Marian Baseball Lefty Lilek Ranks as State's No. 1 Prospect in Class of 2012

Marian Catholic left-hander Brett Lilek knows the old adage: to be the best, you have to beat the best.

Lilek did just that this summer as he beat the best while competing in numerous elite high school tournaments/events throughout the country.

The exposure he gained catapulted him to the top of many baseball prospect lists. He is currently ranked as the top high school player in the country for the class of 2012 in many publications.

This summer, the South Holland native played for the Northern Illinois Reds and Texas Sun Devils while pitching in the Double Duty Classic at U.S. Cellular Field and in the the Area Code Games in Long Beach, Calif.

“I was out there pitching against some of the top kids in the country,” Lilek said. “Every kid is good and is out there trying to showcase talent to some of the scouts. You know that, whatever you face, you have to get them out. You have to show it or else you're not going to get them out.”

Though Lilek was not with his high school team, Marian Catholic, for most of the summer, he was able to pitch in the summer state baseball quarterfinals after the Spartans made a surprising run in the playoffs.

To top it all off, he made a verbal commitment to attend Arizona State University, a perennial college baseball powerhouse.

“It was a tough decision,” Lilek said. “I also looked hard at the University of Florida and South Carolina, but I liked what Arizona State had to offer. I enjoyed the weather there. It is not as humid. Plus, I have family out West.”

Lilek has the build of a major league pitcher. He stands 6-4. He also has the arm. His fastball averages 92-mph. He has topped out on scouts' speed guns at 94-mph.

He also has a change-up, slider and curveball. He uses his off-speed stuff to keep hitters off balance.

Lilek grew up playing Little League ball in South Holland. Ever since he was 10, he has played two years ahead of his age level.

He chose Marian Catholic because his older brothers attended the school and his mother currently works at the school. He credits both his father and Spartans coach Phil Wail in helping him develop into the pitcher he has become today.

“I have never had a pitching coach," Lilek said. "It is just me and my dad. He knows a lot about baseball and is a good person to have around.

"He has been working out with me since I was little. Basically, everything I have done up to this point, he has been with me every step of the way.”

Lilek plans to train with Wail and his Spartan teammates during the offseason to prepare for Spring 2012.

“Coach Wail pushes you,” Lilek said.  “We work out two times a week in the winter, and he gets in there and it is very helpful.”

Lilek has the drive to go with his natural talent. He never stops playing baseball. This fall, he will be a member of the White Sox Fall team.

The team will compete in tournaments with a roster that was put together by scouts consisting of some of the Chicago-area's best high school players.

The path Lilek is taking is one that could lead him to the major leagues, but that statement has been made to many Southland high school stars and few have lived up to the task.

But Lilek hopes he can make it.

“That is my dream and what I am hoping for, but I haven’t really thought about that yet,” he said. “I know for sure right now that college is my top priority.”

As next June’s draft approaches, Lilek knows he has to continue to get better on the mound and make strides physically, too.

“I want to get better, faster and stronger, so that I can stay one of the top guys around," he said.