Baseball/2011 Fox Valley All-Area team

Tyler Crater Hampshire

A talented three-sport athlete, this sophomore excelled on the diamond as Hampshire's top catcher and pitcher. Crater hit .325 (25-for-77) in his second varsity season and still led the team in doubles (7) despite missing five games with a sprained ankle. On the mound he led the Whip-Purs in victories (4), innings pitched (39) and strikeouts (34). He finished with an ERA of 3.95 and a WHIP of 0.95. “He was our all-around best player as a sophomore,” Hampshire coach Steve Ream said. “And that's a tough thing, to pitch and catch. He's also a great teammate, a good leader and he's positive — just the kind of guy you want to have on the team. We're in good shape with him back next year.”

Kevin Elder Westminster Christian

This junior befuddled hitters for a third straight varsity season by throwing tailing fastballs and plus off-speed pitches from multiple arm angles. The highly competitive right-hander finished with a 1.81 ERA and 0.88 WHIP in 69⅔ innings. A two-time all-area selection, Elder struck out 132 hitters, walked 26 and hit 2 batters. He limited opponents to 18 earned runs on 35 hits. Pitching for a Class 2A school, he lost a 2-1 decision in May to Class 4A state finalist Lyons. “He's a big horse,” Westminster Christian coach Jeff Moeller said. “He absolutely pounds the strike zone. He became more refined this year. Just a great pitcher.” Elder also hit .330 (32-for-97) with 12 doubles, 2 home runs and 27 RBI.

Richie Gorski Streamwood

In his second varsity season this junior became the driving force in the heart of the lineup for a team that won the program's first conference, regional and sectional titles. Gorski's .405 batting average (51-for-126) was 80 points higher than his closest teammate. He finished with 7 doubles, 2 triples, 5 home runs, 36 RBI and 33 runs scored, drew 16 walks and struck out 16 times. “He had a standout year for a junior,” Sabres coach Steve Diversey said. “He led our team offensively and defensively at third base, and he should settle in next year at his natural position, shortstop. He was outstanding on the mound for us as well.” The 6-foot-3 right-hander went 4-1 with 1 save and an ERA of 1.91 in 18⅓ innings over 7 appearances. He struck out 15 and walked 2.

Justin Gundlach Huntley

This junior won his first 6 decisions this spring to improve to 10-0 in two varsity seasons and was named first-team All-Fox Valley Conference (Valley) as a result. The right-hander finished with an ERA of 2.32, a WHIP of 1.46 and a 7-3 record after limiting opponents to 22 earned runs on 58 hits in 47⅓ innings. He struck out 42 and walked 11. “I thought Gundy pitched extremely well, especially at the beginning of the season and in the regional (semifinal) win against Jacobs,” Huntley coach Andy Jakubowski said. “He's got a big brain and he's a good kid. I expect he'll play at the next level someday.” Gundlach was also a key offensive contributor, hitting .378 (28-for-74) with 7 doubles, a triple, a home run and 22 RBI.

Nick Hahn Burlington Central

A three-time All-Area selection, this senior's numbers improved in every category except wins and losses (3-4) due to a lack of run support. Nevertheless, he finished his three-year varsity career as the school record holder for victories (24-7). Hahn, who will next pitch for Illinois Wesleyan, notched 47 strikeouts, walked 12 and limited opponents to 9 earned runs in a team-high 48⅔ innings to finish with an ERA of 1.29 and a WHIP of 0.99. “He definitely made a lot of improvements this year and had his best year on the mound so far,” Central coach Kyle Nelson said. “I just wish we could have gotten him a little more support because he did an excellent job.” Hahn was a force at the plate for the Rockets once again, hitting .409 (38-for-93) with 9 doubles, 3 home runs and 36 RBI. He also drew 11 walks, reached base 49 percent of the time and scored 22 runs.

Josh Harris Streamwood

This 6-foot-3 senior dropped 20 pounds in the off-season and picked up stamina and velocity. Named honorary captain of the 2011 Daily Herald All-Area Team, the four-year varsity performer was the cornerstone around whom Streamwood built its first sectional title team. Signed to pitch next year at Villanova, Harris led the area in innings pitched (78) and got stronger as the season went on, evidenced by his 103-pitch, complete-game victory over Cary-Grove in the Class 4A sectional title game in 90-degree heat. “He's a special individual,” Streamwood coach Steve Diversey said. “I watched him turn into a man over the last four years and I look forward to seeing what his future brings.” Harris (7-2, 3.14 ERA) struck out 113 batters and walked only 17. He completed 8 of the 11 ballgames he started and contributed 2 saves. As the team's designated hitter, he batted .302 (25-for-83) with 6 doubles and 7 home runs.

