Prep Baseball Report

Preseason Power 25 Countdown: No. 8 Hinsdale Central


By: Peter Hamot
Area Scout

The Illinois high school baseball season kicks off on March 14, opening day for regular season action under IHSA regulations. Over the next two weeks, leading up to opening day, we’ll be publishing our team previews ahead of the 2022 spring season, touching on programs spanning all state classifications, counting down 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 2022 preseason coverage continues today.

Team: Hinsdale Central
Preseason Rank: 8
2021 Record: 23-4
Conference: West Suburban Conference (Silver)
IHSA Class: 4A
Head Coach: Jason Ziemer

ROSTER PREVIEW

NAME POS CLASS COMMITMENT
Luke Adams 3B/OF/RHP 2022 Michigan State
Lucas Montesantos  RHP/OF 2022 Illinois-Springfield
Blake Edmonds  OF 2022 Jacksonville 
Harry Fandre INF 2022 Quincy 
Aiden Rowe C 2022 Oberlin College
Teddy Andrews LHP
2022 -
Quinten Lane  RHP 2022 -
Andrew Goliak OF
2022 -
Christo Malcolm INF 2022 -
Tucker Hawthorne  RHP 2022 -
Ben Oosterbaan RHP/INF 2023 Michigan 
Max Pavlik P/INF 2023 -
William Ho INF/RHP 2023 -
Charlie Bergin C 2023 -
Luke Jurack OF/INF 2024  

key players lost

+ RHP Evan Chatterjee
+ MIF Nicholas Mulvihill
+ C/OF Brian Daker
+ INF Jake Adams

stat rat

.366: The Red Devils offense turned in an overall batting average of .366 last spring, and are in a similar position to repeat their offensive success in 2022. With six returning position players to the lineup in 2022, the Red Devils' offense will be tough to shut down all the way through the order.

impact underclassman

Luke Jurack (10/17/21)

+ Luke Jurack, OF/INF (2024): Jurack will look to repeat his success in 2021, and is in a good place to do so - bringing an entire year of varsity experience to the table as only a sophomore. The right-handed hitter brings a reliable bat along with noteworthy speed to the top of the Red Devil's lineup; leading the team in batting average as just a freshman with an eye-popping .448 average last spring. The highly regarded Jurack also will bring elite athleticism on defense, thanks to his 6.88 60-time that easily translates to the outfield. With a strong arm and mature defensive presence, he will be a very reliable piece roaming the outfield for the Red Devils. 

x-factor

Luke Adams (2/6/22)

+ Luke Adams, 3B/OF/RHP (Michigan State; 2022): It is hard to find many players in Illinois that replicate the amount of raw tools that Adams possesses. Missing a good part of 2021 due to injury, the Michigan State commit will be looking to bounce back in a huge way this coming spring. With one of the more physical toolsets in the entire country, Adams has already gotten off to a strong start in 2022 - showing well at the Super 60 Pro Showcase this past February. With an exit velocity up to 104.1 mph and 60-time of 6.66, Adams is a dual threat power/speed prospect that should be able to boost the Red Devil's lineup in multiple ways. The big-time tools don't stop there though, thanks to the fact that Adams reaches up to 97 mph from the outfield and 92 mph across the infield. We can also expect to see Adams getting some important innings on the mound this coming season, as he did in 2021; tossing 22 innings for the Red Devils with 27 strikeouts. With a fastball into the upper 80's, Adams will provide a tough at-bat for opponents when he takes the mound.

outlook

The Red Devils will be bringing one of the best all-around clubs to the field every single day. Their overall depth and number of returning players will greatly play to their advantage when comes game time.

One of the strongpoints for the Red Devils would undoubtedly be their pitching staff; rolling out arms such as RHP/OF Lucas Montesantos (Illinois-Springfield, 2023), RHP/INF Ben Oosterbaan (Michigan, 2023), P/INF Max Pavlik (2023), INF/RHP William Ho (2023) and the aforementioned Luke Adams every single week.

Lucas Montesantos (8/5/21)

Montesantos had a stellar season in 2021; earning a spot on the PBR Third Team All-State roster thanks to his final line that included a perfect 6-0 record, 35 innings pitched, 60 strikeouts and a 1.40 ERA. The All-State selection wasn't the only hardware Montesantos earned in 2021 however, also being named the West Suburban Silver Pitcher of the Year. The Illinois-Springfield commit brings a quality three-pitch mix to the mound as well as a fastball that reaches up to 88 mph. With another year of training under his belt, it would be no surprise to see a jump in his velocity which would ultimately make him that much tougher to hit. 

