're still up in the air about most of those spots.
"Usually, you have one of two positions up for grabs. We've already played games and right now, we've got about seven of our nine positions up for grabs."
The two players who have a fairly tight grip on their spots are Mike O'Donaghue at shortstop and Matt Risdon at catcher.
Parola also figures to give juniors Dante Martinez and Ben Mahar plenty of innings on the mound. They'll be charged with filling the void left by all-area pitcher Jay Mueller, who went 9-2 last season and is now pitching at College of Lake County.
"They've both looked good so far," Parola said. "But we're going to be counting on them to grow up quickly."
Stevenson
Coach: Paul Mazzuca (3rd year)
Last season's record: 29-7 (8-4 Lake)
Key players lost: P Scott Firth (Clemson), P Brad Sorkin (Illinois State), P Matt Robin (Ohio University), C Matt Geisler
Key players returning: SS/P Kyle Ruchim, sr., IF Teddy Heiser, sr., IF Pat Wilson, sr., OF Corey Lasky, sr., OF Kory Cutler, sr., OF Erick King, sr., OF Alex Daar, sr., P Merrick McGrady, sr., P Greg Kingery, sr., P Brian Boyle, sr., C Jeff Ferstein, sr.
Key newcomers: P Jeremy Scheck, jr., P Tyler Radtke, jr.
Outlook: What a difference a year makes.
Last year, the Patriots boasted one of the most highly regarded pitching staffs in the Chicago area. Three seniors (Scott Firth, Brad Sorkin and Matt Robin) had inked Division I scholarships and one junior (Kyle Ruchim) had already committed to Northwestern.
This year, Stevenson still has Ruchim. But now, more than anything else, this team has question marks on the mound.
"It's like it went from feast to famine," Stevenson coach Paul Mazzuca said. "Our pitching will be a challenge this year because we're not where I thought we'd be at this point."
At this point, Mazzuca thought he would have four experienced pitchers in the stable, with Ruchim being the fourth option so that he could focus on playing primarily shortstop.
But the three other pitchers, all of whom got significant work over the summer, likely won't be in the rotation at all.
Junior Jeremy Scheck, a lefty who committed to Clemson after a spectacular offseason, is contemplating surgery to address elbow pain that has been hindering him since January. Meanwhile, junior Dalsen Ferbert, a big right-hander, has essentially retired from baseball because of chronic arm problems that got worse in recent weeks.
Finally, Evan Masters, a football player who was in the running to be Stevenson's ace after an impressive summer, elected not to return to the team.
"Obviously, it's not a great situation," Mazzuca said. "But I told the guys that after last year, no one is going to feel sorry for us when it comes to pitching. One way or another our pitching staff is just going to have to work its way out."
Mazzuca says he'll pitch Ruchim more now, and he'll also look to Merrick McGrady, Greg Kingery and Tyler Radtke to carry a bigger portion of the load.
"I think the good thing is, we have a good defense and a good lineup that should be able to carry us as our pitchers try to get things going," Mazzuca said. "We also are an older team with a lot of senior veterans. We have good leadership up and down the lineup and that will help."
Warren
Coach: Clint Smothers (3rd year)
Last season's record: 20-12
Key players lost: P Sean Kennedy (Jacksonville University), SS Ryan Economos
Key players returning: P Jeff Johnson, sr., P Zack Scheinder, sr., P Ryan Kennedy, jr., 3B Kevin Colburn, jr., 1B Mike Herrmann, jr., CF Jon Frericks, sr., RF Tim Bodine, sr., 2B Matt Dowd, sr., C Scott Heelan, sr.
Key newcomers: SS/P Pat Kenny, soph.
Outlook: Depth hasn't always been in the equation at Warren.
The Blue Devils are lucky it is this season.
"We're starting out a little banged up. We've got some injuries already," Warren coach Clint Smothers said. "But we're deeper than we've been in a long time. That should help."
Although, it's not like the Blue Devils will want to go without Ryan Kennedy or Jeff Johnson for too long. They're two of the better pitchers in the area.
Coincidentally, both were hit recently by hard line drives and will need a bit of time to shake off the soreness.
In the meantime, Warren can fall back on another solid arm in Zack Scheinder, who saved some key games last year and had a big summer during the team's run to the Elite 8 of the summer state baseball tournament.
Another emerging pitcher is Pat Kenny, a 6-foot-4 sophomore who can also play shortstop.
