Second Team

Second Team

• Mike Budzinski, JCA, senior, first baseman: Hit .383 with 8 doubles, 3 triples and 1 home run among 46 hits ... Drove in 26 runs ... Outstanding defensively at first base ... Starting forward and one of area's best defenders in basketball ... "Brian probably had some of the biggest hits for us all season," coach Jared Voss said. "He didn't always have the best swing, but he came up with the big hits. He's a tough kid, and he knew what he was doing at first base. He had a real good sense and feel for the position."

• Lloyd Burchett, Lincoln-Way East, senior, second baseman: Starting running back on Griffins' outstanding football team ... Planning to pursue baseball at Pine Bluff, Ark. ... Played second base and had a .976 fielding percentage ... Hit .366 with a .505 on-base percentage, 1 home run and 18 RBIs ... "Lloyd did a nice job all year," coach Paul Babcock said. "He's a good athlete."

• Dave Cladis, JCA, junior, shortstop: Hit .360 with 6 doubles among 39 hits ... Scored 55 runs as Hilltoppers' leadoff hitter ... Struck out 6 times in 158 plate appearances ... Sported a .469 on-base percentage ... Solid defensively ... "Dave gets on base," coach Jared Voss said. "He will make contact. And defensively, he is consistent fielding the ball and has a quick release. He will get stronger, too, with an offseason of weightlifting. I can't tell you how many times he flied out to the warning track."

• Ben Crater, Gardner-SW, sophomore, third baseman/pitcher: All-River Valley Conference selection ... Gardner offensive player of the year ... Hit .443 with a .545 on-base percentage and .682 slugging percentage ... Drove in 23 runs as the Panthers' cleanup hitter ... 5-3 as a pitcher with a 1.89 ERA ... Struck out 61 and walked 10 in 51 2/3 innings ... "Ben is a versatile guy and a coach-on-the-field type," coach Jon Posing said. "Before going to state, Coal City won 13 of 14, and the loss was when Ben shut them out."

• Justin Cryder, Seneca, senior, pitcher: All-Interstate Eight Conference selection for second straight year ... Finished 8-3, including 7-0 in the conference, with a 2.73 ERA ... Struck out 75 and walked 19 in 69 1/3 innings ... Hit .323 and drove in 13 runs ... Hopes to pitch at JJC ... "Justin pitched very well two years in a row," coach Keith Houchin said. "Last year we DH'd for him, so his offense this year was a nice surprise."

• Trevor Debelak, Gardner-SW, senior, first baseman: All-River Valley Conference player of the year ... Team MVP ... Hit .431 with 43 RBIs, a .491 on-base percentage and .647 slugging percentage ... 3-2 as a pitcher and featured a knuckleball ... Good defensive first baseman ... Plans to walk on at Illinois-Springfield ... "Trevor was huge in RBI situations all year," coach Jon Posing said. "If you look at him once, you don't get the gist of what he brings. He is a true baseball player."

• Josh Folgers, Lincoln-Way East, senior, pitcher: All-SouthWest Suburban Red selection ... Left-hander went 5-2 with a 2.35 ERA ... Held opponents to a .228 average ... Struck out 23 in 47 2/3 innings ... Will play at Kankakee Community College ... "Josh's ERA went up in his last game against Aurora West," coach Paul Babcock said. "And he really should have been 7-2. We gave up runs in the seventh inning twice after he went out that took away wins from him."

• Brett Frantini, Minooka, senior, catcher: All-Southwest Prairie selection ... Hit .350 with 15 doubles, 2 home runs and 30 RBIs ... Outstanding defensive catcher ... Threw out 60 percent of would-be base stealers ... Signed to play at Northern Illinois ... "This is my fourth Division I catcher in a row, and Brett is the best defensively among them," coach Jeff Petrovic said. "He neutralizes running games. In warmups, his arm just scares other teams into not running. And he hit for power and average."

• Mike Frigo, Lockport, senior, shortstop: All-SouthWest Suburban Blue selection ... Batted .345 and walked 22 times ... Had a .500 on-base percentage ... Had 4 doubles, 3 triples and 2 home runs as Porters' 2-hitter ... Stole 9 bases ... Solid defensively at shortstop ... Regular on Porters' basketball team that finished fourth in 4A ... Will play baseball at Western Michigan ... "Mike stayed healthy, played every day and led the team," coach Steve Sabatino said. "When he has a chance to use his athleticism, that's when he is at his best."

