DuPage County All-Area baseball team
Steve Adkins | York
One of the area's elite pitchers as a junior, Adkins' second varsity season showed vast improvement from his sophomore year. He shaved his ERA to 2.61 while going 5-3 with 67 strikeouts. At the plate, mostly while playing third base, he raised his average 200 points to .348 and drove in 22 runs. "He competes on every single pitch, and that's pretty rare," coach John Walters said.
Eric Albaugh | Wheaton Academy
Tying or breaking seven all-time and season program hitting records, Albaugh left his mark in three varsity seasons with the Warriors. The senior outfielder hit .500 with 10 homers and 35 RBI, posting a .904 slugging percentage while smacking 53 hits, including 13 doubles, and scoring 49 runs. "Eric's a charger," coach Willie Bosque said. "When he goes, the whole team goes."
Josh Camalick | Hinsdale Central
Even-keeled, consistent and always feared at the plate, Camalick tied a program record for homers in a season with 8. Overall, the numbers for the senior third baseman were staggering - a .570 batting average with 38 RBI and a .670 on-base percentage. "He was just a monster this year," coach Tom Dorrance said. "There weren't a lot of pitchers who fooled hin."
Sam Carius | Waubonsie Valley
When Carius moved to the No. 3 spot in the lineup early in the season, everything came together for the Warriors. With a good approach each trip to the plate, the junior batted .425 with 15 doubles and 31 RBI. On top of his offensive numbers, Carius was tremendous defensively at third base. "He's one of the hardest working kids we've had," coach Dan Fezzuoglio said.
Tyler Christ | West Chicago
Christ dominated DuPage Valley Conference pitching for a .487 batting average while hitting safely in 19 of 21 games. Overall the senior center fielder batted .450 with 15 doubles, 9 homers, 34 RBI and a .908 slugging percentage while playing stellar defense. "I knew Tyler was a good player, but I never thought he'd have a year like this," coach Dan McCarthy said.
Matt Cmiel | Naperville Central
For all the talented juniors on this year's Redhawks team, Cmiel rose above them all. The junior outfielder hit .465 - 70 points higher than any teammate. Shifting from leadoff to the No. 3 spot in the lineup, Cmiel scored 38 runs and drove in 26 while stealing 29 bases. "He's been a great catalyst," coach Bill Seiple said. "He's the guy I want up in those critical situations."
Aric Dama | Wheaton North
Developing into the staff ace, Dama's pitching helped carry the Falcons to the outright DuPage Valley Conference title. The senior, who also played outfield, went 8-1 with a 1.64 ERA and better than a 3-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He also batted .358 from the three hole. "He definitely made the jump to become our best pitcher," coach Dan Schoessling said.
Jack DeAno | Wheaton North
The 2009 Daily Herald DuPage County All-Area baseball captain, DeAno will continue a tremendous career at Vanderbilt. A three-time all-DuPage Valley Conference pick and this year's player of the year, the senior center fielder and pitcher batted .429 with 8 homers and 33 RBI while going 7-1 with a 2.02 ERA. "He's gotten better every year," coach Dan Schoessling said.
Rick Divito | Driscoll
Divito brought the perfect blend of pitching, hitting and pride to Driscoll's final baseball season. The senior shortstop and three-year starter set a program record by hitting .576. Divito drove in 48 runs and hit 5 homers. One of the Suburban Catholic Conference's top pitchers, he posted a perfect 8-0 record. "The best thing is he plays the game the right way," coach Sean Bieterman said.
Pat Gelwicks | Benet
Dedicated to the program throughout his three varsity seasons, Gelwicks developed into a true student of the game. Shifting from the outfield to play a near flawless first base, the senior earned a second all-East Suburban Catholic Conference selection by hitting .406 with 28 RBI. "He's probably one of the best leaders we've ever had," coach Jeff Bonebrake said.
Mike Gerber | Neuqua Valley
Settling in at the three spot in the lineup at the start of the year, Gerber made a seamless transition as a junior in his first varsity season. The center fielder's power numbers jumped off the stat page - 8 homers and 30 RBI - to accompany a .355 average. Gerber also played a smooth center field. "He was our best player right from the first game," coach Robin Renner said.
Dan Grimley | Naperville North
Very quietly Grimley put together one of the more solid offensive seasons in the area. Laying in the weeds in the eighth spot in the order, the senior left fielder consistently drove in everyone in front of him. Grimley batted .391 with 11 doubles and 36 RBI. "A tremendous team player," coach Carl Hunckler said. "His confidence level was night and day from last year to this year."
