Week 7 Diamond Notes
May 5, 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 7 ‘Player of the Week’ honor to Dominic Voegele (Columbia, 2023; Kansas), and the ‘Pitcher of the Week’ honor to Austin Brown (Triad, 2023; Chipola). Last week Voegele, who is known as one of the top arms in the class of 2023, shined at the plate going 12-for-16 (.750) with five home runs, four doubles, 13 RBIs and 11 runs scored. Brown has been dominant all spring for Triad, and he was lights out again last week. He threw a complete-game shutout with 14 strikeouts and one walk.
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 7 DIAMOND NOTES
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Aj Burnett RHP / 1B / Romeoville , IL / 2023College of DuPage commit. In Romeoville’s 1-0 win over Joliet West, Burnett threw a complete game shutout, facing the minimum. He struck out four, walked none, and allowed three hits. 51 of the 72 pitches were thrown for strikes (71%). |
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Jaden Correa SS / 2B / De La Salle, IL / 2023Rankings StateRank: 29 / POS: 3
Nebraska commit. The Meteors went 4-0 on the week and Correa was a major factor in their wins. On the week he went 9-for-13 (.692 BA/.706 OBP/2.167 OPS) with two home runs, four doubles, and seven RBIs. In their 9-5 win over Thornwood, Correa went a perfect 2-for-2 with a home run, two RBIs, three runs scored and two walks. He went a perfect 4-for-4 with two doubles, three RBIs, two runs scored and a stolen base in their 13-2 win over Leo. Correa hit another home run in their 4-3 win over St. Ignatius with an RBI, run scored and a walk. |
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Chris Daugherty OF / Brother Rice, IL / 2024Rankings StateRank: 78 / POS: 14
Uncommitted. The Crusaders finished the week 3-0, including a win over No. 1 Providence Catholic (7-3). On the week, Daugherty went 5-for-10 (.500) with a home run, five RBIs, seven runs scored, four stolen bases, and three walks. In their 16-8 win over Mt. Carmel, he went 1-for-2 with an RBI, four runs scored, three walks and four stolen bases. Daugherty went 3-for-4 with a home run, two RBIs and two runs scored against No. 1 Providence Catholic. |
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Jaden Fauske C / 3B / Nazareth Academy , IL / 2025Louisville commit. Nazareth Academy finished the week 2-2. Fauske had an impressive week going 8-for-12 (.667) with two home runs, a double, nine RBIs, five runs scored, and two walks. In their first game against Benet, Fauske went 3-for-4 with a grand slam, four RBIs and two runs scored. He also earned the win on the mound, striking out three in 1.1 innings of work. In their third game against Benet, he added a home run, with two RBIs, one run scored and a walk. He earned the win on the mound, throwing four innings with 11 strikeouts, one run and two hits. To round out the impressive week, he went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, one run scored and a walk against No. 24 Kenwood. |
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Dillon Head OF / LHP / Homewood Flossmoor, IL / 2023Clemson commit. The top player in the state’s class of 2023 and one of the top overall, Head showed why last week going 8-for-13 (.615) with two home runs, two triples, two doubles, nine RBIs, six runs scored, three walks and three stolen bases. In their game against Lockport, he went 2-for-4 with two doubles, two RBIs, a run and two stolen bases. He added two hits, one being a home run with two RBIs, two runs scored and two walks in their game against No. 14 Sandburg. He went an impressive 2-for-3 with two triples, three RBIs, and a walk in their win against Lockport. To round out his stellar week, he went 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBIs, three runs scored, and a stolen base in their win over Crete-Monee. |
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Drew Hopkins RHP / Metea Valley, IL / 2023Uncommitted. Metea Valley defeated Neuqua Valley 7-0 behind a quality performance on the mound from Hopkins. He threw a complete game shutout with five strikeouts, two walks, and four hits allowed. On the year Hopkins has thrown 33 innings with three wins and a 3.36 ERA. |
