Baseball: 2023 Northwest Herald All-Area Team

First Team

Ethan Dorchies, Cary-Grove, P, jr.

Dorchies was dominant with a 9-0 record and only seven earned runs in 62 2/3 innings. He had an ERA of 0.78, a WHIP of 0.894, 71 strikeouts, with 15 walks and 41 hits. He was extra tough with 12 strikeouts and two hits as the Trojans beat Prairie Ridge 1-0 for the Class 3A Cary-Grove Regional championship. The 6-foot-5 righthander is committed to NCAA Division I Illinois-Chicago.

Lleyton Grubich, McHenry, P, sr.

Grubich went 7-3 with a 2.90 ERA in 58 innings pitched. He struck out 76 hitters with 17 walks, 49 hits and a 1.209 WHIP. Grubich was also a big offensive producer with a .331 average, five homers and 34 RBIs for the Warriors. He had 15 extra-base hits. The lefty is a repeat first-team selection and will play at McHenry County College next year.

Michael Person, Burlington Central, P, jr.

Person again was one of the toughest pitchers in the Fox Valley Conference as he finished 5-1 with a 2.86 ERA in 51 1/3 innings. He struck out 66, walked 22 and allowed 52 hits. Person also was a key offensive player for the Rockets, hitting .357 with four homers and 18 RBIs. He is a first-team repeat selection.

Andrew Ressler, Huntley, P, sr.

Ressler, a senior righthander, was 9-0 with a 2.17 ERA in 58 innings. He walked only 12 and struck out 65, while allowing 48 hits as the Red Raiders won their fifth consecutive FVC championship. Ressler, who will pitch at D-I SIU-Edwardsville next year, threw a 3-0 no-hitter to beat Hampshire in the Class 4A Hampshire Regional championship.

Caden Vogt, Marengo, P, sr.

Vogt was the Kishwaukee River Conference Player and Pitcher of the Year after helping the Indians to a 22-8 record and their first regional title since 2004. Vogt was an All-Area first-team selection as an outfielder last season and repeated as an Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association Class 2A All-State selection. He was 8-2 with a 1.03 ERA and a WHIP of 0.948, with 123 strikeouts and 21 walks in 61 1/3 innings. Vogt also led the area with 39 RBIs, hitting .346 with six homers and a 1.081 OPS. He will play at MCC next year.

Ryan Bakes, Huntley, C, sr.

The Northwest Herald Player of the Year hit .406 with an area-best 13 homers and 37 RBIs. Bakes has an OPS of 1.445. He committed only three errors at catcher. Bakes was an All-Area first-team outfielder as a sophomore, but injured his left shoulder last year in the 11th game and needed surgery. This season, he mostly caught for the FVC champion Red Raiders. Bakes, who will play at South Carolina, was an IHSBCA Class 4A All-Stater.

Cooper Cohn, McHenry, Util., sr.

Cohn hit .408 with 12 home runs, 37 RBIs and an area-best 26 extra-base hits. Cohn played mostly catcher for the Warriors and was one of two regular starters returning from last year’s Class 4A fourth-place team (along with Grubich). He committed only three errors. He was voted by the FVC coaches as the FVC representative for the IHSBCA All-Region team. Cohn, an IHSBCA Class 4A All-Stater, recently decommitted to D-II Illinois-Springfield when former Stars coach Ryan Copeland took the Northern Illinois head coaching position.

Christian Graves, Jacobs, Corner IF, sr.

Graves was one of the area’s top two-way players as a pitcher and a hitter. He hit .328 with nine homers and 31 RBIs and a .448 OBP. He hit a key home run early in the Golden Eagles’ 7-4 victory in the Class 4A Dundee-Crown Sectional victory over Huntley. Graves was 4-3 as a pitcher with a 2.85 ERA and struck out 58 batters in 60 2/3 innings. He is a repeat first-team selection and will play at Bradley next year.

Ryan Skwarek, Crystal Lake South, Corner IF, sr.

Skwarek was a star for the Gators (26-8) as third baseman and as a pitcher. He hit .355 with two homers and 35 RBIs, with a 1.047 OPS. On the mound, he was South’s ace with a 10-0 record, a 1.66 ERA, 74 strikeouts and 16 walks in 63 innings. His WHIP was 1.127. Skwarek, a repeat IHSBCA Class 3A All-State selection, also is a repeat first-team pick. He will play at McHenry County College next year.

Dayton Murphy, Crystal Lake South, Middle IF, jr.

