Considering only one aspect of the game doesn’t give you the full picture of what Brian de la Torriente contributed to St. Charles North this season.

The Republican Player of the Year made his mark in every facet, from batting .404, to fashioning a 5-2 record as a pitcher to posting a high fielding average while dividing his time between three infield positions and pitcher.

“I’m really proud of my improvement over the years,” de la Torriente said.

“Pitching-wise, my knowledge really grew, and that will help me a lot in college in terms of what pitch to throw and where to throw it. Hitting-wise, I increased my average every year. I also had a good year in terms of RBIs (24), stolen bases (11) and on-base percentage (.457).

“Defensively, my fielding percentage was .968, and that’s something I can be proud of. In high school, I think that’s very respectable.”

The University of Northern Iowa recruited de la Torriente as a pitcher, but St. Charles North coach Todd Genke expects to see his graduated senior find a place in the field, as well as the batting order, for the Panthers. He chose the Cedar Falls, Iowa school over Eastern Illinois University. He also drew interest from the University of Toledo and the University of Illinois.

“I don’t think they realize what kind of player they’re getting,” Genke, a former minor league pitcher, said of Northern Iowa. “Brian’s long and lanky. He should put on 15-20 pounds of muscle. I think he’ll develop into a good college player. Physically, the ability is there.”

As de la Torriente showed during his North Stars career, the desire to improve also is in place. His senior year was his best in all phases of the game.

Genke said de la Torriente used video to improve his swing and make better contact over his last two seasons.

The North Stars coach said de la Torriente came into the program with a solid baseball background. He gained experience through his years on St. Charles Wildcats traveling teams.

“He’s one of the more coachable players we’ve had here,” Genke said. “You don’t have to tell him something more than once. He came into high school with a lot of baseball savvy.”

Genke said de la Torriente already was a polished shortstop when he was promoted to the varsity as a sophomore and stepped into the rotation. He and former North standout Jake Fenoglio split time at shorstop that year.

In a game against St. Charles East at Elfstrom Stadium, de la Torriente struck out 13 and pitched a four-hitter in a 6-1 win.

“The fact that it was at Elfstrom Stadium made it even more impressive,” Genke said. “He was throwing in the mid-80s then. I think outings like that made him realize he could be effective as a varsity pitcher.”

His fastball currently tops out around 88 or 89 miles per hour.

One of the reasons de la Torriente chose Northern Iowa is that the Panthers graduated the majority of their pitchers, so the opportunity to contribute as a freshman exists. Toward that goal, he worked to develop his offspeed pitches.

“Everybody is able to throw their fastball for strikes. This year, I was able to use my curve and change-up more,” de la Torriente said. “You learn so much. You learn where you can throw the ball against certain hitters and how to work the count.

“Coach Genke and (assistant coach Terry) Ayers, they’ve been there. They know what’s up. They teach you about a lot of different aspects of pitching.”

Because of de la Torriente’s maturity and versatility Genke thinks the Panthers are likely to find several ways to employ his talents. With sophomores Ryan Richardson and K.C. Wright set at shortstop and second base, respectively, de la Torriente slid over to third base in the second half of this year and played like he’d been there his entire career.

With continued progress on his  offspeed offerings and a couple more mph on his fastball, Genke predicts a bright future for de la Torriente at Northern Iowa. The North coach wouldn’t be at all surprised to see his hitting earn him a regular spot in the infield either.

“Now he can throw the curve for a strike early in the count and also bring it with two strikes or come with a change-up,” said Genke, a former minor league pitcher. “We’ve even started working with him on a cut fastball this year, which is like a small slider.

“Also, defensively, you’ve got a shortstop on the mound. He can make plays there as well. He won’t play there right away, but they’re going to find out that he can play second base, shortstop and third. He can even play first if they need him to. That will get him on the field in college. ”

Meet the 2008 Republican All-Area Baseball Team:

Alex Beckmann
Batavia
Senior
POSITION Shortstop
STATS .426 average, 33 runs scored, 21 RBIs, 11 stolen bases
ACHIEVEMENTS The three-year starter and all-state nominee was the Bulldogs’ Tony Gwynn — a remarkable hitting machine. Beckmann set a very high standard for the Bulldogs’ program and himself. He leaves as the only Batavia player to hit better than .500, which he did the previous two seasons, and his impressive batting average this season is an 85-point drop from 2007. The all-Western Sun Conference pick will play next year at Northern Illinois.

Brian de la Torriente
St. Charles North
Senior
POSITION Pitcher/infield
STATS 5-2 record, 2.00 ERA; .404 average, 22 runs scored, 24 RBIs, 7 doubles
ACHIEVEMENTS Everything came together for the all-area player of the year as a North Stars senior. The University of Northern Iowa recruit struck out 40 and walked 15 in 42 innings as a pitcher. Offensively, de la Torriente batted .404 with a .457 on-base percentage and .521 slugging percentage. He also stole 11 bases and played strong defense at second base, shortstop and his eventual home at third base.

