By Sean Duncan
Executive Director

Leading up to the start of the high school season, we will count down the Top 50 preseason teams every day as part of our comprehensive season coverage:

Team: Rockford Boylan
Preseason Rank: 48
2014 Record: 28-7
Conference: NIC-10
IHSA Class: 4A 
Head Coach: Matt Weber
Playoff Run: Sectional Finalist
2014 Final Rank: Not Ranked 

Returning Starters: 8
Returning Pitchers: 5

TOP PLAYERS
Name, Position, Class (College Commitment)
Will Troia, SS/RHP, 2015
Nick Nalewanski, C, 2015
Ryan Stanicek, OF/P, 2015
Andy Cropp, INF/OF, 2015
Dalton Robison, INF/P, 2015
Ian Parentice, OF/LHP, 2015
Max Maney, INF/OF/P, 2016
Alex Ciaccio, OF, 2016
Peyton Durst, RHP, 2015

X-FACTOR
Will Troia. The 5-foot-10, 170-pounder returns to lead the Titans again, just as he did as a junior. The shortstop has a pure-left handed swing and will be counted on to be a major run-producer again this season. Although his future is as a position player, Troia will also anchor the pitching staff.

NEWCOMER TO WATCH
Zach Couper, INF, RHP, 2017.

KEY PLAYER LOST
INF Nick Rodenbeck
RHP/1B Nick Bruno (Kirkwood CC)

OUTLOOK
Coach Matt Weber welcomes back 11 players from last year’s sectional finalist club that won the NIC-10 championship. The Titans feature excellent depth at the core positions and balance throughout the lineup. While Boylan has plenty of pitching options, it lacks experience and frontline options. Will Troia, the team’s standout shortstop, will anchor the staff, along with Ryan Stanicek, Dalton Robinson and Ian Parentice – all of whom are two-way players.The Titans will need to drive in runs, because as a whole, the team lacks speed on the bases.

BOTTOM LINE
The Titans should once again be the team to beat in the Rockford area and win another NIC-10 championship. But how far they advance in the Class 4A playoffs will hinge on some unproven pitchers emerging as frontline guys.

Preseason Countdown

+ Top 50 Preseason Countdown Rankings

+ Updated Illinois 2015 Rankings