First team

Josh Biggs, Washington Twp, Sr., P/1B

Stats: .567, 13 HR, 41 RBIs, 35 SB; 8-2, 0.63 ERA

Comment: The strong-armed southpaw rebounded gamely from his junior-season struggles to be his old dominant self on the mound. A tad overshadowed by his pitching prowess was the fact that he absolutely mashed everything in sight at the plate. The classy Senator and North All-Star will attend the University of Evansville on a scholarship.

Thomas Polus, Andrean, Sr., P

Stats: 8-1, 1.17 ERA, 57 K, .202 average against, .293 BA, 11 RBI, 16 R

Comment: Helped propel Andrean's tough starting rotation with an average of 7.4 strikeouts per game. He led the 59ers with three shutouts -- half of their overall total -- and pitched a team-high 54 innings. He doubled as an outfielder and will take his talents to Georgetown in the fall.

Kenny Mahala, Andrean, Jr., P

Stats: .395, 10 HR, 6 2B, 43 RBIs, 34 H, 28 R, 7-1, 1.82 ERA, 65 K

Comment: The only junior on the 59ers' stellar starting staff and expected to be a driving force offensively and defensively next season. He showed what he could do this year with an improved off-speed pitch and a fielder's glove that made him an asset at third base.

Tony Balcazar, Bishop Noll, Sr., P

Stats: 7-3, 50 K, 20 BB, 72 1/3 IP, 1.94 ERA

Comment: Endurance and durability were highlights of the senior Warrior's game. He had a decent arsenal of pitches that could keep batters on their toes. His work ethic turned him into a pitcher with enough game to help carry his team through low-scoring games.

Eric Summers, Lake Central, Sr., Utility

Stats: .391, 24 R, 10 2B, 5 HR, 36 RBIs, 1.72 ERA, 8-1, 3 shutouts, 72 K

Comment: Physically, Summers was daunting at the plate and on the mound, but his skill proved he was more than just menacing. His hitting evolved to include more ball-placement control and on his effort on the mound made him the indisputable ace of the Indians' staff.

Adam Norton, Andrean, Sr., Utility

Stats: .550, 60 H, 45 R, 55 RBIs, 30 2B, 4 3B, 5 HR, 1.45 ERA, 9-0, 53 K, 5 BB

Comment: In addition to setting new state records in career doubles, hits and RBIs, and a single-season record in doubles (30), he struck out once all year. The Times Player of the Year came as close as he could to reproducing the production of his freshman season, becoming a better hitter and pitcher along the way.

Kevin Franchetti, Andrean, Sr., C

Stats: .396, 29 R, 43 RBIs, 10 2B, 3 HR

Comment: When Franchetti's name ran across an MLB memo as a player to keep an eye on, he was outed from his "diamond-in-the-rough" status. As defensive a catcher as you'll find, he added some pop to his bat this season making him good enough for the cleanup spot in the hard-hitting Andrean lineup.

Jeff Limbaugh, Crown Point, Jr., 1B

Stats: .479, 14 2B, 8 HR, 46 RBIs, 39 R

Comment: A clutch hitter, Limbaugh was an integral part of a powerful Crown Point lineup. His numbers speak for themselves, while his command in the field keeps him as a necessary asset that the Bulldogs are lucky to have coming back another season.

Ryan Dineen, Andrean, Sr., 2B

Stats: .448, 41 R, 28 RBIs, 14 2B, 3 3B, 3 HR

Comment: Dineen is a versatile infielder, playing nine games at short this season as well as in his spot at second. The Eastern Illinois-bound athlete thrives under pressure, making the postseason his favorite destination, improving his offensive numbers and hitting in pivotal situations in the playoffs.

Mike Kozlowski, Crown Point, Sr., 3B

Stats: .510 BA, 13 2B, 5 3B, 13 HR, 52 RBIs, 55 R

Comment: The power hitter didn't disappoint in his senior year with a Region-high 13 homers and with his speed, could stretch a double into an area-high five triples. His offensive numbers are only equalled by his pitching output, as he was 8-1 with a 2.85 ERA and 56 strikeouts in his 51 2/3 innings.

Scott Donley, Crown Point, Jr., SS

Stats: .566, 11 HR, 57 RBIs, 15 2B

Comment: His size will fool you, but his hitting numbers won't. Donley's power comes from his perfectionism as a hitter, using every part of his bat to his advantage. He was integral to Crown Point's success with timely hitting and in 113 at-bats this season, struck out just three times.

Ryan Boss, Lake Central, Sr., OF

Stats: .402, 35 R, 10 2B, 10 HR, 45 RBIs

Comment: Boss' gaudy hitting numbers don't go unnoticed and were enough to secure him a late-season pickup by Illinois-Chicago. Boss hit a school-record 14 home runs last year and his 10 this year were good enough for second on the all-time list. His athleticism makes him an infielder, but his ability to succeed in any situation made him a stellar outfielder for the Indians.

Nick DiMarco, Boone Grove, Sr., CF

Stats: .416, 11 2B, 23 RBI, 41 R, 26 SB; 7-1, 1.36 ERA, 51 1/3 IP, 65 SO.

