Preseason Power 25 Countdown: No. 17 Glenbrook North
March 9, 2023
The Illinois high school baseball season kicks off on March 13, opening day for regular season action under IHSA regulations. Over the next two weeks, leading up to opening day, we’ll be publishing our team previews ahead of the 2023 spring season, touching on programs spanning all state classifications, counting down through the official PBR Illinois Preseason Power 25 Rankings.
Perennially, we’ve submitted a Preseason Questionnaire to high school head coaches across the entire state. Their responses have been flooding in and we’re using the detailed insight they’ve provided in our team-by-team preseason analysis.
Our 2023 preseason coverage continues today.
Team: Glenbrook North
Preseason Rank: No. 17
2022 Record: 24-11
Conference: Central Suburban League (South Division)
IHSA Class: 4A
Head Coach: Dominic Savino
Roster Preview
| NAME | POS | CLASS | COMMITMENT |
| Spencer Geake | RHP/OF |
2023 | Wisconsin-Parkside |
| Kevin Geake | C/RHP | 2023 | Lincoln-Memorial |
| Colin Roche | RHP | 2023 | - |
| NJ Gott | RHP/INF | 2023 | - |
| Blake Telpner | OF | 2023 | - |
| Paxton Williams | MIF | 2023 | - |
| Nolan Girard | LHP/1B | 2024 | - |
| Ryan Rossi | MIF/RHP | 2024 | - |
| Mason Primack | INF | 2024 | - |
| Cooper Shalin | INF/OF | 2024 | - |
| Asher Malin | RHP | 2024 | - |
| Matthew Ruttkay | 1B/RHP | 2024 | - |
| Chase Petersen | OF | 2025 | - |
| Max Lerner | RHP | 2025 | - |
| Noah Delgado | OF | 2025 | - |
| Ethan Bass | MIF/RHP | 2026 | Illinois |
KEY PLAYERS LOST
+ OF Ryan Henschel (2022; Rhode Island)
+ OF/RHP Dylan Bass (2022; Tampa)
+ CIF Josh Mathew (2022)
+ OF Alex Birt (2022; Harper JC)
X Factor
(Spencer Geake, 10/2/22)
Currently the No. 85-ranked player in Illinois, RHP/OF Spencer Geake (2023; Wisconsin-Parkside commit) was far and away one of the top producers for North last season, turning in a .363 batting average in 91 at-bats with 11 doubles, three triples, two home runs, 25 RBIs and 26 runs scored – also notching a 3-0 record on the mound with 14.2 innings, 21 strikeouts, 11 walks and a 2.39 ERA. If Geake can repeat his success at the plate and take on a bigger role on the mound with a larger work load, we are looking at someone that will play a massive role in the Spartans’ success on both sides of the ball.
Stat Rat
One of the top performers for the Spartans on paper last season was RHP NJ Gott (2023). Gott was a force on the mound for the Spartans last season, pitching to a perfect 4-0 record with 27 innings, a miniscule 1.04 ERA and 41 strikeouts to only 12 walks. He was also a solid performer at the plate for North, hitting just under .300 in 96 at-bats with eight doubles, two home runs, 27 RBIs, 23 runs scored and more walks than strikeouts. With his already proven track-record on both sides of the ball, look for Gott to be someone the Spartans rely on to help jumpstart their success.
Newcomer to watch
(Ethan Bass, 10/16/22)
Already committed to Illinois, MIF/RHP Ethan Bass (2026) is one new face you want to keep an eye out for. A high-level national prospect, coming in at No. 2 in the state and No. 128 in the country, Bass is no stranger to our scouting staff. He’s shown well over the last couple of years at numerous events, most recently the Preseason All-State: Underclass - here’s what our scouting staff had to say about him from the event.
"... opened eyes with his round of BP and went on to stand out in every area of the event. The right-handed hitter creates advanced bat speed for his age and gets all kinds of easy jump off the barrel in BP. Bass has loose, elite hands at the plate, creating leverage and natural lift with innate feel for the barrel. The 6.96 runner registered a max exit velocity of 100.5 mph off the bat, 89.8 mph average and a peak batted ball of 350’. Defensively he continues to trend in the right direction, adding five mph to his arm across the diamond (now T89 mph) with his usual soft hands and clear feel for the position. He also hopped on the mound, where he showcased a long and quick arm out of a ¾ slot and sat an easy 84-86 mph on the mound with a pair of breaking balls. The slider played best at 71-75 and spinning at over 2300 rpm. High-level 2026 prospect."
Bass’ tools and overall makeup should easily allow him to make an impact on both sides of the ball for the Spartans early on.
