Before the season, Montini baseball coach Bill Leeberg pulled Andrew Brauer aside and told him that he needed the senior to fill the role of Pete Cappetta.

The longtime Broncos’ skipper knew that would be no small feat, considering Cappetta was the Suburban Catholic Conference Player of the Year in 2007 before departing on a baseball scholorship to the University of Illinois.

But Brauer was more than up for the challenge, leading the Broncos at the plate and on the mound. Now, he can put his name right next to Cappetta’s as the Press Publications Player of the Year in 2008.

“I put a lot of pressure on him; I told him he had to be our Capetta,” Leeberg said. “I didn’t know if he could live up to that but he sure did. He had a tremendous senior year and he came out of the shadow of Pete. He is the type of guy who works hard all year. He just loves baseball and we sure will miss him.”

The Suburban Catholic all-conference performer put up monstrous batting numbers, hitting .405 with nine home runs and 45 RBIs. The right-hander also got it done as the staff ace, compiling an ERA of 1.67 while striking out 75 in 54 1/3 innings of work.

Brauer finished with a hard-luck record of 4-4, with three of those losses coming in close fashion to always tough Lyons Township, Driscoll and Glenbard South in the Class 3A regional final.

“My main focus this year was pitching,” Brauer said. “We lost our No. 1 and No. 2 pitchers, Cappetta and (Joe) Crotty, from the year before. I really worked on that during the offseason. I wanted to give us a chance to compete against the better teams.
“Hitting-wise, I wanted to come close to what I did last year. Baseball is such a crazy game. Sometimes you can be off and sometimes you are on. I wanted to prove that last year wasn’t a fluke. A lot of people didn’t know who I was before that. My average was basically the same and my home runs and RBIs were up. Overall, I thought I did well.”

The amount of success he had in a short time was not entirely expected, considering he was not a household name when he ascended to the varsity.  In fact, unlike some of the previous top players at the Lombard school, he spent the majority of his first two years playing underlevel ball, though he did get called up for the postseason as a sophomore.

He also went downstate as a freshman with the team as an alternate.

But after sophomore year, Brauer gave up playing basketball and has seemingly flourished ever since.

“That (2006-07) is the year I stopped playing basketball,” Brauer said. “I started working out a lot and got hooked up with a hitting coach at Strikes. He (Steve Hayward) has taught me so much; he really got me focused and has helped me improve.”

That set the stage for a junior season where the Bolingbrook resident lit the Suburban Catholic Conference on fire. Brauer hit .420 in 2007 while knocking out six homers to go along with 29 RBIs for a team that went 14-0 in the SCC.

Helping the transition was the fact that the Broncos had a pair of senior leaders in Cappetta and Crotty. Cappetta especially had a big influence on Brauer.

“Pete gave me high goals to shoot for,” said the senior, who will continue his baseball career College of DuPage. “He was an all-state player last year and I would definitely say he helped me. I saw that I had a lot of work to do; it gave me good motivation to get better.
“Pete was basically the guy I kind of wanted to be like this year. Losing him and Joe (Crotty), I knew we had big holes to fill. I was just trying to fill those holes as best as I could.”

Meet the rest of the 2008 Press Publications all-area baseball team.

Andrew Brauer
Montini
Senior
POSITION Second base/pitcher
STATS .405 average, 9 home runs, 45 RBIs, 29 runs scored, 4-4 record, 1.67 ERA, 75 strikeouts in 54 1/3 innings
ACHIEVEMENTS Following a breakout season in 2007, this senior proved that wasn’t a fluke after putting together an outstanding campaign on both the mound and at the plate. Second on the team behind Sean Cahill (.481) with a .405 average, Brauer also knocked out six doubles, two triples and nine home runs to go along with 45 RBIs and 29 runs scored. Doubling as the ace of the pitching staff, the Suburban Catholic all-conference pick went 4-4 with a sparking 1.67 ERA and 75 strikeouts.

Brian Brauer
Streamwood
Junior
POSITION Second base
STATS .324 average, 30 runs scored, 9 doubles, 4 home runs, 19 RBIs
ACHIEVEMENTS Brauer was the most consistent and most improved of several talented young Sabres. The all-Upstate Eight Conference choice was at his best in clutch situations. He led Streamwood with four home runs, nine doubles and two triples. His exploits included a three-run, game-winning home run May 5 in a suspended game against St. Charles North.

Adam Davis
Driscoll
Senior
POSITION Catcher
STATS .418 average, 10 home runs, 38 RBIs, 23 runs
ACHIEVEMENTS One of the top catchers in the state, Davis continued his onslaught of high school pitching. The University of Illinois recruit caught fire late in the season, finishing with 10 homer runs and 38 RBIs to go along with a .418 average, the third best on the Highlanders. An improving receiver behind the plate, the Suburban Catholic all-conference pick also shut down opponents’ running game with his cannon arm and quick release.

Mike Derby
Bartlett
Senior
POSITION Pitcher/first base
STATS 6-2 record, 3.79 ERA, 44 1/3 innings, 65 strikeouts, .312 average, 4 home runs, 21 RBIs
ACHIEVEMENTS Derby emerged as both a pitcher and a hitter as a senior. The Bradley University recruit was the ace of a young Hawks staff and finished 6-2 with a 3.79 ERA. The hard-throwing left-hander also struck out 65 in 44 1/3 innings. Still, he actually was chosen to the all-Upstate Eight Conference team as a first baseman. Derby put some pop in Bartlett’s lineup with four doubles, four home runs and a  .545 slugging percentage.

