Preseason Power 25 Countdown: No. 3 St. Rita

NEWCOMER TO WATCH

Sean McDevitt isn’t a traditional ‘Newcomer to Watch,’ having earned 73 at-bats in his junior season, but he’s probably going to be the one filling the shoes at shortstop of Jalen Greer. Greer tallied 19 extra-base hits last season, including eight homers, so it’s a massive pair of shoes to fill. McDevitt won’t be asked to do nearly as much, but he’s capable of being a steady, reliable shortstop for St. Rita in 2020. He swings an easy, loose right-handed bat, one that helped him hit over .400 as a junior. McDevitt’s also a fluid and confident defender, which will help his transition to shortstop run smoothly. The Mustangs are fielding a new look up the middle, and it’s arguably their biggest question mark ahead of opening day.

Sean McDevitt (6/18/19)

X-FACTOR

Al Holguin is a 6-foot-2 left/left prospect who’s at the ready to step into a greater role on offense all while operating as, presumably, the team’s No. 1 option in the rotation. He returns the most innings pitched from a season ago (39.2) and he K’d 42 over that stretch with a 2.47 ERA. At the plate, Holguin looks the part of a left-handed-hitting slugger, and he hit .289 last spring, but the power numbers weren’t there as a sophomore. We’ve seen him a couple times since St. Rita’s season ended in Joliet, and it looks like he’s continuing to polish his left-handed bat. At the Preseason All-State event at the start of February, Holguin took one of the day’s best rounds of batting practice, fit with physicality from the left side. St. Rita is a lineup with proven middle-of-the-order impact bats, and Holguin only extends the stretch of names opposing pitchers will want to dodge.

His two-way responsibilities are critically important to the team, especially for what he’s able to offer on the mound. The staff is deep with an effective Holguin at the top of it, but it isn’t as loaded with depth as its offense.

Al Holguin (2/9/20)

OUTLOOK

St. Rita will field a similar everyday lineup to last spring’s 35-win squad, a group that claimed the third-place trophy in the 4A state tournament. And while the Mustangs didn’t suffer many losses, the holes remaining are substantial ones – their gifted middle infield graduated. Former shortstop Greer has begun his professional career, after signing with the Oakland Athletics as the team’s fifth-round pick. And Brendan Carrane is gone and off to Saint Louis University’s program. Replacing that combo is a tall order, but Rita has the personnel on the roster to do so. Patching the up-the-middle hole is priority one, and the aforementioned McDevitt and Reed Ohlson will handle it with care. After that, the Mustangs’ hefty senior core should be able to pick up the pieces and the momentum that pushed them to the 35-win mark in 2019.

Naturally, Greer was the team’s most productive bat, but this offense churned out runs at such an impressive rate, as predominantly juniors, it’s easy to see a scenario in which the 2020s here take steps forward in their senior springs, accounting for the loss in production from Greer’s pro bat.

Chris McDevitt (Indiana State commit) and Luke Napleton (Quincy commit) return as all-conference bats. Chris McDevitt hit .373 with a couple homers and returns 28 RBIs from a year ago. Napleton returns a .366 batting average with four home runs and 37 RBIs. Junior Bobby Atkinson is a top-ranked 2021 bat by our measure – a left-handed hitter with an easy swing and natural lift to the pull-side (he hit five homers as a sophomore in 2019). We mentioned Holguin as our X-Factor, and he looks prepped to make a greater impact from the batter’s box this spring.

A couple other juniors will get to see their first taste of regular varsity playing time: outfielders Steven Sanderson and Brandon Buday. Sanderson is a physical 6-foot-1, 200-pound prospect and a name to know inside the state’s 2021 class. He generates advanced bat strength from the right side with a short, fast swing. Sanderson has a knack for the barrel and should  be another dangerous piece to the Mustangs lineup. Buday is an upside left/left athlete who has a top-of-the-order profile and could earn a significant role on the mound.

Steven Sanderson (2/7/19)

Eastern Kentucky commit and senior Winston Hill is another outfield option with a physical imposing frame and left/left profile.

This team also graduated its two most leaned-on arms, Diego Koval and Vic Aguilar, but neither would fit the traditional “ace” role, and the juniors who ate innings last year are fully equipped to wear the same roles this spring. Holguin should fall into a No. 1-type of spot in the rotation, while fellow seniors RHP Jimmy Moylan and LHP Justin Valdez will use their 30 innings pitched each from a season ago as dependable rotation mates this spring. Both finished last year with sub-2.00 ERAs and were credited with an 8-0 record, combined. They may not be the flashiest of arms (much like last year), but few staffs in the state can be this reliable three arms deep to the rotation. Head coach John Nee will need to find go-to options from the bullpen in high-leverage spots, and there are options on the roster, like Buday or Atkinson, but it is a question that will need an answer.

St. Rita even has a pair of the top freshmen in the state, to this point, down the depths of its roster: INF Tommy Atkinson and OF William Hill. Neither should be counted on in their first springs on varsity, but the two look like future high-level talents and are names to keep on the radar moving forward.

BOTTOM LINE

It really was an impressive feat to see the 2019 Mustangs win 35 of its 42 games. They relied so heavily on their juniors, despite having the likes of Carrane and Greer, and they’re prepared to do so again. This time, these 2020s can call themselves experienced at navigating the rigorous CCL-Blue campaign, and that’s the strength few teams within the conference, as well as the state, can offer. St. Rita looks like the early favorites to claim the conference title and as well as the favorites to represent the conference at state at the 4A level.

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

Find more information on the 2020 Mustangs below:

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PBR ILLINOIS PRESEASON POWER 25