Zach Hirsch
St. Charles North
Junior
POSITION Pitcher/first base
STATS 4-3, 0.87 ERA, 48-1/3 innings, 34 hits allowed, 15 walks, 58 strikeouts
ACHIEVEMENTS Hirsch is a case study of how fickle fate can be in a short high school season. A year ago, Hirsch was undefeated. This year he had a hard-luck 4-3 record despite a 0.87 ERA., the left-hander’s second ERA below 1.00. He limited opponents to a .191 batting average while keeping them in check with his ability to mix pitches and speeds. Hirsch also batted .440.

Cory Hofstetter
Geneva
Junior
POSITION First base
STATS .404 average, 25 runs scored, 6 doubles, 12 home runs, 38 RBIs
ACHIEVEMENTS Hofstetter received player of the year consideration this year and should be among the favorites for the award next year, particularly if he continues to progress as a hitter. A defensive lineman during football season, Hofstetter had plenty of power with a school-record 12 home runs and 38 RBIs this year. In two varsity seasons, he has mashed 20 career home runs while playing solid defense at first base. Still, he became more selective at the plate.

Mike Hoscheit
St. Charles East
Senior
POSITION Outfielder/first base
STATS .449 average, 9 home runs, 34 RBIs, 36 runs scored, 7 stolen bases, .870 slugging percentage
ACHIEVEMENTS One of the top hitters around and a starting linebacker for the Saints, the 6-foot, 200-pound all-Upstate Eight Conference pick was a huge reason why his team won 15 of its last 21 games (including 2 of 3 from St. Charles North). Despite missing some offseason workouts after football-related shoulder surgery, he led the team in many offensive categories and also hit six doubles, three triples, walked 27 times and had an impressive .578 on-base percentage.

Danny Jimenez
St. Charles North
Senior
POSITION Pitcher/outfield
STATS 8-2, 1.72 ERA,  53 innings, 30 hits allowed, 85 strikeouts
ACHIEVEMENTS Jimenez developed a sharp-breaking curve ball to supplement his power fastball. Opponents batted .159 against him. The left-hander was drafted in the 37th round by the St. Louis Cardinals and chosen for the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association all-Chicagoland team. Jimenez also contributed two home runs and 11 RBIs.

Ryan Payne
Geneva
Senior
POSITION Catcher/pitcher
STATS 26 RBIs, 3 doubles, 4 home runs
ACHIEVEMENTS Payne was a key contributor as the Vikings opened the season with seven consecutive wins. While the third-year starter cooled off a bit at the plate in the season’s second half, his leadership and defensive abilities never wavered. Payne increased his power production as a senior, finishing with four home runs and 26 RBIs. He also recorded a save as a relief pitcher.

Steve Schenck
St. Charles East
Senior
POSITION Catcher
STATS .408 average, 2 home runs, 31 RBIs, 28 runs scored
ACHIEVEMENTS Starting the season as the cleanup hitter, the all-Upstate Eight Conference selection was moved to the leadoff spot late and flourished. He finished the year second on the team in several offensive categories. The runnerup at 215 pounds in the UEC wrestling meet this past winter, Schenck also legged out seven doubles and two triples, showed impressive plate discipline (17 walks) and clutch at-bats (three-run homer in playoff-opening win over Willowbrook).
 
Mike Sentman
Batavia
Senior
POSITION Second base/pitcher
STATS .370, 4 home runs, 21 RBIs, 27 runs scored, 3-1, 2.45 ERA
ACHIEVEMENTS Perhaps he didn’t get the outside recognition that some of his teammates received but Sentman’s coaches and teammates knew his value. With Beckmann, he formed one of the more solid middle infields anywhere. A three-year starter, he put up enough impressive offensive numbers (including a .510 slugging percentage) and solid pitching stats (including a .208 opponents’ batting average) to have his fellow Bulldogs name his team MVP.

Jake Thornton
St. Charles North
Senior
POSITION Outfield
STATS .382 average, 25 runs scored, 18 RBIs, 25 stolen bases
ACHIEVEMENTS The North center fielder again was one of the area’s most dangerous hitters, as his .438 batting average with runners in scoring position attests. The Illinois State University recruit was equally dangerous as a frequent visitor to the basepaths. He carried a .504 on-base percentage and stole 25 bases in generating 25 runs. Thornton was an all-state pick as a junior.

HONORABLE MENTION
BATAVIA Jordan Coffey, Tim Drish, Shane Holl
GENEVA Dan Rowe, Chris Jordan, Kevin Massoth, Rod Nelson
ST. CHARLES EAST Tyler Deetjen, Johnathon Erickson, Zach Scott
ST. CHARLES NORTH Ryan Richardson, Sam Weinberg