The other end of battery features Scott Heelan, an all-area catcher last season who will be playing baseball next year at Virginia Tech.
"Our strengths this year will be our pitching, and our hitting, too," Smothers said. "We've got a lot of guys who can hit the ball.
North Suburban Prairie
Antioch
Coach: Paul Petty (18th year)
Last season's record: 13-19 (6-6 Prairie)
Key players lost: SS/2B Andy Danna (University of Dubuque), C/3B Logan Kent (Illinois Wesleyan)
Key players returning: P Chris Terzic, sr., C Joe Gregory, soph., P/IF Kevin Smiley, sr., OF Alex Grimm, jr., OF Brett Prather, jr., OF Cameron Jerina, sr.
Key newcomers: IF Paul DeJong, jr., P Ryan Dragoon, jr.
Outlook: Balance and chemistry are two important buzz words in sports and Antioch can be described with both.
"We've got good kids with good chemistry," Antioch coach Paul Petty said. "That's been a real theme so far."
Petty has also noticed a lot of balance in his lineup, which he says has been a refreshing change.
"We'll have more kids who can hit this year," Petty said. "Instead of having the top three kids who carry the team, it will probably be the sum of the parts this year. If our top three guys aren't on, it would be a problem in the past, but we'll have other guys who can step in because we'll have hitting up and down the order."
Sophomore catcher Joe Gregory, seniors Kevin Smiley and Cameron Jerina and juniors Alex Grimm and Brett Prather have all looked good so far.
Petty is also excited about the return of Paul DeJong, a junior who will play shortstop. He didn't play last season because of a knee injury and was missed for his all-around play.
"He would have played varsity last season as a sophomore," Petty said. "He's a really good infielder and he's got a great bat, the kind of bat we really missed last year."
Antioch didn't miss out on having a solid ace last season, and that will be the case again this season.
Chris Terzic is back after getting 4 wins as the ace last year.
Smiley will also do some pitching as will newcomer Ryan Dragoon.
Grant
Coach: Dave Behm (1st year)
Last season's record: 17-15 (7-5 Prairie)
Key players lost: 2B/LF Nathan Lucas (Dubuque University), P/OF Ryan Thorsen (Concordia), SS Jimmy Cokefair, OF Ryan Magnuson, AJ Spohr
Key players returning: SS/P Thomas Gier, sr., C/P Jeremy Wiker, sr., P/OF Justin Cokefair, sr., 2B/SS Brandon Magnuson, sr., OF/P Kyle Hunter, OF Dylan Strazzanti
Key newcomers: P/IF Jared Helmich, soph., C/IF Tyler Gorski, fr.
Outlook: First-year coach Dave Behm knows where he wants to take Grant-because he's been there.
Behm was on two of the best teams Grant has had in recent memory. The 25-year-old, 2002 graduate helped the Bulldogs win a regional title as a junior and a Prairie division title as a senior.
"We lost to Stevenson in the (NSC) conference title game, but we actually had them beat at one point," Behm said. "That's where we're headed again."
Behm says the key is to develop a balanced team.
"We've always had some really great individual baseball talent at Grant," said Behm, referring to Kyle Stroup and Gerik Wallsten, a minor league pitcher and a Division I catcher, respectively, who were stars two years ago. "But we haven't always put the players around them. That's the goal, to develop those other players to go around that top talent so that we can get back to the point where, as a team, we're competing for conference and division championships each year."
The Bulldogs are off to a good start with the return of two of their best hitters from last season: Thomas Gier and Jeremy Wiker. Gier hit nealy .400 on the season and Wiker was well over .300.
Gier and Wiker will also pitch, along with Justin Cokefair. Those three will sit at the top of the rotation.
"I think our pitching will be there eventually, we're just a little unproven there to start the season," Behm said. "Defensively, we'll be better and we'll also be able to hit the ball again this year."
Lakes
Coach: Bill Rosencrans (2nd year)
Last season's record: 23-12 (10-2 Prairie)
Key players lost: P Tim Ryan (Monmouth), OF Eric Lopez (Elmhurst), OF Kevin Kelly, C Dominic Costa, Justin Hotle, Zach Percival, Brian Baiocchi
Key players returning: P DJ Snelten, sr., P Nick Hibbing, jr., P/3B Travis Vanderwall, sr., Paul Kukulka, jr., CF Andrew Tubek, sr., C Wills Massie, sr., LF Ryan Noon, sr., OF Mark Ortman, sr., OF Josh Rigali, sr., P Jeff Verinski, sr., P Tyler Callese, sr.
