The IHSA Postseason is in full swing. Class 2A and 1A are down to the Final 4 while the Sectional field is set for the 4A and 3A tournaments. With a clearer picture of the bracket, our scout's sat down to give their takes on the 2018 IHSA Postseason. See what Steve Nielsen (Wisconsin/Illinois Scout Supervisor), Drew Locascio (Illinois Director of Scouting), Phil Kerber (Assoc. Scout/JUCO Wire), and Adam Panayotovich (Area Scout) had to say.

Roundtable Discussion

Biggest Surprise? Most surprising team left.

Steve Nielsen: Marmion has had to play the most games of any other surviving 4A team to get to this point. As a 13 seeded team in the Bartlett Sectional the Cadets are the only team that had to get past a regional quarterfinal game, and they barely did, 2-1 over Schaumburg thanks to a bottom of the sixth RBI double by Bryce Burton. Marmion entered the playoffs with a sub .500 record and had to win three games in five days to get to this point. On top of that it's their first 4A Regional Title in school history.

Drew Locascio: 4A Maine West. The Warriors knocked off Oak Park-River Forest to take home the Regional Championship by a score of 3-2. The Warriors entered the game with a sub-.500 record and were facing an OPRF squad that was 21-7 and ranked No. 22 in the Power 25. On top of that, they were facing RHP Griffin Holderfield, a Creighton commit, who runs his fastball into the low-90’s with one of the best sliders in the 2019 class. Despite striking out 10 times Maine West got five hits off of Holderfield and scored three unearned runs. Matty Mustari went 5+ strong innings in the win.

Phil Kerber: 4A - St. Viator. Viator ended their season with a doubleheader loss to a highly regarded Moline team. In the process the Lions lost senior pitcher and right fielder Bryce Hellgeth (Dayton commit) for their first playoff game, due to suspension. Hellgeth, at the time, was slated to be the starting pitcher for St. Viator’s opening Regional game. With Hellgeth out, Coach Manno had to go with the No. 1 ranked 2020 in IL, RHP Jack Mahoney (South Carolina commit), against Prospect and come back with Hellgeth against Mundelein. The move worked, I am sure it was not how Coach Manno had drawn it up, but the Lions pulled off an incredible extra inning upset victory over Mundelein in the Regional Championship (Game Story), booking them a date with another juggernaut of the North, the Libertyville Wildcats.

The entire Bartlett Sectional has to be viewed as a surprise, the remaining seeds are #6 Willowbrook, #7 Glenbard East , #8 Lake Park, and #13 Marmion Academy. Whoever makes it out of this sectional will be playing with house money.

Adam Panayotovich: 4A - St. Rita. The Mustangs did not have the record that they wished on the year finishing a mere 5-10 in a tough Chicago Catholic League Blue conference. In their first matchup in post-season play, the Mustangs survived an upset scare coming back to defeat DeLaSalle 3-2 in the Regional Semifinal. Tied 2-2 in the bottom of the 7th inning, Brendan Carrane delivered the 2-out game winning single setting up a Regional Final against Lyons Township. The Mustangs faced off against one of one of the top Junior arms in the 2019 class, Grant Leader (University of Illinois commit). The Mustangs won the matchup 3-1 upending a Lyons team that had plenty upside heading into the playoffs. Leader finished with eight strikeouts on the day allowing two runs, one earned in 6.2 innings of work. St. Rita’s junior workhorse Diego Koval earned the victory on the mound going the distance scattering seven hits and striking out four. After being crowned Regional Champs, the Mustangs will face another daunting task squaring off against conference rival Brother Rice Thursday afternoon at St. Laurence.

Biggest disappointment? Most shocking team to lose/team with high expectations that faltered.:

Steve Nielsen: I’m not sure you can call it a disappointment, but Edwardsville is the highest ranked Power 25 team in the state, not to make it out of the regionals. They were the Preseason No. 8 team in the state coming off of a 2017 state runner-up finish. The Tigers are a perennial favorite to come out of the Metro East area, unfortunately for them, so is O’Fallon, the current No. 1 team in the state. Last year the pair met up in the Sectional Semis with Edwardsville coming out on top, this year the seeds dictated a Regional Final encounter with the Tigers on the wrong side of it.  

