By Steve Nielsen

Prep Baseball Report’s Fall Prospect Program put up a combined 9-7 record for the tournament. Team Green and Team Orange both led the way with three wins a piece.

Team Orange started the PBR onslaught in the first game of the day with an 11-0 run rule victory, highlighted by Alex Ventrella’s (Lisle HS, Class of 2013) near no-hitter. Ventrella finished the contest going 5 innings featuring an effortless fastball sitting at 77-79. Ventrella recorded 9 strikeouts fooling hitters with a good sweeping breaking ball that was too enticing to lay off. Offensively, Luke Johnson (Lake Forest HS, Class of 2014) led the way going 3-for-3 with two runs scored, two RBI's and a walk reaching in every at-bat. Grant HS catcher Simeon Lucas (Class of 2014) proved why he is the No. 13 ranked player in the Class of 2014. Lucas’s powerful left handed stroke deposited a ball over the trees in right field for a solo homerun at Lewis University to add to the scoring of Team Orange. In game two Team Orange did not see the same success on the mound, however Luke Johnson continued right where he left off going 2-for-4, driving in an RBI.

Team red continued the trend with 2 big wins of their own led by the pitching of David Camacho (Elk Grove HS, Class of 2013) who repeatedly pounded the strike zone for 5 innings with all his pitches. Lyons Township product Samuel Heilenbach (Class of 2014) added a bases clearing triple to lead the offense for Team Red.

Connor Riley, an unsigned Class of 2013 graduate out of Marmion HS added to the list of stellar pitching performances. Riley led Team Black to a 7-2 victory pitching 6 innings of 2-run baseball sitting down 7 in the process. The 6-foot-1, 170-pounder got off to a shaky start commanding the strike zone, but quickly got into a rhythm showcasing the ability to throw his curveball at different speeds, both early in the count for strikes and late in the count getting a lot of empty swings. Riley’s fastball sat between 82-85 mph with some good movement when down in the zone. In game two Maine South HS’s Bobby Pennington picked up right where Riley left off. The 6-foot-3, 175-pound right-handed pitcher held the opposition to 2 runs over 5 innings of baseball. Pennington kept hitters off balance all day with a well-placed curveball and a fastball at 80-81. Hits were scattered up and down the Team Black lineup. Joshua Bagg (Christian Life HS, Class of 2014), Dereck Ioos (Libertyville HS, Class of 2013), and Mitchell Goll (Stevenson HS, 2014) all contributed RBI doubles to the Black offense. On day two Team Black’s offense was missing in action but saw good more good pitching from Brett King (Lincoln-Way North HS, Class of 2014), Mitchell Goll and Zach Baird (South Elgin HS, Class of 2015).

Although Team Green might not have had the same success on the mound, Green ended their day with a hot set of sticks scoring 12 runs in a run rule victory led by Class of 2015 graduate Mike Neill (Fenwick HS) and his 2 doubles. Craig Dankovich (Providence Catholic HS, 2013), Brian Czyl (Lisle HS, 2013), Connor Trier (Huntley HS, 2014), Michael Rizzo (Hinsdale South HS, 2013), and LJ Austin (Stevenson HS, 2013) all added two hits to the Team Green offense.

Team Green righted the ship on day 2 with two victories highlighted on the mound by Michael Rizzo’s 4 innings of work. Brian Czyl added two more hits along with Paul O’Toole (Fenwick HS, Class of 2013) and Larry Athens (Yorkville HS, Class of 2013).

Team Orange finished the weekend winning both games on day two with great pitching performances. Liam Carter (Highland Park HS, Class of 2014), a 6-foot-7 right-handed pitcher showed the ability to command the zone letting his long arms and legs do the work as he consistently worked downhill. The projectable Carter’s fastball sat comfortably at 78-80 mph with little effort. Max Larsen (Lyons Township, Class of 2014), completed the Team Orange shutout, throwing two scoreless innings. Brian Jestice (Fremd HS, Class of 2013) continued the Team Orange dominance on the mound, pitching four strong innings allowing no runs and only giving up two hits while striking out five. Malcolm White (Lyons Township, Class of 2014) came on in relief, pitching three innings surrendering only 2 earned runs on 4 hits while striking out 4.  At the plate, White was 3-for-4 on the day with a double and 2 RBI's. Simeon Lucas also added 2 hits at the plate with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI.