By Sean Duncan
Executive Director

Leading up to the start of the high school season, we will count down the top 75 preseason teams every day as part of our comprehensive season coverage:

Team: Homewood-Flossmoor
Preseason Rank: 27
2013 Record: 17-14
Conference: Southwest Suburban Red
IHSA Class: 4A
Head Coach: Todd Sippel
Playoff Run: Lost in First Round
2013 Final Rank: Not Ranked

Returning Starters: 5
Returning Pitchers: 5

TOP PLAYERS
Jeremy Orbik, RHP, 2015 (Kentucky)
Jesse Forestell, C, 2015
Kendall King, SS, 2014 (Western Illinois)
Quincy Jones, OF, 2014 (Wabash Valley JC)
James Sheehan, 1B/RHP, 2015
Isaac Cutrara, 3B/RHP, 2014
Malcolm Grady, RHP, 2015

X-FACTOR
Jesse Forestell. The 6-foot, 195-pound catcher is one of the premier left-handed hitters in the 2015 class. He proved that last season when he led the Vikings in hitting with a .485 batting average, 26 RBI and 49 hits as a sophomore. He is also a rock-solid receiver behind the plate.

NEWCOMER TO WATCH
Bryce Gray, C/3B, 2016. A high-level catching prospect, Gray will have to wait his turn behind Forestell, but his bat should figure into the lineup sooner rather than later.

STAT RAT
As a sophomore, the 6-foot-2, 170-pound Jeremy Orbik struck out 35 in 28 innings last spring. The Kentucky recruit finished with a 2-4 record and a 4.50 ERA.

OUTLOOK
The Vikings should be one of the bigger sleepers this year, as they have young but experienced talent all over the field. Coach Todd Sippel welcomes back five starters and five pitchers, with a host of arms waiting in the wings. Catcher Jesse Forestell and RHP Jeremy Orbik are both ranked in the top 25 in Illinois’ 2015 class, and junior RHP Malcolm Grady is another ranked junior. H-F is especially strong up the middle, anchored by Forestell, SS Kendall King and OF Quincy Jones. King is a Western Illinois recruit who batted .345 last spring. Look for junior James Sheehan to make an impact on the mound and at the plate this season, and 3B/RHP Isaac Cutrara also returns.

BOTTOM LINE
In the extremely tough Southwest Suburban Conference, the Vikings haven’t played a major factor in the league race. That should change this year, though with all the junior talent on their roster, they may be a year away from making some serious noise. Either way, the Vikings have the pitching depth and returning talent to be a player this season.

Make sure you follow @PBRillinois on Twitter for complete Illinois high school baseball coverage throughout the season.

Season Countdown

+ Preseason Team Rankings

+ Updated Illinois 2015 Player Rankings

+ Updated Illinois 2014 Player Rankings

+ June Event Schedule