Prep Baseball Report 2011 All-State Teams

By Sean Duncan

Another high school season is in the books, which means we bring to you the seventh-annual Prep Baseball Report All-State Teams. It wasn’t the easiest of years to produce big numbers, but our list of standouts delivered in big ways for their respective schools.

Providence Catholic 3B Sam Travis heads the All-State team after earning the PBR 2011 Player of the Year honors. Full feature stories of all the entire first team will be published in the new Prep Baseball Report magazine, which will be out next week.  The 2011 All-State magazine also celebrates the state champions, Lyons Township, Kaneland and two-time 2A champion Teutopolis, along with final top 25 team rankings, expanded and updated player rankings from the 2011, 2012 and 2013 classes, and much more. Click Here to subscribe to the Prep Baseball Report magazine.

A look at the 2011 All-State Teams:

First Team All-State

LHP - Derek Thompson, Teutopolis HS, Senior
The 6-foot-4 left-hander pitched the Wooden Shoes to their second straight Class 2A championship. Drafted in the 29^th round, Thompson was arguably the state’s most dominant pitcher. In 62.1 innings, he allowed only one earned run, finishing with a 0.11 ERA. He struck out 112 and walked only 7 while posting an 11-0 record.  Signed at John A. Logan JC.

RHP – Connor Cuff, Lyons Township HS, Senior
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Cuff was perfect in two varsity seasons, going 19-0. He capped off his incredible senior season with a complete-game victory over Providence in the Class 4A championship game. Cuff finished the season with an 11-0 record, 1.02 ERA and 96 Ks to 14 walks in 69 innings. Signed at the University of Pennsylvania.

RHP – Kyle Funkhouser, Oak Forest HS, Junior
The 6-foot-3 Funkhouser dominated the competition this spring as he helped lead a young Bengals team to a runner-up finish in Class 3A. Funkhouser went 12-0 with a 0.84 ERA while striking out 134 to 25 walks in 82.2 innings. Funkhouser is 21-1 in two varsity seasons. Verbally committed to Louisville.

C – Dan Potempa, Providence Catholic HS, Senior
The 6-foot, 200-pound Potempa served as the cleanup hitter for the powerful Celtics. Potempa certainly delivered, too. He finished with a .471 BA, 9 homers, 14 doubles and 46 RBI while hitting behind Player of the Year Sam Travis. Signed at Central Iowa CC.

1B – Tony Rallo, St. Charles East HS, Senior
The 6-foot-2, 215-pound left-handed hitter broke the Saints’ single-season home run record with 14. He also tallied 60 RBI, 5 doubles and 35 runs while batting .488. Signed at Judson University.

2B – Kevin DeFilippis, Providence Catholic HS, Senior
The 6-foot, 170-pound DeFilippis was the consummate table-setter for the Celtics. He tallied 52 runs, 62 hits, 13 doubles, 3 home runs, 31 RBI and 25 stolen bases while playing a sterling second base. Signed at Notre Dame.

SS – Michael Vilardo, Cary-Grove HS, Senior
Vilardo started the season on a terror and never cooled down. The 6-foot, 175-pounder finished with 15 home runs, 57 RBI, 50 runs scored, 30 stolen bases and a .436 BA for the Trojans. Signed at the University of Richmond.

3B – Sam Travis, Providence Catholic HS, Senior
The PBR Player of the Year, Travis produced one of the most statistically impressive seasons in recent memory. He finished with 17 home runs, 17 doubles, 75 RBI and 53 runs scored. He batted .504 with a 1.023 slugging percentage. Travis was drafted in the 40^th round by the Reds. Signed at Indiana University.

OF – Chris Sujka, Mount Carmel HS, Senior
Also the star quarterback of the school’s vaunted football program, Sujka was the offensive catalyst for the Caravan, who took fourth in Class 4A. He tied the school record with 12 home runs, in addition to tallying 8 doubles, 41 RBI and 52 runs scored. Signed at Indiana University.

OF – Tim Barry, Oak Forest HS, Senior
The powerful 6-foot, 205-pound Barry became the state’s all-time leader in home runs and RBI this season after he finished his decorated career with 12 home runs, 9 doubles, 32 RBI and 38 runs. Barry also became the only four-time All-State selection. Signed at Kansas State.