Drew Locascio: St. Charles North. The North Stars, the No. 1 seed in the Bartlett Sectional, looked ready to make a serious run at making state for the second time in three years (3rd place in 2016) but were upended by Lake Park 3-2 in the Regional Championship. St. Charles North had two senior left-handed pitchers to lean on, quality relievers and a well-rounded lineup capable of scoring in a number of different ways. Nevertheless, it was another quality season for Coach Genke and the North Stars who won 24 games. That is now five seasons in a row with at least 23 wins on the season.

Phil Kerber: Moline. Coming out of the Metro East Classic, the Maroons were one of the big winners. They took down, at the time, No. 1 ranked Joliet Catholic in a thrilling 3-1 win to end the Classic. Moline then rolled through the regular season with a 29-7 record, getting the #1 seed in the Bloomington (Illinois Wesleyan U.) Sectional. With SS Brody Harding (Illinois commit), OF Nick Drobushevich (Northern Illinois commit), OF Eric Maffie, and 3B Michael Conner, the Maroons had as potent an offense as any in the sectional. The Maroons took care of business in their opening game against Danville, winning 8-4, but would meet a formidable opponent in Bradley-Bourbonnais who had advanced by upsetting Minooka 5-2. Bradley-Bourbonnais pulled off the upset once more, taking down Moline 4-2 in the Regional Final.

Adam Panayotovich: 4A - New Trier. Coming off a year where the Trevians lost in the State Semifinal game to the eventual champ Crystal Lake South, New Trier wrapped up the 17’-18’ season never falling out of the Power 25. Garnering the No. 2 ranking in the Wilmette Sectional, the Trevians cruised past Whitney Young in the Regional Semi’s in 11-1 fashion, setting up for a Final against No. 7 Lane Tech. New Trier grabbed the early 2-0 lead in the first, but saw a big 5-run sixth inning from Lane that eventually led to a 7-3 defeat. All that being said, New Trier had an admirable season finishing the year 22-10 entering the playoffs garnering second place in the Central Suburban South conference. 

Top Players to see their season’s end early?

Steve Nielsen: Not that we were expecting Maine East to make a deep run, but it would have been nice to see LHP Antoine Kelly get another crack on the mound after what he did in the Regional Semi-Finals against Oak Park. Kelly has been an enigma of sorts to pro scouts this year and is currently ranked No. 16 in Illinois’ 2018 class. In a 2-0 loss to Oak Park-River Forest, Kelly had absolutely electric stuff reaching 95 mph, and put a lasting final impression in the minds of scouts in attendance for his last outing. For some it rivaled one of the best high school pitching performances they’ve seen.

Drew Locascio: One of the hottest position players in the state the last half of the season was Homewood-Flossmoor outfielder Zaid Walker, a Michigan State commit. Walker, the No. 2 ranked player in the Illinois’ 2018 class put up gaudy numbers since April 30th and was selected as the PBR Player of the Week in the middle of May. From April 30th until May 16th, Walker hit nine home runs and has drove in 28. For me personally, I was not able to get a look at Walker this spring and was hoping to get to see him later in the postseason.

Phil Kerber: One of the more cruel matchups in the 4A Regional Championships came in the form of Providence Catholic v. Sandburg. Providence Catholic OF Dakota Kotowski (Missouri St. commit) or Sandburg SS Branden Comia (Illinois commit) were going to see one of their prep careers end, while the other lived to fight another day. The star players have experienced wildly successful prep careers, and it would have been a joy to see both make deeper runs into the tournament. On Saturday afternoon, Comia’s Sandburg defeated Kotowski’s Providence Catholic in walk-off fashion, 8-7. Kotowski did go out with a bang though, blasting a home run that went roughly 500 feet (by eye witness accounts). At 6-foot-5, 230-pounds, the power hitting corner outfielder now sets his sights on Missouri State, where he will no doubt send a few more balls into orbit.

