From talking to area coaches and observing the past couple seasons, it seems to me no sport gives as true of an indication of how good a team is going to be the following year like the summer baseball season — especially the IHSBCA playoffs.
And most coaches don’t downplay the fact.
For a lot of clubs, regional play is one of the few times when the top players come back from their respective travel teams to compete with the high school squad.
I wrote heading into last spring that 2006 IHSBCA summer league semifinalists averaged a whopping 23 wins the following spring. The 2007 IHSBCA Elite Eight clubs averaged 22 wins last spring. Five won regionals and Sandburg reached the Class 4A Elite Eight.
So really, it was a disappointment that Jacobs, Lake Zurich and Glenbard North did not. Lake Zurich and Glenbard North won their respective divisions and were upset in the postseason, while Jacobs hovered around .500 under a first-year head coach.
Some may shrug off summer results, but the last time Elk Grove reached the summer league Elite Eight the team followed it up with a trip to State in the spring of 2006.
I’m expecting big things from the Grens and the rest of this year’s IHSBCA state tournament field next spring.
