Season Review

The 2010 T.F. North Meteor Varsity Baseball Team will be an interesting mix of returning players and fresh faces. 2010 will be a challenge as the Meteors will move to the newly formed South Suburban Blue Conference. They will join the Bremen Braves, Hillcrest Hawks, Lemont Indians, Oak Forest Bengals, Tinley Park Titans, and the T.F. South Rebels. Lemont and Oak Forest should be the cream of the crop not only in the "Blue" but in Class 3A. The Meteors goals will be to challenge, compete, and crack that top half. This season could be a challenge. The Meteors lose All-Conference performers Adalberto Galvan, Elijahben Israel, and Cody Zalkowski. Head Varsity Coach Mike Kosiara returns six varsity starters. The seniors include All-Conference selections Alvaro Calderon (INF-P), Tyler Daw (INF-P), and Dominique Pickett (C-P). Juliano Rivera (Utility) rounds out the senior starters from a year ago. The junior class returns Nick Thompson (INF) and the Sophomore class is represented by Robert Austin (OF).

In 2010, the Meteors will turn to that group to lead offensively. Last season, Calderon (All-Conference, All-Area) led the offensive output with a .363 average, 2 HR's, and 21 RBI's. Pickett will pack the punch that Cody Zalkowski had in the middle of the order in 2010 after hitting .343, 0 HR, and 11 RBI. Robert Austin will be a key contributor after hitting .405 with 1 HR and 12 RBI in just 38 AB's with the Varsity Meteors in 2009.

On the mound, the Meteors have three All-Conference selections that anchor the staff that will miss Adalberto Galvan. Tyler Daw (All-Conference) was 2-1 with a 2.89 ERA in 2009 while striking out 20 and walking just 7 in thirty plus innings. Calderon was 6-1 with a 3.02 ERA in 2009 while Pickett was 0-3 with a 5.60 ERA. Rounding out the staff will be Denard Covington (1-0 with a 12.35 ERA), and Sophomores Francisco Galvan (the younger brother of Adalberto Galvan), Sergio Esquivia, and Jose Mendoza.

Mendoza and Pickett will split duties behind the plate in 2010 with Calderon and Justin Jackson serving as back-ups. Daw will win the 1B job with Michael Doss backing him up. The most interesting battle will be at second base as Nick Thompson and transfer Michael Gamble will fight for playing time. Esquivia and Calderon will primarily play SS with Gamble in the mix. Galvan will be the primary third baseman with Pickett and Gamble seeing some action at the hot corner as well. The OF will be anchored by Austin, Rivera, and a mixture of Covington and senior Damian Rodriguez. Jon Joanson, Emmanuel Valdivia, Levon Stone Jr, Andrew McGuire, and Michael Canty will all be pushing for playing time as well.

With a new conference brings a new schedule and a daunting one at that. The Meteors open with a couple of Chicago Public League schools in Brooks and Harlan. After that the Meteors will host Lincoln-Way North before taking on old conference foes Kankakee, Rich Central, and finish the second week of the season with a double-header against Thornridge on 4/2. The Meteors then open the South Suburban Blue season with a home and home with Tinley Park on 4/5 and 4/6. On 4/19, the Meteors begin a home and home with 3A power Oak Forest. The highlight of the season will be at the U.S. Steel Yard against T.F. South on 4/30 at 7:00 pm in the Gary Railcats High School Challenge. On 5/17, the Meteors will begin a home and home with Lemont High School before wrapping up with a single game versus Homewood-Flossmoor and a double-header against Proviso East on 5/22. Old conference foes Rich South, Rich East, Bloom, Thornton, and Thornwood also are on the schedule. The Meteors also will compete in single games against the South Suburban Red schools (Oak Lawn, Eisenhower, Reavis, Evergreen Park, Richards, and Shephard). Other non-conference games include St. Francis de Sales, Hammond Clark, Illiana Christian, a double-header against Romeoville, and Proviso West.