Nick Dalesandro
Joliet Catholic, Jr., UTIL
The two-way talent did it all for the Hilltoppers. On the mound, the right-hander posted a 7-1 record with a 1.39 ERA against the top teams in the state. He struck out 74 and walked 18 in 55 innings. Offensively, the centerfielder and catcher batted .409 with seven doubles, four triples, three home runs, 28 RBI and scored 25 runs. Verbally committed to Purdue.
Charlie Donovan
Westmont, Jr., IF
The left-handed hitting junior led Westmont to a 2A third-place finish by batting. 500 with 47 RBI, 50 runs scored, eight doubles, four triples and six homers. The Michigan recruit also swiped 48 bases in 50 attempts.
Laren Eustace
Batavia, Sr., OF
The consummate leadoff hitter and top-level defensive centerfielder, Eustace led Batavia to 23 straight wins. The Indiana recruit had five doubles, five triples, four home runs while swiping 17 stolen bases. He batted .404 with a .528 on-base percentage and did not commit an error in the outfield.
Nick Goldsmith
St. Rita, Sr., IF
Goldsmith emerged as a run-producing machine for the Class 4A runner-up Mustangs, finishing with 47 RBI, nine home runs and nine doubles while batting .398 with 22 runs scored. A top-level defensive first baseman, Goldsmith is heading to Pitt as a punter in football.
Mike Kornacker
St. Laurence, Sr., IF
The four-year starter and two-way impact player was the driving force behind the Vikings’ co-Catholic League Blue championship. He tallied 43 RBI, nine doubles, four homers, two triples and 24 stolen bases. On the mound, he posted an 8-2 record with two saves and a 1.35 ERA against the top teams in the state. Signed at Purdue.
Jake Latz
Lemont, Sr., P
The Sun-Times Player of the Year was nearly untouchable in leading the Indians to the Class 3A state title. In 62.1 innings, the left-hander racked up 114 strikeouts to 12 walks and has yielded only two earned runs. He finished with a 10-0 record with one save and a 0.22 ERA and a 0.67 WHIP. Signed at LSU, he was drafted in the 11th round by the Blue Jays.
Simeon Lucas
Grant, Sr., C
A seventh-round draft pick by the Indians, the left-handed hitter blasted nine homers, 10 doubles and 37 RBI. He was walked 27 times, had a .516 on-base percentage and finished with a .371 batting average. Signed at Illinois State.
Ryan Noda
Grant, Sr., OF
The 6-foot-3 left-handed hitter emerged as one of the top offensive forces in the state. The Cincinnati recruit smashed 12 homers, two triples, six doubles, 49 RBI and 42 runs. Noda also walked 28 times and swiped 14 bases.
Ryan Nutof
South Elgin, Sr., P
The Michigan recruit was nothing short of dominant in leading the Storm to third place in Class 4A. Nutof posted an 8-1 record, which included a no-hitter in the regional finals, with a 0.45 ERA and a 0.85 WHIP. In 77 innings, he struck out 112 to 29 walks. He also had a 35-inning scoreless streak.
Dylan Rosa
Providence, Sr., 3B
The Kent State recruit powered the Celtics to the Class 4A semifinals and has been a consistent clutch performer. He finished with 11 homers, 14 doubles, two triples, 55 RBI and a .413 batting average. Also posted a 4-2 record with a 2.42 ERA on the mound.
Jake Shepski
St. Rita, Sr., OF
Earned the Chicago Catholic League Lawless Award for his two-way contributions. Offensively, the switch-hitter tallied 48 RBI, 12 doubles, seven triples, five homers and 39 runs while batting .385. On the mound, the Notre Dame recruit posted a 7-2 record with eight saves and a 1.75 ERA.
Mitch Vogrin
Minooka, Sr., P
Facing top competition, Vogrin posted a 9-0 record with 1 save. In 67 innings, he maintained a 1.15 ERA and a 0.821 WHIP. The Illinois State recruit struck out 85, walked 22 and threw one no-hitter.
Second Team
Mike Costanzo, St. Rita, Sr., P
James Davison, Morgan Park, Sr., OF
Darius Day, Simeon, Sr., OF
Luke Morgan, Lincoln-Way West, Sr., Utility
Kyle Ostrowski, Lincoln-Way North, Jr., P
Mike Papierski, Lemont, Sr., C
Gehrig Parker, Maine South, Sr., OF
Anthony Santos, York, Sr., IF
Evan Skoug, Libertyville, Sr., C
Fitz Stadler, Glenbrook South, Jr., P
Ako Thomas, Mount Carmel, Jr., IF
Mike Wisz, Lemont, Jr., IF
Brad Wood, St. Laurence HS, Sr., IF
All-Area honorable mentions can be found here.
Sun-Times Player of the Year: Dylan Rosa
No one player is responsible for a team winning a state championship.
Providence coach Mark Smith, however, is well aware his team’s fortunes likely would have been altered if not for the contributions of senior Dylan Rosa.
“He’s a heck of a kid and he had a heck of a year,” Smith said. “What he did in the playoffs was unbelievable. Without Dylan, I’d probably of been golfing three weeks ago.”
