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Chicago Tribune from Chicago, Illinois • 30

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Chicago Tribunei
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Chicago, Illinois
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30
Extracted Article Text (OCR)

8 Section 3 Chicago Tribune, Monday, June 2, 1986 teams artin's year began sour, turned sweet '86 Tribune All-State Baseball Team 1 First team Class School Position Player senior H-F senior Lockport senior Morton, III. senior Oak Park senior Oak Forest senior Lockport senior Oak Forest senior Clemente senior Aurora Central Catholic Pitcher Brian Ahern Catcher Rich Gardner First base Kirk Ummel Second base Jim Donovan Third base Tim Jackson Shortstop Dave Wrona Outfield Scott Pickands Outfield Darryl Martin Outfield Andy Weis Second team ft Class School Position Player ir mi mmmmmnki lii St. Rita Waukegan West New Trier St. Viator Marian Catholic Oak Forest Young Barrington Edwardsville Pitcher Catcher First base Second base Third base Shortstop Outfield Outfield Outfield Bob Wirtz Joe Wallraf Graham Redding Pete Altenberger Scott Baiker Tim Buhe Darryl Robinson Keith Noreen Bob Sirtak senior senior senior senior senior senior senior senior senior All-area team Iv I 17' Ahern, Homewood-Flossmoor; Altenberger, St. Viator; Baiker, Marian Catholic; Buhe, Oak Forest; John DeJarld, Providence; Donovan, Oak Park; Gardner, Lock-, port; Jackson, Oak Forest; Martin, Clemente; Ken Massey, Oak Forest; Noreen, Barrington; Pickands, Oak Forest; Redding, New Trier; Robinson, Young; Sam1 Rumoro, Proviso East; Wallraf, Waukegan West; Weis, Aurora Central Catholic; Dan Wilson, Barrington; Wirtz, St.

Rita; Wrona, Lockport. Playof of Year Pickands. By Linda Young Early this season; the game Darryl Martin once played, so effortlessly suddenly stopped being fun. The Clemente senior began to feel the unrelenting gaze of college and professional scouts scrutinizing his every swing and his every step in center field. "I was trying to impress people instead of enjoying the game," said Martin, who is projected as a third-round choice in Monday's major league free-agent draft.

"I was going out and trying to please everybody but myself. But I sat down with my brother Daniel. He put my head on straight and got me to thinking right. After that, I had a nice year." Martin fulfilled everyone's expectations, including his own. He hit .429, slugged 13 home runs and drove in 41 runs.

The latter two are school records. He also stole 36 bases for the Wildcats. Those statistics landed him on the 1986 Tribune All-State Baseball Team. Joining him in the outfield are repeat first-team selection Scott Pickands of Oak Forest and Andy Weis of Aurora Central Catholic. The infielders are first baseman Kirk Ummel of Morton, 111., Oak Park second baseman Jim Donovan, Oak Forest third baseman Tim Jackson and Lockport shortstop Dave Wrona.

Brian Ahern of Homewood-Flossmoor is the first-string pitcher and Lockport's Rich Gardner is the catcher. All are seniors. For Martin, the year began on a sour note when he underwent an appendectomy that kept him from working out in January and February. The minute the doctor agreed, though, Martin headed for the Grand Slam hitting facility in Palatine. A natural right-handed hitter, Martin has been learning to switch-hit.

That, coupled with his speed, makes him attractive to scouts. He works on his defense, too. "I work on my jumps," he said. "Everybody can catch the ball, but a lot of people don't get the right jump. An outfielder should worry about the wind.

But to tell you the truth, I don't work much on defense. Just when I have time." "That kid from Clemente Martin just stuck out," said Oak Park coach Jack Kaiser, whose team played the Wildcats during last year's Summer League play. "He covered the ground in the outfield, and had a pretty good Trlbunt photo by Wattor NmI Homewood-Flossmoor' Brian Ahern was 11-1 as a pitcher this season. I hit .427, bettering last season's average by 200 points; St. Viator second baseman Pete Altenberger .444, 6 home runs; Oak Forest shortstop Tim Buhe .494, who will join teammate Jackson at Northwestern; and third baseman Scott Baiker, a .500 hitter for regional champion Marian Catholic.

