Scouting Tri-Cities baseball teams

Aurora Christian

Coach: Andy Zorger.

Last year: 25-11, 12-4 Private School (third place).

Key returners: Dan Jacobsen, sr., MINF/P/OF; Mitch Holtz, so., OF/P; Jake Hanson, so., C/3B.

Promising newcomers: Brent Minta jr., C/P; Austin Penn, jr., INF; Josh Haugen, so., MINF; Bobby Kuntzendorf, so., P/OF.

Outlook: The Eagles are coming off the best season in school history after beating Walther Lutheran and St. Edward to win their first sectional crown. Zorger doesn't have a lot of experience back from that team but the ones he has are good. "We obviously lost our core from last year, a lot of talent and leadership is gone, but we still have talented players returning," Zorger said. "They have worked hard in the off-season, have put time in the cage and have gotten stronger in the weight room." They don't come much more versatile than Jacobsen, who will play everywhere from the middle infield to the outfield to helping out on the mound. He'll also likely lead off. Holz, who started last year as a freshman, should slide into the cleanup slot while Hanson also will hit in the middle of the order. The Eagles move to the Suburban Christian Gold, and Zorger expects his team to be in contention with St. Edward, Immaculate Conception, Wheaton Academy and ACC. "We should be right in the thick of the race," Zorger said. The coach expects the team's strengths to be catching, middle infield and outfield play. The question marks come at the corners and in the pitching staff. "The biggest key will probably be our pitching, can our young guys step in and give us quality innings," Zorger said. "Our lineup should be strong 1-5, but there's some uncertainty in the 6-9 spots. We won't be hitting 25 home runs like we did last year, so we'll need to manufacture more runs than we have in the past."

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Batavia

Coach: Matt Holm.

Last year: 30-7, 20-1 Western Sun Conference (first place).

Key returners: Tim Scofield, sr., CF; Kevin Flinn, sr., P; Jesse Coffey (injured), jr., SS.

Promising newcomers: Brandon Hrack, jr., SS; Mickey Walsh, jr., P; Michael Rutas, jr., P; Ben Allison, jr., P. Danny Seiton, so. 2B; Nick Beltrano, jr., 3B.

Outlook: Holm enters his 19th season at Batavia with a 297-258 career record and coming off a school record for wins. The 2004 team made it to state at 26-13; last year's team also was one of the final eight teams when it lost 10-1 to Cary-Grove at the Class 4A Rockford supersectional. It was a dream season for the Bulldogs, who ran away from the rest of the Western Sun with a 20-1 record and stayed hot in the postseason by beating West Aurora, Willowbrook, Wheaton Warrenville South and Wheaton North to reach the supersectional. Adam Karger, Brian Krolikowski, Jordan Cofffey, Tim Drish and Ryan Welter are among the key players off that team who graduated, leaving Scofield (. 348) as the one regular on last year's team returning. He'll play center this year after spending much of last year at shortstop. A junior classes that went 25-3 as sophomores will step into key roles around the diamond. Hrack, originally slotted to play second, will move to short because of an injury to Coffey. Seiton came up as a freshman on varsity at the end of last year and will be an impact player as a sophomore. "We have several strong young bats who will need to prove themselves against varsity pitching," Holm said. There's also going to be some sophomores getting a shot, and it's that mix of newcomers that has Holm excited about this year's team. "We have had several very good seasons over the last few years. The most successful were years where young players had grown up after three or four varsity seasons together," Holm said. "The process of development is exciting. I feel we are starting that process again with a great bunch of kids who I look forward to spending the next several years with."

Geneva

Coach: Matt Hahn.

Last year: 20-12, 13-8 Western Sun (second place).

Key returners: Riley Perry, sr., P; Alex Sroka, sr., 3B/ P; Jack Delabar, sr.,1B/P; Eric Renner, sr., C; Asa Bielenberg, sr., C; Jerrod Campbell, sr., CF; Jason Adams, sr., SS; Brian Cornick, sr., 2B. Promising newcomers: Michael Monaghan, jr., OF/P; Chris Hipchen, jr., OF/P; Jim Martin, INF/OF; Kyle Bender, jr., INF/P; Brad Bernhard, jr., INF; Brett Willman, jr., INF; Anders Langlo, jr., C; Dan Trimble, jr., P; Marcus Stierwalt, jr., P.