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Mason Lei RHP / Freeport, IL / 2023Rock Valley JC commit. Lei continued his impressive season with a complete game shutout over Belvidere North where he collected eight strikeouts, walked eight and allowed four hits. Week 4: Lei was mentioned within our Week 4 Diamond Notes after a complete game, 10-strikeout performance. Week 6: In the Week 6 Diamond Notes, Lei was mentioned for throwing a complete game with eight strikeouts and one hit allowed. |
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Dylan Mannino RHP / 3B / Belleville East, IL / 2023Rankings StateRank: 46 / POS: 19
Western Kentucky commit. Last week Mannino threw 5 ⅔ innings in two games against No. 21 O’Fallon. He struck out eight, allowed no runs and two hits. In his second appearance on the week, he threw 3.2 innings, struck out seven, walked two, and allowed a hit. |
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J.R. Nelson SS / 2B / Stevenson, IL / 2023Rankings StateRank: 66 / POS: 9
Ohio commit. Stevenson went 5-0 on the week and Nelson played a major role in their impressive week. He went 8-for-14 (.571) with two doubles, 12 RBIs, eight runs scored, two hit-by-pitches, a strikeout, and he had a perfect fielding percentage. In their 11-1 win over Lake Forest, Nelson went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored. He added two more hits with two RBIs, a run scored and a stolen base in their second win of the week over Lake Forest. In their win over Lake Zurich, Nelson went 3-for-4 with a double, four RBIs and two runs scored. Rounding out the week in Stevenson’s 16-1 win over Fremd, Nelson went a perfect 2-for-2 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored. |
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Aiden Pieniazek RHP / Willowbrook, IL / 2023Uncommitted. The senior had an impressive day in their 6-0 win over Addison Trail. Pieniazek threw a complete game with 11 strikeouts and two walks, needing only 81 pitches. |
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Gianni Royer OF / 2B / Lake Forest, IL / 2023Rankings StateRank: 44 / POS: 11
Holy Cross commit. Royer went 3-for-4 with two triples, two RBIs, and two runs scored. He recorded his 100th career hit on a triple in the third inning of their 7-1 win over Lakes. Season Stats:.438 BA, 4 HR, 4 3B, 6 2B, 18 SB |
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Eddie Scaccia RHP / 3B / Oswego, IL / 2023Rankings StateRank: 149 / POS: 50
Uncommitted. In the Panthers 7-0 win over Plainfield North, Scaccia shined. He threw six no-hit innings with 14 strikeouts and one walk, being taken out due to pitch count. On the season Scaccia is 3-0. |
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Blake Wolters RHP / OF / Mahomet Seymour, IL / 2023Arizona commit. Wolters continued his dominant 2023 campaign last week with a no hitter in their 10-0 win over Centennial. He struck out 14 and walked one in the game on 73 pitches. At the plate he went 4-for-11 with a home run, double, four RBIs, and four runs. In the game against Centennial, he went 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBIs and two runs scored. Week 3: Wolters was mentioned within our Week 3 Diamond Notes after throwing four innings with 11 strikeouts and one hit allowed. |
EVERGREEN PARK
On the week Evergreen Park went 4-0 with two wins over Argo and wins over Bremen and Brooks. Below were some of their top performers on the week:
Alejandro Munoz, SS/3B, 2023
Concordia University-Chicago commit. On the week Munoz went 11-for-17 (.647) with 11 RBIs and six runs scored. In their 13-7 win over Argo, Munoz went 4-for-5 with five RBIs and one run scored. Munoz had another impressive game in their second game of the week against Argo where he went 3-for-5 with a triple, five RBIs, and a run scored. In their 9-6 win over Bemen, Munoz went 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Jack Hughes, 3B, 2024
Uncommitted. On the week Hughes hit for a .375 average with three home runs, eight RBIs, and four runs scored. Hughes had an impressive day at the plate in the Mustangs 9-6 win over Bremen where he went 2-for-4 with two home runs, five RBIs, and two runs scored. He added another home run in their 5-4 win over Brooks with two RBIs and a run scored.
