Niles West News’s very own Sammy Butera and Joey DiFilippo have a chat with Captain Bobby Lochner.

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As the spring season ensues, The NWN had a chance to sit down with senior captain Bobby Lochner  and junior catcher Diego Acosta to discuss the upcoming season

NWN: What can we expect out of this team?

Lochner: I expect us to always play our hardest every game and leave with our heads held high when things don’t pan out the way we would like them to.

Acosta: Looking at the team this year and the players, we have we definitely have a lot of talent to work with. We have a smaller pitching staff but our locked down defense really helps us step up. Every season we plan on ending above 500 and continuing to do that. When playoffs roll around, we hope to go as far as we can. If that means a regional, then that’s amazing.

NWN: What are some goals you guys have?

Lochner: One goal for our team is to get better every day, whether we are practicing or in a game.

NWN: How is the team looking so far?

Lochner: So far we are looking pretty good. We are looking better than we were last year at this time. It’s still too early to tell how we are going to end up, but I hope for the best.

NWN: What are some strengths and weaknesses with this team?

Lochner: One strength we have as a team is chemistry. We all work together and like one another, so we work well together. Another strength is our maturity and varsity experience. Thirteen guys are returning from last year. One weakness we have is our pitching staff. We are a little thin on pitchers, so there might be a bigger workload for some people.

Acosta: Some overall strengths of our team are that a majority of our players are returning guys and know that pace of varsity level play. A weakness that we have is mentally getting ready to play. Physically, we are ready but some of the team is still trying to grasp on that mental aspect of the game.

NWN: What’re you looking forward to the most out of this season and why?

Lochner: I’m mostly looking forward to our team dinners and our road trip to Rochelle.

Come show your support at their second away game at Wheeling High School on Friday, March 17 at 4:45 p.m.

The Niles West boys varsity baseball team has been preparing to take on one of their conference rivals, Evanston, and tonight is their time. The Wolves are currently 5-1 in conference and are looking to take home a win against Evanston, who are 5-3 in conference.

The baseball team has had an outstanding season, and they plan to continue on with their winning record. The Wolves are currently in second place in conference, and are looking to take first place and the CSL conference champions title.

Varsity baseball member and junior Phillip Abonce is excited to take on Evanston and is hoping to come out of the game with a win.

“We’re excited going into this one,” he said. “We know Evanston has a good program and that it’s going to be a good game. We’ve been working hard at practice so we can stay sharp in the games. We’ve been practicing using a lot of situation type drills to prepare us for anything.”

Freshman Jack Lochner is looking forward to the game and the possibility of taking home the CSL title during his first year on varsity.

“Against every team you have to have the same approach to win. Evanston is usually a pretty good team,” Lochner said. “But nothing changes because of that. We have our best pitcher on the mound and we have to have good approaches at the plate. I personally prepare for every game the same way: listen to music and only concentrate on what I can do. If I do what I can control to the best of my ability then I’ll be happy with the outcome.”

Varsity baseball coach Mitchell Stern is confident in the team’s ability to both win this Thursday, as well as to take home the CSL title.

“Evanston is always a tough opponent. They are well-coached and always have excellent pitching. We are sticking to our normal routine of practice this week and are excited for the challenge to play them,” Stern said.

Make sure to come out and support the boys baseball team at Evanston on Thursday, May 4 at 4:45 p.m. for one of their last games of the season.

Niles West News’s very own Sammy Butera and Joey DiFilippo have a chat with varsity baseball player Bobby Lochner

For the third year in a row, the Chicago Cubs are back in the playoffs. Coming back to playoffs being the 2016 World Series Champions, their first win in 108 years, fans are ecstatic to see what the team can pull of this year.

The Chicago Cubs clinched their spot in the playoffs after defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 5-1 on Sept. 27th, making them the National League Central Division Champions for the second year in a row.

Niles West Cub fans are jumping for joy with the Cubs clinching their playoff spot, and are looking forward to a wild post-season. Junior Sammie Simkins is ready to see her favorite team show to everyone that last year wasn’t just a fluke.

“I’m very excited, I’d love to see back-to-back World Series wins,” said Simkins. “Everybody has doubted the Cubs for so many years, but now people are switching over to be fans, but the more fans, the better.”

