Marian Catholic Rolls a Lucky 7 on College Signing Day

Seven student-athletes made their college plans official during a signing-day ceremony Wednesday at Marian Catholic High School.

Last May, Marian Catholic softball standout Alex Nickel was named Southland Patch's Athlete of the Month. On Wednesday, she was at the head of Marian Catholic's recruiting class. Seven Marian Catholic standouts made the college plans official during a ceremony at school. Following is a rundown: 1. Brad Bohlen (baseball), Northern Kentucky. 2. Aliyah Isaac (basketball), Valparaiso. 3. Reggie Johnson (baseball), Missouri. 4. Jasmine King (volleyball), Steon Hall. 5. Alex Nickel (softball), St. Louis. 6. Melanie Ransom (basketball), Davidson. 7. Megan Walsh (basketball), Truman State.

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The Sports Report

Marian Catholic Baseball: Exceptional Run Fueled by an Exceptional Talent

Marian Catholic senior left-hander Brett Lilek stands 6-4 and throws 90 mph. He has been ahead of the game since he started playing baseball in the yard with his father and three older brothers.

Many boys are introduced to baseball via a game of catch with dad in the yard. Few are so skilled at a young age to bypass T-ball and take their first swings in a competitive atmosphere off a pitching machine. And fewer still grow to 6-4 and throw a 90-mph fastball. Meet Brett Lilek. He is the leader of the Marian Catholic baseball team that will take on East Suburban Catholic Conference rival Nazareth Academy at noon Friday in the Class 3A semifinals at Silver Cross Field in Joliet. He is the exception to almost every rule. “God gives certain things to certain people,” Marian Catholic coach Phil Wail said. “God gave him a 6-4 frame and the ability to throw a ball 90 miles an hour. Now, it’s up to him to listen to all of his coaches—not …

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UPDATE: Marian Catholic's Lilek Gets the Biggest Roar from the Crowd

Marian Catholic baseball standout Brett Lilek outpolled nine others in Patch's weekly MVP balloting. He is now eligible for March Patch Athlete of the Month recognition.

Your Patch is a place to celebrate local high school athletes. Show your support for these prep sports MVPs—each of whom is Athlete of the Week in his or her local Patch—by cheering them on in the comments thread, sharing your own photos with the Patch community and voting in the poll. Do you think we're missing someone? Tell us in the comments and share his or her photo to the gallery above. (It's easy. Just click the Upload Photos and Videos link — learn more here.) Read more about this week's MVPs in the photo gallery, and show your support for them by: There is one more way for you to become a more interactive fan: Sign up to become a Patch sports blogger. (Learn more about blogging on Patch here).

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

Spartan left-hander Brett Lilek gained valuable experience and exposure pitching against some top-notch competition this summer.

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 …

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Oh, Baby! What a Week for Marian Baseball Coach

As if his Spartans' surprising run to the Richards Regional summer tourney title wasn't enough, Marian Catholic baseball coach Phil Wail become a father for the first time.

It was quite a week for Marian Catholic baseball coach Phil Wail. On Monday, he became a father for the first time, as his wife gave birth to a boy, Alexander. On Thursday, Wail’s Spartans won their fourth game in four days to claim their first baseball regional title of any kind since 1987. “I am running on adrenaline right now,” Wail said after his Spartans beat Mount Carmel 9-8 on Thursday for the Richards Regional title in the Illinois High School Baseball Association summer league tournament. Marian will play in the state quarterfinals on Monday at either North Central College in Naperville or Benedictine University in Lisle. Wail had planned to be at the Spartans’ first game of the regional on Monday, but his soon-to-be son had other…

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