• Bob Hansen, Plainfield South, junior, first baseman/DH/pitcher: Varsity starter and second-team all-area as a sophomore, when he had 10 home runs and drove in 30 runs ... Hit 4 homers this spring and again drove in 30 ... Tied for team hit lead ... Batted .330 with 8 doubles and 1 triple ... Went 4-3 as pitcher with 1 save and a 3.17 ERA ... Struck out 38 and walked 17 in 39 2/3 innings ... "Bob did a good job pitching and at the plate," coach Paul Raspolich said. "He was a varsity starter as a sophomore."

• Steve Kazak, JCA, senior, pitcher: Went 8-2 with a 2.00 ERA, capped by one-hit shutout of Crystal Lake Central in Class 3A third-place game ... In 59 1/3 innings, the left-hander allowed 40 hits and 28 walks while striking out 52 ... 3 years on varsity ... Will pitch at St. Francis ... "Steve is a power pitcher, so he gets his share of strikeouts," coach Jared Voss said. "He did not allow a run in his last 19 innings. That was quite a way to go out, and now he's moving on to pitch for Gordie (Gillespie, at USF)."

• Tom Ksiazak, Plainfield South, junior, infielder: Cougars' co-hit leader with 39, thanks largely to a red-hot second half ... Hit .371 with 7 doubles and 1 triple ... Drove in 15 runs ... Team leader in stolen bases with 12 ... Versatile defensive player who can handle multiple positions ... "Tom led off for us," coach Paul Raspolich said. "Not only did he lead us in hits and stolen bases, but he hit above .500 the second half of the season. He played third, second and first for us."

• Joel Lardi, Coal City, senior, first baseman/pitcher: All-Interstate Eight Conference selection ... Hit .391 with .500 on-base percentage ... Had 9 doubles, 5 home runs and drove in 29 runs ... Went 3-2 as a pitcher with a 3.00 ERA, striking out 40 in 35 innings ... May play at Judson or JJC ... "Joel pulled a muscle early in the season and missed some of his pitching assignments," coach Jerry McDowell said. "He's a good defensive first baseman and had a great postseason offensively."

n John Lorenz, Lincoln-Way East, senior, infielder: Received some all-state mentions after his junior year and entered this season as one of the highly touted players in the area ... Signed to play at Michigan ... Outstanding basketball player ... Recovering from arm injury in basketball affected the start of his baseball season ... Hit .344 with 5 home runs and 25 RBIs ... Played third base and shortstop ... "John's wrist bothered him the first couple of games, but then it felt pretty good," coach Paul Babcock said.

• Joe Malia, Peotone, senior, second baseman: All-Interstate Eight Conference selection for second straight year ... Hit .455 with 10 doubles and 6 home runs from leadoff slot ... Drove in 32 runs ... "Joe is the real deal," Peotone coach Phil Hudson said. "He is an extremely tough out. He is a two-time all-conference player and was our leadoff hitter the last year and a half."

• Nate Minarich, JCA, senior, third baseman: All-East Suburban Catholic selection ... Hit .355 with 4 doubles, 4 triples, 2 home runs and 32 RBIs ... Outstanding defensively ... Key reserve on Hilltoppers' state championship football team ... Will attend Illinois as a student ... "Nate is a team leader," coach Jared Voss said. "I was so lucky to coach his brother Chris and now him. Both of them brought so much energy. Nate is a hard worker. He played great defense, and he's the type you never have to tell where he needs to be."

• Andrew Molloy, Reed-Custer, senior, first baseman: All-Interstate Eight Conference selection ... Left-handed hitter batted .393 to lead team ... Topped Comets' charts with 24 RBIs and 10 doubles ... "Andrew was our most consistent hitter, and he also pitched," coach Jerry Cougill said.

• Mike Nelson, JCA, senior, catcher: All-East Suburban Catholic selection ... Hit .424 with 7 doubles among 43 hits and drove in 27 runs ... Led team with 5 sacrifice bunts ... "Mike brought is average up about 100 points this year," coach Jared Voss said. "He really caught fire the last month. He has a great approach behind the plate, too. He's like a miniature A.J. Pierzynski. He weighs about 150 pounds soaking wet, but he's always talking and has a lot of energy. Catching can be a grind, and the challenge was trying to get him rest when we could."