Outlook: Watch out for Geneva this spring. The Vikings return eight seniors who all played a lot on last year's 20-win team. They have the ability to win a game just about any way a coach could want, whether it is dominating pitching, power hitting, executing small ball or error-free fielding. When asked though, Hahn called Batavia the team to beat in the Western Sun, giving props to the defending champs even though it will be an entirely new-look Bulldog lineup. Hahn also mentioned how tough it is to play Glenbard South, Sycamore and Kaneland. But you can bet none of those teams will have an easy go of it against the Vikings, especially when Perry is on the mound. The senior went 8-2 with a 1.75 ERA last year while being named All-Area, and recently he decided to play his college baseball next year at Oakton Community College. Sroka also recently settled on where he'll play college baseball, choosing DePauw. He hit .486 with 9 home runs and 39 RBI to join Perry on the All-Area team. The Vikings should be strong defensively with Renner returning behind the plate, Campbell in center and the double play combination of Adams and Cornick. The position battles that remain are the corner outfield spots between juniors Martin, Monaghan and Hipchen, and the DH will be a mix between those three when they do not play the outfield or pitch and Bielenberg.

Kaneland

Coach: Brian Aversa.

Last year: 23-13, 13-8 Western Sun Conference (second place).

Key returners: Ty Hamer, sr., P; Steve Colombe, sr., OF/P; Jake Fiedler, sr., 2B/SS; Joe Camiliere, jr., OF.

Promising newcomers: Bobby Thorson, jr., P/1B/3B; Tyler Callaghan, jr., C/OF/DH; Corey Landers, jr., OF.

Outlook: Aversa has this program headed in the right direction. The Knights are coming off a program-record 23 wins. There's one major hurdle they would like to clear, and that's a regional title. They have come a game short three straight years, including a 6-5 loss to Burlington Central last year. "Our goals include finally getting over that regional championship," Aversa said. "We just can't get over that hump. We would like to achieve that goal this year and then if we do, which I think we are very capable of, I think we could make a good run at it. Getting out of our regional will be the trick." How will Kaneland do it? They've got good arms on the mound in Hamer, who will pitch next year at Illinois, and Colombe. They've got quite possibly the best center fielder around in Camiliere. They have the ability to win games with speed and defense, too. But they also have some inexperience, which Aversa said will be a key to the season with how some of the younger players develop. "Our team is young but I think we have a lot of depth both in our pitching and our infield," Aversa said. "Our strengths should be our pitching this year. We have a good group of pitchers that are pretty flexible in their roles and they know what is expected out of them. If our pitching is strong we should do well, but if we struggle on the mound, I think we'll have a tough season." Kaneland is always competitive in the Western Sun and the Knights expect some more tough series in their final year going up against Batavia, Geneva and Glenbard South. "Honestly, I think we are a top-three team in the conference," Aversa said. "With that being said I think the competition in our conference will be very even top to bottom. There won't be a game or a series that doesn't potentially have a chance to go 2-1 one way or the other."

Marmion

Coach: Dave Rakow.

Last year: 22-4, 13-1 in the Suburban Catholic (first).

Key returners: Chriss Tydd, sr., OF/P; Mark Peters, sr., P/OF; Will Sterne, sr., SS/P; Bobby Winkel, sr., C.

Promising newcomers: Tim Tarter, jr., 1B/P; Tyler Friel, jr., 3B/P; Joe Wulff, sr., OF; Travis Siwiec, jr., OF/P. Outlook: Marmion is in the middle of some of the best seasons in its history. Two years ago the Cadets won their first regional title since 1969. Last year they rolled to the final Suburban Catholic Conference championship. But they were bumped up to Class 4A in the playoffs and after a first-round loss to Bartlett, Cadets coach Dave Rakow has gone about improving Marmion's nonconference schedule. "We've added some tough opponents to this year's schedule, including Wheaton Warrenville South and Neuqua Valley, which we think will help to better prepare us for a tougher conference and hopefully a playoff run," Rakow said. The Cadets graduated Matt Milroy, last year's Daily Herald All-Area captain and currently playing baseball at Illinois (after being selected in the MLB draft by Boston). Milroy is one of seven starters Rakow has to replace. Peters, fresh off an outstanding basketball season, leads the returning pitchers with a 6-1 record. A 6-foot-6 left-hander, he is attracting a lot of college interest for baseball as well as basketball. "We don't have any preseason standouts like (Milroy), but I think that we will be a lot deeper this year, especially as a pitching staff," Rakow said. "We'll also still be a senior dominated team this year." Those seniors include Tydd, who was second on the team with 31 RBI last year and hit .380. Sterne batted .349 with 19 runs and the 6-foot-2 Winkel is back behind the plate looking to be one of the team's top power hitters. "So far this spring, I am very happy with how well the players on this team get along, and the positive attitude that the players have about the upcoming season," Rakow said. With three new opponents in the Suburban Christian - Chicago Christian, Walther Lutheran and Wheaton Academy - there are some unknowns in the Cadets' bid for a repeat conference title. "However, I am very confident that we'll compete for another conference title this season," Rakow said.

St. Charles East

Coach: Dave Haskins.

Last year: 15-18, 13-12 in the Upstate Eight.

