By Sean Duncan

It’s that time once again to count down the top 10 stories of the year that was. Certainly 2012 delivered its share of indelible moments, good and bad. Some stories represent a bigger picture, while others are, well, baseball stuff happening on baseball fields.

Here’s a look back at 2012. Note: Stories are in their original form from when they were written.

10. Ronell Coleman signs with Vanderbilt

By Sean Duncan

Ronell Coleman’s commitment to Vanderbilt should give hope to all high school players who don’t fill out a uniform in prototypical fashion. Coleman, you see, stands 5-foot-3, weighs around 125 pounds. Yes, the Simeon HS second baseman is small, very small.

But man, the kid can play. Coleman proved it time and again at USA Baseball’s Tournament of Stars in Cary, N.C. I witnessed Coleman, day in and day out, continuously impress.  He put on a defensive show in game action, and continued to impress during the workouts. Coleman was nothing short of spectacular during the workout session, both defensively and offensively. The switch-hitter was lacing line drives during situational hitting like a precision fungo hitter. Defensively, Coleman stacked up with the best middle infielders in the country. Coleman’s stock went through the roof over the last three days.

Coleman also earned an invitation to the Area Code Games in Long Beach, Calif. He ended his whirlwind summer by committing to one of the top programs in the country. If his story isn’t an inspiration to all players, I don’t know what is.

9. IHSA Eligibility Issues

By Sean Duncan 

Ryan Koziol, who’s the No. 4-ranked prospect in the Class of 2012, has been cleared by the IHSA and will be eligible to play at Providence Catholic HS this spring. The official ruling was delivered Thursday by the IHSA.

The 6-foot-3, 165-pound Koziol had been an impact two-way player at Brother Rice HS since his freshman year. Koziol transferred from Brother Rice to Providence over the summer. His transfer became a firestorm of controversy.

Koziol, who's verbally committed to the University of Arizona, is the best two-way prospect in the state.

While Koziol was ruled eligible, another University of Arizona recruit, RHP Kevin Elder, was ruled ineligible to play his senior season. The hard-throwing Elder had built a dominant reputation at Westminster Christian, helping the small school to a Class 1A state championship. Elder transferred to Burlington Central, but was unable to play his senior season.

8. 2014 prospects dominate at Midwest Future Games

By Sean Duncan

For the second straight year, Team Illinois went a perfect 3-0 to win the Prep Baseball Report Midwest Future Games on Aug. 4-5 at the University of Illinois. The second-annual event, which featured the best Class of 2014 prospects from six states, drew schools from all over the country.

And Illinois’ talent once again rose to the occasion. Illinois defeated Ohio (7-5), Pennslyvania (9-3) and Indiana (4-1) over the course of the two-day event.

Illinois’ assemblage of arms was especially impressive. Six pitchers saw their fastballs reach 88-mph or better, including three who touched 90-plus. Brad Bass, a 6-foot-6 RHP from Lincoln-Way Central HS, was 89-91 in his first stint and very much looks like an elite national prospect. RHP Jake Godfrey (Providence Catholic HS) was sitting 89-91 in his second stint on Sunday, in addition to flashing a 78 mph slider.

LHP Jake Latz (Lemont HS) arguably was the biggest riser of the entire event. The left-hander delivered effortless 88-89 mph fastballs, and popped one 92, in addition to pounding the strike zone with three pitches. RHP Brian Hobbie (Glenwood HS), who performed on Team Indiana, and RHP Mitch Vogrin (Minooka HS) also climbed their fastballs up to 88 mph.

Michael Kornacker (St. Laurence HS) solidified his status as one of the preeminent two-way players in the Midwest. The physically impressive 6-foot-4 Kornacker sat 86-88 on the mound with command of three pitches. The infielder also barreled everything thrown his way at the plate.

