The Illinois high school baseball season kicks off on March 16, opening day for regular season action under IHSA regulations. Over the next several weeks, leading up to opening day, we’ll be publishing our team previews ahead of the 2020 spring season, touching on programs spanning all state classifications, leading into a countdown through the official PBR Illinois Preseason Power 25 Rankings.

Perennially, we’ve submitted a Preseason Questionnaire to high school head coaches across the entire state. Their responses have been flooding in and we’re using the detailed insight they’ve provided in our team-by-team preseason analysis.

Our 2020 preseason coverage continues today.

Team: St. Charles North
Preseason Rank: 2
2019 Record: 29-11
Conference: Dukane
IHSA Class: 4A
Head Coach: Todd Genke
Playoff Run: Class 4A Runner-Up
2019 Final Rank: 2
Returning Starters: 6
Returning Pitchers: 4

TOP PLAYERS

NAME	STATE	SCHOOL	CLASS	POSITION	COMMITMENT
Kyler Brown	IL	St. Charles North	2020	SS	-
Michael Davis	IL	St. Charles North	2020	C	Coe College
Nicholas DeMarco	IL	St. Charles North	2021	SS	Notre Dame
Andrew Jimenez	IL	St. Charles North	2021	3B	-
Zach Kempe	IL	St. Charles North	2021	RHP	-
Johnny Lambert	IL	St. Charles North	2020	LHP	Parkland JC
Eric Lee	IL	St. Charles North	2021	RHP	-
Jayden Lobliner	IL	St. Charles North	2022	C	-
Alex Najera	IL	St. Charles North	2021	OF	-
Ryan Thiesse	IL	St. Charles North	2020	OF	Fordham
Marco Torres	IL	St. Charles North	2021	C	-

 

KEY LOSSES

NAME	STATE	SCHOOL	CLASS	POSITION	COMMITMENT
Tristan Cazel	IL	St. Charles North	2019	RHP	Parkland JC
Michael Gattuso	IL	St. Charles North	2019	OF	Augustana College (IL)
John Hamer	IL	St. Charles North	2019	OF	-
Egon Hein	IL	St. Charles North	2019	SS	-
Ethan Laria	IL	St. Charles North	2019	LHP	-

 

NEWCOMER

Jayden Lobliner, INF/C, 2022: Lobliner got his first varsity action last spring as a freshman and it just so happened to come off the bench in the state semi-finals. Lobliner came in to play third base, late in the game and promptly handled a well-placed bunt, making a play on the move for a 5-3 putout in a crucial stage of the game. As a sophomore Lobliner, thanks to his versatility defensively, has the potential to impact the lineup everyday. Lobliner can play anywhere on the infield and can move behind the plate as well. 

X-FACTOR

Nicholas DeMarco, SS/RHP, 2021: DeMarco, a Notre Dame commit and one of the top 2021 prospects in Illinois will look to do it all this spring for the North Stars. DeMarco has been a starter on varsity since his freshman season and continues to see his value and role to the club increase with every passing year. Last season DeMarco, who earned all-state honors, started at shortstop and operated as the team's shut-down arm/closer out of the ‘pen. DeMarco hit .366 with five home runs, 36 RBIs and 25 runs scored. On the mound he features a mid-to-upper 80’s fastball with a swing-and-miss overhand curveball. DeMarco’s impact both on the mound and at the plate will play a huge role in the success of the North Stars this spring. Below is video and a report from a game last spring.

4.20.19 - Notre Dame commit, currently ranked No. 6 in the Illinois’ 2021 class. 5-foot-11, 180-pound, two-way prospect; strong, athletic build, defined lower half. Started at shortstop and hit in the four-hole. Highly-advanced infielder, smooth confident hands, ultra-quick transfer when needed and ability to throw from any arm slot. Made a number of tough plays, ranging to both sides; maintains body control, strong, accurate arm that carries across the infield. Ability to stick at shortstop moving forward. Offensively, right-handed hitter, finished 0-for-2 with a HBP. Ran a 4.40 down the line on a groundout. Balanced setup, flashed easy bat speed. Came in to close out the game in the seventh inning. Went three-up, three-down, striking out a pair. Arm works long and quick from an over-the-top slot. Fastball jumps through the zone, worked mostly straight, occasional run to the arm side, sat 87-88 mph. Mixed in a swing-and-miss curveball with depth and bite, 74-75 mph. High-upside on the mound and as a position player. Rare two-way potential at the next level. 

Nicholas DeMarco (4.20.19)

OUTLOOK

One of the winningest programs in the state – coached by a 400-plus game winner, Todd Genke – the St. Charles North Stars are poised to make another run for their first-ever state title this spring. They came oh-so-close last year, losing a 3-2 ballgame in eight innings to a talented Edwardsville team in the 4A state title game. 