Senior Tricia Pabst is not nervous for the Cubs at all, and she feels that the pressure from last year’s postseason is off the team’s back.

“I’m not too nervous for the Cubs being in the playoffs this year,” said Pabst. “It felt like last year was a lot more nerve racking because it had been 108 years since they had won [The World Series]… They’re a strong team with some good competition, so I’m excited to see how well they do.”

The Cubs will start the post-season off in the National League Division Series, a five game set, against the Washington Nationals. The Nationals finished their regular season off with 97 wins and 65 losses, winning their division and ultimately one of the top threats in the postseason.

Other fans at West are slightly concerned over the competition that this year’s postseason offers, and know the Cubs are going to have to work as hard they possibly can to pull it off. Junior Adnan Perazic expresses his concerns.

“I’m honestly expecting a tough fight,” said Perazic. “We’re missing a lot of key strengths from last year, so all I could say is that it’s going to be a lot tougher. It’s going to go down to the wire.”

The Cubs are going to have to do everything in their power to defeat their tough opponents in this years season. Nonetheless, the team is still looking great and fans could not be more excited for Chicago Cubs October baseball. Go, Cubs, Go!

Even though it has been only a month or so since the MLB kicked its season off, this season has been nothing short of wild thus far.

Here are the current top standings for each MLB division:

American League:

• East-Boston Red Sox (13-2)– The Red Sox currently hold the best record in the MLB, an insane 13 wins, and two losses. Players such as Mookie Betts (RF), Xander Bogaerts (3B), and Jackie Bradley Jr. (CF) have been rallying behind their excellent starting-pitching lineups, such as Chris Sale and David Price. The Red Sox will play the next top team in the whole league, beginning tonight at 9:07 P.M.
• Central- Minnesota Twins (7-4)– The AL Central is not filled with very great teams; however, the current front-runner of the division is the Minnesota Twins. Even they only have eleven games in the book, they’re leading the division, just half a game ahead of the usual AL powerhouse, the Cleveland Indians (8-6).
• West- Los Angeles Angels (13-3)- The Angels, led by star center fielder Mike Trout, have been dominating the AL West, already being four games ahead of the second place team in the division, the Seattle Mariners. The big story behind the team is their move to pick up Japanese all-star pitcher and hitter Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani previously played in the Nippon Professional Baseball league in Japan, where he led the league as perhaps the best pitcher and hitter, something very unheard of in the MLB; however, he is firing away playing both parts phenomenally in his debut MLB season.

National League:

• East- New York Mets (12-3)- Another team that has just been blowing everyone away with their incredible gameplay is the NY Mets. The Mets made lots of off-season moves to get great players from other teams, and now they’re rallying with an incredible lineup starring Yoenis Cespedes (RF), Todd Frazier (1B/3B), and Adrian Gonzalez (1B). They also have one of the greatest pitching lineups in the MLB, including Noah Syndergaard, Matt Harvey, and Jake deGrom.
• Central- Pittsburgh Pirates (11-5)- If this is a surprise to you, you’re not the only one thinking so. The Pirates are in fact leading the NL Central, ahead of both of the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals. What makes this surprising is the fact that the ballclub traded away a few of their best players, including OF Andrew McCutchen.
• West- Arizona Diamondbacks (11-4)- This one isn’t much of a surprise, though. With a lineup including all-star Paul Goldschmidt and pitchers Zack Greinke and Patrick Corbin, who just had eleven strikeouts in a single game. The D-Backs are just ahead of the usual NL West powerhouse, the Colorado Rockies, who have a record of 10-8.

Most West baseball fans are more concerned about our own teams, the Cubs and White Sox. Currently, the Cubs are in third place for the ML Central with a record of 7-7, and the White Sox are in fourth place in the AL Central with a record of 4-9. Neither teams are doing their best currently, but there are still over 100 games to play this season, leaving their fans with some hope.

The MLB regular season is coming to a close, and fans are getting more and more excited for the postseason. The Chicago Cubs managed to clinch a spot in the playoffs in the National League side of the bracket, but the first seed is up for grabs with the Milwaukee Brewers close on their tails.

In the regular season, the Cubs went 92-66, allowing them to reach the playoffs for the fourth time in four years, a first in franchise history. Fans at West expect them to make it through National League Championship and hopefully all the way to the World Series.