OF – Charlie Tilson, New Trier HS, Senior
The 6-foot, 175-pound Tilson was selected in the second round of the MLB Draft by the Cardinals. The extremely athletic left-handed hitter finished with 42 runs, 29 stolen bases, 22 RBI and 30 walks while batting .406 as the Trevians’ leadoff man. Tilson also played a top-level centerfield. Signed at the University of Illinois.

UTILITY – Jack Landwehr, Prospect HS, Junior
The two-way standout led the Knights to their first state trophy, finishing third in Class 4A. The 6-foot right-hander shattered the school’s pitching records, as he went 14-2 with 114 strikeouts to only 11 walks in 85.1 innings. At the plate, the third baseman batted .443 with 14 doubles, 3 homers and 45 RBI.

Second Team All-State

RHP – Phil Maton, Glenwood HS, Senior
A two-time All-State selection, Maton finished his stellar career with a 10-2 record and a 0.58 ERA. In 72.1 innings, he struck out 92, allowed 33 hits and walked only 14. The 6-2 right-hander, who went 11-0 as a junior, also hit 8 HRs and drove in 31. Signed at Louisiana Tech.

 

RHP – Matt James, Normal West HS, Sophomore
Only a sophomore, James did it all for the Wildcats in leading them to the sectional finals. He posted a 9-1 record, which included six shutouts, one no-hitter and seven complete games. He finished with a 0.62 ERA, striking out 107 to 8 walks in 67.1 innings.

 

LHP – Wes Benjamin, St. Charles East HS, Senior
A two-time second-team All-State pick, Benjamin was once again lights out for the Saints. After going 12-2 as a junior, Benjamin posted a 10-2 record with a 1.57 ERA. In 71 IP, he struck out 94 and walked 17. Drafted in the 48th round by the Yankees. Signed at Kansas.

 

C – Derek Repking, Teutopolis HS, Senior
Known as one of the state’s best defensive catchers, Repking produced big numbers for the two-time defending 2A champs. He finished with a .515 BA that included 17 doubles, 6 HRs, 4 triples, 58 runs, 53 hits, and 32 RBI. Signed at John A. Logan JC.

 

1B – Sam Kint, Mount Carmel HS, Junior
The 6-5, 235-pound junior enjoyed a monster first varsity season. The right-handed hitter tied the school record with 12 home runs while helping the Caravan to a 4A fourth-place finish. He also tallied 53 RBI, 53 hits, 40 runs, 6 doubles while batting .442.

SS – Spencer Mahoney, Lyons Township HS, Senior
The 6-4 left-handed hitter was the offensive catalyst for the 4A state champs. The 3-year starter finished with 21 doubles and 3 triples. The leadoff man tallied 61 hits, scored 49  runs and batted .453 while playing stellar defense. Signed at Valparaiso University.

SS – Michael Barajas, Nazareth Academy HS, Senior
As a 4-year varsity starter, Barajas is well-known for his defensive prowess. This year, Barajas showed off his power at the plate, too. He led Nazareth to a fourth-place finish in 3A by hitting 11 HRs, 51 RBI, 50 hits, and a .403 average. Signed at Lewis.

3B – Keelin Rasch, Harrisburg HS, Senior
A two-time All-State pick, Rasch is a top-level defender who once again raked at the plate. The leadoff hitter finished with a .440 average, 48 runs, 10 doubles, 8 HRs, 33 RBI, and 13 SBs. Drafted by the Braves in the 41st round. Signed at John A. Logan JC.

OF – Caleb Howell, Jacksonville HS, Senior
The speedy left-handed hitter broke all sorts of records in his decorated four-year career. This spring he batted .519 with 55 hits, 16 doubles, 5 triples, 3 HRs, 26 RBI and 35 runs. He stole 25 of 26 bases, and 74 in his career. Signed at Eastern Illinois University.

OF – Dontrell Rush, Harlan HS, Senior
One of the state’s best athletes, Rush helped lead Harlan to a Chicago Public League championship by hitting .488 with 11 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, 31 RBI, 46 runs scored and 15 stolen bases. Drafted by White Sox in 48th round. Signed at John A. Logan JC.

OF – Kyle Wood, St. Laurence HS, Senior
A two-time All-State pick and a four-year standout, the left-handed hitting Wood was the offensive leader for the Vikings. He batted .476 with a .939 slugging percentage. He tallied 12 doubles, 4 triples, 6 HRs, 43 runs and 31 RBI. Signed at Purdue University.