The second-team pitcher is St. Rita senior Bob Wirtz, who was 13-0 with a 1.06 ERA. The catcher is Waukegan West's Joe Wallraf .386, bound for Minnesota next season. The outfield includes three players who spent most of their high school careers in the infield. Professional scouts love Young senior Darryl Robinson's strong right arm.

Barrington senior Keith Noreen .427, 10 home runs tied Los Angeles Dodger outfielder Mike Marshall's Mid-Suburban League record with nine home runs in league play. Bob Sirtak led Edwardsville into the sectional with a .489 average, 8 home runs and 35 RBIs. helped his team to the state crown. This spring, he hit .529 with 13 home runs and a 1.157 slugging percentage. Donovan earned second-team All-State honors at third base as a junior, but his 5-foot-7-inch frame is better suited to second base.

He hit .488 this spring. Wrona, a three-year regular for Lock-port, hit .391 this season. Jackson, bound for Northwestern, hit .431 and scored 53 runs for Oak Forest. Gardner, Wrona's teammate, will attend North Alabama. He hit .481 and threw out five of eight would-be base stealers.

Ahern suffered his only loss in an 11-1 season when he threw back-to-back wild pitches that allowed the only run to score in his team's regional championship loss to Andrew. He struck out 160 in 16V) innings and had an earned run average of 1.48. The second team includes New Trier first baseman Graham Redding, who arm, too." Martin hopes his talents brine him a ticket to pro baseball. But if things don't work out, he will go to college. "Lots of kids want to play pro and I'm one of them," he said.

"If everything is fair, I'll want to sign. But I'm trying to keep a low-key. I'm not letting anything go to my head. But if I do get drafted and sign, I'm going to be really happy." Pickands somehow managed to top a superb junior season by hitting .564 with 1 1 home runs and a school-record 70 RBIs. Last year, as a designated hitter, Pickands terrorized opposing pitchers with a slugging percentage above 1.000.

He hit .586 with 68 RBIs to help the Bengals win the Class AA state title. Weis' year .447, 35 stolen bases included a 40-game hitting streak that flirted with the national high school record of 43. Ummel was the state tournament's Most Valuable Player in 1984, when he trlbun photo by Walter Neal Third baseman Tim Jackson is one of three Oak Forest players on this year's all-state team. Softball stars are loaded with mounds of talent '86 Tribune All-State Softball Team First team Class School Position Player Bethalto Riverside-Brookfield Quincy-Notre Dame Casey Breese Mater Del St. Francis Academy Morton Streator Lockport Pitcher Roanna Brazier senior Catcher Tina Pettrone senior First base Carrie Volsin junior Second base Stephanie Montgomery senior Shortstop Barb Perkes senior Third base Jan Agnich senior Outfield Dawn Viti junior Outfield Kristy Hillier junior Outfield Taml Spreltzer senior A Second team Class School Position Playe Pitcher Dayl Ragon senior Casey senior Peoria Richwoods unlor Belleville West unior Morton junior Andrew Catcher First base Second base Shortstop Third base Outfield Outfield Outfield Tina Taylor Shelly Dauderman Lulu Hladik Bonnie Tholl Traci Kostak Lisa Thornton Molly Fisher Sheila Bullock senior Prospect senior Herrin junior Rockton Hononegah junior York By Tim Tierney Bethalto pitcher Roanna Brazier, her sleeve rolled up to reveal a large bicep on her left arm, stood on the mound during a state quarterfinal softball game last year, flinging the ball -toward the plate.

"She's one tough ballplayer," said Bethalto coach Jeff Dyer. "Brazier is definitely the best," said Cahokia coach Teresa Arnold, whose team lost to Bethalto twice this year. "I think she should be all-state. She thinks well, hits well, runs well." Brazier, a senior, heads the 1986 Tribune All-State Softball Team. But in terms of talent, Casey's Dayl Ragon stands right beside her.

A position called pitcher-shortstop-all-round-great-player would be a perfect fit for Most Valuable Player in last year's Class A state tournament If there are two better girls' soft-ball players in Illinois than Brazier and Ragon, they're either hiding or not playing high school softball. Unfortunately, since they both f)lay the same position, one Ragon had to be relegated to the second team. Brazier 20-1 has eight no-hitters, including three perfect games and an earned run average of 0.15. She is averaging 13 strikeouts a game. If that's not enough, she's hitting well over .400.