Andrew Johnson
York
Junior
POSITION Catcher
STATS .367 average, 30 RBIs, 4 home runs, 6 doubles
ACHIEVEMENTS Johnson brought the combination of being a solid stopper behind the plate, along with a strong bat. Johnson, an all-conference selection, tied for the team-best in home runs and was second on the team in batting average and third in slugging (.517). A mainstay behind the plate, Johnson played in all 37 games and threw out seven runners.

Matt Kennedy
Lake Park
Senior
POSITION Outfielder
STATS .400 average, 32 runs scored, 23 RBIs
ACHIEVEMENTS This talented senior took a big step forward in 2008. A consistent offensive presence and valued defensive stalwart for the Lancers, the all-Upstate Eight Conference selection led his team in batting average, was second in runs scored and showed solid speed (five stolen bases). He used the latter to great effect in the Class 4A Elk Grove regional final, helping force a bad play on a routine grounder that gave Lake Park a brief lead over St. Charles North.

Joe Mellone
York
Senior
POSITION Center field
STATS .362 average, 9 doubles, 3 home runs, 39 RBIs, 41 runs scored, 11 stolen bases
ACHIEVEMENTS Mellone became a dependable bat at the top of the Dukes’ order and delivered some clutch hits down the stretch. The all-West Suburban Silver selection led the team RBIs, runs scored and stolen bases, was second in slugging (.531) and third in batting average. In the 12-inning regional victory over Batavia, Mellone had the game-tying RBI in the top of the seventh and a sacrifice which led to the eventual winning run in the 12th.

Mike Ostrowski
Lake Park
Senior
POSITION Third base/pitcher
STATS .385 average, 2 home runs, 26 RBIs, 11 doubles, 26 runs scored
ACHIEVEMENTS If you weren’t familiar with Ostrowski before this year, it’s because he played behind Andy Sawicki and Victor Lies. But the Lancers’ other all-Upstate Eight Conference honoree left his own mark with a solid glove and impressive offensive numbers all season. He also had impeccable timing. It was his single in the bottom of the seventh inning that drove home the winning win in Lake Park’s 5-4 regional semifinal win over Addison Trail, giving head coach Dan Colucci his 200th career victory.

Luke Regole
York
Senior
POSITION Shortstop
STATS .368 average, 37 RBIs, 9 doubles, 4 home runs, 33 runs scored
ACHIEVEMENTS A lot was placed on Regole’s shoulders this spring and the senior delivered. From his leadership on the field, to his near-flawless play at shortstop to his production at the plate, Regole was a catalyst to a second-straight 22-win season for the Dukes. The two-time all-conference selection led the Dukes in batting average, slugging (.588) and extra-base hits and struck out just 13 times in 131 plate appearances. Regole also committed just four errors in the field.

Austin Safranski
Glenbard North
Senior
POSITION Shortstop/pitcher
STATS 7-3 record, 2.26 ERA, 55 2/3 innings, 22 walks, 44 strikeouts
ACHIEVEMENTS Along with Steve Cocat, Safranski was the key to Glenbard North’s late-season, 12-game winning streak with both his arm and his bat. He drilled one of his 10 doubles and a triple in addition to earning a relief win to help the Panthers clinch the DuPage Valley Conference title. Safranski (7-3) had a 2.26 ERA, walked 22 and struck out 44 in 55 2/3 innings. Offensively, he scored a team-best 22 runs.

Ryan Schrader
Bartlett
Senior
POSITION Shortstop
STATS .333 batting average, 30 runs scored, 4 doubles, 7 home runs, 22 RBIs
ACHIEVEMENTS Schrader was an outstanding defensive shortstop as a junior who worked hard in the offseason to become the Hawks’ best clutch hitter. He made good contract throughout the year, but finished the season with an impressive display of power. Schrader smacked three home runs in the final regular-season game against Lake Park and won Bartlett’s regional semifinal against Glenbard West with a grand slam. Schrader finished with a .473 on-base percentage and .681 slugging percentage.

David Schwabe
Driscoll
Senior
POSITION Shortstop
STATS .455 average, 41 runs scored, 31 RBIs, 14 stolen bases
ACHIEVEMENTS This three-sport standout capped off one of the best athletic careers in school history with another solid campaign on the diamond. Leading the team with a .455 average, Schwabe scored 41 runs on the season while adding 31 RBIs. The Suburban Catholic all-conference performer also toed the rubber for the first time in varsity action and compiled a record of 3-1 with a 3.03 ERA in 34 2/3 innings of work.

HONORABLE MENTION
ADDISON TRAIL Kevin Babica, Mike Colatorti, Nick Karakosta; BARTLETT Ryan Walker, Mike Selvaggi, Kyle King; DRISCOLL Ricky Divito, Corey Eisenmann, Kyle Sanders; FENTON Edgar Chaidez, Evan Scully; GLENBARD EAST Steve Dujka, Keegan Knoll, Bob Ryan; GLENBARD NORTH Alex Mullendore, Steve Cocat; IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Danny Muisenga, Carlos Rodriguez; LAKE PARK Mario Fearon, Ryan Wegner; MONTINI Sean Cahill, Brian Glennon; STREAMWOOD Gabe Roman, Mike Diebold, Ryan Kiesel; TIMOTHY CHRISTIAN Mike Marshall; WILLOWBROOK Andy Bejolvec, Peter Bonner, Chris Savas, Andy Wilhoit; YORK Marcus Boozel, Chris Fisher, Ray Yong