Key newcomers: SS Jake Brown, soph., IF Matt Dexheimer, jr., P/IF Bill Fell, jr., C Brandon Grant, jr., OF Chris Hoffman, soph., OF Scott Hennely, jr., OF Mike Hough, jr., P Alex Metzger, jr., IF Kyle Noon, jr., IF Nick Traska, soph., IF Jake Wisniewski, jr.
Outlook: If the Eagles thought last year was fun, winning a record 23 games and their first Prairie Division title in school history, they'd better fasten their seat belts.
This season has the making of a real doozie.
"We did OK last year," Lakes coach Bill Rosencrans said. "We'll be better than last year."
Rosencrans might have a little Lou Holtz in him.
Sure, it's early, and the Eagles may be good only on paper at this point. But they have every reason to be optimistic.
They've got two Division I pitchers on their staff, one of whom is being closely followed by Major League scouts. They've got another pitcher who is a two-time all-area selection and a fourth who has been honorable mention.
Offensively, they return their No. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 hitters.
"There's still a lot of things we need to do," Rosencrans said. "But I think we'll be very competitive."
Pitchers DJ Snelten and Nick Hibbing should keep the Eagles in every game they start.
Snelten, a 6-foot-7 lefty, throws 90 miles per hour, and has what Rosencrans calls the nastiest curve/slider he's ever seen.
Snelten already has signed with Minnesota but is also being targeted by many major league teams.
"I've talked to so many major league scouts about him that I can't even keep track anymore," Rosencrans said. 'He's the best pitcher I've every coached. He grew about two inches since last year, he was consistently in the 80s last summer and he went to a couple of showcases where he hit the 90s and was throwing that slider. Everyone started talking about him. It's once a career that you get a kid who draws major league attention, and now we've got two on the same team."
Rosencrans said that as the scouts have looked at Snelten, they've also liked what they've seen in Hibbing, a junior who has already committed to Iowa.
Hibbing is a 6-foot-4 right-handed pitcher who can also hit the 90s.
Rosencrans says the Travis Vanderwall, a two-time all-area selection has also been known to hit the 90 mile-per-hour mark as well.
"Those three are all going to be good and we've got some pretty good younger guys too," Rosencrans said. "We've got some good pitching."
Offensively, Lakes will be led by Andrew Tubek, Ryan Noon, Vanderwall, Paul Kukulka and Wills Massie.
Round Lake
Coach: Ed Adamson (2nd year)
Last season's record: 3-26 (2-10 Prairie)
Key players lost: OF Mike Fuller, P Jeff Nicoline, OF Matt Ortiz, C Adam Fernandez
Key players returning: P/OF Matt Baum, sr., P/1B Chris Rana, jr., C/P Anthony Gutierrez, soph., SS Dylan Havrilak, sr.
Key newcomers: SS/P Angel Velazquez, jr., 2B/P Josh Nicolai, sr., OF Matt Novak, sr., 1B Tariq Mitchell, sr., OF/P Jordan Nicolai, sr., 2B/3B Jeremy Perez, jr., 2B/OF/P Gerald Williams, jr., C Alex Witten, Mike Crews, sr.
Outlook: Often used as a designated hitter throughout his college career at Wisconsin-Whitewater, Round Lake coach Ed Adamson had a certain perspective on baseball.
"I was definitely an offensive-minded player," Adamson said. "I was all about offense."
But Adamson decided that had to change, especially if he was going to be able to help his team change.
"We had a lot of issues on defense last year, we made a lot of errors, we struggled with a lot of the basics," Adamson said. "I decided that defense had to be a focus of mine, so I went to come coaching clinics, I've been talking to other coaches, learning defensive drills so that I can try to help our guys better. We've been working on footwork, a lot of things from the ground up."
So far, Adamson thinks the work has paid off.
"We're trying to improve on a lot of things," Adamson said. "But I've been really pleased with how the guys are grasping everything."
Adamson has also been pleased with his pitching, which will be headlined by returners Matt Baum, Chris Rana and Anthony Gutierrez, who will also play catcher.
The Panthers should also get some valuable innings from Angel Velazquez, Josh Nicolai, Jordan Nicolai and Gerald Williams, among others.
