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It’s a new day for Brother Rice baseball, and, potentially, a bright one. The revamped Crusaders opened the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association summer playoffs on an up note Monday afternoon, blanking defending Class 3A state champ Marian Catholic 4-0 in Richards Regional first-round play in Chicago’s Mount Greenwood community. Rising junior Ian McGinnis, projected to be Rice’s ace in the … ]]> Thu, 19 Jul 2012 19:05:28 CST http://highschoolsports.suntimes.com/schools/mariancatholic/baseball/13823333-393/baseball-new-look-brother-rice-knocks-off-marian-catholic.html http://highschoolsports.suntimes.com/schools/mariancatholic/baseball/13823333-393/baseball-new-look-brother-rice-knocks-off-marian-catholic.html
Ben Santori didn’t sleep well Friday night and was feeling ill Saturday morning. But then his Marian Catholic teammates put up eight runs in the third inning of the Class 3A state championship game and the senior was on cruise control. Santori worked around 11 hits for his second complete game in six days as the Spartans completed their improbable playoff run … ]]> Sat, 09 Jun 2012 15:56:26 CST http://highschoolsports.suntimes.com/schools/mariancatholic/baseball/13081790-393/baseball-marian-catholic-caps-historic-run-with-state-title.html http://highschoolsports.suntimes.com/schools/mariancatholic/baseball/13081790-393/baseball-marian-catholic-caps-historic-run-with-state-title.html
Whatever was ailing Brett Lilek and Marian Catholic are just distant memories now. Lilek was dominant on the mound, allowing two hits and striking out 11, as the Spartans blanked East Suburban Catholic Conference rival Nazareth 3-0 Friday afternoon in the Class 3A state semifinals at Silver Cross Field in Joliet. Marian Catholic (24-17), which hadn’t won a sectional before this season, … ]]> Fri, 08 Jun 2012 18:25:11 CST http://highschoolsports.suntimes.com/schools/mariancatholic/baseball/13065469-393/baseball-brett-lilek-mows-down-nazareth-marian-catholic-one-step-closer-to-state-title.html http://highschoolsports.suntimes.com/schools/mariancatholic/baseball/13065469-393/baseball-brett-lilek-mows-down-nazareth-marian-catholic-one-step-closer-to-state-title.html
It has been a season filled with drama for Marian Catholic. From the players and parents to coaches, there was plenty of strife to go around during an 18-17 regular season. How does the saying go? Adversity can make a team stronger. “There was a lot of drama,” senior outfielder Rob Cifelli said. “A couple of things went wrong during the season … ]]> Thu, 07 Jun 2012 19:50:57 CST http://highschoolsports.suntimes.com/schools/mariancatholic/baseball/13046174-393/high-school-baseball-marian-catholic-has-overcome-adversity.html http://highschoolsports.suntimes.com/schools/mariancatholic/baseball/13046174-393/high-school-baseball-marian-catholic-has-overcome-adversity.html
Marian Catholic has plenty of athletic tradition, winning state trophies in multiple sports. But the Spartans haven’t had much to brag about in baseball — till now. Under alum and fourth-year coach Phil Wail, Marian is heading to state for the first time after winning its first regional since 1987 and its first sectional and supersectional titles in program history. “This is … ]]> Wed, 06 Jun 2012 18:02:41 CST http://highschoolsports.suntimes.com/schools/mariancatholic/baseball/13021535-393/baseball-marian-catholics-magical-run-to-continue-downstate.html http://highschoolsports.suntimes.com/schools/mariancatholic/baseball/13021535-393/baseball-marian-catholics-magical-run-to-continue-downstate.html
Marian Catholic’s Devin Pickett was unsure how to sum up his feelings Monday night after the Spartans clinched their first trip to the state semifinals in school history. One thing that was clear in his mind, though, was the need to reward Marian pitcher Ben Santori. “Wow, Benny stepped up big time,” Pickett said. “He’s come through so many times for us … ]]> Mon, 04 Jun 2012 20:24:07 CST http://highschoolsports.suntimes.com/schools/mariancatholic/baseball/12980645-393/baseball-ben-santori-brett-lilek-lead-marian-catholic-past-simeon.html http://highschoolsports.suntimes.com/schools/mariancatholic/baseball/12980645-393/baseball-ben-santori-brett-lilek-lead-marian-catholic-past-simeon.html
When Marian Catholic senior left-hander Brett Lilek warmed up in the bullpen before Saturday’s Class 3A Lincoln-Way West Sectional championship game against the Warriors, something was amiss. “The ball was moving all over the place in the pen,” he said. “Fortunately, I got it corrected on the mound.” Lilek, who shut out Illiana Christian for a regional title a week earlier, allowed … ]]> Sat, 02 Jun 2012 19:14:45 CST http://highschoolsports.suntimes.com/schools/mariancatholic/baseball/12939547-393/baseball-brett-lilek-fans-15-marian-catholic-ousts-lincoln-way-west.html http://highschoolsports.suntimes.com/schools/mariancatholic/baseball/12939547-393/baseball-brett-lilek-fans-15-marian-catholic-ousts-lincoln-way-west.html It did not look good for Marian Catholic. The Spartans were chasing a run in the seventh inning against arguably the state’s most dominant pitcher, Oak Forest’s Kyle Funkhouser, who was pumping it especially hard on Wednesday. No worries. Marian Catholic scraped together three runs in the seventh, and went on to upend Oak Forest, 7-5, in a Class 3A Lincoln-Way West … ]]> Thu, 31 May 2012 19:01:24 CST http://highschoolsports.suntimes.com/schools/mariancatholic/baseball/12878151-393/baseball-marian-catholic-stuns-kyle-funkhouser-oak-forest-in-seventh.html http://highschoolsports.suntimes.com/schools/mariancatholic/baseball/12878151-393/baseball-marian-catholic-stuns-kyle-funkhouser-oak-forest-in-seventh.html
