Northwest Herald All-Area Baseball team

Pitchers

Chase Blazier

Harvard, sr.

Blazier was 7-4 with a 2.45 ERA and struck out 105 batters in 68 innings as Harvard won an IHSA Class 2A regional title. He also produced at the plate with a .417 batting average, six homers and 38 RBIs.

Zack Coel

Prairie Ridge, jr.

The lanky left-hander was 7-1 for the Fox Valley Conference Fox Division co-champion Wolves. He had a 1.74 ERA with 56 strikeouts in 601⁄3 innings.

Dave Luczak

Marian Central, sr.

Luczak was 9-1 with a 1.60 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 611⁄3 innings. He had a 19-strikeout game this season and back-to-back games in which he struck out a combined 35 batters.

Dave Parr

Marian Central, sr.

Parr was 12-3 with a 1.80 ERA and struck out 95 batters in 97 innings. His 12 wins were the most of any pitcher in the area. Parr also was one of Marian’s big sticks, with a .434 average and 28 RBIs.

Kevin Weber

Cary-Grove, jr.

Weber was 9-1 with a 2.23 ERA and struck out 82 batters in 66 innings. He walked 26 and allowed 51 hits as the Trojans won a share of their third consecutive FVC Valley

Division championship.

Catcher

Zach Siedlecki

Prairie Ridge, sr.

Siedlecki was one of the most productive players in the area, hitting .448 with eight home runs and 49 RBIs for the FVC Fox Division co-champions. He led the Wolves with 56 hits.

First base

Tom Crohan

Huntley, sr.

Crohan became a force in the Red Raiders’ lineup with a .355 average and 41 RBIs, second on the Red Raiders. Crohan had 13 doubles, which was second on the team that finished fourth in the IHSA Class 4A State Tournament.

Second base

Pat Murphy

McHenry, jr.

Murphy hit .303 with three homers and 22 RBIs out of the leadoff spot for the Warriors. He also was their pitching ace with 65 strikeouts in 702⁄3 innings.

Shortstop

Chris Waylock

Cary-Grove, sr.

Waylock is a repeat first-team selection. He hit .360 with four homers and 19 RBIs. He struck out only four times all season, with one coming after the first two games.

Third base

Billy Wright

Crystal Lake South, sr.

Wright hit .470 with five homers and a team-high 32 RBIs for the Gators. Wright finished one of the most dramatic rallies of the season with a grand slam to beat Jacobs, 11-10, in the Class 4A Jacobs Regional opener.

Outfield

Chris Klein

Huntley, sr.

Klein led the Red Raiders’ regular players with a .435 average. He also had eight homers and 38 RBIs. He was 6-5 with a 2.08 ERA as a pitcher.

Kevin Kaczmarski

Prairie Ridge, sr.

Kaczmarski is a repeat first-team selection after hitting .437 with six homers and 22 RBIs out of the leadoff spot. He swiped 29 bases in 34 attempts.

Ben Albano

Jacobs, sr.

The Northwest Herald Player of the Year had crazy numbers for the season with a .533 batting average, 16 homers and 67 RBIs, all of which rank in the IHSA’s top 20 for a season.

Designated hitter/utility

Phil Pupillo

Huntley, sr.

Pupillo moved from first base to catcher this season and thrived behind the plate. He hit .350 with four homers and a team-high 42 RBIs for the Red Raiders.

Second team

Pitchers

Jeremy Ahillen, Huntley, sr.

Ryan Burke, Hampshire, sr.

Colin Carpenter, Harvard, sr.

Joe Ross, Jacobs, jr.

Connor Sadzeck, CL Central, sr.

Catcher

Joe Ray, McHenry, sr.

First base

Jon Williams, Prairie Ridge, sr.

Second base

Michael Vilardo, Cary-Grove, jr.

Shortstop

Chase Matheson, McHenry, jr.

Third base

Karl Steiger, Marian Central, sr.

Outfield

Alex Macaulay, CL South, sr.

Tyler Weiss, Woodstock, sr.

C.J. Hernandez, Johnsburg, sr.

Designated hitter/Utility

Tony Castranova, CL Central, sr.

Honorable mention

Eric Chandler, C-G, OF-C, sr.

Stu Gaulke, C-G, 3B, sr.

Matt Panek, C-G, P-OF, jr.

Dylan Cysewski, CL Central, P, sr.
␇Tom Hooker, CL Central, OF, sr.

Tyler Johnson, CL Central, OF, sr.

Jake Walkner, CL Central, C, jr.

Mike Benson, CL South, P, sr.

Chris Hauser, CL South, SS, jr.

Robbie Lemke, CL South, OF, jr.

Scott Nowicke, D-C, OF, jr.

Nick Spagnola, D-C, 3B, jr.

Ryan DeChant, Hampshire, 1B-3B, sr.

John MacKenzie, Harvard, OF, sr.

Cody Melson, Harvard, C, so.

Collin Nolen, Harvard, 2B, so.

Andre Sopena, Huntley, 2B, sr.

Matt Szytz, Huntley, SS, sr.

Josh Kranz, Jacobs, 2B, sr.

Trevor Cherwin, Jburg, C, sr.

Zach Ignoffo, Jburg, P, sr.

Mitch Noncek, Jburg, P, sr.

Scott Franzegrote, Marian Central, OF, sr.

Eli McGuire, Marian Central, SS, sr.

Justin Diedrich, McHenry, OF, sr.

Justin Henderson, PR, OF, sr.

Chad Ljunggren, PR, SS, sr.

Andy Kovarik, Prairie Ridge, P, jr.

Ray Wojciechowski, R-B, P-SS, so.

Shawn Hovlid, Woodstock, C, sr.

– Joe Stevenson

jstevenson@nwherald.com