Early conference leaders in Lake County include two familiar names as well as a surprising one.
Catch Grayslake Central if you can
Having won five straight Northern Lake County Conference titles, Grayslake Central expects to finish in first place every season and appears primed to do it again.
The Rams (13-1, 6-0), who began this season with a 24-0 win in Florida, are making it look easy, outscoring opponents 156-34.
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“The pitching has been better than advertised,” Grayslake Central coach Troy Whalen said. “We always knew our defense would be a strength, and we’re getting production up and down the lineup.”
Those pitchers include senior TJ Rodriguez, a Milwaukee Area Technical commit who pitched into the fifth inning in the Rams’ 9-1 win over Lake Forest on Thursday; senior Luke Eckenstahler, another Milwaukee Area Technical commit who threw about 20 innings last season; and sophomore Beau Barrows, whom Whalen said has been a pleasant surprise.
That trio isn’t alone. The Rams’ teamwide ERA is below 1.50.
Offensively, the Rams have been just as good, hitting about .380 as a team. Senior first baseman Beckham Stone has 27 RBIs in the cleanup spot, and senior third baseman Jack Velez is batting .460 right behind him. Junior shortstop Charlie Surowiec has also found his stroke in the No. 2 hole; he hit a home run and a bases-clearing triple against Lake Forest.
“We’ve got a lot of good guys in this lineup, and it doesn’t matter who it is doing damage, anywhere top to bottom,” Surowiec said.
The defensive strength is particularly evident in the middle infield with Surowiec and senior second baseman Carson Woods.
“Carson and I have been playing together since 2025, and it’s awesome to know that if the ball is hit to my left, or to my right with Jack, that it will be an out,” Surowiec said.
The Rams have been out of the playoffs unusually early in the past two years. They hope to go further this season, no matter what happens in the conference.
“We hope to put to rest being beaten in regionals the last two years,” Surowiec said. “That has been hanging over our heads a little bit because it’s not the type of success we expect. For now, we’re just worried about the next game.”
Lake Forest rises to the top
Lake Forest coach Mike Nilles liked what he saw during the second half of the North Suburban Conference schedule last season.
Although that momentum didn’t yield a deep playoff run, Nilles felt good about the Scouts’ prospects for this season.
“With who we had coming back, I knew pitching would be the star of the show,” he said. “We would just have to be able to find the runs.”
That pitching prowess has been on full display, largely with seniors Callum Morrison, Luke Pasquesi and Nate Brezak, a Polk State commit. The first-place Scouts (14-3, 6-0), who have not finished higher than fourth in 10 years, have yielded two or fewer runs in eight of the 13 games they’ve played in Illinois, including five shutouts.
Morrison, whose junior season was marred by injury, has been the ringleader. He’s 5-0 with a 0.57 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 24 2/3 innings.
“Something we say is ‘there’s good and then there’s Callum,’” Lake Forest senior catcher Dylan Cran said. “I think the biggest factor is that he trusts his pitches. Full-strength Callum is showing us what he can do.”
The Scouts have also shown what they can do at the plate. Pasquesi has been a major catalyst as the No. 3 hitter, batting .356 with a .958 OPS, seven extra-base hits and 16 RBIs. Junior shortstop Nate Robbins has brought pop to the leadoff spot, batting .380 with a 1.217 OPS, three home runs among eight extra-base hits, 19 RBIs and 17 runs scored.
The Scouts are also receiving big contributions from three sophomores: second baseman Owen Koehnemann, one of Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg’s grandchildren, is batting .298 and is playing stellar defense; designated hitter Josh Kim is batting a team-high .429; and Henry Burke has a 2.33 ERA in nine innings and is batting .310.
Lake Forest won its first 11 games after returning from its trip to Kentucky, scoring 105 runs in that span. All the offense, and all the winning, have changed the temperament of the team.
“In my first two years, I wasn’t totally certain about the team,” Nilles said. “Now I come to the field expecting to win, and we want them to share that same belief.”
That’s underscored by the phrase “play free,” which is etched on the back of the Scouts’ hats. It comes from Boston Red Sox third baseman Caleb Durbin, a Lake Forest graduate who emphasized its importance during a live broadcast on Instagram in the preseason.
“It’s a reminder to relax and that it’s still a game,” Cran said. “You have to have faith in each other, and we do.”