Speaking of hitting, OF/1B Brian Richard (Oak Forest HS) is a hitting machine. The left-handed hitter makes hard contact every time at the plate and utilizes the entire field. SS/OF Chris Whelan (Benet Academy HS) can also flat-out hit, evidenced by him squaring up a 91-mph fastball by Indiana’s Jonah Patten for a triple on Sunday.

Aside from the pitchers, no Illinois player saw his stock rise more than MIF Zach Barnhart (Springfield HS). The 5-foot-10, 150-pounder opened eyes with his speed, sure-handedness and, most importantly, how hard he plays. The right-handed hitting Barnhart regularly got down the line in 4.04-4.10 seconds.

OF Aaron Fuller (St. Rita HS) had five hits on Sunday, including a rocket triple to dead-centerfield and a pair of doubles. 3B Michael Bainbridge (Marian Catholic HS) also delivered three hits, including a triple and double.

Defensively, C Mitch Trees (Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin HS) was consistently 1.88-1.95 to second base, and C Adam Harvey (Antioch HS) wasn’t far behind at 2.00.

RHP Wyatt Trautwein (Barrington HS) was sharp on Saturday, as the long and whippy 6-foot-3 right-hander sat at 84-85 with his fastball. RHP Dalton Hottle (Monmouth-Roseville HS), RHP Riley Pawelski (Hononegah HS), and RHP Jake Bartels also showed well on the mound for Team Illinois.

7. Ryan Borucki’s amazing draft tale

By Sean Duncan

Left-handed pitcher Ryan Borucki, who’s the No. 1-ranked Class of 2012 prospect in Illinois, signed with the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night. The 6-foot-4, 180-pound Borucki, who was selected in the 15^th round, will report to rookie ball on Monday.

Borucki has enjoyed – and at times endured – a whirlwind two years. He experienced a big growth spurt, followed by a significant velocity spike. When Borucki first participated in the Prep Baseball Report Fall Prospect Program as a sophomore, he was 5-foot-9 with a fastball in the 70s. At the Super 60 Pro Showcase last February, Borucki stole the show with his loose 91-93 mph fastball, coupled with a sharp breaking ball and changeup.

This spring, however, Borucki suffered an elbow injury, which at first was thought to require Tommy John surgery. Borucki held off from having surgery, and toward the back end of the season he began throwing, still showing the impressive 90-plus velocity – enough to keep several teams interested despite the injury.

Prior to the high school season, there was plenty of buzz about Borucki being a high-round draft. His showing at the Super 60, and early performances in the spring, certainly pointed that way. After he sustained the elbow injury, many thought the draft was out of reach, that he would go to the University of Iowa.

Not only was Borucki drafted, he signed for well out of slot - $426,000. In all my years covering the draft around here, I cannot recall a more up-and-down tale than Borucki’s.

6. Class 2A state-title thriller

By Sean Duncan

What started as a classic pitchers’ duel, turned out to be a heavyweight slugfest, with Normal U-High and Rock Island Alleman each exchanging late-inning knockout blows.

The result was an unforgettable Class 2A championship game Saturday night, punctuated by Jordan Stralow’s two-run homer in the eighth inning to lift U-High to a thrilling 5-4 victory at O’Brien Field.

 Stralow’s heroics gave U-High (29-10) the school’s second state championship and first since 1998. It also put the proper ending to a game that had it all: excellent pitching, highlight-reel defensive plays and, ultimately, clutch hitting.

“I don’t know who will remember that hit longer, Jordan or me,” said U-High coach Jim Collins, in his third year at the school. “He will, I guess, because he will live longer.”

Believe it or not, this game was tied at 1-1 heading into the seventh inning before both teams answered each other’s roundhouse blows. First, U-High looked like it had the game wrapped up in the top of the seventh when senior right fielder Jim Solberg smashed a two-run double to give U-High a 3-1 lead.

Alleman (29-13) was down to its final out, with a runner on first, chasing two runs against ace senior left-hander Jacob Hendren (9-1), who limited the Pioneers to only three hits up until the seventh inning. U-High’s fans were standing up, sensing the state championship was only a pitch or two away.