Adam Panayotovich: Marian Catholic’s glut of young talent. Coming off a 17-16 record entering the playoffs, the Spartan’s earned the 10th seed in the Lockport Sectional leading to a matchup with 7th seeded Lincoln-Way Central. Marian went down 2-0 early, made a 2-2 comeback in the fourth, but saw four-run fifth from Central eventually sour their season losing 7-2 in the Regional Semi’s. There is plenty of upside for the Spartans moving onto next season. They will be led by four 2019’s those being: Pierce Jones (Ranked No. 54 in class, All-Conf. Selection), Cameron Bufford (All-Conf. Selection), Michael Bohlen (No. 171 in class, Northern Kentucky commit) and Angelo Cantelo (No. 161 in class, Co-Defensive Player of the Year, All-Conf. Selection). 2020 prospect Aidan Stewart (No. 28 in class) is an athletic middle infielder that will have an immediate impact next season. Most impressively, the Spartans have two freshman that saw ample playing time this season in Tyler Fullman (No. 96 in class) and Eddie King (Louisville commit). Fullman saw time at third base and might be more poised to see a myriad of innings on the mound next year. King is a lengthy, athletic outfielder who should be a mainstay at the top of the order for Marian Catholic in the next three seasons.

Team poised to make a run?

Steve Nielsen: Joliet Catholic is 30-5 on the year and probably plays the heaviest 4A schedule of any remaining 3A team, all with the goal of getting ready for this point of the season. The last time I saw the Hilltoppers this season they looked hungry, focused and talented, a combination that should get them far in the 3A bracket. However, looking ahead at their possible road, the Hilltoppers may have it tougher than most years in 3A. A potential Sectional Championship matchup with Coal City would likely match them up with sophomore LHP Payton Hutchings who has seemed to strikeout everybody this season, including 14 more in his Regional Title win over Manteno. Also, the other two 3A teams in our Power 25, Chatham-Glenwood and Columbia are still alive and well and could set a State Semi-Final date with either one. No bias here.

Drew Locascio: This may come as an obvious pick but O’Fallon, our No. 1 team in the Power 25, is a clear pick to come out of the Illinois Wesleyan Sectional. The Panthers may have already knocked off their toughest adversary in Edwardsville 6-5 (finished 2nd in 4A last season) in the Regional Championship game. O’Fallon has two horses on the mound in Hayden Juenger (Missouri State commit) and Brayden Arnold (Maryville commit) with plenty of depth behind them. Josh Gibson is the catalyst of the offense and also captains one of the best infield defenses in the state, at shortstop. Arnold and Juenger are also a force with the bat along with Matthew Albritton, Quinn Lowery, Nick Boone and others. The Panthers have Belleville East up next in the Sectional Semifinals which will be anything but easy. East, behind left-handers, Ryan Culley and Ben Cruikshank, has not given up a run yet in the postseason.

Phil Kerber: I personally spent a lot of time in the North, Northwest suburbs seeing just about every team. One team that stood out was Libertyville. To me, they are about as complete of a team as you will come across even with the devastating loss of RHP Riley Gowens (Illinois commit). You have Colin Fields (Valparaiso commit) now taking command of the pitching staff. Gowens has previously been seen up to 94 mph, sitting 89-92, and Fields can run it up to 88-89. In the field and at the plate, the Wildcats have OF Nick Angel (Dayton commit), INF Tim Jean (Heartland commit), and UTL Andrew Kim (Illinois commit), along with a slew of others who contribute. They have the arms to shut down any team in state and enough fire power at the plate to put up a lot of runs. With Mundelein out of the picture, Libertyville now has a slightly easier path (St. Viator and Jack Mahoney may have something to say about that and a date with Buffalo Grove/Warren) to Joliet.

Adam Panayotovich: Winner of No. 1 Lincoln-Way East (28-5) and No. 4 Sandburg (25-6). Spending most of my time in the south suburbs of Chicago, Lincoln-Way East and Sandburg were two teams that showed promise moving into the State Playoffs. Both teams have pitching depth with potency within their perspective lineups. The two teams will face off in the Sectional Semi’s in the Lockport bracket. Sandburg is coming off a hot finish to the season claiming the annual Bajenski Tournament crown. This Sandburg team is loaded with Senior talent lead by offensive catalyst Branden Comia (Illinois commit). Ryan Hampe (Illinois-Chicago commit), Evan Tenuta (Notre Dame), Andrew Tenison (Lewis commit) and Seth Masters (Illinois-Springfield commit) all bring leadership to a strong offensive lineup as well as two of the top right-handed pitchers in the state in Tenuta and Comia. After losing senior Louisville commit Danny Zimmerman early in the season, Lincoln-Way East came into the playoffs hot finishing the season with a three-game winning streak. LWE has a trio of Senior bats in Julian Everett (Lewis commit), Brandon Petkoff (Texas A&M Corpus Christi) and John Slager to help carry their two top Junior arms in lefty ace Cole Kirschsieper (Illinois commit) and righty Brandon Laux (Houston commit). Junior shortstop Ryan Ritter is a gritty, athletic short stop to keep an eye on as well. Whoever claims the victory on Wednesday should have plenty of momentum moving into the Sectional Championship game.