“Having made it to the playoffs the past four years straight, with one World Series, the roster has a lot of experience and can perform in such high stakes conditions,” sophomore Emet Durakovic said.

With both offensive and defensive strengths, a World Series appearance is not too far-fetched. The team’s experience could lead them to a long run in the postseason.

“[The Cubs] have Gold Glove winners in Anthony Rizzo and Jason Heyward, but there is also gold-glove- worthy Javier Baez on the field,” sophomore Sean Holbrook said.

Hot on their tails is neighbors to the north, the Milwaukee Brewers. Brewers’ outfielder Christian Yelich has put up jaw-dropping stats and is expected to win the National League MVP.

“Christian Yelich will win MVP because he is putting up stats comparable to Barry Bonds and he also has two cycles in one year,” sophomore Kyle Gibson said.

October is arguably the best month of baseball, with nail-biting games going on almost every day. Chicago fans love to see the Cubs battle it out to try and go for another World Series.

The winner of the 2018 World Series was crowned last Sunday when the Boston Red Sox defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 and winning the series 4-1. Many believed that the Dodgers would come back, but the Red Sox proved that they are the best in the league after putting the Dodgers down for good.

This year’s World Series was filled with lots of interesting events. To start things off, Boston’s right fielder, Mookie Betts, stole second base in the first inning, granting every single person in America a free Doritos Locos Tacos from Taco Bell on Thursday, Nov. 1st, 2018.

“I sincerely appreciate Mookie Betts stealing that base and getting me a taco. That’s another reason why I wanted the Red Sox to win because I really appreciate the free taco,” junior Peter Kougias said.

Game three of the World Series this year was the longest game in World Series history. The game lasted 18 innings: over seven hours long, and was concluded when Dodger’s first basemen, Max Muncy, hit a walk-off home run.

This is also the second year in a row that the Dodgers have made it all the way to the World Series and it’s also the second year in a row that they lost it. Last year, the team lost in game 7 against the Houston Astros.

“It was great to see the Red Sox win. The Red Sox were able to come back when adversity struck, and the Dodgers rolled over and died. That was the main difference between winner and loser,” Kougias said.

The Red Sox have dominated the league from the beginning of the year and finishing with the best record in both the American and National leagues.

“I’m not surprised that the Red Sox won it all this year. They are a very well rounded team altogether, both on the field and hitting. I knew if the Cubs didn’t win, that the Red Sox for sure would,” junior Patrick Eslick said.

One of the biggest contributes to the Red Sox winning this year was all-star and MVP candidate, Mookie Betts. Betts finished with an above impressive regular season batting average of .346 and had 13 hits, 1 home run, and a stolen base to earn free tacos for America during the 2018 post season.

“Mookie Betts is an all-star caliber player and you could tell from the start that any team with him would go far in the postseason,” junior Jack Lochner said.

Now that baseball is over for the year, all we can do it wait until opening day of 2019 on Thursday, Mar. 28. With many solid players going into free agency, this offseason should be interesting, shaping brand new teams for next year.

Senior basketball captain Richie Noparstak stops in to update us on their season, give us a preview on their upcoming game against Niles North.

As the snow melts and spring rolls around the corner, the Niles West boys varsity baseball team is gearing up to start their 2019 season. Following their successful season last year — in which they lost ten seniors — the young team has high hopes for the upcoming season.

Captian and senior Bradley Pawlow is eager to start his senior season and has seen lots of potential in his young teammates.

“We’re looking good and ready to start off strong this season,” Pawlow said. “Many of our varsity guys have been committed to going to off-season hitting and throwing workouts consistently and we’ve been getting so much stronger in the weight room. I think we can definitely compete to be a top team in conference.”

Pawlow has many personal goals this season and hopes to be a role model for his young teammates.

“As a captain, I’m looking forward to leading my teammates to not only win but to help them become better players and teammates when I leave Niles West,” Pawlow said. “Being one of the only upperclassmen on the team means I have more responsibility and more players will be counting on me, which I’m ready to take on. I’m looking forward to fighting for the regional title and having my best personal year before I go off to college.”

Fellow teammate and captain, sophomore Kyle Gibson, believes the hardworking mentality of the underclassmen will help lead the team to a successful season this year.