UTILITY – Jake Junis, Rock Falls HS, Senior
A 4-year two-way standout, Junis once again produced big numbers. He batted .485 with 10 HRs, 10 doubles, 52 RBI and a .651 OBP. On the mound, he went 8-1 with a 1.11 ERA and 85 Ks in 50 IP. Drafted by the Royals in the 29th round. Signed at North Carolina State.

Third Team All-State

LHP/RHP – Ryan Perez, Westminster Christian HS, Junior
A rare talent, the junior throws equally well from the left and right side. From either side, he is a strikeout machine, racking up 143 Ks to 23 walks in 66 IP. He finished with a 9-1 record and 3 saves. The 3-year standout posted a 1.38 ERA and a 0.59 WHIP.

RHP – Alex Hermeling, Glenbrook North HS, Senior
The 6-6 Hermeling served as the shutdown ace in the No. 5 Spartans’ supersectional run. He posted a 9-1 record with a 1.72 ERA. In 61 innings, he struck out 92, walked 22, and yielded 31 hits. Drafted by the Dodgers in the 43rd round. Signed at Louisiana Lafayette.

RHP – John Kravetz, Mount Carmel HS, Senior
The 6-2 Kravetz was the Caravan’s big-game pitcher during their run to a fourth-place finish in 4A. His 11-4 record included a no-hitter in the playoffs. He finished with 89 strikeouts to 16 walks in 84 IP, and a 2.06 ERA against top competition. Signed at Illinois.

RHP – Zach Remijas, Lyons Township HS, Senior
The 5-11, 150-pound senior was unbeatable during the Lions’ run to the state title. He finished with an 11-0 record and a 0.55 ERA. He yielded only 6 earned runs and 41 hits all season, and struck out 63 to 15 walks in 63.1 IP. Remijas is not pitching in college.

C – Austin Bossart, O’Fallon HS, Senior
A top-level defensive catcher with a plus arm, Bossart also delivered at the plate this season. He finished with a .455 average, a .516 OBP, 14 doubles, 1 triple and 4 homers. He drove in 38 runs, had 50 hits and scored 35 times. Signed at Penn.

1B – Brian Rodemoyer, Lyons Township HS, Senior
The 6-3, 215-pound Rodemoyer provided the thump in the middle of the Lions’ balanced attach. He led the 4A state champions in homers (10) and RBI (45), in addition to tallying 12 doubles, 48 hits, 34 runs and a .417 batting average. Signed at Illinois State.

SS – Zach Soria, St. Rita HS, Junior
Whether playing shortstop or catching, the junior always delivered steady defense and big numbers. Soria was the offensive leader for the Mustangs, fininishing with a .476 BA, 18 doubles, 4 HRs, 40 RBI, 51 runs, a .591 OBP and was walked 31 times.

SS – Ryne Roper, Harrisburg HS, Sophomore
Only a sophomore, Roper showed why he is the No. 1-ranked 2013 prospect in the state. At the plate he notched 11 homers, 6 doubles, 46 hits, 45 runs and 48 RBI. On the mound he was equally as impressive, going 8-2 with a 2.66 ERA and 64 Ks in 52.2 innings.

3B – Brian Evak, Plainfield North HS, Senior
A two-way standout, the 6-4 Evak helped lead the Tigers to another top 10 finish. At the plate, he tallied 8 homers, 9 doubles, 54 hits, 46 RBI and a .470 average. On the mound, Evak went 7-1 with 4 complete games, a 3.96 ERA, and 56 Ks in 46 innings. Signed at UIC.

OF – Dan Fifer, Lincoln-Way West HS, Senior
The consummate leadoff man, Fifer hit safely in all but one game and had 15 multi-hit games, which led to a .500 average. He finished with 8 doubles, 2 triples, 32 runs scored and 22 RBI. Fifer struck out only four times and went 6-2 on the mound. Signed at Augustana.

OF – Shane Brown, Simeon HS, Junior
Blessed with an extremely strong arm and switch-hitting abilities, the junior turned in a stellar year for the Wolverines. At the plate, the 5-7 Brown batted .467 with 33 RBI and 39 runs scored. On the mound, he went 9-2 with a 1.63 ERA and 114 Ks in 60 innings.

UTILITY – Sammy Coonrod, Carrollton HS, Senior
The hard-throwing 6-3 right-hander led the Hawks to the Class 1A title by going 11-0 with a 1.01 ERA. Behind an 87-91 mph fastball, he K'd 120 in 61 innings At the plate, he batted .438 with 34 RBI, 36 runs, and 8 doubles. Signed at Southern Illinois.