Week 3 Diamond Notes
April 7, 2023
Each week, IHSA coaches around the state submit to us their nominations for the PBR Illinois Player of the Week and PBR Illinois Pitcher of the Week honors. On Wednesday, we awarded the Week 3 Player of the Week honor to Phillip Carlton (Plainfield Central, 2023) and the Pitcher of the Week honor to Jacob McPherson (Reed-Custer, 2023; Wisconsin-Whitewater). Carlton was a big key to Plainfield Central’s success last week after posting a 5-1 record. He finished the week going 12-for-15 with two home runs, two doubles, 10 RBIs, seven runs scored, four walks and four stolen bases. McPherson pitched a perfect game last week in a 10-0 win over Herscher. He struck out 14 of the 15 batters he faced.
There were a number of other impressive performances that were in the mix for the award and deserve recognition. Here’s a look at some of the most notable.
WEEK 3 DIAMOND NOTES
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Joshua Vaughn RHP / 3B / Illini Bluffs , IL / 2024Uncommitted. The athletic right-handed pitcher was impressive in his win against Brimfield. He worked quick and pounded the zone for strikes. In seven innings of work, Vaughn struck out 20 hitters, only allowing two hits on the day. His fastball sat 85-87 mph, topping out at 88 mph. His slider sat 74-76 mph with sweeping actions.
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Blake Wolters RHP / OF / Mahomet Seymour, IL / 2023Arizona commit. Wolters has continued to find success this spring. He started off his impressive week with a start on the mound against Teutopolis where he pitched four innings with 11 strikeouts and one hit. His fastball sat 95-97 mph, topping out at 98 mph. His slider sat 81-84 mph with 2700+ RPM. He also went 3-for-3 at the plate with two home runs, one being a grand slam, five RBIs, and three runs scored.
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Derek Ittner SS / OF / Lake Park, IL / 2024Uncommitted. Ittner had an impressive week going 10-for-14 (.714 avg.) with four triples, a double, nine RBIs, and 10 runs scored. Against Sheldon, Ittner was 2-for-3 with one RBI, two runs scored, and one walk. He went a perfect 3-for-3 in both of their games against Westview and St. Helens. He added a triple, double, three RBIs, and three runs scored against Westview, and a triple with two RBIs, and two runs scored against St. Helens. He ended the week against Cascade going 2-for-2 with two triples, three RBIs, and two runs scored. |
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Ean Czech 3B / 2B / Downers Grove North , IL / 2023Texas commit. Czech had an impressive week for the Trojans. Against Siegel, he went 3-for-3 with a home run, triple, and an RBI. In two games on Wednesday, he tallied three hits with two home runs and three RBIs. For the week Czech went an impressive 7-for-12 with three home runs and four RBIs. |
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Mason Lynch SS / OF / La Salle Peru , IL / 2023Blackhawk CC commit. Lynch started on the mound against Dunlap and threw seven innings with 14 strikeouts, no runs, three hits allowed, and one walk in their 3-0 win. |
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Kyle Hartmann C / SS / Sycamore, IL / 2024Uncommitted. Hartmann stood out in their 15-0 win over Harlem where he went 3-for-3 with three home runs and six RBIs. On the week he went 5-for-6 with three home runs and seven RBIs. |
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Harrison Kolze LHP / OF / Romeoville, IL / 2024Kolze helped lead Romeoville to a 2-1 week. Against East Aurora, he went 3-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs scored. He started on the mound against Streamwood and threw five innings with four strikeouts, two walks, and two runs. He also tallied a double and a single with two runs scored. On the week Kolze went 5-for-7 with a double, three RBIs, five runs, one walk, and a stolen base. |
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Nate George OF / RHP / Minooka , IL / 2024Eastern Illinois commit. George had an impressive week going 5-for-8 with three home runs, five RBIs, six runs, two stolen bases, and a walk. Against Andrew, he was 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBIs, two runs scored, a walk, and a stolen base. He tallied three hits with two home runs, three RBIs, four runs scored, and a stolen base against Providence. |
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Joe Stellano 2B / RHP / Reed Custer , IL / 2024Uncommitted. Stellano started on the mound against Herscher and threw a no-hitter in seven innings. He tallied 15 strikeouts with one walk, only throwing 91 pitches. On the season Stellano has thrown 10 innings with 21 strikeouts, no hits, no runs, and three walks. At the plate Stellano has gone 6-for-15 (.400 BA/.526 OBP) with two home runs, eight RBIs, eight runs scored, and two stolen bases. |
