Weekly Diamond Notes

Zaid Walker (Homewood-Flossmoor; Michigan State) was named our latest PBR Illinois Player of the Week on Wednesday for his monstrous performance at the plate. Walker slugged six homer and drove in 18 runs for the Vikings last week

Each week, we’ll acknowledge some of the best performers who fell just short of being named the Player of the Week. Let’s take a look at the latest edition of Diamond Notes in the section below. There was tons of action last week which made for some memorable performances. Here’s a look at some of the most notable.

Week 8 Performances

Austin Biehl, SS, Mahomet-Seymour, 2018
Mahomet-Seymour’s senior shortstop had an enormous week at the plate. Biehl went 12-for-22 and five of those hits were of the extra-base variety, including four home runs. He drove in 12 runs and scored 13 times in six games last week. He also made one start and earned the win, tossing six innings and allowing just one run on seven scattered hits, one walk, and he struck out nine.

Antoine Kelly, LHP, Maine East, 2018
Antoine threw another gem last Saturday for Maine East. He pitched a complete game, one-hit shutout in East’s 4-0 win over Glenbrook South. The lone hit came with two outs in the 7th inning to break up the no-hitter. Kelly also walked just one batter and struck out 15 in the game. In 20 innings pitched over his last three starts, he has not allowed any runs (2-0 win over Maine South; six-inning no decision against New Trier; and a this most recent 4-0 win over Glenbrook South). He now has 84 strikeouts in just 36 innings pitched in 2018.

Quinten Albrecht, C, Waterloo, 2018
The Wichita State-committed catcher put together a great week for his Waterloo high school in which he went 10-for-15, scoring eight runs and driving in seven himself. He mashed three doubles and a homer and walked five times, too. The left-handed hitting Albrecht has been one of his team’s offensive forces all spring long.

Ryan Rhoda, RHP, Prairie Central, 2019
Rhoda was a close contender for this past week’s Player of the Week award for his two near-immaculate starts he had last week against Illinois Valley Central and St. Thomas More. In the start against the Grey Ghosts, the junior righty pitched a complete game and allowed just one run, struck out 10, and walked none to life Prairie Central to the 4-1 win. Against St. Thomas More, Rhoda got his no-hitter this time. He struck out nine more batters in that win and also accounted for two runs of his own on a home run. The win clinched Prairie Central a share of the Illini Prairie Conference crown.

Ryan Hampe, C, Sandburg, 2018
Sandburg looked great last week, winning both of its games with Lockport and its Friday meeting with Marian Catholic, and Hampe was at the center of the action. Their senior catcher went 7-for-12 and smacked three doubles and two homers in the three games. He also drove in nine runs and scored couple times. Hampe and the Eagles won those three games by a combined score of 29-5 and are getting hot at the right time, just before the postseason begins.

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