Mike Hazelhurst Dundee-Crown

This junior made a major impact in his first varsity season by finishing with a 7-1 record, capped by a 1-0 complete-game victory in a regional championship game against host Huntley. The 6-foot-3 left-hander was named all-Fox Valley Conference (Valley) after he finished the season with a 2.02 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP. He limited opponents to 16 earned runs, struck out 39 and walked 18 in 55⅓ innings. He completed 5 of the 9 games he started, threw only 5 wild pitches and never balked. Of his 59 hits allowed, 51 were singles and only 3 went for home runs. “He was kind of banged up as a sophomore, so it was really nice to see him put it all together,” Dundee-Crown coach Jon Sawyer said. “We knew he had the potential and he had a great year.”

Brett Kale Jacobs

This senior pitcher and third baseman was the most consistent all-around player for the Golden Eagles. The hurler he went 6-3 and limited opponents to 12 earned runs on 32 hits with 48 strikeouts and 10 walks in 36⅓ innings. He posted an ERA of 2.32. and a WHIP of 1.16. At the plate he hit .337 (30-for-89) and led Jacobs in doubles (9), RBI (25) bases on balls (15) and sacrifice bunts (3). He posted an on-base percentage of .443 and slugged .472. “Brett was the heart and soul of our team, not only at the plate but on the mound,” Jacobs coach Erik Kehoe said. “He's a real intense kid, a gamer who always took the ball when asked, even on short rest. He's also a mature person you can have an adult conversation with. I really admire him.”

Sam Klein Burlington Central

A repeat All-Area pick, this senior was Burlington Central's best all-around player in 2011. “He did it all for us,” Central coach Kyle Nelson said. “We switched him back to the leadoff spot like his sophomore and junior years about 10 games in because he really embraces the role of working counts and getting on base.” Klein hit .472 (50-for-106) with 12 doubles, 3 triples, 5 home runs and 27 RBI. He drew 13 walks to up his on-base percentage to .545, stole 17 bases and scored 38 runs. Committed to North Central College, he went 8-1 on the mound with 1 save. The right-hander struck out 50, walked 22 and allowed 16 earned runs in 45⅓ innings to finish with a 2.47 ERA and 1.39 WHIP.

Kenny Lowden South Elgin

An All-Upstate Eight Conference (Valley) selection, this senior right fielder hit 10 home runs, many of them crucial. In the same week in April, he delivered game-winning homers in nonconference road wins at Dundee-Crown and Huntley. “He carried us for a good two to three-week stretch, winning games with home runs and basehits and also by running down some flyballs in right field,” South Elgin coach Jim Kating said. “He's an excellent all-around athlete.” Lowden batted .333 (37-for-111) with 3 doubles and led the Storm with 32 RBI. He also stole 8 bases in 9 attempts and scored 35 runs, another team high. He will continue his baseball career next year at Oakton Community College.

Colin Lyman Huntley

This sophomore emerged as one of Huntley's top all-around players in his second varsity season. Hitting third, the left-handed hitter posted team highs in batting average (.448), hits (52) and runs scored (34). He also notched 7 doubles, a triple, 4 home runs and 30 RBI, the second-highest total by a Red Raider. “I thought he had a great freshman year but he came out as a sophomore and went above and beyond,” Huntley coach Andy Jakubowski said. “He increased his power numbers, he improved his speed in the outfield and he increased his batting average by almost 100 points. The sky is the limit for this guy. I believe he's a Division-I prospect.”

John Menken South Elgin

A two-time all-area baseball selection, an all-area football player and a three-sport athlete, this shortstop was hampered early in the season by a heel injury and later by a sore hamstring that cost him a week of action. Nevertheless, he managed to hit .354 (29-for-82) with 11 doubles, a triple, 4 home runs and 14 RBI out of the leadoff spot. He drew 11 walks, reached base 45.9 percent of the time, stole 8 bases in 12 attempts and scored 23 runs. “After a slow start he really came on strong,” South Elgin coach Jim Kating said. “Even though John had a solid year, the injuries kept him from achieving what he's capable of. He's one of the most athletic kids I've coached. It'll be interesting to see where he'll be in a year or two once in concentrates on just baseball.” Menken is considering an offer to become a preferred walk-on at a Big Ten university.