A second-team all-stater last year, Brazier no-hit Herrin 2-0 Saturday in the Class AA Bethalto sectional semifinals. She will attend Kansas University on a softball scholarship. "Anything I say will be biased, but I feel from what I've seen and to go with her .412 average, 53 runs scored and 59 RBIs going into the Morton sectional championship game Monday against York. Streator's Kristy Hillier hit .366 and had only one error in 61 chances. Lockport outfielder Tami Spreitzer helped the Porters get to the Morris regional final.

Behind the plate is Riverside-Brookfield's Tina Pettrone, who set school records for batting RBIs and home runs. The senior catcher made a couple of adjustments at the plate and raised her average from .280 last year to .533 this season. Pettrone had 51 RBIs and 7 homers before R-B was upset by York in the R-B regional. Quincy Notre Dame first baseman Carrie Voisin also has impressive stats. The 5-foot-10-inch junior is batting .490 with 6 doubles, 9 triples, 8 homers and 44 RBIs.

Quincy Notre Dame plays Genoa-Kingston Monday in the Qass A quarterfinals. Breese-Mater Dei senior Barb Perkes, a first-team selection in the outfield last season, played all but one game at shortstop this season. Perkes, bound for Eastern Illinois on a basketball scholarship, is hitting .470 with 8 doubles and 5 home runs. Breese-Mater Dei faces Delavan Monday in the opening iClass A quarterfinal. St.

Francis Academy third baseman Jan Agnich leads the power brigade with 15 home runs. She also has a .467 batting average, 8 doubles, 9 triples and 47 RBIs. St. Francis meets Glenbard South Monday for the Naperville Central sectional championship. All-area team i Pitchers Michelle Gordey, senior, Riverside-Brookfield; Julie Johansen, senior, Thornwood; Laura Scafidi, senior, Oak Park; Sue Stulgo, senior, Morton.

Catcher Pettrone, Riverside-Brookfield. Infielders Agnich, St. Francis Academy; Mary Carroll, senior, Liz Clprian, senior, Maine South; Melanle Furst, senior, Rich Central; Tammy Hanke, senior, Prospect; Hladik, Morton; Kostak, Prospect; Jenni Laczynski, senior, Lockport; Julie Llljeberg, senior, Hersey; Tholl, Andrew; Anne Werner, senior, Morton. Outfielders Bullock, York; Lorl Mihajlovich, senior, Thornwood; Spreitzer, Lockport; Viti, Morton. Trlbunt photo by Charlea Charnay Morton outfielder Dawn Viti, a junior, is a three-time all-stater.

baseman, has committed no errors in 51 chances. During the last two seasons, the four-year starter has made one error in 106 chances. Morton junior Dawn Viti is making her third appearance on the all-state team. The stocky outfielder has stroked 10 home runs heard that Roanna is the best pitcher in Illinois," said Dyer, whose belief is supported by coaches throughout the state. "She's a class person.

She's not an in-your-face, rub-it-in' type person. It's neat to be able to coach a person like her." games at shortstop. She's hitting .464 with 4 doubles and 6 triples despite having missed two weeks because of a knee injury. She also ranks No. 1 in her class academically.

Teammate Stephanie Montgomery, the first-team second Ragon leads Casey 27-1 into the Class A quarterfinals Monday, against Pleasant Plains 21-0 at Mineral Springs Park in Pekin. Ragon, who averaged 30 points a game as the point guard on the basketball team, has a 9-1 record, on the mound and has played 14 High school notes Baseball nings and giving up 10 hits and seven walks. Softball with the ball." Morton pitcher Sue Stulgo will attend Triton next year and will play basketball and softball. Morton pounded York 11-1 and 29-10 the first two times the teams met. Monday's sectional final at Morton could be a different story.

York has won 20 of its last 22 games. "We had a transition with basketball," said York coach Tom Babyar. "That's no excuse, though. We came out expecting to lose and they gave us our lunch. Basically, we were 6-6 before we got going.