"I've got about 8 guys who can throw strikes," Adamson said. "I'm not sure how much of a strength pitching will be because it's not like we've got a ton of guys who can throw it really hard. But we do have guys who can throw strikes so that means we have some options."
Vernon Hills
Coach: Jay Czarnecki (9th year)
Last season's record: 21-15 (9-3 Prairie)
Key players lost: SS Nick Mazza, RF PJ Marsek, 2B Mark Argianas, P Jamie Manhard, 1B Matt Peterson, OF/P Johnny Rathod, OF Nate Moraton
Key players returning: CF Zach Kisley, sr., P/1B Scott Kempel, sr., SS Chris Argianas, jr., C Chris Marras, soph., P/1B Cesar Gallegos, sr., C/DH Eric Oberwise, sr., LF/1B Brian Palmer, jr.
Key newcomers: 2B Anthony Mazza, jr., 3B Tyler Coppney, jr., OF Ryan Knopoff, jr., IF/C Steve Nelson, soph., P/OF MJ Crowley, soph., P Jake Patterson, jr., P Jerami Cruzado, sr., P/C Ryan Lane, jr., 2B Matt Matley, jr., P Smith Donelon, jr., P Brian Berzanski, jr.
Outlook: With a strong foundation already in place, Vernon Hills has a head start in its quest to construct another 20-win season.
"It's the old adage in baseball, you want to be strong up the middle and I think we are," Vernon Hills coach Jay Czarnecki said. "We return our catcher, our centerfielder and our shortstop."
Senior Zach Kisley will be a defensive focus at centerfield again after finishing last season as one of the team's best offensive players as well. He finished with a .379 batting average and 7 doubles.
Meanwhile, Chris Argianas will be back at shortstop. He started all of last season as a sophomore at third base to fill in a gap but has years of experience at shortstop under his belt. He's already transitioned back to his old spot seamlessly.
And sophomore Chris Marras is an old pro behind the plate now, having started every game at catcher last year as a freshman.
"Even though (Argianas and Marras) are young guys, they both have a lot of experience," Czarnecki said. "Argianas is a heck of a defensive player and Marras also will be a big hitter for us."
Meanwhile, the Cougars return one of their best pitchers from last year.
Senior Scott Kempel had 5 wins and a save last season and also pitched Vernon Hills to a win in the regional. It was the Cougars' second regional title in school history.
Cesar Gallegos, who was used a lot in relief last year, will also get plenty of innings on the mound.
"We're going to play things by ear with Cesar," Czarnecki said. "He could be a starter, but we also could keep him as a closer because it's great to have a pitcher like him in that kind of role."
Wauconda
Coach: Bill Sliker (8th year)
Last season's record: 15-13-1 (8-4 Prairie)
Key players lost: P Bryce Larhman (University of Dayton), P/3B Ted Litberg, P/1B Nick Jay
Key players returning: C/OF/3B Kevin Fessler, sr., C/OF Jeff Jackson, sr., P/1B Jeremy Wagner, jr., P/1B Kevin Wrightson, sr., P/IF/OF Erik Maki, jr., P/SS Tom Tyrrell, sr., P/3B Dan Tanzillo, sr., P/OF Drew Hylen, sr., OF Kyle Mitchell, sr., OF Axel Madison, sr.
Key newcomers: P/SS Jake Ziolkowski, soph., P/SS Kollin Seiwerth, jr., 2B/OF Brandon Stang, jr., P/3B Tim Matesi, jr., P/OF Andrew Schmucker, jr., OF Henry Manahan, jr., P/1B Vincent Badino, jr., C/P/3B Shawn Sundquist, soph.
Outlook: Wauconda has two solid catchers in Jeff Jackson and Kevin Fessler, who will be splitting time behind the plate this season.
Who they'll be catching, however, isn't quite as clear.
The Bulldogs need to fill the void left by pitchers Bryce Larhman and Nick Jay, who got the bulk of the innings last year.
Larhman, who got 5 wins and rolled up 94 strikeouts against just 10 walks in 49.2 innings, is now pitching at the University of Dayton.
"We have big shoes to fill on the mound," Wauconda coach Bill Sliker said. "We're not going to be able to rely on a Division I pitcher to strike a bunch of guys out. Our defense and our offense will have to carry us this year. We have some guys who can hit, but our defense is going to have to be much better than it was last year. We struggled at times, we had a lot of misplayed balls. Defense is really going to have to be a focus."
