Preseason Power 25 Countdown: No. 11 Montini Catholic

The Broncos enter this season as the reigning 3A state champions and are prepared to defend their title in 2020. Experience is key when playing in the postseason at any level and Coach Janor’s squad is loaded with it. They return seven starters and five pitchers from last year’s championship team and have a strong combination of both talent and the kind of experience you want to see in a title contender and defender. 

Montini Catholic’s pitching staff will be headlined by a senior-laden one-two punch: Sclafani and LHP Michael Koszewski (2020; Cincinnati). Sclafani, listed as our X-Factor, is the ace of this squad and earned all-state accolades for his performance on both sides of the ball in 2019. Then there’s Koszewski, a left/left prospect who took the bump in the state championship game against St. Laurence and helped the squad secure the last 3A victory of the 2019 season. Last season, he posted a 2.97 ERA heading into the state finals for the Broncos, giving the team a potent duo at the top of the staff. He’s also in line to be the starting center fielder when he isn’t on the mound. Both of these will be key pieces to the success of this team regardless if they’re on the mound or not.

There’s a handful of other seniors on this team who are expected to provide major contributions. Nate Kremkow (2020; Illinois-Springfield commit) can play anywhere on the field and should be a middle-of-the-order bat for the Broncos. Rocco Catalano (2020; Loras commit) drove in what would end up being the game-winning run in last year’s state championship game and is in line to see everyday reps as one of the team’s starting outfielders. Nick Wind (2020) is committed to play football at Wisconsin-Whitewater this fall but he’s still viewed as an integral piece to this lineup, where he’ll see a decent chunk of reps behind the dish managing this talented pitching staff. Southpaw Henry Sipchen (2020; Lawrence commit) is a talented arm that will come out of the pen for the Broncos this spring. 

Pair this talented senior class with a handful of impact juniors and it’s not hard to see why Montini Catholic is one of the top ranked teams in the state. Antoine Harris (2021; uncommitted) will be looking to build off a standout sophomore season. Harris hit .405 with five doubles, four triples, a home run and scored 29 runs. Harris is a twitchy, athletic outfielder with gap-to-gap power and profiles at the top of an order. Jack Angus (2021; uncommitted) has been at the varsity level since his freshman year and could end up being their starting first baseman this season. Patrick Wind (2021; uncommitted) and Vincent Catalano (2021; uncommitted) are the younger brothers of the aforementioned Nick and Rocco. Patrick will compete with his older brother for reps behind the plate, while Vincent could get an opportunity to start at third base. 

The Broncos also have one of the top 2022 prospects in the state on the roster, referenced in a section earlier, the sophomore infielder Moreno. Moreno saw action in 22 varsity games as a freshman and should be in the mix for an everyday job in 2020. Moreno has a strong, physically advanced frame with present power in his right-handed swing that he showed off multiple times at the 15U PBR at The Rock tournament this summer.

BOTTOM LINE

If there is a team set up to defend their crown as the reigning state champions, it’s the Broncos. There aren’t many teams, if any, that can rival their mix of talent and experience scattered throughout their entire roster. The one thing working against the Broncos in 2020 is they won't be sneaking up on anybody, like they may have last season. Montini has their work cut out for them but they have the mix of talent and experience to do it all again in 2020.