Key returners: Jonathan Erickson sr., 2B; Ryan O'Dell, sr., 3B; T.J. Travis, sr., C; Wes Benjamin, jr., P; Robert Wendt, sr., P/CF; Tom Laudadio, sr., P/RF; Tommy Konrad, sr., P/LF.

Promising newcomers: Tony Rallo, jr., 1B; Luke Rojas, jr., INF.

Outlook: From new uniforms to a new logo on their caps to a new outfield fence to a new philosophy - Haskins is putting his stamp on the program in his first year with the Saints. "We want to play with a little swag, play with confidence," said Haskins, who won the 2008 state championship at Prairie Ridge. "That is the mindset. Believe you should win because of the amount of work you put in." Haskins has an experienced pitching staff, including three left-handers Benjamin, Laudadio (4 wins last year) and Konrad. Wendt also will pitch after Haskins liked what he saw in the off-season. When they aren't on the mound Konrad, Wendt and Laudadio will make up the outfield, from left to right respectively. Catcher Travis returns after hitting well as a junior. Haskins is moving Travis into the leadoff role, where he can use a courtesy runner to help ignite the kind of aggressive style he prefers. "That's the way I like to play, to play little ball and put the pressure on the pitcher," Haskins said. The Saints also have a couple powerful bats, especially Erickson who hit .391 to earn All-Area honors last year. You can sense Haskins' confident approach when he talks about the Upstate Eight race. He looks at the Saints in contention with St. Charles North, Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley. So far, so good for the new coach who has enjoyed the reception he's received in his new job. "The administration, community have been outstanding," Haskins said. "Very positive."

St. Charles North

Coach: Todd Genke.

Last year: 22-12, 17-8 in the Upstate Eight Conference (second).

Key returners: Ryan Richardson, sr., SS; Chase Williams, sr., RF; Ryan Hudspeth, sr., P/LF; Kevin Borst, P/3B; Mike Budka, sr., 1B; Matt Stevens, sr., C; Jared Shurtleff, sr. P.

Promising newcomers: David Gow, jr., 2B/OF; Jake Begren, jr., CF/P; John Munyon, jr., 3B; Andrew Elliot, jr., LF; John Brodner, so., 2B.

Outlook: Every year you can count on St. Charles North to win 20-plus games and be in a battle for the Upstate Eight title, and 2010 looks like more of the same. A pair of three-year starters and Division I-bound seniors lead the way, Richardson (Nebraska) at shortstop and Stevens (Central Michigan) at catcher. Richardson hasn't hit less than .430 since coming up to the varsity. "He looks phenomenal," Genke said. "People should pay to come and watch him play." Genke loves Stevens' arm at catcher just about as much as he likes having these two plus Borst and Williams hitting in the middle of the lineup. Now the coach is looking for a new pair of table-setters, perhaps Bergren - the starting quarterback on the football team - in center field. "We are going to score some runs," Genke said. "We've got a good nucleus in the middle of the lineup." The North Stars lost one of their best on the mound in Zach Hirsch (Nebraska), who went 6-2 with a 1.15 ERA last year with only 16 walks in 55 innings. Genke calls the top of the rotation this year a "three-headed monster" with Hudspeth, Borst and Shurtleff heading the rotation. Hudspeth, a lefty, went 6-0 last year. Borst has a lively arm and is healthier coming into the year, according to Genke. The North Stars will need a good mix of pitching to complement their potential to score runs to get where they want to go. "It's going to be tough again," Genke said of the Upstate Eight. "I think we've got a good shot of contending."

West Aurora

Coach: John Reeves.

Last year: 13-21, 6-15 in DuPage Valley (seventh).

Key returners: Stevie Acevedo, jr., OF; Jake Bauer, sr., OF; Chris Hickson, sr., P/1B; Eddie Kane, sr., OF/P; Tom Martin, sr., P/1B; Nolan Meehan, sr., 2B/P; Julian Pena, sr., OF/P; Greyson Reider, sr., OF; Chris Richter, sr., P/3B.

Promising newcomers: Omar Fernandez, jr., C; Cody Love, jr., P/3B; Chris Lewis, so., C; Richie Renner, so., P/2B.

Outlook: Looking to improve on last year's record will be a challenge for the inexperienced Blackhawks, who have just one every day player back. That is Richter, a four-year varsity player. Bauer, Kane, Martin and Acevedo saw limited playing time last year while Pena will be a welcome addition at the plate and on the basepaths after recovering from shoulder surgery that sidelined him for the 2009 season. Newcomers will be counted on to make an immediate impact, including a pair of sophomores Lewis and Renner, whose older brother Brady hit .461 last year to earn All-Area honors. Kane and Richter headline the pitching rotation with a number of other candidates vying for innings, including Meehan, Love, Martin, Wyeth and Hickson.

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<h2>Related documents</h2>

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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>

<li><a href="/pdf/baseball.softball.2010/tri-cities.pdf">Tri-Cities players </a></li>

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