Scouting Lake County baseball
The high school baseball started this week. Here’s a look at what to expect in Lake County.
Antioch Sequoits
Coach: Frank Fracek (3rd season, 13th in the program)
Last season’s record: 14-18, 7-11 Northern Lake County
Top returning players: Nathan Yeager, sr., OF-P, Mason Willis, sr., C-P-IF, Evan Schmidt, sr., 1B-OF, Carson Young, sr., P, Ben Clausen, sr., P, Tyler Johnson, sr., P, Jackson Mozina sr., CF-P, Zach Rubin, jr., IF
Key newcomers: Hunter Feldkamp, jr., P, Elliott Freeman, jr., C, Jaxon Gembara, sr., OF, Evan Gissel, jr., 1B-P, Zach Kavich, jr., OF, Ednan Matarieh, jr., OF, Andrew Olson, jr., P, Parker Wenzel, jr., OF-C
Worth noting: Yeager (College of Lake County recruit), an all-NLCC pick in 2024, hit .381 with 32 hits and 16 steals, while Willis (NCAA Division III Carroll University in Waukesha, Wisconsin), all-conference in 2023, hit .319 with a pair of homers and 17 RBI. Schmidt (Division III Wisconsin-La Crosse) also returns after hitting .264 last season. Young is headed to Division III Bethel in Arden Hills, Minnesota, while Mozina, Feldkamp, Gissel, Speich and Rubin are uncommitted, Fracek noted. Antioch returns its entire team, Fracek pointed out. “We have a lot of guys who have been around the varsity level since their freshman and sophomore years, so this is a veteran group now, and we have a lot of guys who can play all over the field,” he said. Fracek is excited about having Willis (catcher), Connor Devine (SS), Speich (2B), and Mozina and Yeager (CF) back. “To be a winning baseball team you have to be strong up the middle,” he noted. Pitching depth also will be a strength with Feldkamp, Gissel, Matarieh, Jack Majerowski and Caiden Mentkowski, Clausen, Johnson and Young, along with junior RJ Deguzman, who returned from injury last year. “The best part about this group is we have two classes who have played a lot of baseball together and get along well,” Fracek said. “They are all easy-going guys with natural chemistry — nothing is forced with them.” Antioch is in search of its first conference title since 2006. “A bulk of these guys have lost back-to-back years in the regional championship in games we could have come out victorious,” Fracek said. “They ended the last 2 seasons with heartbreaking losses and understand the agony of defeat. We provided them with a lot of offseason opportunities to get bigger, faster and stronger, and our guys showed up and put in the wok. This is a different group than the last 2 years. We are going to have a lot of moving parts. I am excited to see how our guys rise to the challenges along the way and respond to adversity.”
Carmel Catholic Corsairs
Coach: Scott Anderson (2nd season)
Last season’s record: 12-20, 5-7, fifth East Suburban Catholic
Top returning players: Carson Hubert, sr., C, Finn Ford, sr., OF-P, Emerson Larson, jr., P, Zach Case, sr., 3B-DH, Paul Gansmann, sr., P
Worth noting: Hubert (.299 batting, Judson University in Elgin recruit) and Gansmann (3.00 ERA 15 K, 16 1/3 IP, Division III St. Norbert in De Pere, Wisconsin recruit) will continue their baseball careers next season at the collegiate level, while Larson (6-6, 240 pounds, 89-90 fastball topping at 93 with good slider and change) and sophomore corner infielder Michael Haran, who Anderson noted has a big-time bat, also are collegiate prospects. Anderson said pitching will be a Carmel plus with returning arms. Larson, Nick Vortherms, Gansmann, Ford and Brayden Case all pitched last season, while freshman Josh Ouimette should also log mound time. Anderson also likes the offensive output he has seen with returning starters Hubert, Hayden Martinson, Case and Ford, as well as sophomore Haran, who saw time on the big club at the end of 2024. Hubert will help Carmel in multiple areas. “Carson is a solid catcher and a team leader and one of the smartest high school catchers I have been around,” Anderson noted. Looking at the ESCC, Anderson said Nazareth and Joliet Catholic will be teams to watch. “As always, the ESCC is one of the best in the state,” he said. “We should be very competitive in the conference with our pitching being a big reason why.”