• Alex Parks, Plainfield Central, junior, infielder: All-Southwest Prairie selection ... Among the most versatile players in the area ... Hit .333 with 12 doubles and 2 home runs ... Led Wildcats with 24 runs scored and 23 RBIs ... Posted a .460 on-base percentage ... Also 1-3 as a pitcher ... "Alex was our 2-hitter, sometimes our 3-hitter, we didn't want his bat out of the lineup," coach Bob Dobbertin said. "He was very productive in different ways. His ability to play different positions allowed us to create the best lineup possible offensively and defensively."

• A.J. Plese, JCA, junior, pitcher: All-East Suburban Catholic Conference selection ... Finished 6-0 with a 2.15 ERA ... Allowed 26 hits and 16 walks while striking out 39 in 35 2/3 innings ... Did not allow an earned run in his last 21 innings ... "A.J. had a good year and will be the guy for us next year, with Johnny (Ruettiger) and Steve (Kazak) graduating," coach Jared Voss said. "He is somewhat of a power pitcher and will get some strikeouts."

• Deric Punke, Seneca, junior, catcher: All-Interstate Eight Conference selection for second straight year ... Hit .439 in the 3-hole in the lineup with 6 home runs and 27 RBIs ... Possesses very strong throwing arm ... "Deric did a great job offensively as our 3-hitter," coach Keith Houchin said. "But the stat that most impressed me is he had 20 assists behind the plate. He's just a very good all-around catcher. I would plan on seeing him play on the next level."

• Neil Ruzich, Wilmington, senior, outfielder/infielder: Hit .452 with team-high 52 hits, including 10 doubles, 3 triples and 1 home run ... Drove in 25 runs and scored 42 as the leadoff hitter ... "Last year Neil played the outfield," coach Chad Farrell said. "He really came around this year. We put him in the leadoff spot. He played left field, then second base and finally third base, and he always volunteered to move, and we got better. He is a very aggressive hitter."

• Steve Sitterly, Romeoville, senior, pitcher: All-Southwest Prairie selection ... Finished 3-2 with a 2.27 ERA ... Struck out 72 and walked 27 in 52 1/3 innings ... Limited opponents to .182 average ... "Steve got stronger as the year went on," coach Tony Smith said. "He became one of the most improved players I have ever coached. He literally was outside in the cold, in the freezing rain, when it was snowing, throwing to AVM, our middle school. He had a game where he 1-hit Minooka."

• Nathan Slattery, Morris, senior, catcher: All-Southwest Prairie selection ... Finished hitting .361 after being above .400 for much of the year ... Had 9 doubles, 2 home runs and drove in 26 runs ... Standout on Redskins' Class 5A state football second-place finisher ... "Nathan hit very well, and defensively he has been a rock for us for two seasons," coach Todd Kein said. "He's a very intelligent catcher, too. We're really going to miss him."

• Chris Tapia, Romeoville, senior, outfielder/pitcher: All-Southwest Prairie selection ... Regular center fielder ... Hit .386 in the 1- or 2-holes with 3 home runs, 5 triples and 8 doubles ... Scored 37 runs and had a .598 slugging percentage ... Will play at Illinois Wesleyan ... Went 4-2 as a pitcher with a 2.75 ERA ... "Chris worked very hard in the offseason to make himself better, and he has continued to work hard on his outfield play," coach Tony Smith said. "His hard work shows in the stats he put up this year."

Third team

• Greg Bennett, Providence, senior, outfielder/catcher: Hit .377 with 3 doubles, 1 triple and 2 home runs among 40 hits ... Drove in 26 runs ... Will attend Notre Dame as a student ... Struck out 4 times in about 120 plate appearances ... Second-team all-area as a junior ... "Greg probably had his best year and was our best hitter as a junior, yet he still was a leader this year," coach Greg Smith said.

• Steve Bledsoe, Plainfield North, senior, catcher: All-Southwest Prairie selection ... Hit .386 with 5 doubles among 34 hits and drove in 16 runs ... Sported a .522 on-base percentage ... "Steve is a good hitter and a real good defensive catcher," coach John Darlington said. "He did a good job all-around."

