Catholic League Blue is best for baseball

Updated: April 25, 2011 6:24AM

Just about every year there is a debate over high school baseball's toughest conference.

Is it the SouthWest Suburban? The South Suburban? The Catholic League?

There is no debate this season.

It's the Catholic League Blue.

The numbers don't lie. Providence, St. Rita, Mount Carmel and St. Laurence were a combined 57-5 entering Wednesday. Most of those victories have come against stellar competition.

If a bit of doubt still clouds your judgment, I suggest you attend any number of conference games the next three weeks.

Better yet, just follow No. 1 Providence the next 21 days. What awaits the Celtics during that span arguably is the most daunting set of conference games any team has witnessed in recent memory.

It will be equal parts exhilarating, intense and fun - not just for the players and coaches but the fans who are sure to flock to the ballyard.

Here's how it breaks down for Providence: a two-game set against No. 10 St. Laurence, on Saturday and Monday; a two-game series against No. 6 St. Rita, on Wednesday and April 30; two games against Brother Rice, on May 2 and 4; and two vs. No. 5 Mount Carmel, on May 7 and 9.

That, my Cracker Jack-eating friends, is a Murderers' Row lineup of competition.

For all their talent, I view the Celtics' task of sweeping those games as impossible. If Providence can win six of eight, it should be overjoyed.

So far, the Celtics have resembled Secretariat, taking the preseason No. 1 ranking and running away with it. They are 13-0 and, most of the time, have looked unbeatable.

The Celtics boast the best hitter in the area in Indiana recruit Sam Travis, one of the top pitchers in Northwestern-bound Brandon Magallones, and more depth than the Yankees.

Is it enough to topple the Catholic Blue competition that awaits?

"I don't know," Providence coach Mark Smith said. "We're going up against great programs, great teams. We're going to have to play well. To have a schedule like this, with all of those teams in a row, I haven't experienced anything like it before. I just hope to see that we're getting better. Do we want to win the conference? Yes. But if we don't it's not the end of the world."

What makes the next three weeks in the Blue so exciting is the talent on the mound. Every team has at least one Division I pitcher. Providence has Magallones, Matt Trowbridge (Central Michigan) and Collin McEnery (Indiana). St. Laurence has Charlie Naso (Illinois) and Kyle Wood (Purdue). St. Rita has Eddie De La Riva (Purdue) and Joey Filomeno (Louisville). Brother Rice has Ryan Koziol (Arizona). Mount Carmel has John Kravetz (Illinois) and Jeff Boehm (Kentucky).

Wood (arm) and Filomeno (back) have been dinged up, but it wouldn't be shocking to see either regain his health in time to toe the rubber for at least an inning or two against Providence, if needed.

"It won't catch us off guard if those guys miraculously get healthy all of a sudden," said Smith, chuckling at the notion. "We all have pitching. There's going to be some great pitching."

The consensus among coaches in the Blue is that Providence is the team to beat.

"Yeah, Providence is the team to beat," Mount Carmel coach Brian Hurry said.

"They have to be the team to beat," St. Laurence coach Pete Lotus said. "They haven't been challenged too much and they're undefeated. They're the favorite."

Smith, however, doesn't see it that way.

"Let's put it on ‘Zuni,' " said Smith, referring to St. Rita coach Mike Zunica, who has led the Mustangs to back-to-back Class 4A state runner-up finishes. "He would like that."

Zunica appreciates Smith's gesture. He just isn't buying what Smith is trying to sell.

"We're the hunter this year," Zunica said. "We have ourselves in the blue-collar category. We have to do the little things to win. We can beat anybody on any given day and we can lose to anybody. It's going to be fun to see so many Top 10 teams banging heads against each other."

For Providence, it all begins at 11 a.m. Saturday against St. Laurence. Expect Magallones and Naso, a pair of hard-throwing righties, to take the mound.

While the opposing coaches are acknowledging the Celtics are the team to beat, they're not waving the white flag.

"It's our No. 1 goal to win the Catholic League," Lotus said. "It would be tremendous for us to do it."

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