By Sean Duncan
Executive Director

Leading up to the start of the high school season, we will count down the top 75 preseason teams every day as part of our comprehensive season coverage:

Team: De La Salle
Preseason Rank: 70
2013 Record:  21-15
Conference: Chicago Catholic White
IHSA Class: 3A
Head Coach: Mark Higgins
Playoff Run: Lost in First Round
2013 Final Rank:  Not Ranked

Returning Starters: 6
Returning Pitchers: 6

TOP PLAYERS
Name, Position, Class (College Commitment)
Alex Padilla, RHPINF, 2014 (SIU-Edwardsville)
Trevino Rodridguez, RHP/OF, 2014 (Villanova)
Tom Duddleston, SS, 2016
Glenn Kubek, C, 2014
Ivan Guzman, RHP, 2014
Jalen Davis, OF, 2015
Joe Gazzi, 3B, 2015
Nick Pettigrew, INF/OF, 2015

X-FACTOR
Alex Padilla. Behind his sharp breaking ball and mid-80s fastball, the SIU-Edwardsville recruit will need to serve as the team’s frontline ace if the Meteors are to reach their potential. As a junior, the right-hander posted a 3.36 ERA with 54 Ks in 35 innings.

KEY PLAYER LOST
Ricardo Ramirez, 3B (Illinois-Chicago)

STAT RAT
Glenn Kubek, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound left-handed hitting catcher, batted .346 with 2 HR, 24 RBI and held a .437 on-base percentage as a junior last spring.

OUTLOOK
The Meteors won the Chicago Catholic League White Division last year, and return six starters from last year’s team. The team should feature good athleticism across the board and some run-producers in the middle with the return of Kubek and Trevino Rodriguez, a Villanova recruit. Coach Mark Higgins, in his second year at the South Side of Chicago school, has solid pitching, headlined by Padilla, Rodriguez and Ivan Guzman. Sophomore MIF Tom Duddleston is coming off an impressive freshman campaign, in which he batted .333 with 34 hits, 18 RBI, and 10 stolen bases on the varsity level. Look for athletic junior OF Jalen Davis to make an impact this year. The graduation of Ricardo Ramirez is a big blow, and junior INF Jalin McMillan, who’s committed to Illinois, has transferred to Simeon.

BOTTOM LINE
The Meteors should be the team to beat in the Chicago Catholic League White again this year, and they will be greatly benefited by dropping down a class to 3A. In 3A, De La Salle has a chance to make a playoff run, especially in the weaker sectional most Chicago-area teams are typically slotted.

Season Countdown

+ Preseason Team Rankings

+ Updated Illinois 2014 Player Rankings

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