Illinois Preseason Power 50 Team Rankings

March 11, 2013

By Sean Duncan
Executive Director

The 2013 Illinois high school season officially begins today. In case you’ve been in solitary confinement for the last 10 days, you know games won’t be played today, or any day soon in Illinois.

Nevertheless, we can all close our eyes and dream of Florida weather. At least until this snow melts, rain stops and temperatures climb.

Poor weather hasn’t deterred us in the past and it won’t start now. So …

In preparation for our ninth-annual season preview, we’ve spent countless hours polling coaches, crunching numbers, examining rosters, dissecting pitching staffs, analyzing schedules, and throwing darts. Our hard work, of course, means squat because only time will tell who the state’s top teams will be when it really matters – in June.

Until that happens, let the debating begin. In the upcoming Prep Baseball Report magazine, which will be out this week, we have detailed reports on the Prep Baseball Report’s preseason top 50 teams. While preseason prognostications are only really purposeful to sell magazines – in theory, that is – you can bet these 50 teams will be strong this spring.

The final two teams standing in Class 4A last spring both hailed from the West Suburban Silver Conference, with Oak Park edging Lyons Township for the championship. Lyons Township, which is on an incredible hot streak, having won the 2011 state championship, the 2012 IHSBCA summer state title and a runner-up finish in 2012, is our preseason pick to bring home more hardware.

No team in the state, however, has more talent than Lincoln-Way North. The Phoenix should pose the biggest road block for Lyons Township. And let us not forget about nearly every team in the Chicago Catholic Blue Conference, all of which can potentially vie for the state title.

Joliet Catholic Academy is the heavy favorite to win Class 3A and, frankly, would challenge for the 4A crown as well. Gear up for another exciting year of baseball. And let’s hope for some better weather this year. We’ll see you at the field.

Click Here to view our Preseason Power 50 Team Rankings