Preseason Power 25 Countdown: No. 12 St. Rita

March 9, 2017

By Drew Locascio
Illinois Scouting Director

The Illinois high school season kicks off on March 13, the first day for regular season games.

Over the next several weeks, leading up to opening day, we will be rolling out team previews of high school teams all across the state and across all classifications, eventually launching our Preseason Power 25.

We have been sending out our annual Preseason Questionnaire to coaches all across the state and as the responses flood in we will bring you a snapshot of what to expect along with top players and keys to success for that particular team.

Team: St. Rita
Preseason Rank: 12
2016 Record: 29-9
Conference: Chicago Catholic League - Blue
IHSA Class: 4A
Head Coach: Mike Zunica
Playoff Run: Lost to Brother Rice in the Sectionals
2016 Final Rank: 10
Returning Starters: 5 `
Returning Pitchers: 6

Top Players

Name	State	School	Class	Pos	Commitment
Killian O’Hanlon	IL	St. Rita	2017	RHP	Iowa Western CC
Steven Washilewski	IL	St. Rita	2017	LHP	Kansas
Colan Fitzgerald	IL	St. Rita	2017	OF
Matt Verdun	IL	St. Rita	2017	INF/RHP	Lewis University
Tyler Woynerowski	IL	St. Rita	2017	1B	Benedictine
Charlie Rodriguez	IL	St. Rita	2017	OF
Jake Zylman	IL	St. Rita	2018	C
Blake Soria	IL	St. Rita	2017	C
David Gleaves	IL	St. Rita	2018	OF
Logan Strutz	IL	St. Rita	2019	RHP
Jalen Greer	IL	St. Rita	2019	SS
Joseph Trezek	IL	St. Rita	2017	OF	Benedictine

KEY PLAYERS LOST
Cal Greenfield, C, 2017 (Florida) - Moved to Florida
Danny Gleaves, OF, 2016 (Michigan State)
Mateo Zunica, OF, 2016 (Kansas)
Dominic Sarro, SS, 2016 (Villanova)
Max Franklin, RHP, 2016 (Heartland CC)

X-FACTOR/STAT RAT
LHP Steven Washilewski (2017). Washilewski, a Kansas commit, is the top returning arm for the Mustangs and will be looked at as the ace of the staff. Last season Washilewski was named player of the week in early April after two impressive performances and two wins on the mound in one week. His stat line in the two starts were as follows: 5 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 5 K, BB and 7 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 10 K and 0 BB’s. For the week he threw 12 innings, struck out 15, gave up six hits, no earned runs, walked one and recorded two wins.

NEWCOMER TO WATCH
Junior catcher Jake Zylman. Zylman, got a little taste of varsity in the second half of 2016, mostly as a DH. This year he should be a key contributor in the middle of the order for the Mustangs. Zylman recently attended the Preseason All-State and was ranked the top catcher from the event. At the plate, he has present bat speed and made a lot of hard contact in BP.

Jake Zylman (2.19.17)

OUTLOOK
2017 marks Mike Zunica’s final season as the skipper for the Mustangs. Coach Zunica, who is set to retire following this spring, has been under the helm at St. Rita since 1997. Zunica currently sits at 607 wins in his career, good for No. 30 on the IHSA All-time wins list. St. Rita has been a perennial powerhouse under Coach Zunica and a mainstay at the top of the state rankings for more than a decade. Although the Mustangs graduated quality positional talent, which includes PBR All-State Selection OF Mateo Zunica, a Kansas commit and multiple Division I commits, they have a strong senior class and depth on the mound. Senior LHP Steven Washilewski should be the ace of the staff and accumulate a lot of wins behind a solid three-pitch mix and mid-80s fastball. Junior RHP Killian O’Hanlon who is coming off Tommy John is working his way back and has a chance to throw at some point this spring. O’Hanlon is a physical right-hander known for a firm, heavy fastball. Senior RHP Matt Verdun is undersized but has a live arm and sharp slider that gets a lot of swings-and-misses. Verdun also should be a valuable bat for the Mustangs. Sophomore RHP Logan Strutz may still be a year away from valuable varsity innings but he has a high upside and is one to keep an eye on moving forward. Offensively, they have a senior-laden lineup. Senior’s OF Colan Fitzgerald, INF Matt Verdun, 1B Tyler Woynerowski, OF Charlie Rodriguez, C Blake Soria and OF Joseph Trezek should all play a role in the lineup. The best hitter in the lineup may be junior C Jake Zylman who saw some time last year on varsity at the end of the season. Zylman is a physical right-handed hitter with bat speed and loose hands. Infielder Jalen Greer is a high-end sophomore who will be competing for a spot this spring. Greer, currently ranked No. 8 in the 2019 class, has advanced defensive actions and can handle the bat.

BOTTOM LINE
The Mustangs have a lot of senior leadership and plenty of pitching to make a run at the 4A state title. To do so, they will once again have to make their way through, year in and year out, the toughest sectional in state.

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

preseason countdown