Outlook
The Spartans will trot out 10 arms that can be highly competitive at the varsity level.
RHP Colin Roche (2023) returns as a main arm for North, coming off a strong 2022 campaign where he led the team in innings pitched with 45.1 to go along with a 2.78 ERA and 57 strikeouts to 29 walks.
LHP Nolan Girard (2024) is another returner who saw significant time on the mound last season. He tallied the second most innings pitched on the team with 40.1 to pair with a 3.81 ERA and 55 strikeouts to 20 walks. While his stats are impressive, his pure arm talent is also what catches our eye, boasting a fastball up to 87 mph from the left side with three pitches for strikes.
Of course, the already mentioned Spencer Geake and NJ Gott will add even more depth to the staff, but names such as RHP/C Kevin Geake (2023), RHP Asher Malin (2024), RHP Matthew Ruttkay (2024), RHP Max Lerner (2025) and RHP Ethan Bass take this staff’s depth to the next level.
Sticking on the defensive side, Glenbrook North will have the luxury of running out a plethora of versatile defenders day in and day out, with such names as MIF Paxton Williams (2023), MIF Ryan Rossi (2023), INF Mason Primack (2024), INF/OF Cooper Shalin (2024) and Bass at their disposal. Each one of these players possesses the versatility to play just about anywhere on the field, and will give coach Savino plenty of options on where to place guys defensively.
Their potential outfield will also be highly reliable, with the aforementioned Spencer Geake, Chase Petersen (2025) and Noah Delgado (2025) listed as a few possible candidates.
Petersen earned a spot in the varsity lineup last spring as a freshman and more than held his own hitting .325 with a .468 OBP, eight doubles, 22 RBIs and 31 runs scored. Petersen has all but solidified himself as a high-follow right-handed bat to follow this spring and it would be no surprise if he settles in and is among the offensive leaders in this group by seasons end. Here is what we had on Petersen at February's O'Hare Preseason ID:
"One of the more eye-opening rounds of BP on the day belonged to OF Chase Petersen (Glenbrook North). The 5-foot-10, 180-pound, strong-bodied right-handed hitter landed near the top of almost every batted ball measurement, including a 96.9 mph peak exit velocity, 92 average and max batted ball of 361’. Petersen’s bat stayed in the zone a long time and he worked to both gaps throughout his round, registering the best average bat speed of the event at 82 mph. Peterson showed off a strong arm while he was taking his defensive round, reaching up to 86 mph with a long/loose arm swing and ¾ slot. High-follow right-handed bat in the 2025 class."
Chase Petersen (2/12/23)
One position that can often be overlooked but is extremely important is catcher, and the Spartans have a good one. C Kevin Geake (2023; Lincoln-Memorial) will supply quality defense from behind the dish, boasting steady and reliable hands to pair with a strong arm to control the run game (T78 mph). Geake will also add some depth to the lineup, already proving to have success at the varsity level last season where he hit .323 in 99 at-bats with more walks than strikeouts.
(Kevin Geake, 10/2/22)
Offensively, the Spartans return a plethora of key bats from last season, highlighted by the Geake Brothers, Gott, Roche (.306 BA in 36 AB), OF Blake Telpner (.533 BA in 15 AB, 5 2B, 21 R), Primack (.333 BA in 15 AB) and Petersen (.325 BA in 80 AB, 8 2B, 22 RBI, 31 R).
If these names can repeat the success they saw last season, with the added firepower of Bass, the Spartans will be in really good shape offensively and will give teams problems throughout the entire lineup.
Bottom Line
The Spartans will stack up extremely well on the mound with just about every team in the state, and their defensive depth is an asset that could be used in numerous ways. Their bats should also look to be a weapon for them, as they are returning numerous performers from last year's squad, as well as some new faces that could make an immediate impact. With the strength the Spartans have on both sides of the ball, it is no question that they will have their eyes set on making it to Joliet later this spring.
Make sure to follow @PBRIllinois on Twitter for the most up-to-date coverage throughout the 2023 season.
From Oct. 2, 2022: "[Geake's] a 6-foot-2, 195-pound, left-handed-hitting outfielder with two-way potential and well-above average athleticism across the board. Spencer has advanced hand speed and bat speed – he registered the second highest average in both categories, at 24 mph and 73.6 mph, respectively. He stays short to the ball and creates all kinds of jump off the barrel and backspin to the pull-side gap. His furthest ball off the bat traveled 345 feet with a max exit velocity of 99.0 mph. Spencer also topped at 88 mph from the outfield it translates to a live, upside arm on the mound. He topped at 86.7 mph and spun his breaking ball up to 71.8 at an average spin rate of 2,252 rpm."