By Drake Skleba
For the Bugle
After opening up their 2019 season with 10 consecutive victories, the Plainfield South Cougars have been named Voyager Media Publications Week 3 Team of the Week. The 2018 Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association Summer State Champs also reside atop our first Voyager Media Publications Terrific Ten Area Baseball Rankings.
Plainfield East’s junior center fielder, Nick Pratscher tore the cover off the baseball this week to pick up the Week 3 Player of the Week Award, joining teammate Jack Crowder who was our Week One Pitcher of the Week.
Joliet Catholic’s University of Illinois-bound southpaw, Alex Vera, fired his second consecutive shutout this week blanking mighty Coal City 6-0. Vera last week took home our Week 2 Pitcher of the Week Award.
Team of the Week 3- Plainfield South (10-1) Cougars outscore Meade County (KY), Sandwich, DeKalb and Morris 34-7 in 4-1 week. Cougar pitchers Jimmy Fitzmaurice (1-0), Austin Richardson (3-0), Tyler Phommachanhom (2-0) and Justin McGuigan (2-1) picked up the Cougar wins on the mound. Tony Mosher and Connor Blake, who went deep twice, led the Cougars’ attack.
Player of the Week 3 Nick Pratscher Plainfield- Bengal junior center fielder went 5-for-11 at the plate, with two doubles, two bombs, scored five runs and drove home 10 Bengals runs. In the Bengals 10-3 loss to mighty Lincoln-Way East (11-1), Pratscher continued his torrid hitting in defeat, driving home two of the three Bengal runs.
Pitcher of the Week 3- Alex Vera Joliet Catholic- The University of Illinois-bound Vera (3-1) extended his scoreless innings streak to 14, after blanking Class 3A state championship contender Coal City 6-0 on just three hits. Vera takes homes his second Pitcher of the Week Award after blanking Joliet West 7-0, with 12 strikeouts, in the WJOL/Don Ladas Memorial Tournament in Week 2
WEEK 3 TERRIFIC TEN AREA BASEBALL RANKINGS
1 Plainfield South 10-1 Cougars open up SPC with Ridge Road Rival Minooka
2 Lockport 14-2 Porters repeat at WJOL/Ladas Champs
3 Plainfield Central 8-3 Wildcats WJOL/Ladas Runner-ups
4 Joliet Catholic 10-3 Two-Time Defending ESCC champs open with Marian Catholic
5 Plainfield East 7-3 Bengals open SPC play at Oswego East
6.Plainfield North 2-5-1 Defending 4A State Champions open with Joliet West
7 Joliet West 7-5 Surprising Tigers at Plainfield North today
8 Notre Dame 3-3 Dons big win over Hawks!
9 Maine South 7-5 Up and down start for South
10 Minooka 4-5-1 Indians beat Joliet Catholic, three wins in a row
On the Bubble: Benet Academy 6-6, Joliet Central 4-5
CENTRAL SUBURBAN NORTH
Maine East (0-5) 12-9 loss to Northside-Chris Miller 3 RBI, Pat Miller 3 hits
3-2 loss to Wheeling- Chris Miller, Pat Serano- Blue Demon ribbies
4-0 loss to Round Lake
CENTRAL SUBURBAN SOUTH
Niles West- (7-2) 8-2 win over Hoffman Estates Themi Kastrinakis (WP) 5 shutout innings
10K, Kyle Gibson 2 H, 3RBI, Brad Pawlow 2 H, 2 RBI
8-3 win over Rolling Meadows- Myles Derbigny 3RBI
7-2 loss to Lake Forest
Maine South (7-5) -6-0 win over Rolling Meadows-Giuseppe Muscarino (WP)
5 scoreless innings, 9 K, Bobby Rinaldi 2RBI
3-2 loss to Notre Dame Ethan Quinn, Bobby Rinaldi RBI
5-1 loss to St. Pat’s
EAST SUBURBAN CATHOLIC NORTH
Notre Dame (3-3)– 3-2 win over Maine South-Nick Loizzi 3RBI
2-1 loss to Stevenson
11-1 loss to Barrington
10-6 win over Barrington- Henry Gonzales 2 hits RBI, Andrew Gale 2 ribbies
EAST SUBURBAN CATHOLIC SOUTH
Benet Academy (6-6) 11-9 loss to Wheaton South-Jared Novak 2 hits 2 RBI
11-1 loss to Batavia
Joliet Catholic (10-3) 7-3 win over Wheaton South- Nick Iannantone 3 hits;
Jared Cushing 2 hits 2 RBI
8-7 loss to Minooka- Jared Cushing 2 hits 3 RBI
6-0 win over Coal City- Alex Vera second consecutive shutout
Dan Wuestenfeld 2 hits 2 RBI
8-4 win over Plainfield North- Dan Wuestenfeld 4 BB 2 RBI, Nick
Innantone two more hits, RBI, Jared Cushing 3 RBI
INTERSTATE 8 NORTH
Lisle (6-4) 11-0 win over Newark- AJ Casmer three-hit shutout with 12 K, Sam Russo 3 hits,
3 RBI
3-2 win over Wheaton Academy- Jay McGrath (WP) Sam Russo (SV) AJ Casmer 2 hits
RBI, McGrath 2 hits, RBI
12-3 win over Timothy Christian Jay McGrath 2 hits, 2 RBI, Cal Payne and Zach Webber
both drive home two Lion runs.