Then left fielder Blake Newberg, Alleman’s No. 8 hitter, connected for his first home run, a two-run blast over the left field wall to tie the game at 3-3. Newberg sprinted around the bases in about eight seconds while the Alleman fans went berserk.

“Blake is a good hitter, but I’ve never seen him hit a home run, not even in practice,” said Alleman coach Chris Lemon. “So when he hit it out, yeah, I thought we were going to win the ballgame.”

Alleman’s celebration, however, was short-lived.

Jacob Hendren led off the eighth with a single. The next batter stuck out, which brought the 5-foot-11, 180-pound Stralow to the plate. The senior left fielder took Alleman senior Matt Schissel’s offering deep to left-center field, his third homer of the season, to give U-High the lead for good.

“I had a pretty good idea it was gone,” said Stralow, who finished 2-for-4 with three RBI. “I can’t ask for anything better than this. This is the best feeling in the world.”

But hold the celebration just yet. Alleman junior shortstop Connor Whan led off the bottom of the eighth with a double, which prompted Collins to remove his ace, Hendren, from the game, opting to bring in junior Dylan Farney.

“I told the coaches before I did it, this may be the dumbest move I ever make,” said Collins. “We’ve lived and died with Jacob. We rode him hard all week. … I felt we needed to give them a change of pace.”

The first batter Farney faced, junior third baseman John Tracey, rapped a run-scoring single to make it 5-4 with no outs.

Here we go again.

Not this time. Farney rolled a 6-4-3 double play, then got a tapper back to the mound to put the finishing touches on this indelible championship game.

“We didn’t lose the game, Normal U-High won it,” said Lemon. “If I were a spectator and paid five bucks, I would’ve thought I got my money’s worth.”

5. Marian Catholic’s tumultuous ride

By Sean Duncan

Midway through the season, people were piling on Marian Catholic for grossly underachieving.

On Saturday, the players on Marian Catholic were piling on each other after they put the finishing touches on their 10-2 victory over LaSalle-Peru to win the Class 3A state championship at Silver Cross Field.

Indeed, it was a turbulent season for the Spartans, who came into the season with sky-high expectations only to struggle mightily throughout the spring. But they turned it around at the right time to win the Chicago Heights school’s first state championship.

Marian Catholic finished its topsy-turvy season at 25-17 – the most losses a state champion has ever amassed in IHSA history.

“We were used to people writing us off,” said senior centerfielder Rob Cifelli. “We knew we had it in us. The middle of the season there was a lot of drama. The team definitely came together, started bonding more as a team off the field, and picked each other up.

“Coach said the one who falls and gets back up is stronger than the one who never fell down.”

 The Spartans certainly fell down a lot during the season. In fact, they stumbled into the playoffs having lost nine of their last 12 games. They also had a stretch in mid-to-late April when they lost six of nine games.

“We had our back to the wall in the middle of the season and we didn’t know if we were going to knock it down or not,” said Iowa-bound outfielder Devin Pickett. “Coach said the seniors needed to finish strong.”

Marian Catholic certainly finished with a gusto, effectively ending any drama in the championship game by scoring eight runs in the third inning to take a 9-1 lead. The Spartans had four hits in the inning, and the usually rock-solid defense of LaSalle-Peru (34-7) made two costly errors. All eight runs were unearned in the inning.

Arizona State-bound Brett Lilek delivered the big blow with a two-run double. Junior catcher Brent Feldner also had a big two-run double in the inning.

Marian Catholic had several offensive contributors. Lilek, who earned the state semifinal victory with a dominant 11-strikeout performance, finished 2-for-3 with two RBI. Cifelli, a John Carroll College recruit, led off the game with a single and came around to score in the first, and finished 2-for-4 with two runs, RBI and a stolen base – his 54^th of the season.

Junior left fielder Patrick Swanson also had two hits, scored two runs and drove in a run, and junior third baseman Brad Bohlen went 1-for-2 with a RBI and run.