Scott Nowicke Dundee-Crown

This three-year varsity performer and fleet-footed right fielder provided some pop at the at the top of the order for the Class 4A regional champion Chargers. Dundee-Crown's leadoff man batted .353 (47-for-133) and finished with his team's second-highest slugging percentage (.654) after smashing 13 doubles, 3 triples and 7 home runs. Though he hit leadoff, the senior still drove in 29 runs and finished tied for fifth in the area in runs scored (38), thanks in part to 12 stolen bases. Nowicke drew only 6 walks, but he struck out only 9 times in 142 plate appearances. “He was our leadoff guy and he was very consistent,” Dundee-Crown coach Jon Sawyer said. “It's nice to have a guy at the top of the order who seemed to give you a lead before the game had barely gotten started.”

Frank Oliver Westminster Christian

This senior catcher and vocal leader was a key cog in the lineup in 2010 when he hit .462 for the Class 1A state championship team, and he enjoyed another outstanding season at the plate in 2011. Committed to Judson University, Oliver led the Class 2A regional champion Warriors in batting average (.457), hits (41), home runs (5), on-base percentage (.556) and slugging (.809), and he was second in walks (21) and runs (29). He also smacked 16 doubles to finish as the Fox Valley area leader in that category. “We probably don't win a state championship without Frank last year, and he was great for us again this season,” Westminster Christian coach Jeff Moeller said. “He really put the time in during the off-season to get better and it showed.”

Matt Panek Cary-Grove

After a rough outing against McHenry that inflated his ERA, this future Ohio State Buckeye stopped being a thrower and became a pitcher, according to his veteran coach. “As the season developed he turned into a much better pitcher instead of trying to survive just by throwing it by people,” Cary-Grove coach Don Sutherland said. “He ended up having a real nice year on the mound, at the plate and defensively.” Panek finished his senior season with a record of 8-0, an ERA of 4.09 and a 1.44 WHIP. The lefty allowed 30 earned runs on 49 hits, struck out 57 and walked 25. He used his speed and athleticism to patrol center field, and he was force in the cleanup spot in the batting order. Panek made it hard for opponents to pitch around No. 3 hitter Michael Vilardo because he hit .396 himself (44-for-111) with 10 doubles and 3 home runs. His 49 RBI were the second highest total in the area this season behind only Vilardo.

Nate Pearson Streamwood

The area's leading base thief paced the area in steals by a wide margin for the second straight season. The repeat all-area selection swiped 38 bases in 39 attempts as a senior, upping his two-year total to 79 steals in 81 tries. “Teams knew he was running and they still couldn't stop him,” Streamwood coach Steve Diversey said. “He turned us into an explosive, running team. We always say, ‘When Nate goes, we go.' He had another outstanding year.” An All-UEC River selection, the senior shortstop hit .302 (39-for-129) with 6 doubles, 4 home runs, 29 RBI and scored 32 runs for a team that won 30 games and secured conference, regional and sectional championships.

Ryan Perez Westminster Christian

Able to throw right-handed or left-handed from one at-bat to the next with equal effectiveness, this junior kept hitters guessing in his third varsity season. A two-time All-Area pick, he led the area in strikeouts for the second consecutive spring with 143 and walked only 23 in 66 innings pitched. He posted a 1.38 ERA and 0.59 WHIP, led the area in victories (9-1) and added with 3 saves. Perez and teammate Kevin Elder threw the second and third combined no-hitters of their careers and Perez hurled a 5-inning perfect game against Luther North. “He did such a great job of executing pitches, hitting spots, controlling the game and showing poise,” Westminster Christian coach Jeff Moeller said. “He's a great pitcher and a great player.” At the plate Perez hit .373 (41-for-110) with 9 doubles, 2 triples, 3 home runs and 22 RBI. He scored 32 runs and drew 10 walks to finish with an on-base percentage of .426.