… ]]> Wed, 30 May 2012 21:22:01 CST http://highschoolsports.suntimes.com/schools/mariancatholic/baseball/12878098-393/story.html http://highschoolsports.suntimes.com/schools/mariancatholic/baseball/12878098-393/story.html Yogi was right after all. This one was over and still wasn’t over. After being stifled through six innings by Marian right-hander Ben Santori, Joliet Catholic attacked touted left-hander Brett Lilek to escape with an improbable 5-4 victory Wednesday at Gillespie Field, thus maintaining its share of the East Suburban Catholic Conference lead. With Marian (16-12, 4-8) leading 4-1, designated hitter Adrian … ]]> Wed, 09 May 2012 21:07:42 CST http://highschoolsports.suntimes.com/schools/mariancatholic/baseball/12433475-393/baseball-nate-searing-helps-joliet-catholic-rally-past-marian-catholic.html http://highschoolsports.suntimes.com/schools/mariancatholic/baseball/12433475-393/baseball-nate-searing-helps-joliet-catholic-rally-past-marian-catholic.html
There’s no question that Brett Lilek has the talent to become a professional baseball player. The only question for the Marian Catholic hurler is whether he will be able to develop it to achieve his dream. ‘‘God only gives certain people the build, the frame, the raw ability,’’ Marian coach Phil Wail said. ‘‘As long as he realizes his talent and works … ]]> Wed, 09 May 2012 10:25:54 CST http://highschoolsports.suntimes.com/schools/mariancatholic/baseball/11722370-393/baseball-marian-catholics-hard-throwing-brett-lilek-is-states-top-prospect.html http://highschoolsports.suntimes.com/schools/mariancatholic/baseball/11722370-393/baseball-marian-catholics-hard-throwing-brett-lilek-is-states-top-prospect.html
The near proximity of Marian Catholic to Homewood-Flossmoor has helped fuel a fierce rivalry between the two programs. So when H-F visited undefeated No. 6 Marian Catholic on Friday, the usually high stakes were raised another notch in the clash of two of the area’s top teams. “This is a game we always look forward to,” Marian relief pitcher Ben Santori said. … ]]> Fri, 30 Mar 2012 20:48:44 CST http://highschoolsports.suntimes.com/schools/mariancatholic/baseball/11628557-393/baseball-marian-catholic-holds-off-homewood-flossmoor.html http://highschoolsports.suntimes.com/schools/mariancatholic/baseball/11628557-393/baseball-marian-catholic-holds-off-homewood-flossmoor.html
You don’t have to go far from U.S. Cellular Field to find some baseball players who might be on the White Sox’s radar someday. But those athletes might not ­enjoy the same advantages as some of their suburban counterparts. To fix that, the Sox launched the Amateur City Elite program five years ago, and the effort is paying off in a big … ]]> Wed, 09 May 2012 10:09:44 CST http://highschoolsports.suntimes.com/schools/mariancatholic/baseball/9839397-393/white-sox-creating-success-stories-through-city-elite-program.html http://highschoolsports.suntimes.com/schools/mariancatholic/baseball/9839397-393/white-sox-creating-success-stories-through-city-elite-program.html
With Brett Lilek on the mound for Marian Catholic, Prairie Ridge knew it had a battle on its hands on Wednesday night. Even so, this was probably more adversity than the Wolves anticipated. But they managed to persevere through control problems and the challenge of facing the state’s top prospect in the Class of 2012, winning 3-1 in the Phil Lawler Classic … ]]> Thu, 28 Jul 2011 00:22:00 CST http://highschoolsports.suntimes.com/schools/mariancatholic/baseball/6745897-393/prairie-ridge-picks-off-marian-catholic.html http://highschoolsports.suntimes.com/schools/mariancatholic/baseball/6745897-393/prairie-ridge-picks-off-marian-catholic.html When it comes to late-inning comebacks, Marian Catholic’s Rob Cifelli and his teammates admit they would rather jump out to an early lead and hold on for the win. Of late, though, that hasn’t been the case for the Spartans, including Tuesday’s 6-5 walk-off thriller over Harlem at Benedictine University in Lisle. In an elimination game at the Phil Lawler Classic for … ]]> Tue, 26 Jul 2011 20:00:00 CST http://highschoolsports.suntimes.com/schools/mariancatholic/baseball/6723233-393/walk-off-win-keeps-marian-catholic-alive.html http://highschoolsports.suntimes.com/schools/mariancatholic/baseball/6723233-393/walk-off-win-keeps-marian-catholic-alive.html