The offense was more than enough for senior right-hander Ben Santori, who yielded 11 hits, two runs, struck out five with no walks to improve to 4-2. The 6-foot-2 Santori may have been the postseason MVP for the Spartans, as he threw an incredible eight-inning shutout to beat Simeon 1-0 in the supersectional.

“I was always confident in myself,” said Santori. “I knew I would be in relief a lot, but when I finally got my chance (to start), I took advantage of it.”

4. Welcome to the dead-bat era

By Sean Duncan

The 2012 season officially begins the Dead Ball Era in high school baseball. Brace yourselves. It may shock your system.

As I’m sure you’re aware by now, this spring is the first year BBCOR bats are being enforced in high school baseball. The new bat regulations are designed to significantly decrease the trampoline effect of the aluminum, which will slow the exit speeds of batted balls, and therefore make the game safer – in theory, that is. Essentially, it’s like hitting with a broken bat, completely dead, and with a smaller sweet spot.

Hopefully by now players have at least acquainted themselves with BBCOR bats during lessons, in the cages, at showcase events. And players are probably thinking that they’re still squaring up the ball, still driving it with authority. Yes, against four-seam, thigh-high barrel-finders.

In games, however, balls won’t be as straight. There will be wrinkles, mixing of speeds. Which means hitters won’t always be in the ideal hitting position. In the past, with composite bats, good hitters could get fooled on an off-speed pitch but keep their hands back long enough to drive the ball the other way for extra bases. Middle-of-the-lineup guys could even take it out of the park despite committing their weight.

This year, well … can you please rise, remove your hat and share a moment of silence for the long ball. It enjoyed a long, prosperous, exciting life.

OK, thank you. Please be seated.

It’s not just the average power hitter who will be affected. The new bat regulations will impact all offensive players. Bloop, handle-shot singles won’t make it out of the infield. Decreased exit speeds will make it easier for outfielders to track down balls in the gap. And there will be fewer singles that skip through the infield.

Anyone who watched college baseball last season knows what I am talking about. The college game, once buoyed by the long ball, vastly changed last year after moving to BBCOR.  In Division I baseball, home runs were decreased by 44.7 percent, dropping to 0.52 homers per game from 0.94 percent in 2010. Overall scoring dipped 20 percent, from 6.98 to 5.58 in a year. Team batting averages plummeted 23 points (from .305 to .282) in Division I.

Division III sluggers managed even worse: They clubbed 0.35 homers per game last season, down from 0.58 in 2010. I’m sure we can agree that college players are bigger, stronger and, generally, better trained than high school players, so we can safely predict that the numbers will be even worse than those from Division III. Now factor in the typical Illinois spring, which is to say miserably cold with plenty of precipitation.

Not a pretty picture.

That is, unless you’re a pitcher. Pitchers should be loving life, especially those who can mix and move just enough to miss the fat of the barrel. ERA’s in Division I dropped 22 percent last season, going from 5.95 in 2010 to 4.67. The bat changes also benefitted the defense, assumingly because balls weren’t being struck as hard. Last season, the overall fielding percentage in Division I baseball registered an all-time high of .964.

Many high school coaches I spoke with welcome the bat changes. Pitching and defense is a purer brand of baseball, they say. More strategy will be involved. More hit-and-runs, bunts, stolen bases. Small ball is sheik again. The more disciplined team will prevail, the field of competition will be leveled. All that stuff.

As a scout who sits in the stands probably more than other person in Illinois, other than maybe The Guru Drake Skleba, I can say that I am supremely pumped for the change. Assuming that pitchers can throw strikes (a tenuous assumption, I know), and defenses can catch and throw the baseball, high-scoring three-hour games will be a distant memory.

In late March, when your hands are feeling like two frozen Eggos, brisk games will be very much appreciated. Last season, I could count on my thawing hands how many games I caught under two hours. This spring, I’m guessing the average game will be well under two hours.