Grant Bulldogs
Coach: Bryan Talbot (1st season)
Last season’s record: 20-13, 10-8, fourth Northern Lake County
Top returning players: Jake Chrzastowski, sr., P, Ryan Dzierzynski, sr., IF, Adrian Medina, sr., 1B, Kyle Stigler, sr., P, Cole Sparkman, sr., P, Brandon Wolkowitz, sr., P, Gavin Worklan, sr., OF
Key newcomers: AJ Annarella, jr., C, Jayden Figueroa, soph., IF-OF, Reece Timm, jr., P-OF
Worth noting: Talbot takes over the program from longtime head coach Dave Behm, who is now Grant’s athletic director. “We have a lot of experience coming back from last year’s team,” Talbot said. “Our seniors have displayed a lot of leadership throughout the offseason.” Chrzastowski (Division III Benedictine in Lisle), Dzierzynski (Division III Wisconsin-Parkside), Medina (Division III North Park in Chicago) and Sparkman (Carroll) all will play at the next level. Dzierzynski was an All-Area selection a year ago.
Grayslake Central Rams
Coach: Troy Whalen (22nd season)
Last season’s record: 24-11, 13-5, Northern Lake County co-champions
Top returning players: Cal Hanson, sr., 1B-P, Colton Ohm, sr., OF-P, Ian McGowan, sr., 3B, Beckham Stone, jr., 1B, Carson Woods, jr., IF, Nathan Fuko, sr., P, Sam Nerini, sr,. OF
Key newcomers: Luke Eckenstahler, jr., P, Soren Hansen, jr., C, Jake Peterson, sr., C, Jack Velez, jr., IF-OF, TJ Rodriguez, jr., P-3B, Brady Carlson, sr., P, Mitchell Ross, sr., OF, Charlie Surowiec, soph., SS-2B, Bryce Carlson, jr., OF, Trevor Meathe, sr., OF-IF
Worth noting: A lot of good going on over in Ram land with this cast. Hanson (headed to JUCO Parkland College in Champaign) is a returning All-Area and all-NLCC selection after hitting .340 and posting a 2.40 ERA in 21 innings of work. Ohm (.387, 23 runs, College of Lake County), McGowan (.294, 5 doubles, 2 homers), Stone (.358, 20 RBI, 15 runs as a sophomore), Woods (.275, 8 steals), Fuko (1.23 ERA in 21 innings, College of Lake County) and Nerini (.325, 15 RBI, 15 runs, Division III Coe College in Providence, Rhode Island) were all varsity contributors. Echenstahler is a hard-throwing 6-5 righty who logged 10 varsity innings last year, while Carlson missed most of last season due to injury and will be a frontline starter on the mound, Whalen noted. Central is looking for its fifth NLCC crown in a row. “We have depth at multiple positions, but we are elite in the middle of the diamond with Carson Woods and sophomore Charlie Surowiec,” Whalen said. “Both can play short or second and can glove it with the best of the middle guys we have had in the program. Both also have plus-plus speed.” Whalen noted the Central pitching side will rely on multiple pitchers a game. “Depth will be our key, but we are counting on Hanson, Ohm, Carlson and Eckenstahler to get a large chunk of our innings,” he said. At the plate, Whalen calls this crew one of the faster teams he’s had 1-9 and the middle-of-the-order hitters, Hanson, Stone and McGowan, “will be tough outs all year,” he said. Whalen is jacked about Hanson, who he labels one of the better hitters in the county, a gold-glover at first and will be at the top of the Rams’ pitching staff. Whalen said Grant, Lakes and Antioch also will be contenders in the conference. Central again has a loaded schedule (that again includes a Florida spring break trip). “The teams on our schedule will better prepare us for the postseason, Whalen said.
Grayslake North Knights
Coach: Eric Lopez (3rd season)
Last season’s record: 19-14, 11-7, third Northern Lake County
Top returning players: Mitchell Hughes, sr., C-IF, JD Novacek, soph., C-IF, Chris Filas, sr., IF, Tyler Morgan, IF-P
Key newcomers: Sean McMahon, sr., P-IF, Nate Wilson, jr., P-OF, Timmy Schaap, jr., IF-P-C, Kyle Case, jr., IF
Worth noting: North graduated a good chunk of seniors from last year’s upper-tier NLCC finisher. “This definitely is going to be a different team,” Lopez said. “We have to go with the mentality of next guy up. We are going to see competition at numerous positions and in a way, it kind of feels like it’s the start of a new era. This program has invested countless hours into the feeder program to which we are extremely excited at what the future holds for the program. We really see this as the first step in our long-term process.” Hughes was an All-Area and all-NLCC pick after hitting .348 (.508 on-base) with 7 homers and 26 RBI. He struck 3 home runs in one game against Maine South. Novacek hit .299 (.400 on-base) with 12 RBI, while Filas hit .274 with 6 extra-base hits and 10 RBI. Lopez is high on the potential of both Hughes and Novacek, both catchers and both will be counted on offensively. McMahon played his first two years and did not play last year, but is back and is expected to be a top arm and potentially play in the infield.
