Preseason Power 25 Countdown: No. 12 Libertyville

KEY PLAYERS LOST

Riley Gowens, RHP (Illinois)
Colin Fields, RHP (Valparaiso)
Nick Angel, OF (Dayton)
Tim Jean, INF (Heartland CC)
Griffin Murphy, 1B
Micah Holzwarth, OF (Hope College)
Luke Plunkett, C (Luther College)
Scott Bonebrake, RHP
Tommy Rigali, INF

NEWCOMER TO WATCH

A hefty 2018 class is graduated, making room for some impact juniors who would have otherwise made impressions in this program earlier, like uncommitted outfielder Dylan Drumke. Drumke didn’t see much varsity action last spring as a sophomore, but is primed to take on a big role with huge shoes to fill for a Libertyville team last spring that, at times, looked like state title contenders. There’s still a talented core intact in Libertyville and Drumke is firmly entrenched within that group. He has a strong and quick bat from the right side, one that might be capable of some occasional over-the-fence pop as he continues to grow. His advanced strength, in combination with his footspeed, had him excel in the backfield of the varsity football team this past fall and many of those same traits will help him track down fly balls in this Wildcats outfield come March.

Dylan Drumke (2.20.19)

X-FACTOR

Senior righty Ryan Klainos has big shoes to fill, and he’s going to be capable of doing an admirable job leading a staff that lost so many of its big innings from last spring. As the de facto ace, the Valparaiso commit his the stuff to win Libertyville’s biggest games this spring, helping the Wildcats reemerge from the North Suburban Conference once again.

The 6-foot-1 righty rose 43 spots on our most recent update of the state’s Class of 2019 Rankings, sitting inside the top 120 now. We last Klainos at PBR Wisconsin’s Milwaukee-area event, where he showed advanced pitchability. He’s harnessed a fastball that sits in the 84-86 mph range with regular run that he can place on both sides of the plate. And his offspeed is able to generate swings and misses, including a neat 10/4 slider.

In a rotation with so few constants, Klainos’ steady presence as the team’s No. 1 arm will be critical to the success of the Wildcats in 2019.

OUTLOOK

Libertyville owned one of the state’s top one-two punches at the top of their rotation last spring: Riley Gowens and Colin Fields. Both were Division-I arms and both pitched like it in 2018. Gowens, namely, was the team’s surefire ace and put together arguably one of the most dominant seasons of any Illinois pitcher on the mound last spring, earning PBR First Team All-State honors along the way. Unfortunately for Gowens and Libertyville, their No. 1 hurt his elbow early in the playoffs, sidelining him for the foreseeable future and certainly through the rest of the postseason.

Fields, who most other teams would comfortably slot in as their go-to arm, stepped up and carried the Wildcats himself. He authored a complete game shutout in the Wildcats’ 1-0 win over Saint Viator in the sectional semifinals, evidence enough that Fields along might be enough to lift Libertyville to state.

Had Gowens been healthy, Libertyville could have thrown its haymaker next round against Buffalo Grove in the sectional final. Instead, the Wildcats lost a heart-stopping – and heartbreaking – extra-inning contest to the Bison, 11-10, featuring a three-run, come-from-behind, walk-off effort in the bottom of the eighth.

So, it’s going to be hard to replace the Gowens-Fields magic.

But Libertyville is ranked No. 12 for a reason. And with Klainos on staff, they will have at least one ace-like arm to lead this rotation. Since-graduated Wildcats Tim Jean and Griffin Murphy hit three combined homers and drove in half of the team’s runs in the sectional final, but there’s middle-of-the-order reinforcements on the way this spring.

Libertyville has reloaded, retooled – they don’t look like they’ll need a year to rebuild after its 2018 class graduated.

There are four Division-I-bound seniors on this roster, which is technically one more than they had last year. The versatile Andrew Kim is going to play wherever head coach Matt Thompson needs him, and Kim’s going to cover ground wherever he’s at. He’s a reliable defender, but he’s probably going to be the team’s best bat, too. He’s been getting better since the end of the spring in our looks, and his left-handed bat might be among the best in this 2019 class. While Drumke will support Kim somewhere around him in the lineup, look for junior Sam Paden and senior shortstop Tanner Kelly to pick up the slack offensively. Paden earned minimal time on the mound for Libertyville last spring, and should get some more innings this year with so few returning, but he’s also adept in the right-handed batter’s box and has some bat strength. Kelly is more well known for his up-the-middle defensive abilities, but he’s an experienced starter on a roster that needs it.

Don’t forget about senior backstop and Missouri commit Garrison Bennett, either. He’s another player on the team who’s best skill might be his glove, but that’s going to be especially important for this year’s rotation. A sound receiver is essential for an inexperienced – but talented – staff. That about accurately describes the Wildcats this spring. Apart from Klainos and Paden, Libertyville might look to two of its skilled sophomores to grab some innings and plug some on holes on its staff. Sophomore righties Connor Lockwood and Conner Lutes both have the potential to crack the staff in some capacity, and having a catcher like Bennett to guide them through their starts will make the transition to varsity that much smoother.

BOTTOM LINE

We’re accustomed to calling Libertyville teams deep, since there’s always this never-ending pipeline of talent rolling through their dugout. This year, they might be missing that trademark depth, but they are not short on pure talent.

The Wildcats are back-to-back North Suburban Conference and regional champs and should be viewed as the heavy favorites to make it three straight. Typically, rival Mundelein is more of an obstacle, but they’ve been zapped of everyday contributors through graduation these past two years and might be looking at more of a rebuild than a retool, unlike Libertyville. The Wildcats are prepared for yet another deep playoff run, despite having the enormous chore of replacing its phenomenal 2018 class.

Make sure to follow @PBRIllinois on Twitter for the most up-to-date coverage throughout the 2019 season.

Find more information on the 2019 Wildcats below:

+ Full Schedule
+ Team Website
+ Team Twitter

PRESEASON POWER 25 COUNTDOWN