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: Saint Viator
Preseason Rank: On The Bubble
2019 Record: 18-15
Conference: East Suburban Catholic
IHSA Class: 3A
Head Coach: Mike Manno
Playoff Run: Regional Finals appearance
2019 Final Rank: NR
Returning Starters: 6
Returning Pitchers: 3

OUTLOOK

Viator’s lineup looks a little strange without a Kmet (Cole, 2017; and Casey, 2019) brother in it, but the Lions still look like contenders in the ESCC and beyond in 2020. Jack Mahoney is here to fulfill his final spring of amateur ball before he takes on the next level, be it pro ball or inside the SEC at South Carolina. He’s going to be the team’s best bat and arm, putting a lot of pressure on the No. 4-ranked senior in the state. He’s capable of living up to those standards, however. Fellow seniors like Owen Hickey, Eric Adams, and Joe Brunetti will also help steer the program this spring. Junior James Gorman is back after earning a lot of playing time as a sophomore in 2019, but Viator’s spring will likely be determined by the contributions it gets from its underclassmen. 

Sophomore 2B/SS Casey Hintz just performed well at a preseason event in Libertyville and actually played 15 varsity games as a freshman last year. He’s etched into the starting lineup already. Sophomore C/RHP Tony Pluta is a strong defender behind the dish with arm strength that works on the mound, where he was up to 85 mph in February. And RHP Dominic McKevitt, another sophomore, looks like he’ll be given a chance to earn a No. 3-like role in the rotation, too.

VIDEO SPOTLIGHT

Tony Pluta (10/20/19)

Make sure to follow @PBRIllinois on Twitter for the most up-to-date coverage throughout the 2020 season.

Find more information on the 2020 Lions below:
+ Full Schedule
+ Team Website
+ Team Twitter

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