“The team is looking pretty good,” Gibson said. “We are full of hard workers and a young team. We were senior-heavy last year but now only have a few seniors and a lot of underclassmen. As a captain, I’m looking forward to how we challenge ourselves and bonding with my teammates because working together and bonding is as important as working hard.”

Following the loss of ten seniors, the young team will gain a lot of experience throughout this season.

“Although we’re looking pretty good this year, we’re gonna have to work harder with all the seniors we lost, but I think we’ll be alright,” junior Jack Lochner said. “This year I’m just looking forward to playing baseball. It’s a sport I’ve played forever and I’m just ready to get back into things. My personal goal this season is to just play every game like it’s my last and to perform at my highest ability at all times.”

The boys will be hosting Lane Tech on Thurs., March 14 at home to start off their 2019 season.

With the baseball team kicking off their season last Monday, Feb. 25th, senior captain Bradley Pawlow stops in for an inside look on their season.

Baseball season is back again and so far there has been no shortage of excitement across the MLB. With free agency being the hot topic of this year’s off-season, rising stars looking to make an impact, and longtime veterans playing in their last spring training games before they hang up their cleats for good, the 2019 MLB season is already shaping up to be historic and exciting.

Bryce Harper kept all MLB fans on the edge of their seats throughout the off-season as he entered free agency and talks of where he might be going were non-stop. Harper just recently signed a record-breaking contract with the Philadelphia Phillies where he will be paid $330 million over the course of 13 years is the highest paying contract in baseball history.

”I really think that he signed a contract that is keeping him on a team for way too long,” junior Themi Kastrinakis said. “I don’t think anyone should be kept on a team that long especially without being able to be traded or opt out of their contract.”

Manny Machado was also a hot topic as he was listed on free agency as well as Harper. Machado recently signed a $300 million contract where he will be apart of the San Diego Padres. Both superstars ended up on teams that people were pretty sure they wouldn’t end up on and it has been non-stop talked about since the signing days.

Other than the superstars already in the league, there are several prospects coming from the minor leagues that are looking to make an impact for their teams in the majors this year. Two of these prospects include Vlad Guerrero Jr. who is the son of former MLB superstar, Vlad Guerrero. The other is the top out-fielding prospect on the Chicago White Sox, Eloy Jimenez. Both of these rising stars are looking to make it their year in the majors and based on the way spring training has gone for them so far, the future is looking bright. Be sure to keep an eye out for these rising players throughout the rest of spring training.

”I think that these prospects have such high potential and although they might start off a little shaky, by the end of the year they will be hitting bombs like it’s nothing,” sophomore Kyle Gibson said.

Spring training has gone well so far looking at new and upcoming players but there really is no telling what could happen to a team when opening day comes along. March 28th, 2019, marks the date for opening day and the start of the 7 month season. Watching new players develop and shine while watching the current superstars perform on their new teams is something that should be fun to watch throughout the 2019 MLB season.

”I’m really just looking forward to seeing what great things both Harper and Machado are going to do on their new teams,” freshman Alex Cherian said. “I have no doubt that they will have a good season and it should be fun to watch.”

With the season already back in action, be sure to keep a close eye on fresh prospects and longtime veterans hoping to throw a curveball within the realm of the MLB.

If you have ever walked the athletic hallway of Niles West or noticed a picture of a famous baseball player on the wall in the gym, it’s probably George Kontos: a Niles West graduate a who also pitches in Major League Baseball.

Kontos graduated in 2003 and continued to play baseball while studying economics at Northwestern University before being drafted by the New York Yankees. After a season with the Yankees, Kontos signed with the San Francisco Giants and won two World Series with them before getting traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Kontos played one season with them and then was released by the team and in January, was signed by his hometown team, The Chicago Cubs.

Many Cubs fans and West students alike are excited to be able to see Kontos play for their home team but in order for him to be successful, he still needs to get back in his game.

“I think its really cool that Kontos was able to sign with his hometown but at the same time he really doesn’t have the best pitching stats anymore so I think he will start in AAA but it would be cool to watch if he ever did make his way up to the top again,” sophomore Sean Holbrook said.

Fans know his potential and the greatness he could bring to the cubs relief pitching staff and the Cubs might be the perfect team to be able to do that.

