Lemont HS Baseball Players Commit to Play College Ball

The 2014 high school baseball season still is months away, but five Lemont High School student-athletes already have made their commitments to play college baseball beginning in Spring 2015. Included among those players are Jacob Latz (Louisiana State University), Mike Papierski (Louisiana State University), Jake Terrazas (Saint Louis University), Eric Tucker (University of Pikeville) and Mike Wisz (University of Houston).

Each member of this quintet is expected to shoulder a significant load for head coach Brian Storako’s team as it seeks its fifth straight South Suburban Conference-Blue Division title and a deep run in the IHSA playoffs in 2014. The Indians went 23-7 last season, which included a near-perfect 18-1 mark in SSC play.

A switch-hitting catcher, Papierski has served as a starter on Lemont’s varsity squad since his freshman season. He heads into his final season as a .373 career hitter whose outstanding patience at the plate has led to him accumulating almost three bases on balls for every strikeout (49 walks, 17 K’s). A two-time All-SSC selection, Papierski has totaled 20 doubles, five home runs and 62 runs scored over 200+ at-bats, and has driven in 57 runs as well. As both a freshman and junior, he posted slugging percentages of greater than .600 and on-base percentages above .500.

A southpaw hurler, Latz has been dominant over his 89.2 career varsity innings, striking out 145 batters (11.32 per seven innings) and allowing just 62 hits while putting up a 1.56 ERA. He has posted a career record of 7-2 with two saves, and has limited opponents to just more than one baserunner per inning (1.16 WHIP). At the plate, Latz is a .413 hitter with three home runs and 24 RBIs in 80 at-bats.

Papierski was named the SSC Player of the Year as a junior in 2013 after batting .398 with three home runs and 24 RBIs. He led the team with 11 doubles and was second on the squad with 34 runs scored, 11 stolen bases and 21 walks. With more than one-third of his 33 hits going for extra bases, he slugged a career-best .614 and was second on the team with an on-base percentage of .533.

Latz was a standout on the mound and at the plate on his way to all-conference accolades in 2013. He went 3-1 with a save and a 1.88 ERA in 44.2 innings of work, and fanned a career-high 78 batters (12.22 per seven innings) while allowing just 31 hits. At the plate, Latz was second on the team both with his .411 batting average and .616 slugging percentage, and totaled seven doubles, two home runs, 25 runs scored and 21 runs batted in. Latz also led the team in on-base percentage (.542), reaching in 52 of his 96 plate appearances.

Though each had made his varsity debut as an underclassman, Terrazas, Tucker and Wisz all firmly established themselves as varsity contributors as juniors in 2013.

A right-handed hitting infielder, Wisz proved to be a dominant force in the Indians’ line-up, leading the team in hits (43), triples (five), home runs (four), extra-base hits (17), runs batted in (39), total bases (73) and slugging percentage (.689). He added eight doubles and nine stolen bases, and was third on the squad in batting average (.406) and runs scored (31). Wisz was tabbed with All-SSC accolades in his first full varsity season.

Terrazas also received all-conference honors in his first varsity season. A right-handed hitting first baseman, he batted .396 with two home runs and was second on the team with 31 runs batted in. Terrazas added seven doubles and 30 runs scored, tied Latz for the team lead with seven hit-by-pitches, and posted a .538 slugging percentage. He also ranked fourth on the team with 22.0 innings pitched, and posted a 3-3 record with a save while striking out 22.

A right-handed hitting outfielder, Tucker batted .281 with 10 runs batted in and 15 runs scored. In addition to his 18 hits, Tucker also reached base 12 times via walks and another three times after being hit by a pitch, which led to a .418 on-base percentage.

Papierski and Latz, each of whom are high honor roll students, will play for head coach Paul Mainieri at LSU, one of college baseball’s most storied programs. Mainieri has put together a Hall of Fame career, and in seven seasons at the Tigers’ helm has racked up 315 victories. A two-time National Coach of the Year at LSU, he has guided his program to three trips to the College World Series, including last year when the Tigers went 57-11 and won both the Southeastern Conference West Division and the SEC Tournament. Mainieri led LSU to a College World Series title in 2009.

An honor roll student and a standout basketball player (14.9 ppg, 64 3-pointers as a junior), Wisz will play for head coach Todd Whitting at Houston, which is a member of Conference USA. Whitting has revitalized the Houston program, leading the Cougars to a 36-22 mark in 2013, which marked the third-best turnaround in the country. Whitting’s teams have averaged 27 wins per season over his three campaigns.

A high honor roll student who also is a two-time basketball letterman, Terrazas will suit up for head coach Darin Hendrickson at Saint Louis, which is a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference. Hendrickson’s squads have averaged 33 wins per year over his six campaigns, and the Billikens have posted back-to-back 40-win seasons and won consecutive A-10 regular-season titles. Saint Louis won the A-10 Tournament title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2013.

An honor roll performer, Tucker will play for head coach Chad Gassman at Pikeville, an NAIA institution located in Pikeville, Ky., and a member of the Mid-South Conference. Gassman enters his second season as the Bears’ skipper after leading the team to 18 wins in 2013—its best total since the 2005 season.

—Submitted by Lemont High School