2019 PBR Second Team All-State
June 25, 2019
On Monday, the PBR Illinois team released its First-Team All-State honors for the 2019 IHSA season. Today, we’re announcing the recipients of our Second-Team All-State honors. Given the amount of talent residing in the state, the Second-Team roster is stacked with selections representing all corners of Illinois.
Keep an eye out tomorrow when release our Third-Team.
But for now, and without further ado, here is the roster for the 2019 PBR Illinois’ Second-Team All-State.
PITCHERS
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GRIFFIN HOLDERFIELDRHP / Oak Park-RIver Forest, IL / 2019CREIGHTON COMMIT
The Creighton commit was a force on the bump this season for Oak Park-River Forest. The senior hard-throwing right-hander groomed 1.04 ERA this spring, punching out 102 batters, walking only 11, in 67-plus innings of work. |
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CONNOR ATENRHP / Galesburg, IL / 2020BRADLEY COMMIT
The Galesburg program had a strong season and their 2020 righty was a big reason why. Aten allowed just four earned runs this spring in 55 innings. The Bradley-bound arm also punched out 89 batters this spring all while maintaining a minuscule ERA of 0.51. |
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TYLER STATLERRHP / Hononegah, IL / 2019SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE COMMIT
Statler’s tremendous senior season put him on the draft radar and afforded him the opportunity to hear his own name called in this month’s MLB Draft in the 14th round, selected by the St. Louis Cardinals. The SEMO commit was 5-1 this spring with a 0.90 ERA, and he and his heavy fastball helped limit his opposition to just 13 hits all season. He also recorded 83 Ks along the way, too. |
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NATHAN HOLLERRHP / Barrington, IL / 2020UNCOMMITTED
Barrington’s junior go-to arm put together a near-flawless spring, going 10-0 with a 0.72 ERA in 58 innings of work atop the Broncos rotation. The uncommitted right-hander allowed just six earned runs this season and tallied 84 Ks. |
CATCHERS
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Tyler Snep C / Lake Zurich, IL / 2019IOWA COMMIT
The Iowa commit was as reliable as they come, catching nearly every single inning for the Bears this spring – aside for two innings in a couple blow-out victories. At the plate, he hit .415 with eight home runs and also tallied six doubles. |
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Bret Bushka C / Glenbard East, IL / 2019BUTLER COMMIT
The Glenbard East senior was the main cog in the Rams’ offense all season long, hitting .451 and getting on base at a .557 clip. He also hit the ball with authority, providing his offense with 12 doubles, a triple, and two homers. |
FIRST BASEMAN
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Vytas Valincius 1B / 3B / St. Laurence, IL / 2021SOUTH CAROLINA COMMIT
Only a sophomore, the South Carolina commit put up huge numbers this spring, as expected, and was one of the state’s most feared hitters. Valincius provided the St. Laurence offense with 12 doubles, two triples, and three home runs, to go with a .416 average and 1.167 OPS. |
MIDDLE INFIELDERS
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Ryan Ritter SS / Lincoln-Way East, IL / 2019AUSTIN PEAY COMMIT
Ritter was drafted in the 33rd round earlier this month by the Chicago Cubs, a testament to the kind of spring he put together. He’s seen a drastic ascent over the past year-plus and hit .429 for the Griffins in 2019 with 13 doubles, three triples, and smacked four homers, too, all while playing lockdown defense at short. |
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Christian Knapczyk INF / Joliet Catholic , IL / 2020LOUISVILLE COMMIT
JCA has been churning out next-level baseball talent for as long as we can remember, and their everyday infielder is the latest in a long line of premier athletes. Knapczyk, a Louisville commit, hit .440 in his junior spring while bringing home 24 runs with 13 extra-base knocks. |
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Andy Nelson SS / Wheaton North, IL / 2020IOWA COMMIT
Iowa snatched up yet another high-level Illinois talent when the Wheaton North junior committed to the Hawkeyes. Nelson hit .449 on the year with 10 doubles, seven triples, and seven homers. Nelson was also a threat on the basepaths, stealing 19 bases as well. |
THIRD BASEMAN
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Eddie Lovell 3B / 1B / Stagg, IL / 2020UNCOMMITTED
Lovell is another 2020 grad on our Second-Team roster. The Stagg third baseman was locked into the middle of this order all spring long and hit .425 with eight home runs, 40 RBIs, good for an OPS of 1.459. |
OUTFIELDERS
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Brandon Matias OF / Glenbrook South, IL / 2019UNCOMMITTED
The Glenbrook South senior filled up the stat sheet this season, hitting .418 with 12 doubles, a triple, and six homers. He was also a main run-producer for the Titans, driving in 30 runs to go along with a .513 OBP. |
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Kendal Ewell OF / Marist, IL / 2019EASTERN KENTUCKY COMMIT
Ewell has long had immense upside as one of the most tooled-up prospects in the state and he’s been putting his game together over the past year, culminating in a big spring for the talented Redhawks. The Eastern Kentucky commit was drafted in the 40th round of the MLB Draft earlier this month and hit .385 this spring with 21 extra-base hits. |
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Nathan Walker OF / Carrollton, IL / 2019ROSE-HULMAN COMMIT
Carrollton’s star outfielder collected his 193rd career hit at the varsity level this spring in what turned into the cherry on top of a phenomenal four years of prep ball. Walker, a Rose-Hulman commit, hit .546 this spring with 23 extra-base hits, including nine home runs, and he actually swiped more bases (8 steals) than struck out (6 strike outs). |
UTILITY
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Ben Hernandez RHP / 1B / De La Salle, IL / 2020ILLINOIS-CHICAGO COMMIT
Hernandez has transformed himself into one of the top pitching prospects in the Midwest but he also helped De La Salle in a big way from the batter’s box this past spring. Not only was he 4-1 with a 1.68 ERA in 37 innings of work, he also was a force at the plate. He slashed .390/.532/.746, good for an OPS of 1.278. |
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Nicholas Demarco SS / RHP / St. Charles North, IL / 2021NOTRE DAME COMMIT
The Notre Dame commit was a force to be reckoned with for the 4A state runners-up North Stars. DeMarco hit .390 with 21 extra-base hits to go along with a 0.45 ERA on the mound over 22 innings of work. DeMarco was lights-out as the team’s closer, picking up eight saves along the way. |
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