Baseball | 2/27/2015 11:10:00 AM

As one of only two teams in the Great Lakes Valley Conference to qualify for the GLVC tournament for five straight years, the expectations never change for the Lewis University baseball program.

"Every year the goals are to win 30 games, win the GLVC East Division and advance to the regional," Lewis head baseball coach Tim McDonough said.

The goals in 2015 stay the same despite the loss of 11 seniors from last season, including left fielder Jake Murray (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North) and right fielder/designated hitter Ben Albano (West Dundee, Ill./Jacobs). The pair of All-GLVC performers, along with the rest of last year's seniors, helped the Flyers to two NCAA Tournament appearances over the last three years.

"If you look around you see we lost some guys who played four years for us," McDonough said. "I think we will be different this year but I think we'll be improved in several areas too. We are deeper across the board, especially on the mound, and we may be able to win some of the closer, one-run games that in years past we haven't won."
 
So far McDonough has liked what he has seen in the preseason.

"We haven't had one bad practice in the winter," McDonough said. "I'm not sure I've ever had that before. The guys have worked really hard."

PITCHING
Seniors Tom Helwich (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln Way Central), Eann Cox (Erie, Ill./Erie) and Phil Warner (South Elgin, Ill./St. Charles North) will be the heart of the Flyers' pitching rotation. Helwich used last season as a redshirt year due to a season ending injury. In 2013 he was an ABCA All-Midwest Region First Team honoree after recording a 1.95 ERA and 72 strikeouts over 97.0 innings. Cox started 13 games last year, picking up five wins and throwing 88.1 innings. Warner owns a career 3.67 ERA over 38 appearances.

"Tom, Eann and Phil will be the anchors of our staff," McDonough said. "They are veteran guys who have proved it. We'll count on those guys on the weekend this year and they will get starts in Florida to open the year."

However several spots are still open in the Flyers' rotation.

"Sam Couch (Bolingbrook, Ill./Joliet Catholic) and Brad Elmore (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) are two guys who threw on the weekend last year so we know they are capable," McDonough said. "Ryan Fox (Dayton, Ohio/Centerville) and Eric Luecht (Lake In The Hills, Ill./Huntley) are freshmen who have really established themselves in the preseason and we will count on them this year."

In the bullpen, look for freshmen Mike Enriquez (Evergreen Park, Ill./Brother Rice) and Dalton Hottle (Monmouth, Ill./Monmouth-Roseville) as well as senior Dylan Cysewski (Crystal Lake, Ill./Crystal Lake Central) to throw important innings.

"Mike has impressed the coaches so far and we feel good about him in late game situations," McDonough said. "If you asked our hitters right now who is a the guy they'd least like to face they would say Dylan. He is a submarine thrower so he brings a different wrinkle and gives hitters fits."

CATCHER
The 2015 Flyers have several options behind the plate. Junior Cale Robinson (Weldon, Ill./Clinton) returns the most starts from last season with 13. Senior Kelton Zimmerman (Glen Ellyn, Ill./St. Francis) and newcomers junior Cory Starnes (Machesney Park, Ill./Harlem) and freshman Taylor Grimm (Cedarburg, Wis./Cedarburg) will also compete for time.
 
"Cale will start the season as our starter," McDonough said. "He has the strongest arm and receives the ball the best of the four. We've seen improvement in each of the four. Kelton has the most experience being a senior. Cory is a guy who does everything well. Taylor is newer to the position but he has developed the most from fall to now."
 
OUTFIELD
Lewis will have a new look outfield in 2015 with the graduation of all-conference performers Albano and Murray. Austin Mastela (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport) will step into right field to replace Albano full time. Mastela started 22 games in right field last season when Albano was the designated hitter. Mastela hit .314 last with 29 RBI in 167 at-bats in 2014. He earned All-GLVC First Team honors for his play.

"Austin is coming off a season where he had a lot of success," McDonough said. "He's the next in line to fill the shoes of Ben and be that run producer for us."

Look for junior Brandon Collins (Tinley Park, Ill./Lincoln Way North) to be Lewis' every day left fielder. Collins knocked in seven runs in six games last season before suffering a season ending injury.

"Unfortunately Brandon was injured most of last year so not many people in the league know this, but he is a freak athlete and is another guy who will hit in the middle of the order for us," Mcdonough said. "His speed adds another element to the game."

Senior Kane Lombardo (Forest Park, Ill./Nazareth) will take over center field from the graduated Alex Slaby (Davenport, Iowa/Davenport West).

"Kane is a great defender in center and has the ability to get on base," McDonough said. "He is a senior who has been in the program for four years. He will be a top of the order guy for us."

INFIELD
Coaches often talk about the importance of playing strong defense up the middle. It starts for the Flyers with Mike Barajas (Chicago, Ill./Nazareth) at shortstop. Barajas was an All-GLVC First Team selection last season as well as being named to the ABCA Gold Glove Second Team. At the plate, he hit .364 with an on base percentage of .435.

"You would be hard pressed to find a better shortstop in the league," McDonough said of Barajas. "Defensively he is as good as it gets. Offensively he has made huge strides each year."

The Flyers are blessed with another All-GLVC performer up the middle with 2014 All-GLVC Second Team honoree Joel Rotkvich (Crestwood, Ill./St. Laurence) at second base. Last season he hit .312 with 43 hits.

"Joel had a great year last year and earned the starting third base spot," McDonough said. "He played second, short and third in high school so he has the skillset for the move to second base."

At third, look for newcomer Kurt Becker (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) to open the season at the hot corner. Becker enters Lewis as a junior after starring at Harper College the last two seasons.

"Kurt was an All-American in junior college last season," McDonough said. "He'll get the nod third, but senior Mark Kornacker (Lemont, Ill./Lemont) is pushing hard for playing time as well."
 
On the opposite corner of the diamond, junior Joe Sparacio (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield Central) returns as the starter at first. Sparacio started 38 games last season, recording an on base percentage of .425 thanks to 20 walks and 35 hits.

"Joe is just so steady both offensively and defensively and after having a full season under his belt we feel this could be a breakout year for him," McDonough said.

DESIGNATED HITTER
Look for several Flyers to get starts at designated hitter. Senior Jared Pyatt (Pekin, Ill./Pekin) will likely get most of the at-bats out of the gates during the spring break trip to Florida.
 
"Jared has done a good job during the fall and winter and has been one of our most consistent hitters," McDonough said. "We know he will drive the ball and bring more of that traditional DH production."

Freshman Ethan Bloom (Schaumburg, Ill./Hoffman Estates), Kornacker and freshman Neal Tyrell (Minooka, Ill./Minooka) will also get at-bats as a designated hitter.

"Ethan had great high school numbers and his profile compares to (Ben) Albano eventually," McDonough said. "Mark has handled the bat well and can be a line drive hitter for us and Neal is a freshman who we like in that spot. We will play matchups in certain games depending if we want a little more speed or more bat control but we feel good whoever we put in there."
 
SCHEDULE
Six of the eight games Lewis will play in their spring break trip in Florida to start the year are against teams from the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. This means Lewis will play some key in-region contests before the start of GLVC play.

If the Flyers succeed in making their sixth straight GLVC Tournament, it will be at a new location. For the first time the league championship will be held at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind. The venue is on the north side of Indianapolis, making it an easy commute for Flyer fans.

All together the 2015 schedule features 49 games, with it all getting starting March 1 in a doubleheader with Ashland.