Nick Richter Cary-Grove

Also a two-time All-Area basketball selection, this third baseman played stellar defense and added a big stick to the middle of the lineup for a team that charged to a sectional final for the second straight season. Richter recovered from a broken leg that limited his playing time as a junior to lead the Trojans in hitting as a senior. He posted a .448 batting average (47-for-105) with 4 doubles, a triple and 14 RBI. Batting second in the Cary-Grove order, he also drew 18 walks to raise his on-base percentage to .543. He scored 42 runs as a result, the third highest total in the area this season. The senior was even better at the hot corner. “What really stood out was how good he was defensively,” Cary-Grove coach Don Sutherland said. “And at the plate he did whatever we asked: hit to the opposite field, bunt for a hit, sacrifice bunt, whatever it took. He's a very intelligent kid and a positive leader. We were fortunate to have him.” Richter will continue his developing baseball career at McHenry County College.

Jake Romano Dundee-Crown

A steady contributor in two previous varsity campaigns, this junior was named All-FVC Valley after he emerged as one of the Fox Valley Conference's top all-around players. A five-tool center fielder with a plus arm and great outfield instincts and range, Romano led D-C with a .394 batting average (41-for-104). He slugged 11 doubles, tied for the area high in triples (3) and hit 4 home runs. Batting third, a more selective approach at the plate raised the left-handed hitter's walk total to a team-best 20 against just 10 strikeouts. Such patience raised his on-base percentage to .504, tops on his team by almost 60 percentage points. “He really learned to lay off some pitches and he got more pitches to drive as a result,” Dundee-Crown coach Jon Sawyer said. “He's the whole package. You can't ask for much more from your No. 3 hitter.” Romano was particularly devastating against FVC teams, demonstrated by his .421 batting average against conference opponents.

Tanner Scott Burlington Central

A repeat All-Area selection in his third year of varsity baseball, this junior etched his name in the Burlington Central record book this season. The catcher's 9 home runs raised his three-year total to 27, tying 2010 graduate Austin Jarvis for the school record. Scott won the 2011 area batting crown by hitting .510 (53-for-104). He slugged a whopping .930, thanks to 13 doubles and a triple to go along with those 9 homers. “He works really hard on his hitting in the off-season,” Central coach Kyle Nelson said. “He pays so much attention to detail in practice that we could use him as a hitting coach at times. And he has natural talent. He has an unbelievable swing and is able to create amazing rotation on a baseball.” Scott shifted this season to his natural position of catching and threw out 13-of-40 would-be base stealers.

Michael Vilardo Cary-Grove

One of the most talented hockey players in the country in his age group who was once committed to play that sport at Ohio State, this senior shortstop illustrated why he was recruited to play baseball, the sport he loves most, by the University of Richmond. He hammered 15 home runs, leaving him in a three-way tie for second place on the area's all-time, single-season home run list. He drove in 57 runs and scored 50 times to lead the area in each category. “Coming into the season there was a lot of weight on him to succeed, but he handled it well because he's committed to excellence,” Cary-Grove coach Don Sutherland said. “For the most part he did a great job of being selective so pitchers didn't get him out on bad pitches.” Vilardo drew 23 walks and was twice hit by pitches to post a .528 on-base percentage. He hit .436 (51-for-117) with 3 doubles and 2 triples to finish with a slugging percentage of .880 and an OPS of 1.408.

Trevor Whitehead Larkin

Also an All-State wide receiver who will continue his football career at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, this senior leadoff man was the offensive catalyst for the Royals. An All Upstate Eight Conference (River) selection, Whitehead hit .384 (38-for-99) with 8 doubles, 3 triples and a home run. He also drew 17 walks to finish with an on-base percentage of .475. The speedy center fielder stole 27 bases, the second highest total in the area, and scored 34 of his team's 142 runs (24 percent). More noteworthy? He was named academic all-UEC for the second year in a row. “He's a great student athlete and a great human being,” Larkin coach Matt Esterino said of his team captain. “He led our team in just about everything and he was probably our best defender. He's the kind of person you expect will have success in anything he does.”

Dom Winiecki Crystal Lake South

This junior was named all-Fox Valley Conference (Valley) after hitting .381 (40-for-105) with 10 doubles, 2 triples and a team-high 4 home runs. A rare catcher also gifted with the necessary speed to hit in the leadoff position, he drew 21 walks — 10 more than his nearest teammate — to record an on-base percentage of .484. He also stole 12 bases and led the Gators in runs scored (28). Playing in his second varsity season, Winiecki caught every game for a pitching staff that posted a respectable team ERA of 3.22. “He did a tremendous job for us at the plate and behind it,” CL South coach Brian Bogda said. “He threw out one third of the runners who attempted to steal, he got better at blocking balls in the dirt and he did a great job handling the pitching staff.”