St. Charles North brings back a majority of the impact performers from last year’s 29-win club and expectations are once again high for the North Stars entering 2020.

Leading this team on the mound will be senior LHP Johnny Lambert. A Parkland JC commit, Lambert was arguably the top arm for the Stars in 2019, tossing 48 innings with a 6-0 record, 1.70 ERA, and 68 strikeouts. He was an all-area selection last season and earned second-team all-state honors as well for his season-long dominance on the hill. Lambert should serve as the ace this spring and he gives the Stars a chance to win each game that he pitches. 

While the Stars aren’t entirely dependent on contributions from their senior class, a handful of  2020 graduates are pegged as impact players for coach Genke’s squad. OF Ryan Thiesse is a toolsy athlete, running a 6.65 60-yard dash, with sneaky pop that will bat towards the top of the order for this team. A top-100-ranked prospect in his class, Thiesse was an all-around force for the Stars last year, hitting .359 with 27 RBIs and swiping 30 bags en route to an all-area selection. He’s a clear-cut spark to this offense and is primed for a big senior season.

1B Kyler Brown (2020; uncommitted) and OF/C Michael Davis (2020; Coe College commit) are two more seniors that are also in line to contribute. Brown was the starting quarterback for St. Charles North’s football team and provided some key contributions during their playoff run last season. Expect him to see a bulk of his work over at first base. Davis is expected to be in the mix for playing time both in the outfield and behind the plate. 

How successful this team is in 2020 could ultimately come down to the performance of their highly-talented junior class. Headlining that group is the aforementioned INF/RHP Nicholas DeMarco (Notre Dame). DeMarco will play a big role on the mound, in the middle of the order and at shortstop this spring.

Both RHP Zach Kempe (2021; uncommitted) and 3B/RHP Andrew Jimenez (2021; uncommitted) are top prospects in the Illinois’ junior class that saw time at the varsity level last season as sophomores. Kempe was in North’s starting rotation last season and started basically every big game in the playoffs last season outside of the State Championship game. Kempe has a compact, quick arm, lively fastball that touches the upper-80’s and a sharp, late-biting slider.  Jimenez represented Team Illinois at the PBR Future Games this past August and collected at least one hit in each of the three games he played in. Jimenez has an athletic, strong, 6-foot-3, 200-pound frame and high-level tools across the board. On the Future Games workout day Jimenez ran a 6.62 laser-timed 60, recorded a 100 mph exit velocity off a tee, and topped at 85 mph across the infield. Jimenez, like Kempe, was also in the starting rotation for North last season and is in line to be right back in there this spring, too. Both of these two talented juniors are integral core pieces to the success of St. Charles North.

Andrew Jimenez (7.31.19)

The talent doesn’t stop there for the Stars, as there are several other juniors that will occupy key roles for North. C Marco Torres (2021; uncommitted) is an athletic backstop with experience under his belt as North’s starter behind the plate last season. INF Kevin White (2021; uncommitted) is capable of playing multiple infield spots and saw varsity action as a sophomore last season, where he hit .316 with 20 RBIs and scored 15 runs as well. Newcomer Alex Najera (2021; uncommitted) is a speedy left-handed hitting outfielder with sneaky pop and could ultimately force his way into the everyday lineup. Eric Lee (2021; uncommitted) is a 6-foot-2, 165-pound, long-levered, right-handed pitcher who works from a low-¾ slot getting run and sink to his low-80’s fastball. Lee should see plenty of action out of the North Stars bullpen this spring.  

Given the upperclassman talent that the Stars have, we may not see as many sophomores contribute to this year’s team like we did with the 2019 squad. However, Jayden Lobliner (2022), mentioned above was called up to the varsity level last season and brings a versatile skill set. He’ll be in the mix for consistent playing time and it’s possible we see him carve a role out for himself as an everyday contributor. 

BOTTOM LINE

St. Charles North, from top to bottom, has one of the more complete rosters in Illinois. Their combination of experience, talent, and pedigree is what you want to see in a potential state championship contender. They’ll be battle-tested come playoff time as well, competing in a tough DuKane Conference, and they’re scheduled to play against several high-quality non-conference squads, too. 

Ultimately, the production they get from their junior class will be the key determinant as to how deep their playoff run will be this season. If everything clicks, this talented crop of 2021s could put St. Charles North right back to Joliet and propel them to their first-ever state championship, an overdue feat for an otherwise decorated program.

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

Find more information on the 2020 North Stars below:

+ Team Website
+ Team Schedule
+ Team Twitter

PBR ILLINOIS PRESEASON POWER 25