Baseball / Northwest all-area team
By Marty Maciaszek
mmaciaszek@dailyherald.com
Ricky Alfonso Barrington
The promise Alfonso showed in a late-season call-up as a sophomore for a Class 4A supersectional came to fruition this year. The lefty-hitting, Indiana-bound leadoff man hit .367 with 14 RBI and 16 doubles, committing no errors in the outfield. “He's a great competitor who really rebounded well from his junior year,” said coach Jim Hawrysko. “He has great work habits and he gained a lot of mental toughness over the last year.”
Brian Bauer Prospect
Go ahead and pitch around Jack Landwehr. Prospect's third-year varsity player and senior first baseman foiled that strategy numerous times by hitting .430 with 13 doubles and 28 RBI for the Mid-Suburban League champs and state semifinalist. Bauer's two-out RBI single tied the sectional final win over Warren. “He handles the bat so well, has a great approach and he can drive the ball to any field,” said coach Ross Giusti. “He's just a tough out.”
Kurt Becker Palatine
Becker was not the prototype No. 2 hitter in terms of numbers (.423, 12 doubles, 7 homers, 36 RBI) but the lefty-hitting junior was in approach for the Mid-Suburban West and regional champs. “Kurt is the consummate team player and does that little things that led to our success,” said coach Paul Belo. “Kurt's versatility in the field will make him one of the area's top players next year.” Especially since he also went 6-0 on the mound with a 2.11 ERA.
Joe Belmonte Conant
For three seasons Belmonte was a consistent producer in the Conant lineup. This year he led the Cougars in average (.422), hits (27), homers (5), doubles (7), walks (11) and RBI (17). That's why the next stop for Belmonte is a resurgent North Park program. “Joe can definitely hit and he is a leader on and off the field,” said coach Jerry Song. “His leadership among his teammates is what really stands out.”
Luke Bergman Prospect
The senior shortstop has definitely been “Hot Hand Luke” from the leadoff spot for the state semifinalist. Bergman has been the catalyst for a prolific offense at .404 with 23 RBI and 14 steals and his 6 homers include a regional final game-winner and one that sparked a tying sectional final rally. “I can't say enough about his work ethic and the energy he's provided this team,” said coach Ross Giusti. “We are not where we're at without Luke.”
Cody Bobbit Palatine
Palatine coach Paul Belo put Bobbit at shortstop as a freshman and four years later he was the leadoff man and central figure for the Mid-Suburban West and regional champions. The Heartland College-bound Bobbit hit .380 with 6 homers, 7 doubles and 30 RBI, was hit by 15 pitches and stole 14 bases in 15 attempts. “Cody is the best athlete I have ever coached,” Belo said. “He's one of the few athletes that you show a skill once and they seemed to have mastered it.”
Peter Bonahoom Prospect
Bonahoom started delivering big hits from the moment he joined the Prospect varsity as a sophomore and hasn't stopped as his triple sparked Prospect's supersectional outburst. The school's career home run leader hit .404 with 15 doubles, 6 homers, 29 RBI and only 4 strikeouts in 94 at-bats. “What he brings to the table is an attitude,” said coach Ross Giusti. “He plays the game very confident. When the game is on the line he's the guy you want in the box.”
Cosimo Cannella St. Viator
Cannella kept pitchers from just giving catcher Cory Kay a free pass. The junior first baseman emerged to hit .333 with 7 homers, 5 doubles and 25 RBI and he had the game-winning hit in the regional semifinals. “Cosimo did a great job in the offseason to win a starting job,” said coach Mike Manno. “He's a great competitor who did a great job of protecting Cory this season. We will look to him to step up even more next year.”
Jack Czeszewski Elk Grove
After an all-area sophomore season at St. Viator, Czeszewski transferred to Elk Grove and made an immediate offensive impact by hitting .391 with 8 doubles, 17 RBI and 6 steals. “He is an extremely talented high school hitter who provided consistent production to our lineup on a daily basis,” said coach Terry Beyna. The Illinois State recruit and center fielder also showed it was a risky proposition to try and take an extra base on his strong and accurate left arm.
Kurt Donner Prospect
Perseverance figures to keep paying off as Donner went from getting cut as a freshman to a starting catcher and key figure of the state semifinalist. Donner, who is headed to Black Hawk College, hit .329 with 7 doubles and 17 RBI, is a rock behind the plate and went 4-0 with a 2.55 ERA on the mound. “The sky is the limit with him,” said coach Ross Giusti. “He's confidence behind the plate just grew. It's amazing that he's come so far so fast.”
