DuPage County All-Area baseball team
Zach Aehlert, Lake Park
From the moment he moved up to varsity for the playoffs last year as a sophomore, Aehlert established himself as a cornerstone player behind the plate. The junior catcher threw out seven runners trying to steal on him and picked off two more. Aehlert hit .436 with 5 home runs and 30 RBI. "When he came up to varsity, there was no looking back," coach Dan Colucci said.
Jimmy Allen, Timothy Christian
As the Trojans marched to their first sectional championship, their junior shortstop led the way. Allen, a starter since his freshman year, could have been an ace starting pitcher but was too valuable to shift from the middle infield. As a closer he notched 5 saves. He hit .459 with a 1.357 OPS and 35 RBI. "His baseball instincts are incredible," coach Jim Snoeyink said.
Tyler Bautista, Benet
Bautista hit well no matter where he was in the order, but he thrived at leadoff as Benet took off on a 12-game winning streak. The senior second baseman hit second during its playoff run. Bautista batted a team-high .410, scored 31 runs, drove in 18 and stole 12 bases. "His improvements from last year made him one of our MVPs," coach Scott Lawler said.
Joe Donovan, Westmont
The 2017 Daily Herald DuPage County All-Area Baseball Captain, Donovan graduates with 47 hitting and fielding program records at Westmont. The senior catcher will continue playing at Michigan after leading DuPage County with a .523 batting average, 16 home runs and 49 RBI. "He elevated our program to another level," coach D.J. Cocks said.
Marty Dosen, Benet
Dosen demonstrated his clutch play in dramatic fashion as 2 of his 5 home runs came on walk-offs. The senior outfielder bashed 14 extra-base hits with a 1.123 OPS and flashed speed with 19 steals. He batted .358 and had 32 RBI to help Benet to its first sectional title since 1989. "He was the guy in the lineup who made us go," coach Scott Lawler said.
James Gargano, Neuqua Valley
Committed to Butler University, Gargano was as good offensively as he was at shortstop while committing only 5 errors. The senior two-time All-Area honoree batted .409 with 45 runs scored, 24 driven in and a .493 OBP. "James is our best baseball player and he's one of the best leaders we've ever had at this school," coach Robin Renner said.
Noah Herdman, Neuqua Valley
The three-sport standout showed no signs of slowing down this spring. Herdman was among the area's premier power hitters, launching 9 home runs with a .756 slugging percentage. The junior third baseman's numbers were astounding: a .412 batting average with 44 RBI. "Did I think he'd hit? Yeah," coach Robin Renner said. "But not like this."
Justin Hicks, Neuqua Valley
At the start of the season, the Wildcats pegged Hicks as a fifth starting option on the mound. The senior left-hander wound up as the DuPage Valley Conference's pitcher of the year. Hicks went 8-0 with a 1.45 ERA, two no-hitters and 56 strikeouts against only 7 walks. "I've never seen a pitcher more confident on the mound than him," coach Robin Renner said.
Jon Kelso, Willowbrook
The biggest debate surrounding Kelso was whether his baseball season was better than his football campaign. All-Area in both sports, the senior outfielder vastly improved upon his first two varsity seasons. Kelso hit .445 with 7 triples, 28 RBI, 44 runs scored and a 1.230 OPS. He also stole 23 bases. "He's such a complete baseball player," coach Vic Wisner said.
Nick Kosmetatos, St. Francis
A two-year starter as a sophomore, Kosmetatos already has established himself as one of the top players in the Chicago Catholic League Blue. For the season the third baseman and pitcher hit .460 with 3 homers, 34 RBI and a 1.127 OPS. He won three games on the mound. "Mentally he's a man among boys the way he approaches the game," coach Nick Hall said.
James Kulak, Neuqua Valley
For two straight years Kulak has led the Wildcats in wins, strikeouts and innings pitched. And he still has a year to go. With increased velocity from a year ago, the junior went 9-2 including a no-hitter in the regional semifinals and struck out 80 while posting a 1.55 ERA and 0.887 WHIP. "He's been more efficient and attacks the strike zone," coach Robin Renner said.
Alec Michaelson, Willowbrook
In preparation for being the team's ace pitcher, the Warriors planned on DH-ing for Michaelson. Instead he became a vital bat in the lineup. The senior second baseman hit .383 and drove in 18 runs. On the mound Michaelson went 8-2 with a 1.09 ERA and 63 strikeouts. "He faced every team's No. 1 and he pitched lights out," coach Vic Wisner said.