We got run over by Morton twice, Maine South twice and Leyden. Then we had a closed-door session and out attitude changed." Richards graduate Jill Justin has become the first Northern Illinois University player to be named to the National Softball Coaches Association All-Mideast Region team. An outfielder, Justin hit .435 this season. season-opener Sept. 5 or 6.

It can be a home or away game. Interested teams should contact coach Pete Hester at 838-5000. Soccer Maine South defeated St. Charles 2-0 Saturday night to win its third straight Niles West girls' state tournament, the unofficial state finals. Senior co-captains Sherri Herbert and Laura Haaning scored for the Hawks 20-0-1, who have an amazing 60-0-4 record over three seasons.

Senior goalkeeper Mary Nowak recorded the shutout. "This is the best team of the three," said Hawks' coach Jack Tilley. "We've gotten progressively better. We're going to have to scrape a bit next year, but it looks like we'll have another good team." Besides right Herbert and center-halfback Haaning, junior left wing Amy Stenholt received all-state honors. Another Hawk, senior right halfback Kerry Felser, deserves credit in the guts department.

Felser suffered a broken nose during Friday night's 7-0 semifinal victory over Niles North and came back to play in the final. Labno. Labno was gunned down by Swanson trying to take an extra base on the wild toss. "If Swanson is on your side, you love the kid," said Guagenti. "He does almost anything to win.

But if you're playing against him, I know he's the kind of kid you love to hate tough, hard-nosed and aggressive." Wirtz's loss, his first after 13 victories, came despite a three-hit effort, But he also walked three and hit a batter, Chris Klawitter, on a two-strike pitch in the third to set up Swanson's heroics. Public League champion Fenger is trying to snap a 13-year jinx on city teams in the state tournament. The last Chicago champion was Hubbard, which won the single-class title in 1973. Fenger's 11 -inning, 1-0 win over Simeon is regarded as the longest city title game on record. Simeon's loss left the Wolverines with a 2-4 mark in the city championship game.

All four losses were by one run. Oak Forest, going for its second consecutive state title, might be a dynasty in the making. The Bengals start three juniors and a sophomore. Junior pitcher Tim Trunk is 11-0 and went all the" way in a 9-6 victory over Andrew despite throwing 138 pitches in seven in Marian Catholic junior Kevin Thompson had to miss two weeks of the season after suffering an ankle injury when he was hit by a pitch. But he didn't miss many swings.

"He was on crutches and he was still hitting," said Spartan coach Ron Guagenti, who sends his team into Monday's sectional championship at Reavis against defending Class AA state champion Oak Forest. "He was hitting off the tee, hitting flip throws. We couldn't keep him down." Thompson, a left-handed hitter, carries a .500 average into the final. Marian Catholic's 5-3 victory over St. Rita in the Reavis sectional semifinal Saturday revolved around bases-loaded situations in which Marian catcher Tim Swanson made the crucial play.

In the third inning, Swanson hit a full-count fastball from Bob Wirtz for a ground-rule double to drive in two runs and key a four-run uprising that cave his team a 4-1 lead. St. Rita came back in the fifth, loading the bases with two out. The Mustangs scored on run on a double-play ball and another on a wild pitch on a ball-four count to left-fielder Frank St. Francis de Sales coach Ray Kosinski celebrated his 48th birthday Saturday by watching his Pioneers defeat eighth-ranked Andrew 6-5 in the semifinals of the Class AA Bremen sectional.

De Sales 28-61 will play Thornwood 30-6 Monday for the championship. "I feel a lot younger," said Kosinski, father of De Sales pitcher Kim Kosinski. "This is probably the best birthday I've had in a long time. I just like the way they did it. They came back.

It was a total team effort." De Sales was losing 5-0 in the second inning, but the Pioneers scored runs in the second and third and tied the score with three runs in the fourth. Catcher Kelly Kavanaugh hit a bases-loaded single to drive in the winning run in the bottom of the seventh. "This team, when we're down, we always come back. We never give up," said Kavanaugh, noting that De Sales was losing 4-0 to Richards in the regional but came back for a 7-4 victory. "1 just tried to hit the ball, make contact Football Kenneth Michclsen, an assistant for the last two years at Lake Forest Academy-Ferry Hall, has been named the school's new head football coach.

Curie is looking for an opponent for its football.

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