Mike Farias Maine West
The two-time all-area pick was a Warrior behind the plate and when he was up there with the bat. Farias hit .404 with 10 doubles and 29 RBI and struck out only 10 times. The senior's next stop is perennial power Carthage College. “Mike is one of the hardest-working kids I have ever coached,” said coach Joe Pederson. “He is a leader in the classroom and on the baseball field.”
Dan Guido Elk Grove
How important was Guido on the mound to Elk Grove's turnaround season? The big junior right-hander was involved in more than half of its victories as he went 8-5 with 2 saves, a 2.44 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 59 innings. “Dan carried an extremely large load for us on the mound,” said coach Terry Beyna. “He was a leader on our pitching staff and always wanted the ball when our games were on the line.”
Ryan Hayes Schaumburg
When Schaumburg got in a jam, coach Paul Groot usually turned to Hayes and he delivered by going 6-0 with an ERA under 2.50 while averaging a strikeout per inning. The Concordia-bound righty also came on to play outstanding defense in right field. “He has just had a tremendous season for us as a starter and reliever,” Groot said. “He has come in on numerous occasions with the bags loaded and shut the opponent down to keep us in the game.”
Dan Haze Palatine
Haze had the ability to leave pitchers in a daze when runners were on base. The senior center fielder hit .324 with 5 homers, 16 doubles and 38 RBI as the Pirates won Mid-Suburban West and regional titles. “Dan has one focus, winning,” coach Paul Belo said of the all-area football player. “He is the best clutch hitter I have ever had the opportunity to coach. Dan simply finds a way.”
Matt Hendricks Rolling Meadows
Hendricks was in the mix of nearly everything Meadows accomplished and still has one more year to make life difficult for opponents. The cleanup man hit .361 with 3 homers and 35 RBI, stole 11 bases, played solid defense at third base. He also led the team in innings pitched (70) and won 4 games with a 3.11 ERA. “Matt was the dominant force in our lineup,” said coach Jim Lindeman. “We're looking for Matt to continue to develop and lead our team next season.”
Kurt Kaufman Fremd
The Illinois-Springfield recruit was Fremd's “Special KK” when it was crunchtime. Kaufman hit .375 with 4 homers, 8 doubles and 33 RBI as the Vikings won a share of their third straight Mid-Suburban West title and he won 3 games on the mound. “Kurt is the guy you want up in clutch situations and he came through with big hits all year,” said coach Chris Piggott. “Kurt is always focused and is an extremely hard worker.”
Cory Kay St. Viator
A lot of pitchers had a problem when the Houston-bound catcher and repeat all-area pick came to the plate. Kay hit .454 with 8 doubles, 2 triples, 7 homers and 32 RBI and called nearly all of the pitches this year as St. Viator repeated as a regional champion. “He's one of the best players to wear a Lions uniform,” said coach Mike Manno. “Cory has great leadership qualities and possesses skills that will make him successful at the next level.”
Kurt Kempema Schaumburg
In big games there was no one Schaumburg wanted on the mound more than the big left-hander headed to Concordia. Kempema was 4-4 with a 2.60 ERA and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of nearly 6-to-1 and also had four no-decisions. “He has done a great job of leading by example and has been a great leader for two seasons,” said coach Paul Groot. “He's a great competitor who will be greatly missed.”
Jack Landwehr Prospect
The good news for the Knights is Jack is back next year after leading the way to the school's first state baseball trophy. The junior and all-area captain set the single-season school victory record by going 13-2 with a 2.50 ERA and 106 strikeouts and only 11 walks in 78 innings. He hit .453 with 14 doubles, 3 homers and 43 RBI and played solid defense at third base. “That kid is the most incredible competitor I've ever had,” said coach Ross Giusti.
Eric Lowe Rolling Meadows
Meadows hopes to continue going higher with Lowe after the junior had a solid second varsity season. He hit .382 with 8 doubles and 15 RBI in the leadoff spot, anchored the middle infield at shortstop and second base and was 3-3 with a 2.42 ERA and 43 strikeouts and 9 walks in 43 innings pitched. “His all-out effort every day is a tribute to his love for the game,” said coach Jim Lindeman. “He has developed into a fine leader and we're looking forward to a big senior year.”
John Marino Leyden
Marino was one of those hitters where you didn't want to miss one of his at-bats. And the Triton-bound senior came through on a consistent basis with 6 homers and 39 RBI as Leyden won the West Suburban Gold title and made the sectional finals. “When he was up to bat all the players would be at the edge of the dugout in anticipation of a possible home run,” said coach Gary Wolf. “Even the foul balls he hit were fun to watch.”