Travis Pelton, Hinsdale Central
Pelton didn't play much as a junior, but he became irreplaceable this senior season. The third baseman and pitcher batted .396 with 3 homers, 24 RBI and a 1.118 OPS, and he posted a 1.69 ERA with a complete game against Oak Park and 8 innings against Lyons Twp. "Whatever we needed, he was willing to give to the team," coach Jason Ziemer said.
M.J. Ranieri, Willowbrook
One of the Warriors' many multisport athletes, Ranieri demonstrated his athleticism through his versatility. The senior spent the bulk of the season anchoring the infield defense at shortstop. Ranieri hit .400 overall but batted a blistering .530 in the West Suburban Gold. He drove in 30 runs. "He'll play any position and bat anywhere in the order," coach Vic Wisner said.
Evan Ranneklev, Neuqua Valley
The Wildcats were the area's best-hitting team, and Ranneklev may have been the team's most consistent performer at the plate. The junior outfielder was also stellar defensively. Ranneklev batted .403 and drove in 34 runs while posting a 1.068 OPS. "You look at him and you know you're looking at a baseball player," coach Robin Renner said.
Tyler Rosen, Downers Grove North
For two years Rosen was a rock at the top of the pitching rotation. A 4-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio truly stood out against Glenbard West when he struck out 14 and walked none. He struck out 69 overall, won six games and had a 1.65 ERA. Batting third, the second baseman had 19 RBI. "He was that good for two years for us," coach Chad Isaacson said.
Matt Vass, Metea Valley
One of the area's most dominant pitchers, Vass provided critical senior leadership to a very young team. He went 5-1 with a minuscule 0.61 ERA and 0.90 WHIP with 67 strikeouts. The first baseman vaulted a .321 batting average to a .505 on-base percentage by drawing 25 walks. Vass hit 4 home runs. "He put it all together this year," coach Craig Tomczak said.
Nick Villasenor, Addison Trail
The strikeout king of DuPage County, Villasenor's opposing hitters struggled just to make contact. He had 104 strikeouts against 10 walks while throwing 65.1 innings even with the mandated pitch-count limit. The senior had a 0.86 ERA and 0.84 WHIP. "His goal was to be the area's most-dominant pitcher and his stats back it up," coach Mike Kennedy said.
Ryan Wheeler, Neuqua Valley
Never the biggest player at 5-foot-9, Wheeler brought the same tenacity he showed on the football field to the baseball diamond. The junior second baseman led the Wildcats with a .440 batting average and drove in 32 runs while scoring 43. "You would never expect that kind of athletic performance to come out of that body," coach Robin Renner said.
Andrew Zapka, Hinsdale Central
Zapka pitched to the Red Devils' high expectations, but his performance at the plate earned the senior outfielder an unanimous selection as player of the year in the West Suburban Silver. Zapka hit. 478 with 8 homers, 43 RBI and a 1.368 OPS. He led the team in innings pitched and won four games. "He never took a break this season," coach Jason Ziemer said.
Honorable mention
Mike Bernal (York, sr., C), Ryan Eiermann (Naperville Central, sr., P-1B), Ben Espinoza (Willowbrook, sr., OF), Connor Gurnik (Naperville Central, sr., SS), Zach Heck (Glenbard North, sr., C), Erik Jones (Benet, sr. OF), Jake Karczewski (Montini, jr., SS), Caleb Larson (Wheaton Warrenville South, jr., P), Mason LeBreck (Neuqua Valley, sr., P), Alex Luka (Montini, sr., P-1B), Simon Marinelli (Addison Trail, jr., C), Paul Morris III (IC Catholic Prep, sr., 2B), Erik Mueller (Wheaton North, sr., 3B), Jack Nilles (Willowbrook, so., P); Griffen Pschigoda (Wheaton Warrenville South, sr., C), Jack Rigoni (Neuqua Valley, jr., OF), Brian Schiff (Timothy Christian, sr., OF-P), Nick Stacey (Downers Grove South, jr., OF), Jack Whitley (Naperville North, jr., P-IF), Kyle Zygadto (Glenbard South, sr., IF-P).