Who is your Dark Horse pick?

Steve Nielsen: St. Viator is the reigning 3A State Champs, and have moved to 4A this year. They are a playoff tested group that has already knocked off the No. 17 team in the state in Mundelein, so why not St. Viator again?

Drew Locascio: 3A Rochester. Not sure you can call them a dark horse since they earned the  No. 1 seed in the Decatur Sectional but looking at the Sectional it is one of the toughest on paper. Rochester has their work cut out for them if they make it to a Super-Sectional. Besides Rochester, who is currently 25-6, there are four teams left; Effingham (25-5), Mt. Zion (26-4) and No. 18 Glenwood (30-6-1). In the Sectional Semifinal Rochester gets Effingham and most likely the right arm of Zachary Lee (Kentucky commit). If they can get past Effingham they would take on the winner Mt. Zion vs. Glenwood in the Sectional Final game. The road

Rochester is led on the mound by 2020 RHP Drew Henrikson and 2019 LHP Cameron Edmonson. Both run their fastball’s into the mid-80’s and have swing-and-miss secondary offerings. Defensively, they are as solid as it gets on the infield with C Ben Chapman, 3B Nic Baker, SS Jayden Reed, 2B Jayden Myren and 1B Jackson Mendenhall.

Phil Kerber: Prairie Ridge (18-14). The Wolves, a No. 6 seed, are the lowest remaining seed in the 3A State Tournament, and have already made some noise making it past Lakes Community the Regional Final. Prairie Ridge has a trio of 2019s that deserve keeping an eye on. C Alex Powers and C Ben Harris split time as C/DH, both have shown advanced catch and throw abilities behind the plate in addition to making an offensive impact in the lineup. Leadoff man OF Dominic Listi is a pesky batter, staying alive in counts, using a line drive approach and his speed to get on.

Adam Panayotovich: 4A Normal West (23-14). The Wildcats are coming off a hot end to their winning 6 of their last 7 games entering the playoff. The Wildcats have a trio of arms that have showed well all season long. McCade Brown (Indiana commit) has put up ridiculous numbers striking out 115 in 54 innings of work with a 1.29 ERA and a 7-1 record. The 6-foot-6 righty can push his fastball up to 90 mph with capable secondary offerings. Fellow hurlers Austin Collinson and will Will Kafer combined for a 10-3 record with 98 total innings and a sub three earned run average. Offensively the Wildcats are led by Ben Smith (Kankakee CC commit) who is hitting a sizzling .467 with 8 doubles and 27 RBI on the year. Jacob Marti (Heartland CC commit) is slashing .400 with 7 doubles, 5 home runs, 28 RBI and 35 R. The Wildcats face off with Bradley Bourbonnais on Wednesday. With the victory, Normal West would go toe to toe with the winner of O’Fallon/Belleville East in the Sectional Championship Saturday.

Who will win the 4A/3A/2A/1A Final?

Steve Nielsen: 4A - Neuqua Valley, 3A Joliet Catholic, 2A - Hall Township, 1A - Goreville

Drew Locascio: 4A - I chose Neuqua Valley in my predictions story from last week, so no changing my mind now. 3A Joliet Catholic. 2A I am picking Teutopolis to repeat. 1A - Aurora Christian.

Phil Kerber: 4A: Andrew, 3A: Columbia, 2A: Teutopolis, 1A: Valmeyer

Adam Panayotovich: 4A: Mount Carmel 3A: Chatham-Glenwood 2A: Teutopolis 1A: Aurora Christian

IHSA Postseason Schedule

RELATED CONTENT