And that’s a statistic we can all appreciate.

3. Class 4A championship game for the ages

By Drake Skleba

In a classic back-and-forth heavyweight battle for Class 4A supremacy, Oak Park-River Forest outlasted the defending Class 4A state champions from Lyons Township 4-3.

OPRF senior centerfielder Mike Brennan ripped the first pitch from Illinois State-bound right-hander Steve Heilenbach into right-field, scoring Purdue-bound Huskie catcher Jack Picchiotti with the game-winner. Picchiotti had led off the bottom of the seventh with his second triple of the game. The hit by Brennan set off a gigantic celebration on the field for the Huskie players and coaches, as the Joliet sky was filled with a massive fireworks display.

“I was looking first pitch fastball,” said Brennan. “I got it all and what a great feeling to win the game and the state championship.”

The game featured for only the third time in history, two schools from the same conference playing in the title game. Both Oak Park (31-9-1) and Lyons Township battle in the West Suburban Conference Silver Division. Neither, however, won the perennially tough league; that honor went to York, with LT finishing second and the Huskies third.

The last time it happened was in 2004, when Note Dame of Niles defeated Joliet Catholic Academy, both schools from the East Suburban Catholic League, for the Class AA state title.

This game was everything and more as the old WSC-Silver rivals put on quite a show before a large crowd at Silver Cross Field in Joliet.

Seton Hall-bound lefty Zach Weigel toed the rubber for the Huskies and Heilenbach battled on the mound for the Lions. Both pitchers were lights out in the first two innings throwing hitless ball.

Weigel (8-1) fired a third hitless frame against LT in the top of the third and was given the lead in the bottom half of the third. Picchiotti ripped his first triple of the game, plating senior third baseman Colin O' Brien, who was plunked to lead off the Huskie third.

“I battled on the mound all night for us,” said Weigel, who finished with a seven hitter and four strikeouts. “I am so happy for Mike. He had a tough night tonight and it was so great to see him get the game-winner for us.”

Lyons Township (27-13-1) quickly tied things up at 1-1 an infield RBI single from senior catcher Brad Taylor.

LT grabbed a 2-1 lead on Weigel in the top of the fifth on back-to-back booming doubles from senior lead-off man Evan Booth and Heilenbach. The Lion lead was short-lived as the Huskies retook the lead 3-2, with two runs in the bottom of the fifth.

The Huskies picked up the tying run on a Heilenbach wild pitch and sophomore right-fielder Alex Rice’s single that scored Picchiotti.

LT tied things up again in the top of the sixth. Taylor ripped a double to lead off the inning. Courtesy runner junior Kevin Pikul went to third on a grounder to the right side by Lion junior Mike Lorenz. Pikul would score the tying run, when Friday’s hero No. 9 hitter Stewart Nelson beat out a slow roller in a bang-bang play at first. Nelson stole second and then on as single to left by Booth, appeared to be going to score the lead run for the defending champs.

Just as Nelson was heading into third, he was inadvertently tripped by O’Brien. A huge discussion between LT head coach George Ushela and the umpires ensued. Ushela believing Nelson should be awarded home.

The rule states that when a runner is interfered with, he is awarded the base he is attempting to get to. Thus Nelson was given third and no more. Weigel retired the final Lion hitter to escape further damage.

This classic championship battle went to the top of the seventh even at 3-3. With one out Lion senior center-fielder Matt Robare reached on a two-base error. Robare went to third on a wild pitch. Lion junior first baseman Tom Prescott hit a ground ball to Huskie senior shortstop Dan Shinsako. Shinsako bobbled the ball, but somehow kept his composure and fired a strike to Picchiotti, who put the tag on Robare. Shinsako, who only recently in the playoffs got the start at shortstop, put on a show all night, handling eight chances flawlessly.

In the bottom of the seventh, Picchiotti led off the inning with a triple. Ushela opted two intentionally walk the next two batters to load the bases and get to Brennan. Brennan, you see, had struck out all three of his previous at-bats.