“Kontos is a really good pitcher and if he gets back on his game like he used to then he will end up being a pretty good relief pitcher for the cubs but judging from his last few years, it hasn’t been looking to good for him,” junior John Gunartt said.

English teacher Michael Conroy remembers teaching Kontos while he attended West and still keeps in touch with him as much as possible and was thrilled when he learned he signed with the Cubs.

“Needless to say, I was very excited when the Cubs signed him, and it is such a kick to see him in the red, white, and blue uniform of the team he followed as a kid,” Conroy said.

Conroy is a huge fan of baseball and has been following Kontos’ career since he entered the majors.

“Every time the Giants would play the Cubs at Wrigley Field I would go to the games and explain to the people sitting around me that I would be rooting for the Cubs in all but one inning, usually the sixth or the seventh, whenever George entered the game,” Conroy said.

Whether or not Kontos makes it to the cubs starting roster, fans of Kontos will be watching and keeping up with how he is doing.

“The Cubs have a very crowded bullpen, so there are no guarantees, but if and when he takes the mound in Wrigley Field in a Cubs uniform, it is an absolute, metaphysical certitude that I will be there.”

After what seemed to be a lengthy off-season, the 2019 MLB baseball season is about to take off and be underway. Opening day is on Thurs., March 28, and the first pitch will be thrown out by the Washington Nationals versus the New York Mets.

So far, the last few months of the off-season have been the most intense as players like Bryce Harper and Manny Machado each signed major contracts to new teams that many people are excited and looking forward to following. There is no doubt that they have been the hot topic since the start and will continue to be talked about throughout the season.

“Both Machado and Harper aren’t worth the money in my opinion because they both have never been all that consistent and have attitude problems,” junior Peter Kougias said.

Both Harper and Machado signed huge contracts leading fans to believe that they are only in it for the money and really don’t have a care in the world for what team they are playing for.

“The players are definitely in it for the money without a doubt, Bryce was talking about a bunch of their teams and how he loved the city and then out of nowhere comes Philly and they sign him for a ridiculous amount and that alone proves that they are just looking for a big deal and a huge paycheck,” sophomore Miguel Picazo-Marin said.

The Chicago Cubs are also expected to have an eventful season as their division this year is looking to be intense from the beginning all the way to the end.

“I am most looking forward to spending some hot summer days at Wrigley Field and watching what looks to be a great pennant race. The NL Central is looking like a tossup this year so it should be quite interesting to see what happens,” Kougias said.

With the MLB season lasting over 150 games, it is really hard to make predictions on who will make it to the playoffs, let alone which team will sweep the entire thing. With that, Cubs fans already have high hopes for their team to take it all the way again and bring home another championship.

“I think it is way too early to even think about the playoffs but I am always thinking that the Cubs will go far even though this year it might be a struggle for them,” junior Tani Speizman said.

Baseball is going to be nonstop almost every day until October. The Cubs will have their home opener on Mon., April 8, against the Pittsburgh Pirates and will begin their race to the top of the NL Central.

After a rather disappointing end to the 2018 Niles West Varsity Football season, it was known that new and major changes needed to be made to better ensure a successful 2019 season.

Quite possibly the biggest shock that came to the football program was the resignation of the then head coach, Jesse Pierce; however, the program was able to rebound and assign a new one to run the varsity football team. Meetings were held with both players and coaches on who will lead the Wolves in the 2019 football season, and one of the best candidates was none other than former Niles West Alum and then special teams coach, Matthew Hohs.

Niles West Athletic Director Dr. Dana Krilich had one of, if not the most important roles in selecting a new head coach and the process was something that took time and patience.

“I met with a focus group of players to discuss what they would like to see in their next coach. I also surveyed all of the current coaches under Coach Pierce to get their perspective,” Krilich said.

After hours of interviews and visits, Krilich knew that Hohs was the man for the job.

“Ultimately, Coach Hohs came out as the right man for the job. He is Niles West alum and lifelong community member,” Krilich said.

Hohs was already a part of the coaching staff for the football team so the players already know that they are in good hands for the next season.

“Coach Hohs is a really nice guy and he seriously cares about every each player,” senior Johnny Larionesi said.

Since the first day of football camp held over the summer, changes have been made to the team to not only make the boys better football players but better people as well.

“We’re going to teach everyone how to work hard and teach more than just football, it’s about life skills, character building, leadership and all of that,” Hohs said.

