Preseason Power 25 Countdown: No. 12 St. Laurence
March 19, 2020
The Illinois high school baseball season kicks off on March 16, opening day for regular season action under IHSA regulations. Over the next several weeks, leading up to opening day, we’ll be publishing our team previews ahead of the 2020 spring season, touching on programs spanning all state classifications, leading into a countdown 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 2020 preseason coverage continues today.
Team: St. Laurence
Preseason Rank: 17
2019 Record: 35-6
Conference: Chicago Catholic League - Blue
IHSA Class: 3A
Head Coach: Pete Lotus
Playoff Run: 3A Runners-Up
2019 Final Rank: 5
Returning Starters: 5
Returning Pitchers: 6
TOP PLAYERS
NAME | STATE | SCHOOL | CLASS | POSITION | COMMITMENT |
Edwin Alvarez | IL | St. Laurence | 2020 | 1B | - |
Cole Anderson | IL | St. Laurence | 2020 | LHP | Maryville University |
Marc Babicz | IL | St. Laurence | 2020 | OF | Lake Land JC |
Brett Buzzelli | IL | St. Laurence | 2020 | RHP | Carroll University |
Alex Gasbarro | IL | St. Laurence | 2020 | 2B | Purdue-Northwest |
Mikey Gentile | IL | St. Laurence | 2022 | SS | - |
Jason Krol | IL | St. Laurence | 2021 | C | - |
Kevin McCormick | IL | St. Laurence | 2021 | SS | Evansville |
Luke Montgomery | IL | St. Laurence | 2020 | OF | Purdue-Northwest |
Mike O'Shea | IL | St. Laurence | 2020 | 1B | - |
Christopher Seropian | IL | St. Laurence | 2020 | LHP | Fairleigh Dickinson |
Matthew Zahora | IL | St. Laurence | 2020 | RHP | Illinois-Chicago |
KEY PLAYERS LOST
NAME | STATE | SCHOOL | CLASS | POSITION | COMMITMENT |
Matt Dornbos | IL | St. Laurence | 2019 | 3B | |
Max Engstrom | IL | St.Laurence | 2019 | LHP | Indiana Wesleyan |
Matt McCormick | IL | St. Laurence | 2019 | C | West Virginia |
Jake Vera | IL | St. Laurence | 2019 | OF | Kankakee CC |
Vytas Valincius | IL | St. Laurence | 2021 | CIF | South Carolina |
NEWCOMER TO WATCH
Kevin McCormick, INF/OF, 2021: McCormick is one of the top hitters coming through the Vikings program. Last year the left-handed hitter got a taste of varsity as a sophomore but his role should expand greatly in 2020. In 18 at-bats leading up to the state finals, McCormick tallied 11 hits, giving him a taste of the level that should pay off this year. In those 18 at-bats, three of them went for doubles and he drove in nine. McCormick, an Evansville commit, will be relied on as one of the key run producers this spring after losing the top two bats in the program; Matt McCormick (Kevin’s older brother; graduation) and Vytas Valincius (Transferred to the Baylor School, TN).
Kevin McCormick (7.2.19)
X-FACTOR
With the aforementioned losses that St. Laurence suffered, the Vikings will be looking for their next star talent to lead the way. On paper, the perfect candidate is senior RHP/C Matt Zahora. Zahora has been making an impact on varsity since he was a key bullpen arm his sophomore season. Zahora flew under-the-radar to us some last season but he emerged as one of the top prospects in the conference and the state with his success on the mound. The UIC commit finished the season 9-0 on the mound with all nine wins coming against Power 25-ranked teams. Zahora sported a 1.61 ERA, earned an All-Area selection, as well as a spot on the First Team All-Chicago League. Zahora has a loose, quick arm from a ¾ slot and has worked in the mid-80s in the past. Zahora gets run and sink to his fastball, works both sides of the plate, and he pairs it with a swing-and-miss slider.
Besides his talents on the mound, Zahora should also be one of the top position players for the Vikings this spring. The right-handed hitter will be counted on to be one of the key run-producers, and he'll spend some time behind the plate when his arm will allow it. If Zahora can continue to produce at the rate he did last season on the mound, while anchoring a spot in the middle of the order, the Vikings will be in store for another impressive season.
OUTLOOK
Does losing two of the top bats from your lineup hurt? Of course it does, but St. Laurence has plenty of reasons to be optimistic heading into this season. First, they return all of their starting pitching and three relievers from last year, a season in which they went 35-6, finished second in the daunting CCL-Blue, and finished as the 3A runners-up.
They also return experience at a number of positions on the diamond and in the lineup. Most of the returners have been starters since their sophomore season and have conference experience, but more importantly, they have experience working their way through the one-and-done playoff system en route to Joliet.
The pitching staff should be the core strength of the Vikings this spring. They are talented, deep, and experienced. Zahora, mentioned at length earlier, will headline the pitching staff. Alongside him should be seniors LHP Chris Seropian (Fairleigh Dickinson), LHP Cole Anderson (Maryville), RHP Brett Buzzelli (Carroll), RHP Ryan Berg, RHP Tommy Kazeneskie and LHP Billy Ernst. Seropian who will also get some time in the outfield had eight wins in 2019, a 2.60 ERA and was Second Team All-Chicago Catholic League. Anderson struck out 33 in 22 innings pitched and Buzzelli collected four wins with a 1.30 ERA last season as well. An underclassman who has the potential to help the staff as well is sophomore RHP Ryan Carroll.
This is set to be a new-look offense in 2020. They lose two impact bats that hit for average and power from the middle of the order and it's not realistic to replace their production, individually. The Vikings will have to be balanced up and down the lineup to produce runs creatively and in a number of different ways in 2020. Coach Pete Lotus believes they have the pieces to do just that. They should have a lineup deep with seniors, tough at-bats, hitters who can move runners, put pressure on the defense, speed on the bases as well as a few run-producers in the middle. The two names who will be relied on to drive in a multitude of runs looks to be Zahora and McCormick, both mentioned above.
2B Alex Gasbarro (Purdue-Northwest), CF Luke Montgomery (Purdue-Northwest), OF Chris Seropian, OF Marc Babicz (Lake Land JC), 1B Edwin Alvarez and OF/DH Mike O’Shea are six experienced seniors that should help fill out the lineup. Gasbarro has been a three-year varsity starter and was named Second Team All-Chicago League last year. Montgomery stole 30 bases last spring, Babicz hit .367 with 25 RBI and both were named First Team All-Conference. 3B/C Jason Krol joins McCormick as another junior who should help the club this spring. One sophomore who may get thrown in the mix this spring is SS Mike Gentile. Gentile is a steady defender who can handle the bat from the right side of the plate.
BOTTOM LINE
This year’s group of Vikings are prepared to avenge their second-place 3A finish from last spring. The team's obvious strength lies on the mound and should keep them in games, day-in and day-out. They lack the intimidation factor without the two horses in the middle of the lineup, but they may be just as scary given all the different things Coach Lotus will be able to do with the offense. Expect them to constantly put pressure on the defense, play small ball, force the issue on the bases and take quality at-bats.
St. Laurence knows how to win and they have more than enough ingredients to make a run back to Joliet. With a number of talented 3A teams across the state, Laurence can be viewed, again, as one of the 3A favorites.