So far, Sliker has liked what he's seen in practice.
"The guys have been more relaxed playing defense and things have looked good," Sliker said. "But that's been in the gym. Now, we're going to have to take it outside and see how we do."
Offensively, the Bulldogs should do well.
They can ride the back of Jackson, who finished with a gaudy .530 batting average last season and was promptly named all-conference, all-area and third team all-state. Drew Hylen, a pitcher and outfielder, also had a nice year at the plate, hitting .355 overall.
Meanwhile, Fessler and junior Erik Maki finished right around .300 last season.
Maki and senior Dan Tanzillo return as Wauconda's most experienced pitchers. But they received limited innings after Larhman and Jay.
Fox Valley Fox
Grayslake Central
Coach: Troy Whalen (8th year)
Last season's record: 26-16
Key players lost: P Aaron Snyder (Southern Illinois), P Kevin O'Rourke (St. Mary's of Texas), SS Kurt Schmidt (Augustana), C Sean Seiler (Augustana)
Key players returning: P Matt Murphy, sr., P Kevin DeRue, sr., P Mitch Tielke, sr., 1B/DH Angelo Gargano, sr., OF Mike Gentile, sr., 2B Andrew Hosford, sr., CF Stefan Falbo, sr., OF Jackson White, sr., C Josh DeAngelis, sr.
Key newcomers: 3B Joe Schaiper, sr., P Nick Richter, sr., SS Austin Miller, jr., IF Derek Idstein, jr., OF Cam Neely, jr., P/OF Austin Leggett, jr., C Joey Bleuer, jr.
Outlook: It's not always wrong to be greedy. In fact, Grayslake Central coach Troy Whalen is encouraging his players to be greedy.
"Our challenge to the kids this season from Day One has been, 'How Greedy Are You,'" Whalen said. "This season is all about being greedy."
Greedy in the sense that the Rams should want more and more and more of the magic they experienced last year in getting downstate for the first time in school history.
Grayslake Central finished third in state after an exciting run through the Class 3A tournament.
"Having gone downstate once, it makes you realize that you want to keep going," Whalen said. "It makes you want to go back even worse the following year. The kids want to go back but they can't be afraid to expect that. We've told them that we have the talent to win a lot of games this year. But are they going to be satisfied with just that? It's how greedy do you want to be?"
Talent-wise, it seems like the Rams have been greedily stock-piling.
They feature six players who have been playing on the varsity since their sophomore year, including Kevin DeRue, Mitch Tielke, Angelo Gargano, Mike Gentile, Jackson White and Josh DeAngelis.
Gargano, the team's first baseman, returns after hitting .390 last season with 7 home runs and 51 RBI. He's already signed with Division I Hofstra.
DeRue and Tielke combined for 7 wins on the mound last season and DeAngelis will give the Rams stability at catcher.
Meanwhile, Gentile and White, both outfielders, have signed with Carthage and Knox College, respectively.
"Those six guys have been around for a long time and they know the routine, they have a lot of experience and confidence," Whalen said. "They're really anxious to play and get this season going."
The Rams won't be going anywhere without senior pitcher Matt Murphy, the projected ace.
His first year on varsity was last year, but it was a big year. Big enough to allow him to sign early with Southern Illinois.
He was third in a monster rotation that included Aaron Snyder and Kevin O'Rourke, who are both pitching in college now. Murphy picked up 4 wins and had 44 strikeouts in just 40 innings. He also maintained a 1.32 earned run average.
"If we're going to make another run at state, we're going to have to figure out a way to replace Aaron and Kevin," Whalen said. "Those guys were our horses, but I still like what we have in the stable. 'Murph' has the pitches, command and poise to be a front-end starter. We are expecting and obviously need big things from him."
Grayslake North
Coach: Andy Strahan (4th year)
Last season's record: 11-24 (4-11 Fox)
Key players lost: P/OF Grant Henricksen, LF Vinnie Licciardello
Key players returning: LF Sean Brennan, sr., P Tony Nochim, sr., 2B/DH Steve Owen, sr., P/CF Matt Robinson, sr., SS Kevin Staszczak, jr., P/1B Ed Tatera, sr., C Joe Walsh, sr.
Key newcomers: P/IF Tom Elias, soph., P/OF Brandon Fern, jr., P Kyle Fosco, jr., P/3B Colin Laughin, jr., P/1B John Romanski, jr., OF Josh Shapiro, jr., C/IF Andy Tatera, soph.