• Joe Cecchi, Romeoville, junior, shortstop: All-Southwest Prairie selection ... Played shortstop in his second varsity season ... Hit .333 with 3 home runs, 2 triples and 15 doubles ... Had a .573 slugging percentage ... "Joe is a good all-around player," coach Tony Smith said. "He's good defensively at shortstop. We expect big things from him next year, especially on the mound."

• Chris Christensen, Gardner-SW, senior, pitcher/outfielder: All-River Valley Conference selection ... Finished 6-2 with a 2.67 ERA ... Struck out 42 and walked 20 in 55 innings ... Played center field and hit .273 with .411 on-base percentage ... Stole 23 bases in 25 attempts ... First-team all-area in basketball ... Will play basketball at Eureka ... "Chris gives you 120 percent no matter what the sport," coach Jon Posing said. "Last year he didn't win any games, this year he was a stopper and beyond."

• Matt Denton, Lockport, senior, outfielder: All-SouthWest Suburban Blue selection ... Outstanding defensively in center field ... Did not play baseball last season ... Starter in the defensive secondary in football ... Hit .314 with 7 doubles, 1 home run and 26 RBIs ... "Matt got some big hits for us and he got better as the year went on," coach Steve Stanicek said.

• Nate Dobrez, Lincoln-Way Central, senior, third baseman: All-SouthWest Suburban Red selection ... Hit .367 with 7 doubles and 2 home runs among 30 hits ... Drove in 20 runs ... Is looking to play in college ... "Nate got a lot of big hits down the stretch," coach Marty Dykas said. "He was an important part of our lineup."

• Pat Driscoll, Lemont, sophomore, catcher: All-South Suburban Blue selection ... Hit .385 with 8 doubles, 2 home runs and 32 RBIs ... "If Pat improves defensively behind the plate, he can be a major player because of how well he hits the ball," coach Joe Rodeghero said.

• Jake Evans, Reed-Custer, junior, pitcher: All-Interstate Eight Conference selection ... Left-hander finished 6-3 with a 2.18 ERA ... Struck out 55 in 70 2/3 innings ... Picked off 17 runners, breaking the school record of 15 set by former major leaguer Brian DuBois ... "Jacob pitched in all the big games," coach Jerry Cougill said. "He really knows how to pitch. And breaking Brian DuBois' pickoff record, that's impressive."

• Jesse Gregurich, Coal City, senior, third baseman: Switch-hitter ... Batted only 68 times because of an early-season academic issue but hit .382 with 6 home runs and 8 doubles among 26 hits ... Had a .515 on-base percentage ... "Jesse hit very well when he got back with us, and he can pitch a little, too," coach Jerry McDowell said. "He was 1-1 and his win was over Providence."

• Tom Helwich, Lincoln-Way Central, sophomore, first baseman/pitcher: En route to being 4-year varsity player ... Hit .350 with 5 doubles, 1 triple, 1 home run and 20 RBIs ... Went 6-3 pitching with 2 saves and 2.81 ERA ... Struck out 62 in 47 1/3 innings ... "We keep forgetting Tom is only a sophomore," coach Marty Dykas said. "He could have had 2 more wins, but we blew leads for him. He also will be a very good offensive player before he's through."

• Josh Higgins, Seneca, sophomore, pitcher: All-Interstate Eight Conference selection ... Left-hander finished 7-2 in 54 1/3 innings, including 7-1 in the conference ... Sported a 2.83 ERA ... Hit .341 with 29 hits and drove in 16 runs ... "Josh formed a good 1-2 punch with Justin Cryder," coach Keith Houchin said. "He had a nice win over Pinckneyville, beat Coal City and lost 3-2 to Herscher, so he pitched well in big games."

• Mike Hollenbeck, Joliet, sophomore, catcher: Hit .264 in his first of what will be three varsity seasons ... Drove in 18 runs and struck out 6 times in well over 100 plate appearances ... Made 3 errors all season and possesses a strong throwing arm ... "Between last summer and this spring, Mike had to pick off 10-15 runners," coach Terry Piazza said. "He has a very strong arm, and combined with his ability to get the bat on the ball, his all-around game is going to continue to get better."

• Zak Horvat, Joliet, senior, first baseman: All-SouthWest Suburban Blue selection ... Hit .320 with a team-high 29 RBIs ... Drove in numerous big runs early and late in the season ... Will play at Olivet Nazarene ... "Zak was on fire early in the year," coach Terry Piazza said. "He came up big at the end of the year, too."