Murphy had another strong season in his third year as a starter for the Gators. He hit .455, with a .541 OBP and a 1.264 OPS. He had 14 doubles, five triples, two homers and knocked in 33 runs from the leadoff spot. Murphy, an IHSBCA Class 3A All-Stater, scored 50 runs, was 34 of 37 on stolen bases and committed seven errors at shortstop. He is committed to Michigan State.

Jaden Obaldo, Crystal Lake Central, Middle IF, jr.

Obaldo was a force hitting in the No. 3 spot for the Tigers, with a .475 average, a .570 OBP and a 1.333 OPS. He had 44 hits, nine doubles, four homers and 31 RBIs and he scored 33 runs. “He’s a high I.Q. player who plays the game the right way,” Tigers coach Andy Deain said.

Brayden Bakes, Huntley, OF, sr.

Bakes, a repeat All-Area first-team outfielder, again manned center field for the Red Raiders and was a terror at the plate. He hit .394, with 10 homers, 36 RBIs, and a 1.376 OPS. He helped the Red Raiders to their fifth consecutive FVC title and their seventh straight Class 4A regional championship. He made only one fielding error. Bakes, who will play at Indiana, was an IHSBCA Class 4A All-Stater.

Brady Gilroy, Burlington Central, OF, jr.

Gilroy moved between shortstop and center field for the Rockets, who finished fourth in the FVC and won a Class 3A regional title. He hit .471, with a .562 OBP. Gilroy had eight doubles, five triples and nine homers, with 35 RBIs and 47 runs. He was perfect on 16 stolen-base attempts and, according to Central coach Kyle Nelson, “Played incredible defense at both positions.” Gilroy was an IHSBCA Class 3A All-Stater.

Vinnie Lutz, Cary-Grove, sr.

Lutz provided strong run production at the top of the Trojans’ lineup, hitting .421, with a .488 OBP and a 1.096 OPS. He had 51 hits, half of which went for extra bases. Lutz had two home runs and 32 RBIs as C-G finished third in the FVC and won its own Class 3A regional championship. He will play at MCC next year.

Second Team

Anthony Edge, Jacobs, P, sr.

Austin Ernst, Hampshire, P, sr.

Blake Herrmann, Woodstock North, P, sr.

Parker Schuring, Huntley, P, sr.

Karson Stiefer, Prairie Ridge, P, so.

Nate Crick, Cary-Grove, C, sr.

Ryan Quinlan, Huntley, Util., sr.

Dominick Kooistra, Hampshire, Corner IF, sr.

AJ Payton, Burlington Central, Corner IF, jr.

Tyler Vasey, Prairie Ridge, Middle IF, sr.

Dane Schuster, Cary-Grove, Middle IF, sr.

Joey Garlin, Huntley, OF, sr.

Austin Leonard Hampshire, OF, sr.

Paulie Rudolph, Jacobs, OF, jr.

Honorable Mention

(In alphabetical order)

Ian Boal, Johnsburg, P-OF, sr.

Myles Brincks, Harvard, C, sr.

James Carlson, Crystal Lake South, OF, jr.

Brendan Carter, Cary-Grove, 1B, sr.

Sam Chapman, Woodstock, P-OF, jr.

Sam Cohen, Cary-Grove, P, sr.

Ryan Dabe, Huntley, OF, so.

Tyler Fink, Woodstock North, C, sr.

Nick Gottfried, Jacobs, OF, sr.

Justin Gritmacker, Alden-Hebron, P, sr.

Jayden Gumprecht, Crystal Lake South, P, sr.

Andrew Johnson, Marengo, 1B-P, jr.

Jake Johnson, Burlington Central, C, so.

Sean Kempf, Crystal Lake Central, C, jr.

Mason McKim, Prairie Ridge, 1B-P, sr.

Ryan Nagel, McHenry, SS-P, jr.

AJ Putty, Huntley, 3B, so.

C.J. Regillio, Crystal Lake South, 1B, jr.

Jake Russell, Dundee-Crown, P-IF, sr.

Frank Schane, Hampshire, P, jr.

Payton Sensabaugh, McHenry, OF, jr.

Brandon Shannon, McHenry, P, so.

Zach Smith, Richmond-Burton, OF, sr.

Evan Spenk, Hampshire, OF, sr.

Cody Stallings, Marengo, OF-P, sr.

Drew Welder, Crystal Lake Central, OF-P, jr.

Aiden Wicinski, Richmond-Burton, P-IF, jr.

Owen Ziaja, Jacobs, C, sr.