Lakes Eagles
Coach: Chris Hoffman (6th season)
Last season’s record: 19-13, 9-9, fifth Northern Lake County
Top returning players: Owen Klosinski, sr., P-OF, Carson Norris, jr., P-IF, Ethan Jablonski, jr., P-IF, Zack Raffone, sr., 3B-2B
Worth noting: Jablonski is a returning all-NLCC selection, while Klosinski is off to Division III Wisconsin-Stevens Point to play next season. Hoffman noted Lakes has quite a few newcomers in the junior class who will see time in the field and on the mound. “I think the strength of our team will be on the mound,” he said. “We return two of our conference starters in Owen and Carson. We will be a younger team with a lot of juniors getting time.” Hoffman said to keep watch on that quartet of Klosinski, Norris, Jablonski and Raffone. “All four played significant roles on our team in 2024,” he said.
Lake Zurich Bears
Coach: Mike Manno (1st season, 18th overall)
Last year’s record: 18-12, 8-6 fourth North Suburban
Top returning players: Dylan Fogelsong, sr., SS, Josh Marzec, sr., P, Owen Stahl, sr. OF, Michael Boenzi, sr., P, AJ Foley, sr., C, Cash Kaczmarek, sr., OF, Colin Chung, jr., P-IF
Key newcomers: Nick Coletta, sr., P, Ben Michels, jr., IF-OF, P, Reid Pfeifer, jr., C-P-IF, Carson Hamblin, soph., OF
Worth noting: If new coach Manno’s name looks familiar, it’s because it is. He’s fresh off a 17-year run as skipper of St. Viator over in Arlington Heights. Strahl was an all-NSC selection a year ago, while Fogelsong (Crowder Community College in Neosho, Missouri), Foley (McHenry Community College), Coletta (Kishwaukee Community College) and Kaczmarek (Division III Wisconsin-Oshkosh) are slated to play at the next level. “Pitching and defense and the ability to put pressure on other teams will be strengths,” Manno said. Manno noted Chung and Hamblin are younger guys “with a ton of upside,” he said. On the North Suburban front, Manno said watch Libertyville, Mundelein and Stevenson in no particular order.
Libertyville Wildcats
Coach: Matt Thompson (9th season)
Last season’s record: 26-10-2, 12-2 North Suburban co-champions, Class 4A regional champion
Top returning players: Quinn Schambow, sr., C, Josh Holst, sr., P-1B, Anthony Fry, sr., P, Cole Lockwood, sr., SS, Chase Lockwood, jr., P-1B, Ryan Wilberding, soph., OF-C
Worth noting: The 2024 regional-champion Wildcats are loaded with returning talent. The Oklahoma State-bound Schambow was the 2024 Daily Herald Lake County All-Area captain and North Suburban player of the year after hitting .418 with 6 homers and 31 RBI. Holst hit .352 with 12 extra-base hits and 24 RBI, and went 5-2 with a 1.40 ERA with 86 strikeouts (against 23 walks) in 50 innings. Fry (Illinois Wesleyan) had a 0.88 ERA in 24 innings, while Cole Lockwood (Division I Valapraiso) stole 25 bases and his brother, Chase, hit .343 with 9 extra-base hits and went 8-2 with a 0.67 ERA in 52 2/3 innings on his way to being named the league pitcher of the year. Wildberding hit .270 with 2 homers as a freshman on the varsity. Schambow, the Lockwoods and Holst were all-conference picks, while Strelow was an honorable-mention all-NSC selection. Thompson said pitching depth, elite defense up the middle and a solid front of the lineup will be Libertyville calling cards this spring. “We should be the favorite, Thompson said of the North Suburban race, “but we need to take care of business.” Three more college commits on the Cats’ roster include Joey Marella (Division III St. Norbert), Charlie Gretz (St. Norbert) and Judson Graeb (Division III Buena Vista in Storm Lake, Iowa).