CSL North showdown
Highland Park and Vernon Hills may very well be on a collision course in the Central Suburban League North.
The Giants (12-3, 6-0) are the defending champions, also finished first in 2023 and have provided convincing evidence that they’re the team to beat once again.
“The length we have in our lineup is really good,” Highland Park coach Jason Newburger said. “From top to bottom, we haven’t had much drop-off, and there have been no droughts where we go three, four or five innings without putting something together.”
The top of the Giants’ order welcomed an addition of sorts, as outfielder Shamar Wilson, a Loras recruit, returned to the team after focusing on track as a junior. The bottom of the order — juniors Simon Rose, Sam Gaddini and Brady Kimelman — has shown no dip in production, which makes opposing pitchers work overtime.
The team’s grit is personified by senior catcher Josh Midanek, who has been behind the plate in every game since the 2025 season opener.
Midanek is responsible, with an assist from a friend of his father, for introducing the word “nails” into the team’s vernacular. The term signifies an unyielding toughness, and decals featuring nails are affixed to batting helmets for players’ positive achievements.
“The first handful of games, I was struggling, and I remembered the story my dad told me,” Midanek said. “If I get to the park and my body is killing me, that’s what I think of. The season is a grind, but I wouldn’t have it any other way, and I hope we can pass ‘nails’ down to future teams.”
Meanwhile, upstart Vernon Hills (10-5-1, 5-1) has 14 seniors, many of whom played in 2024 and 2025 as the team won a total of 17 games. Senior catcher Connor Brockway, a fourth-year starter, goes back even further, having experienced back-to-back four-win seasons in 2023 and 2024.
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“There were a bunch of guys we knew going in that we could absolutely count on, and there are a few that we didn’t know what to expect,” Vernon Hills coach Pasquale Atteo said. “We’ve gotten pretty consistent in our routines and approach, which has helped.”
Among those who had virtually no track record but has made an impact is senior shortstop Devin Ratajczyk, who is a stabilizing force on defense and bats third. He and junior second baseman Colin McMurray, a third-year varsity player, form a rock-solid middle infield.
Also new on the scene is senior outfielder Nathan Perritt, who was given a shot in the lineup two weeks ago and played so well that Atteo has already concluded that it will be virtually impossible to get him out of the lineup.
“I’ve been in the program at its lowest and now at a high point,” Brockway said. “It definitely started with changing our culture. Our expectation is that whoever we’re playing, we expect to beat them. A couple of years ago, we would just see what happened.”
15 breakout players
Jaylen Albarran, Waukegan, senior, catcher: Batting .450 with a 1.060 OPS.
Connor Brockway, Vernon Hills, senior, catcher: Batting .358 with a 1.041 OPS, three home runs and 20 RBIs.
Brayden Duran, Zion-Benton, junior, outfielder: Batting .372 with a .939 OPS and six stolen bases.
Chase Golding, Deerfield, junior, first baseman: Batting .357 with three home runs and 15 RBIs.
Braxton Goodfellow, Warren, junior, third baseman: Batting .414 with a .595 on-base percentage.
Matthew Hara, Libertyville, junior, outfielder: Batting .353 with seven RBIs and 13 runs scored.
Ethan Jablonski, Lakes, senior, shortstop: Batting .355 with a 1.136 OPS and 14 runs scored.
Jake Kane, Lakes, senior, second baseman: Batting .458 with a 1.164 OPS and 11 runs scored.
Ben Merdalo, Stevenson, junior, catcher/outfielder: Batting .351 with an .889 OPS.
Ryan Mick, Vernon Hills, senior, first baseman: Batting .341 with a .948 OPS, two home runs and 17 RBIs.
Callum Morrison, Lake Forest, senior, pitcher: Has a 5-0 record a 0.57 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 24 2/3 innings.
Miller Rastrelli, Mundelein, junior, pitcher: Has a 3-1 record with a 2.85 ERA in 19 2/3 innings.
Maddox Solum, Mundelein, sophomore, first baseman/designated hitter: Batting .419 with a 1.108 OPS and 14 runs scored.
Jack Velez, Grayslake Central, senior, third baseman: Batting .460 with 16 RBIs and 15 runs scored.
Sam Villarreal, Zion-Benton, senior, pitcher: Has a 1.13 ERA in 18 2/3 innings.
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.