Preseason Power 25 Countdown: No. 8 Lincoln-Way East

KEY PLAYERS LOST

Julian Everett, OF (Lewis)
Jared Mutter, C (Illinois Wesleyan)
Jake Tencza, 1B (Illinois Wesleyan)
Brandon Petkoff, CF (Texas A&M Corpus Christi)

NEWCOMER TO WATCH

Sophomore righty Landen Looper, a Louisville commit, is one of the more highly-touted 2021s in the state. He’ll get his shot on varsity this spring, too. As it stands, Looper should compete for a starter’s role, right alongside senior southpaw and ace Cole Kirschsieper. The big righty has a quick, easy arm and creates angle to his mid-80s fastball. If the talented sophomore can hold his own on varsity this spring, it’ll give the Griffins one of the better one-two punches in the Southwest Suburban Conference.

Landen Looper (6.19.18)

X-FACTOR

Senior shortstop Ryan Ritter is an Austin Peay commit and may be the biggest factor to the Griffins success this spring. Lincoln-Way East lost a couple middle-of-the-order bats and they will need the talented right-handed hitter to have a breakout campaign on the offensive side of the ball. The Griffins will need production from plenty of newcomers to the lineup, and they’ll need Ritter to be the stabilizing force from opening day.

OUTLOOK

Head Coach Eric Brauer turned around the program in his first season at the helm. In Brauer’s first season, the Griffins went from a 15-win team in 2017, to 28 last spring, which was a school record.

When looking at the 2019 season for Lincoln-Way East, it all starts with the lefty ace Kirschsieper. When he’s on the mound, the Griffins can compete with anyone in the state. The Illinois commit is the definition of consistency and is a prototypical workhorse. Kirschsieper was one of the biggest reasons Lincoln-Way East set a school record for wins last spring and will be leaned on heavily once this season. In 2018, the smooth southpaw was credited with 10 wins in 2018 (also a school record) and struck out 89 batters in 70.1 innings, and walked just 17.

Outside of Kirschsieper and the aforementioned Looper, Coach Brauer will have plenty of other choices to eat up innings. Senior righties Matt Clark and Ethan Lambrigger are back after throwing a number of meaningful innings last spring. Clark was one of the Griffins’ top relievers a year ago, posting a 1.00 ERA in 15 appearances spanning 21 innings. Lambrigger, a Kirkwood commit, competes on the mound, attacks the zone, and pitches comfortably in the low 80s – but we’ve personally seen him up to 86 mph.

Two junior lefties to keep an eye on this spring will be Sean McLaughlin and Mike Szczasny. McLaughlin is a 6-foot-6, 220-pounder, making him an imposing figure on the mound. That size has helped him become a prospect on the gridiron as a tight end, but he’s really intriguing from the mound, too. McLaughlin has seen his velocity tick up into the mid 80s, with a developing breaking ball. As for Szczasny, he’s a 5-foot-11 southpaw who should see innings this spring thanks to his fastball command and the quality of his offspeed. Another lefty to watch is Chase Blatzer, but his status is up in the air as he deals with an injury. If he’s healthy at any point this spring, the senior should add even more depth to this staff.

As you can see from above, Lincoln-Way East gets to flank its No. 1 Kirschsieper with a fleet of quality depth behind him.

On offense, Ritter is one of the top returners for the Griffins. The Austin Peay commit is a slick middle infielder that can make all the plays defensively. With the loss of a few top-end bats, East will be looking for runs anywhere they can get them. Ritter’s breakout with the bat will go a long way for the team’s success this spring.

Some other returners poised to support the lineup as well as solidify the infield defense: C Alec Hranicka, 3B Zack Jurgens, and 2B Matt Watson. Senior Casey Schilf should compete for the job at first, as well. In the outfield, seniors Joey Selvaggio and Tyler Safarik are back after playing a ton last year – Selvaggio actually led the team in hitting last season with a .394 average. Right field remains a question mark heading into the season, but there are three or four players in the mix for the job.

Two juniors to watch: INF TJ Devries and C Ryan McCoy. McCoy is a projectable 6-foot-4, 185-pound, left-handed hitting backstop who should help relieve Hranicka behind the plate and compete for some starts at DH.

BOTTOM LINE

Lincoln-Way East’s record setting 2018 might just be the start of something special here in Frankfort. They’re returning the right pieces to break that record again and have depth all over the diamond. The Griffins have speed as a team and the kind of ace it takes to win the games that matter most in May and June. Expectations are high at East, but they should be.

It wouldn’t surprise us to see the Griffins improve on last year’s sectional semifinals finish, en route to a trip to Joliet this spring.

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

Find more information on the 2019 Griffins below:

+ Full Schedule
+ Team Website
+ GameChanger
+ Team Twitter

PRESEASON POWER 25 COUNTDOWN