Mundelein Mustangs
Coach: Randy Lerner (8th season)
Last season’s record: 23-9, 12-2, North Suburban co-champions
Top returning players: Joey Kafka, sr., P, Sean Sanderson, sr., P, Baris Brua, sr., P, Johnny Weiss, jr., 2B, Caden Earing, sr., P
Key newcomers: Will Bermrich, jr., P
Worth noting: Lerner’s squad has no shortage of arms on the mound this spring. Kafka (Division I Valparaiso) went 8-1 with a 1.44 ERA (61 strikeouts against 15 walks), while Sanderson (Southeastern Community College in West Burlington, Iowa) was 4-2 with a 2.51 ERA and 58 strikeouts (17 walks). Brua (Division III Wisconsin-Oshkosh) was 6-2 with a 2.38 ERA and Earing was injured much of last season. Weiss hit .400 with 6 extra-base hits, 27 RBI and 27 runs scored. Kafka, Sanderson, Weiss and Earing (Division I St. Louis University) earned all-NSC recognitions. Joey Gargano is off to Division III Coe College, while Jax Medeiros will head to College of Lake County. “Our strengths will be our pitching staff and our defense,” Lerner said. “We return most of our starting infield and almost all our main pitchers had varsity-level success last season. We return our top two starters (Kafka and Sanderson) and add back in a healthy Caden Earing and lefties Baris Brua and an up-and-coming junior in Will Bemrich. Fill that in with a handful of proven senior relivers and we are excited about our pitching staff.” Lerner said Earing is healthy, ready to pitch, has been looking improved with the bat and is potentially a 2-way player at the Division I level. Lerner added Brua has looked sharp, gained velocity and off-speed command, “coupled with a strong 6-5 frame shows great potential for success,” he said. Bemrich is a 6-3 left-hander working out of a 3/4 slot. “He’s hard working and shows great potential on the mound,” Lerner said. Lerner concurs with Libertyville and Stevenson being in that top-tier North Suburban contention conversation. “It’s a tough conference again,” he said. “Libertyville has a lot of returning players and a deep pitching staff, as does Stevenson. We should be again in the battle to be conference champs.”
Round Lake Panthers
Coach: Michael Mastalski (1st season)
Last season’s record: 1-26, 0-18 Northern Lake County
Top returning players: Javy Rolon, sr., SS, Ryan Cabral, sr., 3B-P-2B, Daniel Russ, jr., C-P, Dylan Dittmer, 1B-C, Chris Amaral, sr., P-OF
Key newcomers: Jacser Alvarez, jr., P-3B-1B, Julian Lozada, soph., 2B-OF, Landon Lyon, fresh., OF
Worth noting: Rolon, headed to College of Lake County, hit .300 with 4 homers in 2024 on his way to an all-NLCC selection. First-year coach Mastalski said Rolon, Cabral and Russ are returning varsity players looking to make a big impact. One point of emphasis in the early going has been defense. “Defense will be a strength,” Mastalski said. “It’s something we are focusing on.” The coach said the Panthers’ goal this year is simply to compete. “We have a good conference, lots of great teams, and we want to be a team that can compete with these guys,” Mastalski said.
Stevenson Patriots
Coach: Nick Skala (7th season)
Last season’s record: 25-14, 10-4 third North Suburban, Class 4A regional champion
Top returning players: Yuni Hamideh, sr., P, Frank Costabile, jr., OF-P, Matteo Nolasco, sr., C, Aidan Crawley, jr., IF, Ryan Martin, jr., IF, Ryan Harris, jr., OF-P, Drew Clark, jr., P
Key newcomers: Andrew Langerman, sr., P, Alex Han, jr., IF-P, Max Kim, sr., Utility, Kosuke Sakamoto, sr., OF, Sam Adelman, jr., Utility
Worth noting: Here are some hard numbers that demonstrate the amount of experience Stevenson has returning: the 2024 sectional-finalist Patriots return 172 of the 253 pitched innings from 2024 and 555 of their 991 at-bats. “We returning many innings at every position plus the addition of our new players,” said Skala who noted pitching depth and team speed will be key for his group. “We will have top-end arms that should be considered some of the top arms in their classes as well as in the area. Our team athleticism and speed will always be on display on defense and on the bases.” Hamideh (Kirkwood Junior College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa) went 4-2 with a 1.60 ERA (45 strikeouts in 39 1/3 innings against 17 walks) on his way to All-Area and all-NSC honors. “Yuni will be a top pitcher in the area as well as the state,” Skala said. “He should be a workhorse for us.” Third-year varsity player Costabile (.352 batting, 19 extra-base hits, 23 RBI), Nolasco (.306, 15 RBI), Crawley (.349, 10 extra-base hits), Martin (.297 batting), Harris (6 extra-base hits, 18 RBI) and Clark (4-1, 2.93 ERA, 44 strikeouts, 43 innings) all were key cogs a year ago, with Costabile, Clark, Nolasco (Division III Milwaukee School of Engineering) and Crawley earning some sort of NSC recognition. Clark and Costabile also were All-Area picks. Also headed to play at the next level are Langerman (JUCO Palm Beach State College in Lake Worth Beach, Florida), Brady Rosenkranz (Division I Missouri commit) and Landon Troung (Division III Elmhurst University). Skala said Costabile will be looked to as a major offensive threat and lockdown closer, while Nolasco, he feels, will compete to be one of the top catchers in the county and will be a middle-of-the-order guy. Skala said Libertyville and Mundelein are teams to watch in the North Suburban, but don’t sleep on Warren, Lake Zurich and Lake Forest in back-to-back game situations. “The NSC is always tough,” he said. “There are some top-end arms at all schools. We will match up well with our top end and our lineup returns the most at-bats since I started, so we should hit the ground running, especially since we will be seeing our pitchers every day.”