Outlook: Four years into the Grayslake North baseball program and the goal is clear.
"The No. 1 goal is to have a winning season," Grayslake North coach Andy Strahan said. "We have not had that yet. The biggest thing we need is consistency. We've had years where we'll do well in 3 games a week. In order to have that winning season, we need to do well in five or six games a week.
"I think we're getting to that point. This group as a whole really works hard and they do a lot of things well."
Strahan just hopes this group can stay away from injuries. His roster is at only 14 players. And that already includes 2 sophomores.
"We just have to stay healthy," Strahan said. "If we can, we'll be able to do some good things."
The Knights are expecting plenty of good things from senior Ed Tatera, who will be the team's ace and emotional leader.
"Ed is a great leader by example," Strahan said. "He's also not afraid to be vocal. He realizes when we need to refocus and he gets the guys back on track."
Tatera also gave Grayslake North some unexpected offense last season when he began the season going 5-for-6 in pinch-hit opportunities. After that, he never came out of the lineup.
Like Tatera, Matt Robinson will also pitch for the Knights and will also be counted on for his bat. He should hit fourth in the lineup.
Strahan says he's also expecting big things out of senior Sean Brennan, a quarterback in football and Joe Walsh, the projected starter at catcher.
"I think we're on the right track now," Strahan said. "The kids know our system now because they've seen it since they were freshmen. They know what to expect and they know our philosophies. That's helped a lot."
East Suburban Catholic
Carmel
Coach: Joe May (1st year)
Last season's record: 24-12 (11-7 ESCC)
Key players lost: P Jeff Moree (Augustana), P Joe Burg (Hofstra), LF Donald Stopka
Key players returning: 1B Chris Divarco, sr., SS Mike Pudlo, sr., 3B Jimmy Spagna, sr., OF Derek Jordan, sr., P Jonathan Huisel, sr., P Cale St. Clair, sr., P Paul Poirier, sr., C Alex May, sr., C Kyle Bessa, sr., P Nick Battalini, sr.
Key newcomers: P Daniel Mooney, C/OF Luke Venegoni, P/OF Tim Hendricks
Outlook: Change is never easy.
But the stunning change made to the Carmel coaching staff over the off-season should be easier to swallow because of a familiar face.
Joe May begins his first year as head coach at Carmel. He replaces the popular and successful Chuck Gandolfi, whose contract was not renewed last summer after 21 seasons and 560 wins, allegedly because of some questionable circumstances that occurred during a trip with a travel team that he coached.
May was a longtime assistant coach under Gandolfi, who had been the most senior coach in the Daily Herald's Lake County coverage area.
"This is hard because Chuck is a friend and I enjoyed coaching with him," May said. "But one of the reasons I accepted the position is that I thought it would be less of a dramatic change for the kids than if the new coach came from the outside."
May inherits a senior-laden team that won 24 games last year and should compete for a league title in the rugged East Suburban Catholic Conference.
"It's a great group of kids who have experience," May said. "I think our strength will be our pitching staff."
Carmel's stable of pitchers includes Paul Poirier, Cale St. Clair, Jonathan Huisel and Nick Battalini, all of whom have already committed to pitch in college next year, or are on the verge.
Poirier, who was up on the varsity as a sophomore but took a bit of a backseat last year to two senior pitches (Joe Burg and Jeff Moree) is looking better than ever and will likely be the ace.
"Paul lost a bit of his velocity last year, but he's regained that and he's regained his confidence," May said. "I've coached him in traveling baseball since he was about 10 years old and he's always been a very patient pitcher who didn't get upset or rattled. He'll be key for us this year."
The other side of the battery will be a revolving door of sorts.
Carmel boasts three capable catchers in Alex May, Kyle Bessa and Luke Venegoni, who will all get time behind the plate and plenty of attention from May.
In the past, May worked primarily with the catchers.
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<li><a href="/pdf/baseball.softball.2010/dupage.pdf">DuPage County players </a></li>
<li><a href="/pdf/baseball.softball.2010/fox.pdf">Fox Valley players </a></li>
<li><a href="/pdf/baseball.softball.2010/lake.pdf">Lake County players </a></li>
<li><a href="/pdf/baseball.softball.2010/northwest.pdf">Northwest suburban players </a></li>
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