Comment: DiMarco was the guy pitchers had to get out to beat Boone this season, and based on his stats and the team's 23-7 record, that didn't happen with great regularity. He stepped in as the Wolves' No. 2 pitcher and also was arguably the area's best defensive outfielder with his plus speed and arm. A four-year starter, DiMarco was his class valedictorian as well.

Josh Negele, Crown Point, Jr., OF

Stats: .472, 5 HR, 10 2B, 38 R, 51 H; 9-1, 92 K, 28 BB, 60 2/3 IP, 2.19 ERA

Comment: Negele's prowess on the mound makes him an undeniable top-notch pitcher, but his ability to keep batters in check as a speedy outfielder makes him a noteworthy all-around athlete. On a team as power-hitting as Crown Point, his bat was an asset every time he stepped to the plate.

Second team

P -- Kurt Kudrecki, Lake Central, Jr., 3.20 ERA, 6-1, 4 saves, 30 K

P -- Michael Schroeder, North Newton, Sr., 4.95 ERA, 89 K, .458 BA, 9 HR, 7 2b, 37 RBIs

P -- Wayland Roach, Boone Grove, Jr., 6-3, 2.21 ERA, 63 1/3 IP, 94 K/15 BB; .333, 34 RBIs

P -- Sean Manaea, South Central, Jr., 6-2, 2.34 ERA, 56 2/3 IP, 97 K

Util. -- Ryan Galiher, Griffith, Sr. .414, 31 RBIs, 28 R

Util. -- Mike Pokers, Andrean, Sr. .323, 6 HR, 7 2b, 25 R, 31 RBIs, 6-0, 1.62 ERA, 58 K

C -- Zack Przybysz, Portage, Sr., .444, 9 2b, 32 RBIs, 42 % caught stealing

1B -- John Livingston, Highland, Jr., .412, 4 HR, 21 RBIs, 23 R, 4-4, 3.02 ERA, 42 K

2B -- Anthony Olund, Lake Central, Sr., .389, 40 R, 35 H, 7 2b, 14 RBIs

3B -- Morgan Drazer, Kouts, Sr., .446, 4 HR, 29 RBIs, 8 2B, 9 SB; 6-6, 2.75 ERA, 92 SO/20 BB, 68 2/3 IP

SS -- Andrew Ramker, Bishop Noll, Sr., .432, 33 R, 17 RBIs, 9 2b, 12 SB

OF -- Kevin Konopasek, Griffith, Sr., .402, 25 RBIs, 27 R

OF -- Brian Holloway, Crown Point, So., .405 BA, 5 2B, 4 3B, 3 HR, 17 RBIs

OF -- Ryan Eger, Bishop Noll, Jr., .400, 25 R, 27 RBIs, 3 HR, 8 2b, 15 SB

Honorable mention

Duneland Athletic Conference

Chesterton -- Kevin Gates, Glenn Peterson, Nick Sharp; Crown Point -- Mike Manion; Lake Central -- Roger Sammon, Frank Pluskota, Max Majchrzak, Kyle Kaluza; Merrillville -- Xavier Ponce; Portage -- Steve Bryan; Valparaiso -- Ben Olejniczak, Jerrick Suiter.

Great Lakes Athletic Conference

Clark -- Micah Rooke, Nick Moore, Trace Howard; Gavit -- Aveeno Nasiloski; Hammond -- Enrique Zamora; Morton -- Jimmy McCormack.

Greater South Shore Conference

Bishop Noll -- Kevin Mullaney, Eric Escamilla, John Mullaney, Matt Pobereyko; Calumet -- Michael Diaz; Lake Station -- Derrick Robb, Kris Klimek; North Newton -- Bobby Anderson; River Forest -- Mike Kosinski; Wheeler -- Spencer Blaney, Tom Wilk; Whiting -- Joe Murzyn, Andrew Lowe, Taylor Pokraka.

Northwest Crossroads Conference

Griffith -- Travis Litke, Kyle Lidster; Highland -- Richard Fowler, Jordan Minch, Mike Bremer, Keith Mahler; Hobart -- Cory Tallian; Kankakee Valley -- Kale Popp, Jake Birky, Chet Turnbaugh; Lowell -- Derek Brandenburg, Craig Austgen; Munster -- Ryan Wilkinson, Larry Allen.

Northwestern Conference

Lew Wallace -- Dabney Hicks; Roosevelt -- Tracell Britton; West Side -- Mike Swayne; Wirt -- Kendall Johnson.

Porter County Conference

Boone Grove -- John Sawa; Hanover Central -- Jesse Hernandez; Hebron -- Jared Waywood; Kouts -- Andy Rasala; LaCrosse -- Luke Hucker; Morgan Twp. -- Brandon Grubl, Darren Greiger; South Central -- Duke Eaton; Washington Twp. -- Dan Walters.

Others

E.C. Central -- Angel Romero, Anthony Serna; Rensselaer -- Jacob Egan; Westville -- Jesse Mills, Doug Warnke.

Compiled by Times sportswriters Jim Peters and Hillary Smith