Preseason Power 25 Countdown: No. 6 Plainfield North

KEY PLAYERS LOST

Brady Miller, RHP/1B/OF (Western Michigan)
Gavin Doyle, INF/RHP (Western Michigan)
Keegan Bates, LHP (Valparaiso)
Nick Cerrato, RHP/INF (Wisconsin-Platteville)
Sean Tillmon, INF (Concordia, WI)
Ryan Summers, 2B

NEWCOMER TO WATCH

We just had the opportunity to see junior righty Logan Durling at the Lockport Preseason I.D. event last month, where the projectable 6-foot-3, 185-pounder showed a cut fastball that lives in the low 80s, coupled with two above-average offspeed offerings – a curveball and changeup.

For a staff missing three of its arms from last spring’s title-winning team, Durling represents how deep they could still be from the mound in 2019. The since-graduated Brady Miller, Plainfield North’s postseason hero, is not possible to replace. So, rather than replace Miller with an ace-like frontman at the top of this rotation, this year’s Tigers’ rotation is once again loaded with quality, steady, even-keeled arms. Game to game, they’ll be starting dependable and experienced arms that will give them a reasonable chance to make it back to Joliet.

Durling might not have that aforementioned experience, but he does have the talent to make an impact on a rotation that needs some help to bookend the staff.

X-FACTOR

Cameron Kissel is among the top uncommitted players in the state and will bring his quick-twitch traits to both sides of the ball once again for Plainfield North. He’s still harnessing his electric fastball, one that has sat 89-91 – and been up to 93 mph – in front of our staff in the past. The 5-foot-11 prospect also hit from the three-hole and roamed center field for the Tigers last spring, and has notched an 100 mph exit velocity mark from the tee at a PBR event.

This is a dynamic, one-of-a-kind profile. Kissel is this team’s X-Factor for many reasons, the main being he’s yet to totally show he’s capable of consistently controlling his phenomenal raw stuff. He’s got the makings of next-level, high-leverage reliever, and he’ll probably be used in a similar role for the Tigers this spring.

Plainfield North is flush with with starting pitching, so Kissel won’t need to be stretched out to help there, but having someone like him come out of a bullpen is extremely valuable in the prep game. He also led North in batting average last regular season (.414) and tallied 11 doubles and six home runs.

The Tigers will no-doubt miss Miller, last year’s X-Factor, but Kissel can really fill in a lot of the blanks his graduation has left. When Brady Corrigan and Connor Peplow graduated in 2017, Miller picked up the slack and helped push Plainfield North to state. Kissel has the some kind of premium talent to see the Tigers to another deep playoff run.

Cameron Kissel (7.10.18)

OUTLOOK

Plainfield North won its program’s first-ever state championship last June in a narrow 4-3 victory over Huntley. Having been in the driver’s seat for much of the game, the Red Raiders fought back fiercely, scoring two in the seventh and getting the tying run to second before then-sophomore Eben Heine finally closed the door – he even overcame a premature fireworks show over the right field fence when the final out, a groundout, was initially thought to be fair but was quickly overturned foul. Heine was unshaken, and earned a swing-and-a-miss strike three to complete the historic season for his high school.

In that game, Brady Miller – fresh off earning the win from the mound in the state semis against Sandburg – hit the state tournament’s first home run to bring Plainfield North’s lead to 4-1 and was ultimately the difference on the scoreboard.

But, as referenced before, Miller isn’t back in the dugout this spring.

Normally, losing someone like Miller would be a dagger for a team looking to successfully defend its state championship. But Plainfield North is different.

They’re a better team with Miller than without him, of course, but this special 2019 class will finally get to take the field in full, plugging the holes left behind by Miller, Keegan Bates, Gavin Doyle, and others.

While Durling is more of a supporting cast member on this North staff, and Kissel will be most effective in relief, North will be looking to seniors Nate Curtis, Jacob Goss, and Dylan Szajkovics to lead this staff as its staff. Those are three legitimately reliable arms that should keep the Tigers’ depth of staff as its calling card in 2019. Throw in Durling and the junior Heine, and North has what it takes to compete all season long, suffocating opposing offenses from touching the scoreboard.

More on these handful of pitchers head coach John Darlington gets to rely on: Curtis is a physical righty who is capable of sitting in the upper 80s who knows how to pitch; he’s also committed to Indianapolis to play football, which paints a picture of the unique kind of athlete Curtis looks like from the mound. Goss is an easy lefty, committed to Illinois-Springfield, who is going to be reliable in whatever role he takes on for the Tigers. Szajkovics is committed to Wisconsin-Milwaukee and is competitive and aggressive on the mound, with a fastball that was up to 88 mph at an August event.

As for Heine, he’s the No. 15-ranked prospect in the state’s 2020 class and might be the closest thing to a prototypical ace on this staff, but the Tigers’ strength is in their numbers. They don’t need this junior to become their lead arm, but if he does continue to develop positively in his first crack as a starter, Plainfield North is that much more able to compete in May and June, when elimination is on the line.

Backstop Greg Budig and outfielder Garret Cook are also back as starter’s from last year’s 4A title team. Budig will join Miller and Doyle on Western Michigan’s campus next fall, but will help the Tigers account for their losses this spring first. He hit .380 as a junior last year and is a solid defender, more than capable of steering this staff through the 2019 spring. Cook hit .357 in 2018 and is a strong and athletic outfielder. He’s also one of the most hard-nosed players on a team full of competitors.

The two-way talent Josh Fleming is an additional member of this senior class set to contribute in a multitude of ways. He could very well be this team’s starting third baseman and has the arsenal to eat meaningful innings for this team, too. Harrison Pfeifer also picked up some innings as a junior last spring, and is another member of this 2019 class who might be able to find an impactful role in some capacity. Lastly, the other two-way senior Cody Harrison is a big-framed righty who is going to be solid from both the rubber and the right-handed batter's box. 

Juniors Ryan Tribe and Patrick Miller probably represent the weakest link of the defending champs – but that’s only because they’re going to see the field plenty in their introduction to varsity ball. The two could quickly carve out a role reinforcing what should be a program with an authentic chance of making its way back to state.

BOTTOM LINE

It’s not often that the defending champs can say that they have realistic chance to navigating their way back into the state title picture, but Plainfield North is that team. Despite losing some of its core pieces on a team that lifted the 4A trophy last June, the Tigers and their talented 2019 class is prepared to do it again.

Those seniors, and a few select and gifted juniors, have both the experience and skillset to make Plainfield North a mainstay on the state title scene yet again.

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

Find more information on the 2019 Tigers below:

+ Full Schedule
+ Team Website
+ GameChanger
+ Team Twitter

PRESEASON POWER 25 COUNTDOWN