Conlon makes Naperville Central No. 1, but others will have a say
Naperville Central's baseball team made its argument for No. 1 preseason status by the time last season ended in June.
Less than two months after that the Redhawks became No. 1 with a bullet. Shortly after Shane Conlon transferred from St. Rita to Naperville Central, that is.
In terms of the state title picture, that one addition shifted the Redhawks from contender to favorite.
"He's special," said Redhawks coach Bill Seiple. "You'll never get a person of higher quality."
On a team loaded with quality, Conlon blends right in.
Naperville Central graduated only two regular players from last year's Class 4A sectional championship team - pitcher and outfielder Pat Kaminska, and shortstop Anthony Lopez. In Conlon the Redhawks covered their bases and then some.
For St. Rita last spring the lefty pitcher went 9-1 with 67 strikeouts in 52 innings and batted .396 with 4 homers and 21 RBI. In the Class 4A state semifinals against O'Fallon, Conlon pitched a 4-hit shutout as St. Rita advanced to the title game with a 4-0 victory.
In the IHSBCA Phil Lawler Summer State Tournament, Conlon pitched 6 shutout innings and earned a 9-0 win over Sandburg in the title game. That and a scholarship to Kansas State University would have made for a complete summer in itself, but Conlon then decided to return to his roots.
He transferred from St. Rita to reunite with his childhood friends at Naperville Central.
"He's not a new guy coming in," Seiple said. "He knew a lot of these guys for a long time. It's been very easy for Shane to fit in."
Conlon fits the Redhawks like a glove. He'll be a major factor in the pursuit of matching the Redhawks' 2006 Class AA state title.
With Conlon as the ace, that allows junior Dan Ludwig to continue to grow in his role as an integral member of the pitching staff. As a sophomore he went 6-1 with a 2.60 ERA. Marc Mantucca, one of three third-year starters on the team, went 4-1 with a 2.22 ERA.
Conlon's stick in the No. 3 spot in the order surrounds him with speed, power and an immense number of varsity at-bats. All-Area center fielder Matt Cmiel hit .445 with 28 RBI and 42 runs scored last year. Bobby Czarnowski hit .371, Ben Lucas .367, Mantucca 338 and Northwestern-bound Nick Linne batted .325.
Top to bottom it's a loaded lineup with Conlon anchoring it. Conlon is also one of the best defensive first basemen you'll find at the high school level.
Every team would love a boost to its pitching, hitting and defense. An addition like Conlon is a win, win, win situation.
"Expectation is kind of a dirty word," Seiple said. "What all of this says is that we've got some very good players. It doesn't guarantee anything."
Seiple, a veteran of 28 seasons with Naperville Central, knows that all too well. The competition this year will be fierce as ever.
Looking ahead to the postseason, Downers Grove South looms with Louisville-bound ace Nick Burdi. Waubonsie Valley boasts Valparaiso recruit Kris Singh. Providence, Plainfield North, Neuqua Valley, Naperville North, Lockport, Lincoln-Way East, Naperville North and Benet are among the potentially state-ranked teams awaiting in the Plainfield South sectional.
Nothing will be easy for Naperville Central. Not through a tough nonconference slate or a grueling DuPage Valley Conference schedule. Certainly not in the playoffs.
The Redhawks are No. 1 for now, but even with Conlon they'll be pressed to stay there. It's simply the nature of the high school baseball beast.
"Somebody's got to be No. 1 in the preseason, but by May no one cares about it," Seiple said. "The only thing that matters is that you're No. 1 at the end."
kschmit@dailyherald.com