“It was an insult,” said Brennan. “I was smiling when it happened. I know Steve (Heilenbach); I’ve played with him for three years. I knew he’d start me with a fastball.

“I’ll take the golden sombrero with the game-winning hit to win the state championship anytime.”

Brennan’s hit gave Oak Park its first championship since 1981.

2. The Brawl

By Sean Duncan

Even though the video has been wiped clean from the Internet, the unconscionable brawl between St. Laurence and St. Rita still rages on in the public. I cannot recall another high school baseball story in Illinois that has generated as much buzz, for as long, as the fight that took place on May 18.

Everywhere I go people want to talk about it. People far removed for the Vatican of Illinois high school baseball, the Chicago Catholic League Blue Division. People who have little interest in high school baseball.  And people who are steeped in high school baseball. They all want to weigh in on it.

 I can understand why. The story has many tentacles.

 The bench-clearing brawl between the players, instigated by a senseless cheap-shot by St. Laurence’s Zach Lewis, is water-cooler conversation in itself. Round 1 lasted about 10 minutes, give or take.  After tempers settled a bit, Round 2 ensued. The second round was a tad uglier, at least from a more elevated perspective, with heated exchanges between coaching staffs, headlined by a rabid St. Laurence assistant coach.  

 Try as you might, teenagers will be teenagers. No excuse for it, but teenagers can be unpredictable, capricious and, at times, wild. Especially between these two schools, which are notorious for dugout bantering. People want to focus on the coaches, that they should be defusing the situation, not inciting it.

 We all make mistakes, do things we’re not proud of, and I’m sure everyone involved is ashamed of what happened. Which brings us to another arm of this story: the punishment. The IHSA has not ruled on this incident yet and, with less than two weeks away from the state tournament, not sure it is even relevant now.

 Schools meted out their own punishments. In college, when universities make recommended punishments to the NCAA, usually they are stringent and hard-lined so they don’t get handed down a more severe penalty. In the case of St. Rita and St. Laurence, the schools handed out rather soft punishments, presumably because the playoffs were about to begin.

 St. Rita doled out a slightly stronger punishment than St. Laurence, giving two-game suspensions to coach Mike Zunica and one player, and three games to assistant coach Rich Josepher.  St. Laurence, which seemed to be the instigator and aggressor in all this, gave out one-game suspensions to coaches Pete and Adam Lotus, and six players. The coaches and players missed the regional first round game against Proviso East. Ouch(!)  Another player got three games.

 You would think if the parties were truly contrite, they’d show it by levying serious punishments – punishments that might hurt their chances in the Class 4A state playoffs.

 Another part of the story is, the cruel irony of it, is the brawl occurred during the Steven M. Bajenski Tournament, a feel-good event commemorating the sportsmanship, courage and hustle of the fallen Mount Carmel second baseman.   

 And yet another mini-sidebar of this is why the video has been wiped clean from the Internet. Highschoolcube.com decided to pull it shortly after the incident. Then a video popped up on Youtube and was removed; even on someone’s Facebook page and then pulled. The story then turned up on Deadspin.com, a tabloid-like website that feasts on seedier, page 2 type stories.

 Just when you think this story is about to die down … hold on … big trouble could be on the horizon. If both teams win their Class 4A sectional semifinal game this week, St. Rita and St. Laurence could face each other again in the sectional championship Saturday at Mount Carmel.

I’ve heard a lot of jokes about the game – that it won’t be on Highschoolcube.com, but rather on Pay Per View for $20 bucks a pop. No doubt someone would make money on the deal.  

But if the game happens, the most interesting aspect of the contest will occur in the dugouts, not on the field.  If the teams have stopped their dugout antics, if they just put their collective heads down and play, then, and only then, will we know if the parties are truly sorry about the incident.

1. Playoff heroics capture essence of high school baseball

By Sean Duncan

Mike Brennan was suffering through one of those games. It’s happened to everyone, just maybe not on Illinois high school baseball’s biggest stage, in what was taking shape as one of the most exciting state championship games in recent memory.

