Western Springs resident and Lyons junior third baseman Keith Lehmann will participate in the Midwest Future Games this weekend. | Brian O’Mahoney~For Sun-Times Media.
A busy summer of baseball ends this weekend for Lyons junior Keith Lehmann.
The youngest member of the Class 4A state championship team has played nearly every day this summer between commitments to the DuPage Dragons’ travel team, Lyons’ summer league team and various showcases for individual players hoping to attract the attention of college recruiters.
Lehmann’s last baseball appearance for the summer is a showcase-style event for the Class of 2013. Lehmann was one of two players from West Suburban Conference schools to be invited to Prep Baseball Report’s Midwest Future Games Saturday and Sunday at Benedictine University in Lisle. Lehmann, a pitcher-third baseman-catcher will join Downers South right-hander Dan Mayer as representatives for Team Illinois.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Lehmann said. “It should be pretty fun. We’ll be playing a lot of good guys.”
The event features the top prospects from Illinois, Missouri, Indiana and Ohio. With evaluations for the Class of 2012 nearly completed, recruiters are already looking at incoming juniors. Lehmann and senior second baseman Steve Heilenbach are the only returning starters for the state champion Lyons, which beat Providence 8-3 in the state championship June 11 at Joliet’s Silver Cross Field.
Lehmann batted sixth and went 1-for-4 with an infield single in the final. He batted .313 with seven home runs and 31 RBI entering the state semifinals. He played third base in the final, but played catcher in the state semifinal win over Mount Carmel and as a relief pitcher, he went 3-0 with a 1.83 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 30 2/3 innings pitched.
Before the season, Lehmann ranked sixth in the Class of 2013 among Illinois prospects by Lake Forest-based Prep Baseball Report. The Illinois roster includes 14 of the top 20 prospects ranked by PBR, including top-rated Ryne Roper of Harrisburg and 19th-rated River Pitlock of York. After the season, Lehmann ranks No. 2 and Pitlock is No. 16.
Lehmann completed his fourth summer season Sunday with the Dragons, who lost a tournament championship at Illinois State in Normal. One thing recruiters might wonder about Lehmann is what position he can play in college. He has played seven different positions with the Dragons, including one game at first base. He has appeared in travel tournaments as a left fielder, center fielder, third baseman, second baseman and pitcher.
At showcase events, Lehmann said most of the concern for recruiters is to evaluate pitching.
With the Dragons, Lehmann is a teammate with Hinsdale Central infielder Sam Lucente and right-hander pitcher Bobby Skogsbergh.
He appeared in nearly a half dozen tournaments with the Dragons and attended 3-4 showcases mainly in the Midwest. His longest trip of the summer was for a tournament in Indianapolis with the Dragons.
He played about six games for Lyons’ summer league team and appeared in the playoffs earlier this month.
After the summer, Lehmann will look to contacting colleges. He is interested in Illinois, Michigan State, Iowa and Kansas.
“I would like to be fundamentally sound at all my positions,” Lehmann said. “I would be able to help the team out a lot more.”
MIDWEST FUTURE GAMES SCHEDULE
All games at Benedictine University, Lisle
Saturday, Aug. 6 (nine-inning games)
Illinois vs. Missouri, 11:15 a.m.
Indiana vs. Ohio, 4:40 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 7 (seven-inning games)
Missouri vs. Indiana, 9 a.m.
Missouri vs. Ohio, noon
Illinois vs. Indiana, 3 p.m.
Illinois vs. Ohio, 6 p.m.
ILLINOIS ROSTER
Ryne Roper, Harrisburg RHP/INF
Keith Lehmann, Lyons RHP/C/3B
Corey Ray, Simeon OF
Bryce Only, Huntley INF/RHP
Brent Gibbs, Alton C
Matthew James, Normal West RHP/INF
Kyle Pruemer, Teutopolis RHP
Colin Lyman, Huntley OF
Miguel Hermosillo, Ottawa OF/INF
Dan Mayer, Downers S. RHP
Joe Hoscheit, St. Charles E. OF
River Pitlock, York INF/RHP
Jacob Jarvis, O’Fallon RHP/1B
Anthony Drago, Lake Zurich C/1B
Bryce Cantrall, Edwardsville RHP
Kyle Colletta, Niles West INF/RHP
Cody Campbell, Naperville C. RHP/1B