LOCKPORT
The Porter’s went 2-2 on the week with wins over Homewood-Flossmoor (13-9) and Joliet West (9-2). Below were some of their top performers from the week:
Anthony Martinez, 3B/SS, 2023
South Suburban JC commit. Martinez led the way for the Porter’s last week. At the plate Martinez went 8-for-14 (.571) with a home run, double, four RBIs, five runs scored, and two stolen bases. In their 13-9 win over Homewood-Flossmoor, Martinez went a perfect 3-for-3 with a home run, two RBIs, four runs scored, and two walks. He also threw one inning on the mound with two strikeouts in the contest. Martinez added three hits with a double and an RBI in their 9-2 win over Joliet West. He earned the win on the mound, too, throwing five innings with four strikeouts and two hits allowed.
Joey Manzo, OF, 2023
North Central commit. Manzo had another impressive week for Lockport going 5-for-15 (.333) with a home run, two doubles, two RBIs, five runs scored, and two stolen bases. He went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored against Homewood-Flossmoor. Manzo led the charge in their 9-2 win over Joliet West going 3-for-5 with a home run, two RBIs, and three runs scored.
Week 5: Manzo was mentioned within our Week 5 Diamond Notes after going 7-for-20 (.350) with five RBIs, nine runs scored, three walks, three hit-by-pitches, and three stolen bases.
Week 6: Manzo had an impressive week, reaching base 9 times out of 11, which earned him a mention within our Week 6 Diamond Notes.
Jake Moerman, 1B, 2023
Uncommitted. Moerman went 4-for-11 (.364) with a home run, two RBIs, and four hit-by-pitches. In Lockports loss to Lyons, Moerman went 2-for-4 at the plate. Against Joliet West, Moerman went 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBIs, and a run scored.
Week 1: Moerman went 3-for-5 (.600) with a home run, two doubles, six RBIs, and three runs scored, earning a mention within our Week 1 Diamond Notes.
Week 6: Moerman was mentioned within out Week 6 Diamond Notes after going 4-for-9 (.444) with a home run, six RBIs, five runs scored and two stolen bases.
VON STEUBEN
On the week the Panthers went 4-1, outscoring their opponents 32-9. Below were some of their top performers from the week:
Eddie Letamendi, SS/3B, 2023
Illinois State commit. Letamendi had an impressive week going 6-for-11 (.545) with three home runs, two doubles, four RBIs, nine runs scored, four walks, three hit-by-pitches, and eight stolen bases. Letamendi had his best performance of the week in their 6-3 win over Ogden International. He went 3-for-5 with two home runs, two RBIs, and three runs scored. One of his home runs was the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth inning. To round out his stellar week, Letamendi added another home run with one RBI and two runs scored in their loss to No. 18 Grayslake Central.
Week 2: Letamendi was mentioned within our Week 2 Diamond Notes after going 5-for-9 (.556) with two doubles and four RBIs.
Week 6: Letamendi went 3-for-8 (.375) with four RBIs and seven stolen bases, earning a mention in our Week 6 Diamond Notes.
Ethan Serrano, OF/RHP, 2023
Triton JC commit. Serrano went 6-for-14 (.429) with a home run, two doubles, five RBIs, four runs scored, five hit-by-pitches, and four stolen bases. Serrano went 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBIs, and two runs scored in their 6-3 win over Ogden International. Serrano threw a complete game shutout on the mound in their second game of the week against Ogden International. He struck out eight, walked one and allowed one hit.
Week 2: Serrano was mentioned within our Week 2 Diamond Notes after having two quality outings on the mound for the Panthers.
Week 3: Serrano was mentioned within our Week 3 Diamond Notes after two quality starts on the mound.
Week 6: Serrano went 3-for-9 (.333) and threw a complete game on the mound with five strikeouts, earning a mention within our Week 6 Diamond Notes.
Owen Rivera, MIF, 2023
Uncommitted. Rivera went 6-for-15 (.400) on the week with two extra base hits, four RBIs, and four runs scored. Rivera threw three innings and earned the win on the mound in their 6-1 win over Amundsen, striking out two and allowing one hit. In their 15-5 win over Northside, Rivera hit a triple with three RBIs and a run scored.
Alex Karson, OF/LHP, 2024
Uncommitted. Karson combined to throw nine innings on the week with 12 strikeouts, two walks, and one earned run. In their 6-1 win over Amundsen, he threw three innings, struck out six, allowed one unearned run and four hits. Karson threw six innings in their 6-3 win over Ogden International and struck out six, walked two, allowed one earned run and five hits.