By Ryan Quigley
Illinois Scouting 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: Benet
Preseason Rank: 32
2014 Record: 24-11-1
Conference: East Suburban Conference
IHSA Class: 3A  
Head Coach: Scott Lawler
Playoff Run: Lost in Regional Final to Fenwick 
2014 Final Rank: NR 
Returning Starters: 7
Returning Pitchers: 2

TOP PLAYERS
Name, Position, Class (College Commitment)
Jon Kruppe C/RHP, 2015 (Evansville)
Cole Channell, SS/RHP, 2015 (Villanova)
Josh Crosby, 1B/DH, 2015 (IP-Fort Wayne)
Connor Hickey, CF, 2015 (University of Chicago)
Conor Hayes, LHP/1B, 2015
Mike Ryan, OF, 2015
Mike Powers, RHP, 2015
Dan Minik, RHP, 2015

X-FACTOR
Division-I commits Jon Kruppe and Cole Channell should lead the offensive attack, and University of Chicago commit Connor Hickey is one of the state’s better defenders in centerfield.

NEWCOMER TO WATCH
Junior Danny Sobolewski is a 6-foot-3, 190-pound utility player who will be a force somewhere in the lineup with his bat. Junior Charlie Weidenbach returns after starting 20 games as a sophomore. MIF/RHP Mike Dunn is a sophomore who will contribute on varsity in some capacity, as well as C/CF Marty Dosen, “a great athlete with tons of upside”, according to Lawler.

KEY PLAYER LOST
The left side of the infield will be tough to replace in losing 3B Joe Boyle (Northern Illinois) and SS Chris Whelan (Bradley). Both were mainstays for the Redwings over the last several seasons, and helped form one of the best infields in the East Suburban Catholic Conference last season.

STAT RAT
Whelan was the ESCC runner up for Player of the Year in 2014, and was named the ESCC Offensive Player of the Year hitting .434 with 16 doubles, two triples, two home, runs, 26 RBI, while only striking out 10 times.

OUTLOOK 
The Redwings must replace Boyle, Whelan, and RHP’s Patrick Peterson and Nathan Emerick, who were mainstays in the rotation a year ago. Senior RHP Mike Powers was the No. 3 a year ago and will have to slide into a larger role.

BOTTOM LINE
Lawler will field a lineup that’s competitive from 1-9 with athleticism, and team defense will be its strength. Benet should finish near the top of the always competitive ESCC and will look to repeat last year’s conference championship, but the road will be tough with Joliet Catholic the heavy conference favorite.

Preseason Countdown

+ Top 50 Preseason Countdown Rankings

+ Updated Illinois 2015 Rankings

+ June Event Schedule