Ryan Yore Bartlett

An all-Upstate Conference selection, this speedy leadoff hitter set the table for the Bartlett offense by achieving team highs in batting average (.368,), hits (39), doubles (8) and runs scored (32). He also hit 2 triples, a home run and managed 8 RBI for a team that hit .259 overall. Yore drew 17 walks, was twice hit by pitches and reached base on errors 8 times to finish with an on-base percentage of .464. He slugged .509. In the field he made only 3 errors in 44 total chances for a fielding percentage of .932. He stole 16 bases in 23 attempts.

Player School Yr. Pos.

Tyler Crater Hampshire So. P/C

Kevin Elder Westminster Christian Jr. P/IF

Richie Gorski Streamwood Jr. 3B

Justin Gundlach Huntley Jr. P

Nick Hahn Burlington Central Sr. P/IF

*Josh Harris Streamwood Sr. P/DH

Mike Hazelhurst Dundee-Crown Jr. P

Brett Kale Jacobs Sr. P/3B/DH

Sam Klein Burlington Central Sr. P/SS

Kenny Lowden South Elgin Sr. RF

Colin Lyman Huntley So. CF

John Menken South Elgin Sr. SS

Scott Nowicke Dundee-Crown Sr. RF

Frank Oliver Westminster Christian Sr. C

Matt Panek Cary-Grove Sr. P/CF/DH

Nate Pearson Streamwood Sr. SS

Ryan Perez Westminster Christian Jr. P/SS/2B

Nick Richter Cary-Grove Sr. 3B

Jake Romano Dundee-Crown Jr. CF

Tanner Scott Burlington Central Jr. OF

Michael Vilardo Cary-Grove Sr. SS

Trevor Whitehead Larkin Sr. CF

Dom Winiecki Crystal Lake South Jr. C

Ryan Yore Bartlett Sr. CF

* Honorary captain

Honorable mention

Bartlett — David Mutter (Sr., SS), Dan Gallanis (Sr., P)

Burlington Central — Ray Hunnicutt (Jr., OF), Joey Lange (Sr., P)

Cary-Grove — John Spoelstra (Sr., P), Kevin Weber (Sr., P/DH)

Crystal Lake South — Nick Martin (Jr., P), Chris Morrison (Sr., 3B)

Dundee-Crown — Dylan Kissack (So., C), Steve Schwartz (Sr., SS), Nick Spagnola (Sr., 3B)

Elgin — Javier Cardenas (Sr., 2B), Lee Jackson (Sr., SS)

Hampshire — Luke Wians (Jr., P)

Huntley — Brody Burkhart (Sr., IF), Bryan Doherty (Jr., P), Bryce Only (So., 3B), Jake Staab (Sr., P)

Jacobs — Nate Andersen (Sr., P/OF), Henry Gigeous (Jr., P), Mark Self (Jr., 1B/OF)

Larkin — Miguel Villafane (Sr., P/IF)

St. Edward — Luke Duffy (Jr., P)

South Elgin — Nathan Garris (Sr., IF), David Palmer (So., P), Andrew Perry (Jr., P)

Streamwood — Dalton Lundeen (Jr., P), Patrick Manning (Sr., OF), Alex Morrow (Jr., OF)

Westminster Christian — Andrew Mason (Sr., IF/P)

Captain's honor roll

1996 — Jeff Chiles (Crystal Lake South)

1997 — Brian Smith (Larkin)

1998 — Matt Krabbe (Larkin)

1999 — Jason Richardson (Larkin)

2000 — Ryan McKenna (Larkin)

2001 — Jason McMillan (Dundee-Crown) and Dan Sheldon (Burlington Central)

2002 — Trevor Huisinga (Bartlett)

2003 — Alex Turk (Burlington Central)

2004 — Doug Sanders (St. Edward)

2005 — Chris Ritchie (Burlington Central) and Chris Schultz (Elgin)

2006 — Kevin Steinhaus (Dundee-Crown)

2007 — Brad Porto (Burlington Central) and Elliot Soto (Dundee-Crown)

2008 — Ben Palmer (Westminster Christian) and T.J. Swank (Prairie Ridge)

2009 — Brian Brauer (Streamwood) and Craig Lipp (Huntley)

2010 — Ben Albano (Jacobs) and Austin Jarvis (Burlington Central)

2011 — Josh Harris (Streamwood)