Ben Menich Prospect
Menich became “Big Game Ben” in his third varsity season as he went 7-1 with a 3.24 ERA and 65 strikeouts and 24 walks in 67 innings. The senior righty headed to Rose-Hulman was tough to hit when his changeup was working with his moving fastball. “It was great to see him mature on the mound,” said coach Ross Giusti. “The big adjustment this year was his ability to step up in big games.”
Alex Miramontes Palatine
Miramontes' work on the mound helped fuel Palatine's second-half surge to Mid-Suburban West and regional titles. The Roosevelt-bound righty was 6-3 with 55 strikeouts and 18 walks in 54 innings and had a crucial late-season win at Fremd. “Alex's willingness to put in the work and become a student of the art of pitching is what led to his success,” said coach Paul Belo. “Alex threw in our biggest games this season for one reason only — he earned it.”
Matt Molini Prospect
The senior second baseman will get a big hit in the No. 2 spot in the order (. 396, 11 doubles, 18 RBI) or take a hit by pitch (10 times) to help the team. He'll make the routine play or the diving stop such as the one that helped preserve Prospect's supersectional victory. “He always finds a way to get in the middle of the play and make something happen,” said coach Ross Giusti. “He is the ultimate teammate.”
Carlos Olavarria Leyden
Olavarria was one of the big reasons Leyden rarely came up short in a season where it won 28 games and West Suburban Gold and regional titles. The Aurora-bound senior hit .400 with 12 doubles, 4 homers, 31 RBI and a school-record 46 runs and was at big-time level defensively. “He made plays at shortstop that I have not seen since Craig Wilson,” coach Gary Wolf said of the 1988 Leyden grad who played with the White Sox. “He plays the game with a great passion.”
Eric Palmer Leyden
When Palmer no-hit preseason West Suburban Gold favorite Downers Grove South in April it served notice Leyden was a team to be reckoned with this year. The Aurora-bound Palmer helped the Eagles go on to win the league and regional titles at 6-2 with 2 saves, a 1.53 ERA and 67 strikeouts in 59 innings and he hit .360 with 12 doubles, 4 homers and 33 RBI. “When you talk about Eric we think of the term ‘great competitor,'” said coach Gary Wolf.
Joe Perricone Hersey
Perricone was the center of attention from the start of the season after he started hitting 90 mph on radar guns last summer. The talented senior outfielder and Coastal Carolina recruit hit .390 with 9 homers, 7 doubles and 31 RBI even though teams often pitched around him (24 walks). On the mound, Perricone won 3 games and had 61 strikeouts in 46 innings.
Trent Rehusch Hoffman Estates
Rehusch's skills and leadership helped Hoffman recover from a rough start as he hit .385 with 11 doubles and 16 RBI and won 3 games with a 3.16 ERA. The Illinois Wesleyan-bound righty threw a pair of complete-game shutouts. “Trent is the epitome of what a student-athlete should be,” said coach Todd Meador. “He puts forth his best effort in everything he does, and always works to maximize his talents. He excelled at keeping the team loose and focused.”
Robert Romano St. Viator
Romano didn't set Viator records for wins in a season (8 twice) and a career (16) by taking advantage of lesser competition. The hard-throwing Illinois Wesleyan-bound righty kept Lions in the East Suburban Catholic Conference title race until the end as he went 8-4 with 1 save, a 2.19 ERA and 83 strikeouts and 29 walks in 77 innings. “He really understands how to pitch and command the strike zone,” said coach Mike Manno. “Robert will be tough to replace.”
Angel Sanchez Leyden
The good news for Leyden after a dream season is it still has Angel in the wings to be its ace next year. Sanchez emerged as a solid third starter by going 6-1 with a 2.66 ERA and he was undefeated in the West Suburban Gold with a sub-1.00 ERA. “He showed a lot of poise for a junior and we expect him to continue the streak of solid No. 1 pitchers here in his senior year,” said coach Gary Wolf.
Paul Solka Maine West
Maine West has had its share of players who start stellar varsity careers as freshmen. Solka is the latest to do it for the Warriors as the Bradley-bound third baseman was a run-producing machine in the middle of the lineup. This year he hit .366 with 8 doubles and 18 RBI while reaching base 24 times on walks or hit by pitches. “Paul is arguably the best player I have ever coached,” said coach Joe Pederson. “He is a great kid with a high ceiling and he will be missed.”