Ben Oosterbaan (5/3/21)

Coming off a strong season as just a sophomore for the Red Devils, fellow right-hander Ben Oosterbaan will look to repeat and ultimately surpass his success in 2021; going 5-1 on the mound while racking up 30.2 innings, 37 strikeouts and a 2.28 ERA. The Michigan commit is one of the most highly regarded right-handed pitchers in the entire 2023 class, and will be part of the high-level 1-2 punch that the Red Devils will be running out each week. Standing at a highly projectable 6-foot-5, 180-pounds, Oosterbaan possesses a polished three-pitch mix with feel that plays well above his years, not to mention a fastball that reaches up to 89 mph. 

Pavlik is a rare talent, due to the fact that he can actually pitch with both arms. The uncommitted switch-pitcher possesses a solid three-pitch mix from both sides; featuring a fastball up to 80 mph, slurvy breaking ball and fading changeup, both in the mid-upper 60's. We can also expect to see Pavlik take time on the infield and in the lineup; being a switch-hitter at the plate with a max exit velocity of 95 mph, as well as a reliable defender. 

Ho on the other hand, is a athletic right-hander that possesses a hard/heavy fastball, reaching up to 87 mph. He has a high upside arm that could end up seeing a number of important innings this coming spring. 

Another high-level arm that the Red Devils have at their expense is LHP Teddy Andrews (2022). The southpaw possesses some of the highest upside in the entire class. With a fastball up to 88 mph and a wipeout breaking ball, Andrews can be expected to be the first out of the 'pen in high leverage situations. 

Other names such as RHP Quinten Lane, RHP Tucker Hawthorne and RHP Patrick Whelan will be called upon late in games to provide quality innings for the Red Devils. 

The expected battery-mate for the Hinsdale Central pitching staff will be C Aiden Rowe (Oberlin College, 2022). The right-handed hitter turned in a .384 batting average during the 2021 season and will be a cornerstone in the Red Devils' lineup this coming spring with his easy power off the bat. He also provides the pitching staff with reliable defense an an unteachable competitive edge that should only elevate the overall success of the staff.

The Red Devils' offense will play a large part in their overall success in 2022 as well, with some top returners to the likes of 1B Harry Fandre (Quincy, 2022), Blake Edmonds (Jacksonville, 2022), Aiden RoweLuke Jurack, Ben Oosterbaan and Luke Adams (all mentioned above)

Blake Edmonds (8/10/21)

Edmonds is currently ranked No. 86 in Illinois and will surely provide the lineup with some extra firepower; thanks to his 97 mph max exit velocity. With the Jacksonville commit expected to spend most of his time in the outfield, it is clear that Hinsdale Central will have one of the top outfields in the area; with Edmonds being joined by the aforementioned Jurack and Andrew Goliak to help secure the no-fly-zone this coming spring. 

The defense on the infield for the Red Devils is not anything to overlook either. On the corners of the infield, Hinsdale Central is in good hands with Luke Adams and Harry Fandre. Fandre is a strong, 6-foot-1, 195-pound left-handed hitter that has easy juice off the bat (98 mph max exit velocity) and is also sure-handed at first base. While up the middle of the diamond, the Red Devils will be looking to Ben Oosterbaan and Christo Malcolm to provide lock-down defense and help round out the defense on the infield dirt.

bottom line

The Red Devils have the luxury of returning a total of 11 players from their 2021 roster this coming spring, all of which having played some sort of role in their overall success. 

Their pitching is deep and will allow the Red Devils to compete both in conference play as well as the playoffs. Not to mention their bullpen is stacked with some weapons, too. However, their offense will look to return as one of the best in the area thanks to the number of returners and Luke Adams to the daily lineup. With their depth on both sides of the ball, it is hard to find many teams in the state that replicate their overall ability to both score and limit runs.

There also is definite playoff experience within the locker room, which will be important when the Red Devils look to make their IHSA post-season run. 

Make sure to follow @PBRIllinois on Twitter for the most up-to-date coverage throughout the 2021 season.

Find more information on the 2022 Red Devils below:

+ Team Website
+ Team Schedule
+ Team Twitter

PBR ILLINOIS PRESEASON POWER 25