• John Kerulis, Wilmington, senior, first baseman: Standout lineman in football who will continue his football career at Monmouth College ... Good defensive first baseman ... Hit .337 with 7 home runs and 36 RBIs ... Scored 23 runs ... "John is a big guy who did a good job at first base," coach Chad Farrell said. "He did a better job than you would think with his feet. He has nice feet for a big guy. And he contributed offensively."

• Alex King, Reed-Custer, senior, second baseman: All-Interstate Eight Conference selection ... Hit .326 ... 2-year starter at second base ... "Alex was voted by the players as our team MVP and the coaches chose him for the Mr. Hustle award," coach Jerry Cougill said.

• Mike Klett, Plainfield North, junior, pitcher: All-Southwest Prairie selection ... Finished 5-2 with a 3.57 ERA ... Struck out 36 in 35 1/3 innings Also played some outfield and had 4 doubles and 1 triple among his 9 hits ... Starter on Tigers' basketball team ... "Mike has a sneaky fastball and a good changeup and curve," coach John Darlington said. "He is a competitor."

• Justin Mackowiak, Plainfield Central, senior, infielder/outfielder: Hit .344 with 9 doubles and 2 home runs ... Drove in 22 runs ... Played most of the year in the corner outfield spots but also played some at second base ... "Justin had great versatility, and that allowed us to do some things with our lineup," coach Bob Dobbertin said. "He had the kind of senior year a lot of kids hope for."

• Brian Martin, Minooka, junior, outfielder: All-Southwest Prairie selection ... Hit .370 ... Struck out 7 times in 121 at-bats and had a .450 on-base percentage as Indians' leadoff man ... Football quarterback ... "Brian knows the strike zone and he put the ball in play," coach Jeff Petrovic said. "He made one error all year in center field and must have had 10 diving plays out there."

• Tyler Matteson, Morris, senior, outfielder: Hit .376 as the Redskins' leadoff man ... Had 6 doubles and stole 9 bases ... Finished with an on-base percentage above .500 ... Strong defensively in center field ... "In my 10 years at Morris, Tyler is the best I have seen tracking balls down in the outfield," coach Todd Kein said. "For two years I've watched him make spectacular game-changing and game-saving catches."

• Jay Modelski, Providence, junior, infielder/outfielder: Hit .364 with 8 doubles, 1 triple, 4 home runs and 21 RBIs ... Sported a .545 slugging percentage and .405 on-base percentage ... "Jay's a kid who made us better," coach Greg Smith said. "We moved him to left field some, and he had 3 assists in 4 games there at the end of the year."

• Logan Severson, Morris, senior, second baseman: All-SouthWest Prairie selection ... Hit .389, largely from the 5-hole, with 5 doubles, 3 home runs and 21 RBIs ... "Logan had a slugging percentage over .500 and was hitting around .500 much of the season," Morris coach Todd Kein said. "He consistently put the ball in play."

• Edgar Silva, Joliet, senior, pitcher: Pitched many of the big games for the Steelmen and finished 6-4 with a 2.33 ERA ... Contributed on occasion with his bat as well ... "Edgar pitched very well for us all season," coach Terry Piazza said. "He did a good job moving the ball around for the most part."

• Justin Troyner, Minooka, senior, first baseman: All-Southwest Prairie selection ... Hit .320 with a homer, 2 triples and 10 doubles ... Provided good defense at first base ... "Justin is an overly athletic kid," coach Jeff Petrovic said. "Losing him was something we feared would happen. He was very important to us at first base, and he did some pitching, too."

• Jon Van Asdlen, Minooka, senior, third baseman: All-Southwest Prairie selection ... Hit .325 with 2 home runs, 3 triples, 7 doubles and had an on-base percentage above .400 ... Will play at Joliet Junior College ... "Jon is a good all-around player," coach Jeff Petrovic said. "He is solid defensively. He hits in the 2-hole and will take the ball to the right side."

• Ryan Verdun, Coal City, senior, catcher: All-Interstate Eight Conference selection ... Hit .388 with 7 doubles, 3 home runs and 25 RBIs ... "Ryan did not come out for baseball the last two years, and this year he hopped right in," coach Jerry McDowell said. "He played a little outfield for us, too, but he caught most of the time and did a very good job."