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DuPage Dragons vice president of baseball operations Tim Connelly said Thursday that he has already started assembling next year's team.

The Brewers are betting big on CC Sabathia, and the 290-pound pitcher's impact will be felt on the North Side of Chicago, where the Cubs suddenly find themselves in the National League's most compelling division. Of all the potential ramifications to this trade, here's one that rippled to Aurora and Waubonsie Valley. Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald reports:

In the past few days, according to a source with knowledge of the talks between the Indians and Red Sox, Cleveland did not come down from its request of one package headlined by right-hander Michael Bowden, the other featuring the Sox' best position-player prospects, including Lars Anderson, Jed Lowrie and Josh Reddick.

Ian Krol's future just got a lot clearer or a lot muddier. Either way, it's looking pretty good for the All-American left-hander from Neuqua Valley.

By Brad Engel and Patrick Mooney

Bryan Roberts was arguably the area's most valuable player. With the dominant senior on the mound, Benet could always hang with the top teams in the Chicago area. In press boxes, the line of reasoning would go something like this: Where would Benet be without Roberts?

But no one can answer that question, and it's clear where Neuqua Valley wound up with Ian Krol -- back among the state's elite programs, playing on the final day of the season.

Other media outlets release its end-of-season awards before the season actually ends. The Sun waited until Neuqua had finished third at the Class 4A tournament, and Krol had already won four playoff games. It's difficult to ignore how the junior performed during the spring's defining stretch.

No surprise on this end. Ian Krol and Jason David of Neuqua Valley, as well as Benet's Bryan Roberts, each made the IHSBCA All-State Baseball team for Classes 3A and 4A.

Krol won four postseason games en route to a 9-1 overall record, and David blasted a school-record 11 home runs and recorded 52 RBI.

Here's the complete list:

JOLIET - This was a good week for Highland pitcher Jake Odorizzi, who was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers with the 32nd overall pick in the amateur draft on Thursday, threw seven shutout innings to beat Crystal Lake Central 1-0 in the Class 3A semifinal on Friday and then nailed down the final two outs as the Bulldogs beat Rock Falls 6-2 for the state title on Saturday. Odorizzi (14-0) struck out two batters to earn the save.

Two of Benet's rivals were drafted in the later rounds. Joliet Catholic's John Ruettiger, who shared ESCC player of the year honors with Bryan Roberts, was selected by the Texas Rangers with the 1,053rd pick. Lockport's Steve Sabatino, a Notre Dame recruit who saved the 4-2 win over Benet in the sectional semifinal, was chosen by the White Sox with the 1,260th pick.

For a list of players who consider Illinois home, click here.

JOLIET - Neuqua Valley's coming off one of the best two-year runs in Illinois state baseball history. The Wildcats finished third in Class 4A this year and won it all in Class AA last year. Not many teams, if any, can same the same thing -- ever.

So who should get the credit? The players or the coaches? Neuqua coach Robin Renner opened the door for debate after they won the sectional championship in May.

JOLIET - Wheaton North senior first baseman Travis Otto got a call Friday night around 7:30 or 8, and it wasn't a telemarketer. The White Sox had selected him with the 1,458th pick of the amateur draft.

"I had no clue that was gonna happen," the 6-6, 190-pound Otto said. "I didn't expect it at all."

Otto later told Sun contributor Eddie Burns that he still plans to attend Illinois Wesleyan...and play golf. Saturday's 4-3 loss to Neuqua Valley marked his final baseball game.

JOLIET - St. Louis University pitcher Dave Sever, a Benet graduate, was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 21st round (637th overall) of the amateur draft on Friday. The 6-4, 195-pound junior, a Burr Ridge native, went 5-6 with a 5.21 ERA for the Billikens (24-29) this season. Sever made 13 starts in 15 appearances and finished with 80 strikeouts against 29 walks in 93.1 innings.

JOLIET - The Wildcats have less than 24 hours to shake off Friday's state semifinal loss to Prairie Ridge and reboot for a third-place game with Wheaton North.

What's the sense?

JOLIET - Neuqua Valley pounded Prairie Ridge 15-6 last month in Naperville, but little could be gleaned from that nonconference game, with both teams saving top pitchers for other opponents.

"I think it was in the back of everyone's head...the way that last game went," Prairie Ridge shortstop Bobby Martin said. "Neither team really threw any of their real good pitchers but (it) was a good experience to go through that (and) really come out after 'em this game."

By Friday night, after Michael Heesch had shut down Neuqua in a 7-1 win, and Prairie Ridge had scored six unearned runs, a more telling lesson could perhaps be found in last season's Class AA title game. The Wildcats beat New Trier 5-1 despite notching only one hit, taking advantage of two errors and scoring all five of their runs in the fourth.

"One play could give you a win. One play could cost you the game," Neuqua coach Robin Renner said. "So many times that play has allowed us to win the game, you know, over the last couple years. You know last year with the one hit...and a lot of times this year...This year it went the other way on us."