Kevin
Duchene

7.7.12
No pitcher was more dominant this season than Duchene. The University of Illinois recruit carved up top-ranked opponents all spring, helping the Hilltoppers climb to No. 1 in the state for a period of time and win the East Suburban Catholic Conference. Duchene works both sides of the plate with three pitches, in any count, including an 86-89 mph fastball. Exactly how dominant was Duchene? Well, he yielded only one earned run in 51 innings for a 0.14 ERA. He struck out 95, walked nine and had a remarkable WHIP of 0.61. His perfect 8-0 record included victories over state powers Marist, Plainfield North, Lockport, Carmel, and Lemont to name a few.  Duchene earned Porsche Exchange Player of the Week honors after he shut out Class 3A champion Marian Catholic, striking out 12 and yielding one hit in four innings. Then he punched out 16 with no walks in a complete-game four-hitter against Marist.  As a junior, Duchene went 8-1 with a 2.56 for the Hilltoppers.

 
As a sophomore, Duchene helped the Hilltoppers to a fourth-place finish in Class 3A. As a junior, he established himself as one of the premier left-handers in the state. Duchene finished with an 8-1 record and a 2.56 ERA. In 52 innings, he tallied 71 strikeouts to 14 walks while yielding 43 hits. Duchene commands three pitches for strikes, including a mid-to-upper-80s fastball.