The Illinois high school baseball season kicks off on March 11, opening day for regular season action under IHSA regulations. Over the next two weeks, leading up to opening day, we’ll be publishing our team previews ahead of the 2024 spring season, touching on programs spanning all state classifications, counting down through the official Prep Baseball 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 2024 preseason coverage continues today.

High School: Lake Park Lancers
Head Coach: Dan Colucci
Classification: 4A
Conference: DuKane
2023 Record (Finish): 23-14 (Regional Finals appearance)
Key Players Lost: Dan Rollins (Murray State), Bryan Bergman (Wisconsin-Parkside), Michael Christiansen

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ROSTER PREVIEW

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X-FACTOR

One of the biggest risers within our rankings over the last year has been INF Jayden Patel (2024; Parkland commit). Currently slotted at No. 54 in the state, the 6-foot-2, 161-pound prospect will look to be the corner stone in a very senior-heavy lineup. There's a lot to like with Patel, both with his current ability and future projection. The left-handed hitter has quality bat-to-balls skills that will make him a tough out each time he steps up to the plate, and there's also some sneaky pop in the bat, recording a max EV of 96 mph over the summer. He'll play a lockdown third base as well, boasting athletic actions with a well above-average arm (T90 mph). He saw some success a season ago, turning in a .270 batting average in 89 at-bats. If Patel can swing it the way he showed over the summer, he will certainly be the "X-Factor" that puts this squad over the hump. 

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NEWCOMERS TO WATCH

A couple new faces set to see some time on varsity this spring are C Chris Ray (2025) and UTIL Gavin O'Neil (2025).

Ray, a left-handed hitting backstop, has already earned some praise from Head Coach Dan Colucci, mentioning his work ethic to go along with his power potential from the left side. Also a quality receiver of the baseball with a clean catch/throw operation, Ray will provide valuable depth behind the dish.

O'Neil brings all sorts of versatility to the table, with the ability to pitch, play the outfield, and even hop over to first base. He has a high-upside frame at 6-foot-3, 175-pounds, and he's an above-average athlete with a bright future ahead of him.

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TEAM OUTLOOK

The first thing that stands out when looking at Lake Park's roster is the amount of seniors they have committed to play at the next level. Senior leadership and experience is always a plus, but having that experience paired with next-level ability makes them even more dangerous. 

They have a strong core of starting pitching, with names like LHP Dylan Bergman (2024), LHP Lewis Slade (2024; Southwestern Illinois JC commit), RHP Sebastian Alvarez (2024; Oakton commit), RHP Joe Cicero (2024; Carthage commit), RHP Jake Adcock (2024) and RHP Carter Simmons (2024; Kishwaukee commit). 

Slade, a 6-foot-1, 184-pound southpaw, comes in as the No. 238 ranked player in the state. Coming off a strong summer circuit that included a stop in Rantoul for the Illinois State Games, Slade has a fastball that cruises in the 80-83 mph range, setting up a sweeping curveball and fading changeup. Slade has 44.1 innings under his belt from last spring, also boasting a 4-1 record with a 2.53 ERA, 52 strikeouts and only 23 walks. 

Bergman is another southpaw that should be fun to watch this spring, coming off a '23 season that saw him go 4-1 with one save in 50.1 innings, striking out 54 against 14 walks with a 2.65 ERA.

Alvarez returns quite a bit of innings himself, having thrown 33 last season with a 2.97 ERA and 24 strikeouts. 

Cicero, Adcock and Simmons are a trio of quality arms the Lancers will have at their disposal this spring, adding highly valuable depth to their rotation - with Cicero returning 21 innings, Adcock returning 19.2 innings and a 3.20 ERA, and Simmons looking like a quality new piece to the staff. 

RHP Jack Saylor (2024), RHP Jacob Folkes, LHP James Kelley and RHP Jason Keefe (2025) will help make up the stable of arms the Lancers have in the 'pen.

Lake Park returns all four of their starting infielders from last year in the aforementioned Patel, 1B Jacob Folkes (2024; Oakton commit), 2B Ryan Colucci (2024; Southwestern Illinois JC commit) and SS Derek Ittner (2024; Illinois Wesleyan commit).

Colucci and Ittner help make up the dynamic duo up the middle, and they are both going to be key pieces not only with the glove, but also the bat. 

Colucci is currently the No. 175 ranked player in the state, and he is an intriuing prospect in his own right. He's added noticeable strength to his frame over the last year, and he's starting to show some power potential in his right-handed stroke. Colucci is also a quality defender on the infield with soft hands and range to both sides of his glove, showing off a strong arm in workouts (T86 mph). He's one of the top returners to the Lancers this spring, turning in a highly impressive .345 batting average in 110 at-bats last season with 11 doubles, three triples, two home runs, 26 RBIs and 19 runs scored. 

Ittner, the No. 166 ranked player in the state, has an impressive set of tools that he brings to the table. A 6.88 runner in the 60, his athleticism helps him in the infield with easy range and a quick first step, and also helps him leg out extra bases or swipe an extra 90 feet when needed. The right-handed hitter will also be a top returning bat for the Lancers, as he hit an eye-opening .391 last season in 87 at-bats to go along with four doubles, five triples, 17 RBIs, 34 runs scored and 20 stolen bases. 

Folkes returns a .291 batting average in 86 at-bats from last spring, and he'll also be a reliable defender at first base. 

The Lancers will have recent Harper commit Gustavo Vivas (2024) behind the plate, and he brings back a year a varsity experience that will help manage the pitching staff. 

The Lake Park outfield will have some familiar faces as well, with Brayden Clancy (2024; Harper commit), Daniel Dellaria (2024; Oakton commit), James Kelley (2024; Harper commit) and the aforementioned Keefe. 

Dellaria will be yet another quality stick in the lineup, bringing back a .300 average in 80 at-bats with 12 RBIs and 21 runs scored. 

Likely filling out the DH position will be Christian Deshazer (2024; Saint Xavier), who returns a .279 average in 43 at-bats with five doubles and one home run. 

Bottom Line

Overall, the Lancers are extremely deep with a plethora of players going on to play in college. There are really no weak spots on paper, as their rotation goes plenty deep, their bullpen has quality arms, and their lineup returns most of the imact bats from a season ago. You can also always count on the Lancers to be well coached, with IHSBCA Hall of Fame inductee Dan Colucci at the helm. When piecing all of this together, you get a dangerous team that you really don't want to face come playoff time. 

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Find more information on the 2024 Lake Park program below:

+ Follow them on X: @LPBaseball2023
+ Visit the Prep Baseball Illinois Preseason Power 25 homepage

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