Westmont (7-5)-18-0 win over Parkview Christian- Sam Abbatacola (WP) 1 -hitter, 11K; Riley Basit 4H, Grand Slam, 6 RBI
18-3 loss to Naperville North
5-2 loss to Manteno in I-8 crossover Riley Basit RBI
SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE
Plainfield South (10-1)- 7-2 win over Meade County (KY)- Jimmy Fitzmaurice (WP) CG 7K,
Connor Blake 2 H, 3 RBI
10-2 win over Sandwich- Tony Mosher 2 H 3 RBI, Justin McGuigan (WP)
8 K
11-1 win over De Kalb- Tylor “Puma” Phoommachanhom (WP) 2-hitter
10 K; Tony Mosher 2 H, 3 RBI
6-2 win over Morris- Austin Richardson (3-0) Six Shutout innings 6 K
Connor Blake 3 H 2 RBI
3-0 loss to Rockton Hononegah- Ryan Pawlak 2B; Tylor Phommachanhom,
single
Plainfield Central (8-3) 10-7 loss to Morris- Charlie Bischoff 4 H
4-3 loss to LW Central- Jake Donahue 3 H
Plainfield East (7-3)-12-0 win over Ottawa- Brandon Ruehle (WP) 5 -hit shutout
Nick Pratcher 3 H, 5RBI; Andy Hill 3 H, 3 RBI
14-4 win over Wilmington- 3 more ribbies for Nick Pratscher
10-3 loss to Lincoln-Way West- Nick Pratscher 2 RBI
Plainfield North (2-5-1) 10-2 win over Waubonsie Valley- Brandon Hutson 3-run bomb!,
Josh Fleming 2 H, 3 RBI
16-3 loss to Neuqua Valley
8-4 loss to Joliet Catholic- Garret Cook 3-for-4 2B, RBI
Joliet Central (4-5)– 10-6 win over Sandburg Ethan Darley 5 ribbies!
3-2 loss to Shepard- TraShawn Traylor RBI
Joliet West (7-5)– 8-6 loss to Coal City- Mark Garcia, Jr. 3 RBI
9-5 win over Manteno- Lucas Brady 3 hits, 4 RBI, Mark Garcia Jr
2 hits, 2 RBI
11-2 win over Bradley-Bourbonnais-Dylan Wolfe goes deep, 6 RBI
11-9 win over Bradley Bourbonnais- Ryan McGovern drove home 4 Tiger runs;
Andrew Chignoli had 3 hits and three ribbies.
Minooka (4-5-1)- 9-3 win over Yorkville- Andy Mysliwiec 3 RBI
8-7 win over Joliet Catholic- Colin Olkiewicz’ walk-off stuns Hilltoppers, 2RBI
Nate Cochran 2 RBI
3-0 win over Sandburg John Forneris 3-hit shutout of Eagles, 7 K
Romeoville (2-7-1)- 3-2 loss to Riverside-Brookfield- Mike Bunch 3 H, RBI
SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN BLUE
Bolingbrook (4-7) 13-2 win over Thornwood- Matt Dinkel 3 hits 4 RBI
25-0 win over Thornridge Jack McDermott fires a five-inning perfect
Game striking out 13 of the 15 consecutive Falcons he retired.
Matt Dinkel 3H, 3RBI
10-3 loss to Lincoln-Way West- Matt Dinkel 2B, RBI
Lockport (14-2)- 3-2 win over LW Central- Nolan Weis walk-off single; Nolan Vicek, WP,4 1/3
no-hit innings, 8 K.
4-2 loss to Bradley-Bourbonnais- Marcos Voulgaris 3-for-3 RBI.
10-2 win over Thornwood-Jake Dagys 3-run Bomb!
3-2 win over Naperville Central-Jake Kampf 2B 2RBI
WEST SUBURBAN GOLD
DG South (3-6 , 1-1)- 6-5 WSC Gold loss to AT, Cole Woren 2 RBI
14-3 WSC Gold win over AT, Mike Hoes 3 hits, 5 RBI
5-2 loss to Naperville North-
3-0 win over Hinsdale Central- Gino Cozzi five-hit shutout
WEST SUBURBAN SILVER
DG North (3-7, 3-0)– 33-0 and 14-7 WSC Silver wins over Proviso West; Scott Jakobsze no-hitter; Elijah Carter 8 ribbies in the two Trojan wins; Liam Nielson four-hit, six RBI day in 33-0 win.
17-0 defeat to Metea Valley
15-1 win over Proviso West- Trojans sweep Panthers to stand alone atop the WSC
Silver! Cam Demos 3 hits, Elijah Carter, Zane Tillotson and Cal Bossard 2 ribbies
apiece.