“Practices are run differently, we have a little bit faster-paced practices with some days for offense and some days for defense along with a whole new playbook,” senior Hayden Ferrigno said.

Always moving in the right direction seems to be the general game plan for this year but they are also going to try and get some wins on the record this season.

“Our goal every week is to go 1-0 no matter who we are playing but win or lose, we want to take a step in the right direction and don’t want to go backward,” Hohs said.

The process of finding a new head coach was long and stressful but players and coaches alike know that they can rely on Hohs to help them achieve their goals.”Coach Hohs is really passionate about Niles West football and we are glad to have him. We look forward to the program he is building and what’s ahead in the future,” Krilich said.

When asked about how prepared the team is for the first game against De La Salle High School, coach Hohs only had three words to describe how they feel going into week one and the rest of the season: “We’re always ready.”

The 2019 MLB season has been filled with exciting games, and it will come down to the very last one in the NL Central Division to see who will make it to the Post-Season.

The Chicago Cubs have no doubt had a rather successful year, but nothing in comparison to the last few and that is why I don’t think that they will be making it to the playoffs this year. The NL Central is filled with powerhouse teams and all-star caliber players like Christian Yelich which will ultimately be the reason why the Cubs will be sent home early this year.

There are five reasons that I have in mind which are the biggest factors in the Cubs not making the postseason.

1. The St. Louis Cardinals

The bitter rivalry between the Cubs and Cardinals has been around for quite some time, and these two teams are battling for a playoff spot day in and day out for the last few years. Currently, the Cardinals hold a record of 81-62 putting the Cubs 4.5 games behind them for a clinched playoff spot. The Cardinals have recently become a hot team winning seven of their last ten games while the cubs have won five and are currently on a three-game losing streak. By the time the season comes to a close in a few weeks, the Cubs will not only need to win a majority of their games, but the Cardinals will also need to start losing, and that is something I just don’t see happening.

2. The Cubs Flawed Bullpen

If you were to talk to any Cubs fan about their team and ask them about their biggest problem as a team, I am about 99% sure that they will say their bullpen has been a problem all year and is the main reason for their underachieving season. The Cubs bullpen currently has a losing record and their “all-star” closer, Craig Kimbrel, is not only currently on the IR, but has an ERA of 5.68 and a record of 0-2. Throughout the season, the cubs have not been able to rely on one single pitcher, and if they want any chance of a playoff birth, they need to find someone they can depend upon ASAP.

3. Christian Yelich

The reigning NL all-star currently poses the biggest threat to the Cubs other than themselves. Yelich this year again has put up all-star stats, and the Milwaukee Brewers themselves aren’t too far behind for the wildcard spot, the same one the Cubs are fighting for. There is no doubt in my mind that if it came down to one single game, Christian Yelich will take the game into his own hands and single handily send the cubs home packing. Yelich walked off the Cubs with a double only a few nights ago which can back up my reasoning to why he can most defiantly do it again.

4. Injuries

One thing that has happened recently to the Cubs that has insured to me that they won’t make the post-season and that has been the recent and not so recent injuries that the Cubs have endured. It has just been announced that one of their superstars, Javier Baez, will likely miss the rest of the regular season with a thumb injury and without one of the teams home run leaders, the Cubs have almost no chance of putting up the runs they need to win. Injuries have been a problem for the team for quite some time now especially with the best pitcher in their horrendous bullpen on the IR too.

5. The Cubs’ Performance on the Road

The final problem that has been lingering for the Cubs throughout the season has been their performances away from Wrigley. They have a brutal record of 29-42 when on the road, and it hasn’t been looking any better. On top of all that, the Cubs play the Cardinals for the final series of the regular season at Busch Stadium. They have a lot to clean up in these last few weeks and playing the Cardinals away from home should be the biggest challenge they face all year.

All in all, the Cubs are facing near-impossible odds to pull off a playoff birth at all and coming from a White Sox fan, I would be impressed to see it. I would put money on the Cubs not making it to the NLDS, but an NL Wild Card game is something that could happen, although they defiantly wouldn’t win it in my opinion. One thing about baseball, though, is that it can be very unpredictable at times, but I am more than positive that we will not see a Chicago Cubs 2019 post-season.