Naperville Sun All-Area baseball team

Updated: June 24, 2011 2:49PM

Pitchers

Dan Ludwig, Naperville Central — 8-2 with 1.36 ERA and 97 strikeouts in 67 innings. Headed to Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., Ludwig was named Pitcher of the Year in the DuPage Valley Conference. He concludes three-year varsity career at 23-3 with 19 complete games.

Ian Lewandowski, Naperville Central — 8-3 with 1.49 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 61 innings; .400, 3 homers, 28 RBI and 1.086 OPS. As the Redhawks’ No. 2 starter, the all-DuPage Valley Conference team member had a fine junior campaign, both on the mound and at the plate. While leading the team with 44 hits, Lewandowski finished second on the team with 34 runs scored.

Alex Bucz, Neuqua Valley — 7-1 with a 2.76 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 45.2 innings. The senior right-hander led the 25-win Wildcats with his seven victories and finished second on the team in both ERA and strikeouts.

Mariano Long, Naperville North — 5-3 with a 2.45 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 60 innings; .434, 2 homers, 23 RBI and 1.069 OPS. An all-DuPage Valley Conference selection, Long, along with recording five of his team’s 11 wins with five complete games, led the team in hitting, RBI, on-base percentage and hits with 46.

Mike Murphy, Waubonsie Valley — 4-4 with 3.92 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 55 1/3 innings. Headed to Augustana as an all-Upstate Eight Conference selection, the senior lefty fanned at least eight batters six times in a six-game stretch from April 5 to May 7.

Catcher

Eric Josupait, Waubonsie Valley — .405, 2 homers and 21 RBI. Headed to Augustana as a wide receiver, Josupait led the Upstate Eight Valley champions in average and with 47 hits as an all-Upstate Eight Conference selection.

Infielders

First base — Conor Philbin, Naperville Central: .426, 3 homers, 19 RBI and 1.239 OPS. Headed to University of Illinois Chicago, Philbin, an all-DuPage Valley Conference selection, led the Redhawks in hitting, on-base percentage and runs scored with 36. Second on team to Lewandowski in hits with 40.

Second base — Kenny Obendorf, Metea Valley: .309, 18 RBI and .811 OPS. A junior middle infielder, Obendorf led the first-year varsity program in runs scored with 23 while placing second in hits and RBI with 30 and 18, respectively.

Shortstop — Nick Moore, Benet: .389, 4 homers, 29 RBI and 1.049 OPS. Headed to Missouri, Moore, an all-East Suburban Catholic Conference selection, paced coach Jeff Bonebrake’s Redwings with team-highs in average and hits with 49.

Third base — Tanner Giesel, Neuqua Valley: .422, 2 homers, 23 RBI and 1.021 OPS. One of three all-Upstate Eight Conference selections for the Wildcats, Giesel led the team in average and hits with 43.

Outfielders

R.J. Gatto, Benet — .310, 7 homers, 30 RBI and 1.078 OPS. Headed to the University of Chicago, Gatto, Benet’s center fielder, was named to the all-East Suburban Catholic Conference team after leading the team in home runs and tying with teammate Zac Lewinski for the team lead in RBI with 30.

Jack Amaro, Neuqua Valley — .396, 1 homer, 16 RBI and .985 OPS. Committed to Purdue as a junior, Amaro led the 25-win Wildcats from the top of the lineup and anchored the team’s outfield defense from center before missing the entire postseason with a concussion sustained in the team’s regular-season finale against Burlington Central. Tied for second on the team in hits with 40.

Kyle Limanowski, Waubonsie Valley — .394, 10 homers, 33 RBI. All-Upstate Eight Conference selection Limanowski, ticketed for Waubonsee Community College, led Waubonsie Valley in home runs, RBI and was second on team in average from his spot in right field.

Ryan O’Keefe, Neuqua Valley — .354, 9 homers, 44 RBI and 1.050 OPS. O’Keefe, an all-Upstate Eight Conference pick, notched team-highs in homers, RBI and slugging percentage while finishing second in runs scored and tied for second on the team in hits with Amaro.

Honorable

mention

Tyler Gehr, Naperville North — .359, 3 homers, 19 RBI and .968 OPS. Earning all-DuPage Valley Conference honors, the junior outfielder was second on the Huskies to Long in average, RBI and on-base percentage along with being tied with Jack Braakman for team-high in homers.

Jeff Samuel, Neuqua Valley — .302, 4 homers, 22 RBI and .918 OPS. Senior catcher provided nice production behind plate before season ended with a broken ankle in the final week of the regular season.

Ryan Solomon, Metea Valley — .418, 1 homer, 23 RBI and .979 OPS. Junior center fielder led team in average, on-base percentage and hits with 46.

Mike Fitzgerald, Metea Valley — .354, 5 homers, 25 RBI and 1.07 OPS. Sophomore corner infielder led team with his five home runs and 25 RBI and was second on team in average and runs scored.

Jake DeVoy, Naperville Central — .290, 4 homers, 37 RBI and .646 OPS. Behind Philbin and Lewandowski, senior designated hitter and all-DuPage Valley Conference selection proved to be force in the middle of Redhawk lineup. DeVoy finished year by leading team in home runs and RBI while finishing fourth on team with 31 hits.

— Compiled by Blake Baumgartner

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