Bremen coach Mike Cline prefers not to look too far ahead.
But there’s no denying that Cline believes that the Braves (2-1) have what it takes to transform this season into something special.
Like making a run at the program’s first sectional championship since 1984.
“Our goal is to go farther than we’ve ever gone in the postseason,” Cline said. “We have enough quality arms to make that happen. But I still think the strength of this team is going to be hitting.”
Bremen returns its top four pitchers — Mike Fuentes, Colin Walton, Tom Cassell and Zack Fischl — from a team that won 22 games in 2016.
Fuentes, a Northern Illinois recruit, is the undisputed ace. The right-hander has spent his entire four-year career on the varsity.
It’s no wonder Cline is expecting big production out of Fuentes. Not only on the mound, but at the plate.
Fuentes has obliged, hitting two homers.
“Mike’s throwing the ball well,” Cline said. “I think he’s only going to get better as the weather gets warmer. He’s our leader.”
Cline will look to catcher Collin Brown, first baseman Charlie Bennett, center fielder Shane Guilfoyle and second baseman Emilio Magana to help generate additional offense.
Guilfoyle has big-time speed and is expected to wreak havoc on the bases.
Magana will also see some time on the mound.
The Braves have been hit by the injury bug. Cline said senior outfielder Chris Ramos is recovering from a knee injury and sophomore shortstop Jimmy Costello hurt his back. Both should return within the next three weeks, according to Cline.
“We don’t have a lot of high-end depth to be able to afford to lose guys like Ramos and Costello,” Cline said. “But this team loves to play the game. They’re grinders. Once we get Ramos and Costello back, we’ll get it rolling.”
Desert success: St. Laurence (5-0) won all four games during its recent trip to Arizona.
Quite impressive, considering the Vikings’ competition had at least a dozen games under their belts.
“I’m pretty happy,” St. Laurence coach Pete Lotus said. “We played pretty well for the most part. We did a nice job offensively.”
The Vikings outscored their opponents 33-10.
Senior Tommy Farrell, a UIC recruit, and sophomore Matt McCormick, a West Virginia recruit, led the charge offensively.
Lotus wasn’t entirely pleased with the Vikings’ pitching, which struggled to consistently find the plate.
“We didn’t throw as many strikes as I expected,” Lotus said. “We had a lot of walks.”
There were a few bright spots on the mound.
Jimmy Burnette struck out eight batters in four innings during a 6-5 win over Douglas County (Colo.).
Angel Sandoval whiffed seven over six innings of shutout ball during a 7-0 win against Highland (Calif.).
And Marius Balandis settled down after a rough first inning in his varsity debut to strike out three over five innings during an 11-1 win over Kellis (Ariz.).
“Marius is really good,” Lotus said. “He was a little amped up in the first inning, but then he settled down. Jimmy and Angel threw the ball well. We’re really excited about the pitching staff and the whole team in general.”
Did you know: St. Rita graduates Marty Bechina and Danny Gleaves, along with Andrew grad Dan Durkin, are teammates at Michigan State (15-5). Bechina, a sophomore infielder, is hitting .342 with three doubles, six homers and 17 RBIs. Gleaves, a freshman outfielder, is hitting .324 with five doubles, one homer and 12 RBIs. Durkin, a senior infielder, is hitting .314 with seven doubles, four homers and 19 RBIs.
Twitter @disabato
Top 10
Records through Tuesday, with last week’s rankings in parentheses.
1. Brother Rice 3-1 (1)
2. St. Laurence 5-0 (2)
3. Lemont 3-0 (3)
4. St. Rita 4-2 (4)
5. Sandburg 1-0 (5)
6. Mount Carmel 3-1 (6)
7. Andrew 5-1 (NR)
8. Marian Catholic 2-1 (9)
9. Stagg 5-1 (NR)
10. Tinley Park 4-1 (NR)
Player of the Week: Andrew pitcher Scott Youngbrandt went 2-0, allowing one run and striking out 20 over 12 innings. The junior also batted .462 (6-for-13) with four doubles, three RBIs and two runs.