Trey Martin | Wheaton North
A premier power hitter, Martin blasted 10 home runs to go along with 28 RBI, a .330 batting average and a .652 slugging percentage. The senior played third and first base and helped the team burst to a 20-0 record by posting a 5-0 pitching mark with a 0.98 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 35 innings. "He's one of the better overall athletes we've ever had," coach Dan Schoessling said.
Mike Olp | WW South
Graduating with three varsity seasons in football, wrestling and baseball, Olp was an anchor in the Tigers' lineup. The senior outfielder used relentless at-bats to find a way to get on base. Leading by example with his work ethic, Olp batted .404 with 5 homers and 26 RBI. "He's the guy our kids always looked up to," coach Tim Brylka said. "He was a terrific leader for us."
Taylor Rhoades | WW South
Not bad for his first season as a starter. The senior second baseman with an explosive bat never had a prolonged slump. A vocal leader who played some designated hitter last season, Rhoades pounded out a .400 batting average with 5 homers, 39 RBI and a .700 slugging percentage. "He's the guy you want at the plate with guys on base," coach Tim Brylka said.
Chris Savas | Willowbrook
A menace to varsity pitching for three seasons, Savas bashed the ball more than ever this senior year. The Central Michigan-bound third baseman hit .477 with 7 homers and 44 RBI. Combined with 18 doubles and 4 triples, Savas compiled a scary .916 slugging percentage. "He's aggressive but he also shows great patience at the plate," coach Steve Gilliam said.
Dan Sheppard | Downers Grove North
Headed to Iowa, Sheppard is the latest great catcher to come through the Trojans' program. Also selected to the All-Area football team, the senior returned to his natural position after two varsity seasons in the outfield. He hit .430 with 6 homers and 28 RBI and was one of area's top defensive catchers. "He may be the best we've had behind the plate," coach Chad Isaacson said.
Matt Turk | Addison Trail
Versatility and the ability to play multiple positions made Turk's talents shine. In three seasons as a starter the senior played outfield, shortstop, catcher and pitcher before planting himself at first base early this year. A potent No. 3 hitter in the order, Turk batted .360 with 34 RBI and pitched in on the mound. "He was incredibly valuable to our team," coach Paul Parpet said.
Charlie White | Naperville North
Much was expected of White in his first varsity season, and the junior didn't disappoint. The center fielder and pitcher stood out in all phases, starting with a .479 average, 5 home runs, 39 RBI and .782 slugging percentage. White thrived on the mound by going 5-2 with a 2.72 ERA. "There's no doubt he's an all-state, Division I type of player," coach Carl Hunckler said.
Joey White | Downers Grove South
The lone returning starter, White helped carry a young, inexperienced Mustangs team to a share of the West Suburban Gold title. The senior center fielder epitomized the leadoff role, batting .504 with 40 runs scored, 17 extra-base hits, 28 RBI and 12 steals. White made only 2 errors. "He's a gamer," coach Darren Orel said. "He'll run through a wall for the team."
<div class="infoBox"> <h1>All-Area Teams</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Cook County</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=298406"><B>Softball</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298405">Softball captain: Nikki Goranson</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298398"><B>Baseball</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298397">Baseball captain: Jon Carlson</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298403"><B>Girls soccer</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298402">Soccer captains: Laura Mayer, Mary Kubiuk</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298401"><B>Boys volleyball</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298400">Volleyball captain: Chris Falknor</a></li> </ul> <h2>DuPage County</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=298388"><B>Softball</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298392">Softball captain: Hannah Santora</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298389"><B>Baseball</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298582">Baseball captain: Jack DeAno</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298391"><B>Girls soccer</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298394">Soccer captain: Leah Fortune</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298390"><B>Boys volleyball</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298393">Volleyball captain: Joe Kelly</a></li> </ul> <h2>Fox Valley</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=298362">Softball captain: Kimberly Pierce</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298660"><B>Baseball</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298356">Baseball co-captain: Brian Brauer</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298355">Baseball co-captain: Craig Lipp</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298658"><B>Girls soccer</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298361">Soccer captain: Cori Wronski</a></li> </ul> <h2>Lake County</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=298410"><B>Softball</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298408">Softball captain: Olivia Duehr</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298407"><B>Baseball</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298396">Baseball captain: Chas Evans</a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298404"><B>Girls soccer</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298409">Soccer captain: Courtney Levy</a></li> </ul> <h2>Tri-Cities</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=298385"><B>Softball</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298383"><B>Baseball</B></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=298382"><B>Girls soccer</B></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>