Three at-bats.Three strikeouts. Nine pitches. Yep, Lyons Township hard-throwing right-hander Steven Heilenbach had Brennan’s eyes pinwheeling, shuffling 89-92 mph fastballs and sharp curveballs like a Vegas blackjack dealer.

The good news for Brennan was the Class 4A championship game between conference rivals Oak Park and Lyons Township had so many twists and turns, clutch defensive plays, and controversial calls that no one even noticed the senior’s struggles, except perhaps for Brennan’s family and friends at Silver Cross Field.

Oh, and Lyons Township coach George Ushela also noticed.

So when Oak Park slugging catcher Jack Picchiotti opened the bottom of the seventh with his second triple of the game, Ushela was staring down the barrel of an impossible decision. With the game-deciding run on third base, with no outs, and the muscle of Oak Park’s lineup about to flex, Ushela played the odds and gambled.

Ushela called for an intentional walk. And then he called for another intentional walk, effectively loading the bases to get to … you guessed it, Mike Brennan, who would hopefully follow the pattern and sit down on three pitches again.

Ahh, but in high school baseball, patterns are born more from coincidence than practiced habit. And besides, Mike Brennan wasn’t about to be shown up like that. The next pitch he saw – another hard fastball by Heilenbach – Brennan ripped for a single through the right side of the infield to give Oak Park a thrilling 4-3 championship victory, its first state title since 1981.

As the smoke from the fireworks subsided, Brennan raked both hands through his long brown hair, trying to make sense of the moment. The kid neither stammered nor blinked, his personality naturally pushing to the fore.

“I will take the golden sombrero and the game-winning hit to win the state championship any time,” Brennan said.

Mike Brennan, and what he did on June 8 in Joliet, is why I never get bored of covering high school baseball. The raw emotion.The burgeoning talent.The unpracticed speech.

This year’s playoffs, in fact, were one continuous reminder of the beauty of high school athletics. In Class 4A, the top seeds were getting knocked off by the bulk. At one point, the top 15 ranked teams in the state polls were ousted from the playoffs. In Class 3A, I watched a freshman named Steven Skolarz from Lincoln-Way West throw a five-hit shutout against then No. 1-ranked Joliet Catholic in the sectional semifinals. Skolarz started the season on the freshman team.

With Joliet Catholic out of the picture, Marian Catholic, which limped into the playoffs, emerged as the Class 3A state champion. In winning the school’s first title, Marian Catholic broke the state record for the most losses (17) by a state champion.

Since 2005, I’ve watched thousands of innings of high school baseball. Some great, some not-so-great, some unbearable. Occasionally my perspective blurs. Sometimes I forget what makes high school athletics so compelling.

In prep sports, there’s a human, more relatable emotion that is often lost in the business of collegiate and professional competition. These are teenagers, teenagers who are juggling various weights of the world; teenagers who are just beginning to learn how to achieve success and handle failure.

Take Blake Newberg for example. As Rock Island Alleman’s No. 8 hitter, Newberg had never hit a home run, not even in practice. And there he was, with his team chasing two runs, down to its final out in the Class 2A state title game against Normal University ace Jacob Hendren. Game over, right? Not quite. Newberg launched a two-run bomb over the left field fence to tie the game at 3-3 and send the game into extra innings.

The home run was an impressive athletic feat. But my favorite part was Newberg’s reaction: The kid sprinted around the bases like he was being chased by an axe-murderer.

Unfortunately for Newberg, his heroics were short-lived, because U-High senior Jordan Stralow one-upped him with the decisive two-run jack in the eighth.

Afterwards, the 5-foot-11, 180-pound Stralow basked in the glow of his final baseball game. “I can’t ask for anything better than this,” he beamed. “This is the best feeling in the world.”

Indeed, thank you for the reminder.

I appreciate your continued support of the Prep Baseball Report.