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Tommy Kramkowski RHP / SS / Belleville East, IL / 2025The sophomore had two impressive performances on the mound last week for the Lancers. Against Granite City he pitched four innings with nine strikeouts, one walk, no earned runs, one hit, earning the win. He earned the win against Bingham, as well, throwing five innings with four strikeouts, three walks, no runs, and three hits allowed. |
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Chris Iannuzzi RHP / OF / Stevenson, IL / 2023Southeastern CC commit. Iannuzzi has been on a tear this season, helping lead the Patriots to a 7-4 record. Last week in Stevenson’s 11-1 win over Maroa-Forsyth, Iannuzzi went 2-for-3 with an RBI, and two runs scored. He went 3-for-4 with a home run, two doubles, three RBIs, and three runs scored in their 14-3 win over Obion County. Against Tipton Rosemark, he went 2-for-2 with two RBIs, and two runs scored. In his first nine games, Iannuzzi hit a home run, a triple and six doubles with ten RBIs. |
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Alejandro Munoz SS / 3B / Evergreen Park , IL / 2023Concordia University commit. In their two game sweep against Reavis, Munoz went 6-for-12 with a double, three RBIs, and four runs scored. He also tallied two hits including a double in their 6-3 win over Bishop McNamara. |
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Jack Roessler Waterloo, IL / 2024Uncommitted. Roessler had a quality week at the plate going 5-for-10 with two home runs, a double, and nine RBIs. In their 10-4 win over Gibault Catholic, he went 2-for-4 with a home run, five RBIs, and a run scored. Against O’Fallon he went 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBIs, and one run scored. |
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Jeremy Yanow SS / RHP / Deerfield, IL / 2023Webster commit. In Deerfield’s game against Centerville (OH) he hit a double and recorded three RBIs. Yanow started on the mound against Hamilton Southeastern (IN) and threw six innings with 10 strikeouts, allowing two hits, and no runs. |
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Collin Jennings OF / 1B / Marist, IL / 2023Uncommitted. In four games last week, Marist went (3-1), and Jennings was 6-for-12 (.500 avg./.571 OBP) with a triple, double, and six runs scored on the week. Jennings went 3-for-4 with a triple and three runs scored against Plainfield North, and he tallied two hits, one being a double, with two runs scored against Homewood-Flossmoor. |
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Parker Gillespie OF / 3B / Rochester, IL / 2024Uncommitted. Gillespie had a productive week for the Rockets going 7-for-11 with a home run, triple, three doubles, nine RBIs, six runs scored, and four stolen bases in their three wins. Against MacArthur, he was 4-for-5 with a triple, two doubles, four RBIs, and two runs scored. He went 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBIs, two runs scored, and two stolen bases against Sacred Heart-Griffith. |
LANE TECH
Lane Tech went (4-0) on the week, and below were some of their top performers:
Josh Katz, RHP, 2023
Pennsylvania commit. In their game against Taft, Katz started on the mound and threw five innings, tallying 10 strikeouts and allowing no earned runs. At the plate he was an impressive 7-for-13 with a triple, a double, two RBIs, and seven runs scored on the week. In their game against York he led the bottom of the ninth inning off with a triple, eventually scoring the winning run on a wild pitch.
Ethan Borrgren, 1B/OF, 2024
Uncommitted. Borrgren pitched one inning with two strikeouts, earning the win over York. On the week, he was 7-for-16 with seven RBIs and four runs scored. He shined in their second game against Taft going 3-for-5 with a double, four RBIs, and a run scored.
VON STEUBEN
The Panthers went (3-1) on the week, and below were some of their top performers:
Ethan Serrano, OF/RHP, 2023
Triton JC commit. In two starts on the mound, Serrano shined. In five innings against Lincoln Park, he tallied four strikeouts with no runs and one hit allowed. Against Whitney Young, Serrano pitched six innings and tallied nine strikeouts with one earned run and five hits.
Owen Rivera, MIF, 2023
Uncommitted. On the week, Rivera went 4-for-11 (.364 avg./.562 OBP/1.017 OPS) with five walks, seven runs scored, and four stolen bases. He went 2-for-4 with one run scored against Lincoln Park, and added a hit with three runs scored, two walks, and three stolen bases against Holy Trinity.