Justin Stawychny Leyden
Stawychny came back with a vengeance from an injured back that cost him nearly all of his junior season. The Louisiana-Monroe bound Stawychny made the Leyden record book for homers (7), doubles (14) and RBI (39), hit. 391, stole 15 bases and was 6-1 with a 2.09 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 50 innings. “He's the ultimate team leader,” said coach Gary Wolf. “I feel he is one of the best pure hitters with power I've seen in the last 23 years.”
Sean Stutzman Fremd
Stutzman performed in all areas en route to Mid-Suburban West player of the year honors. The senior who is headed to junior college power Des Moines Area CC was 8-4 with a 2.04 ERA and his 122 strikeouts are second in Fremd history and he hit .374 with 4 homers and 28 RBI. “Sean is a great leader and he has been lights out on the mound against tough competition,” said coach Chris Piggott. “He is a competitor on the mound and wants the ball in tough situations.”
Andrew Van Wazer Buffalo Grove
Van Wazer can do it all on and off the field as the University of Chicago-bound senior played third base, shortstop, first base and pitched and even caught a game and threw out a runner trying to steal. Van Wazer hit .388 with 10 doubles and 30 RBI and was 3-3 with a save on the mound. “Andrew is the ultimate competitor,” said coach Jeff Grybash. “He is a true student of the game and his intangibles are immeasurable.”
2011 baseball all-area roster
Player School Pos. Yr.
Ricky Alfonso Barrington OF Sr.
Brian Bauer Prospect 1B Sr.
Kurt Becker Palatine 3B-P Jr.
Joe Belmonte Conant C Sr.
Luke Bergman Prospect SS Sr.
Cody Bobbit Palatine SS Sr.
Peter Bonahoom Prospect OF Sr.
Cosimo Cannella St. Viator 1B Jr.
Jack Czeszewski Elk Grove OF Jr.
Kurt Donner Prospect C-P Sr.
Mike Farias Maine West C Sr.
Dan Guido Elk Grove P Jr.
Ryan Hayes Schaumburg P-OF Sr.
Dan Haze Palatine OF Sr.
Matt Hendricks Rolling Meadows IF-P Jr.
Kurt Kaufman Fremd OF-P Sr.
Cory Kay St. Viator C Sr.
Kurt Kempema Schaumburg P Sr.
*Jack Landwehr Prospect P-3B Jr.
Eric Lowe Rolling Meadows SS-P Jr.
John Marino Leyden OF Sr.
Ben Menich Prospect P Sr.
Alex Miramontes Palatine P Sr.
Matt Molini Prospect 2B Sr.
Carlos Olavarria Leyden SS Sr.
Eric Palmer Leyden P-IF Sr.
Joe Perricone Hersey OF-P Sr.
Trent Rehusch Hoffman Estates P-IF Sr.
Robert Romano St. Viator P Sr.
Angel Sanchez Leyden P Jr.
Paul Solka Maine West 3B Sr.
Justin Stawychny Leyden P-1B Sr.
Sean Stutzman Fremd P-OF Sr.
Andrew Van Wazer Buffalo Grove IF-P Sr.
* — Honorary captain
Special mention
Ryan Daubenspeck (Elk Grove, Sr., C), Mike Danielak (Hersey, Jr., P), Josh Jyawook (Fremd, Jr., OF), Kyle Gizynski (Conant, Jr., SS), Kevin Grudzinski (Hoffman Estates, Jr., IF-P), Alex Hernandez (Maine West, Jr., IF), Josh Matthys (Wheeling, Sr., OF), Ryan Nisbet (Buffalo Grove, Sr., OF), Jack Scheffler (Barrington, Sr., SS), Sean Thompson (Hersey, Sr., C), Joe Walsh (Palatine, Sr., 1B-P)
Honorable mention
Mark Bielanski (Schaumburg, Sr., OF), Tom Byrne (Schaumburg, Jr., SS), Matt Brancato (Schaumburg, Jr., P-3B), Jesse Bobbit (Palatine, So., OF), Kyle Krzeski (Rolling Meadows, Sr., IF), Zach Kolakowski (Fremd, Jr., SS), Joe Leaf (Fremd, Sr., P), Ryan Martinski (Elk Grove, Sr., SS), John O'Connell (Barrington, Jr., OF), Jimmy Pinakidis (Buffalo Grove, Jr., OF), Connor Skoczynski (Maine West, Sr., IF), Jimmy Smearman (Palatine, Sr., OF), Kalvin Thong (Wheeling, Jr., IF), Paul Warble (Conant, Sr., P)
Selections and profiles by Marty Maciaszek