Vernon Hills Cougars
Coach: Pasquale Atteo (2nd season)
Last season’s record: 5-26, 2-14 Central Suburban North
Top returning players: Tyler Perritt, sr., LF, Ethan Zbylut, sr., P, Connor Brockway, jr., P, Robert Miller, jr., P
Key newcomers: Ken Kim, jr., P, Kyle Kim, jr., CF
Worth noting: Perritt had a .362 on-base percentage and stole 23 bases as an all-CSL North pick last season. Miller returns after being injured last season, while Samir Gillett will play at Division III Knox College in Galesburg. Atteo added Sophomore Colin McMurray has a high ceiling as a player who puts the ball in play and has a strong arm, while DJ Biede is an all-around top defensive glove in the program and predicts he will bounce back at the plate this spring. “We have pitching depth and strong defense,” Atteo said. “We have a good number of arms and returning players at 6 of our 9 positions. We could be in the mix for the (CSL) North this year. With our depth, we are feeling good heading into the season.”
Warren Township Blue Devils
Coach: Clint Smothers (18th season)
Last season’s record: 12-16
Top returning players: Colin Dreckman, jr., SS, Zack Ausburn, sr., DH-1B, Braylan McCarthy, jr., P, Peyton Balanag, jr., P
Key newcomers: Mason Palmer, soph., P, Alex Kolcier, soph., P
Worth noting: While the Blue Devils are very young with only 4 seniors on the roster, Smothers sees brighter skies ahead this spring. “We will compete this year,” he said. “Dreckman hit .305 as a sophomore, while Ausburn is coming off a .353 junior season. McCarthy went 2-4 with a 2.52 ERA in a significant 41-inning sample size last year, while Balanag went 3-3 in 33 innings on a team that made it to a Class 4A regional title game. Smothers said Libertyville is the preseason favorite in the North Suburban. “Libertyville is loaded,” he said. Warren’s Colton Holmes is headed to Division III United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, Nassau County, New York.
Wauconda Bulldogs
Coach: Shawn Rudolph (3rd season, 24th at Wauconda overall)
Last season’s record: 22-11, 13-5, Northern Lake County co-champions
Top returning players: Jackson Murphy, sr., P-OF, Ryan Fostiak, sr., OF, Blake Swanson, sr., IF, Carson Koehler, sr., IF, Pat Shannon, sr., P, Jackson Rudolph, jr., 3B-P
Key newcomers: Jake Thorstenson, jr., OF-P, Jaxson Miglans, jr., OF-P, Luke Sickmeir, soph., OF
Worth noting: Fostiak (ITT recruit) is a two-time all-NLCC and All-Area pick, while Rudolph was an all-NLCC selection last season. “We have many returning, experienced players who will compete for spots and were solid players for us last year,” Rudolph said. “You can already fell this team has high standards and wants to do well. With the high standards and motivation that our team has, it will come down to relaxing on the field, playing and enjoying this group of guys.” Rudolph said outfielder Sickmeir brings speed and power with a great bat, while Brody Rudolph stepped in at catcher in the middle of last season and “did a great job,” while Shannon (off to Division III Knox College) added 35 pounds of muscle and “is pitching great this offseason,” he said. Swanson will play at NAIA Benedictine University Mesa, Arizona. Wauconda has 3 sets of brothers: Jackson and Brody Rudolph, Blake and Lucas Swanson and Tyler and Jackson Rosenberg, while there are a combined 4 Jackson/Jaxson forenames on the Bulldogs’ roster.