St. Laurence Vikings Baseball

Coach Pete Lotus enters his 14th season as the Vikings’ head coach with an impressive 371–111 record. During his tenure, St. Laurence has became one of Illinois’ elite programs, consistently ranking in the state’s top 10. The Vikings have captured eight Chicago Catholic League Championships and eleven IHSA Regional Championships in Lotus’ twelve seasons, including 8 in a row. This past season, the Vikings posted another 30 win season and captured the prestigious Chicago Catholic League Blue title.  They also took home the Chris Moon Memorial Championship in Tucson, Arizona as well as winning their eighth straight IHSA Regional Championship.  Junior Matt McCormick was named 1st Team All-American in 8 different National publications and was the schools 1st ever Gatorade Player of the Year.  For the Viking's outstanding season, Lotus was named the Anthony Lawless Coach of the Year for the fifth time.  In 2017, the Vikings finished with a school record 36 wins and captured their second consecutive Sectional Championship. The 2017 Vikings captured the school's first ever Super-Sectional Championship enroot to the Class 4A 3rd Place Finish.  The historic season broke many school records and featured a season class that won 67 games in their two Varsity seasons.  The Vikings had two All-State Selections in Senior Angel Sandoval and Sophomore Matt McCormick. Lotus has sent 87 players on to college programs, including 32 at the Division I level. Lotus’ teams have averaged 30 wins per season and have produced 71 first or second team All-Area players and 16 All-State players. In 2013, the program produced two Louisville Slugger All-Americans. The 2014 team won 32 games, captured the prestigious Chicago Catholic League Blue Division championship and the school’s 12th IHSA Regional title and produced two All-State players. Senior Mike Kornacker was also selected as the CCL Player of the Year. Coach Lotus was recognized as the 2014 High School Coach of the Year.
In Coach Lotus’ first season, the Vikings won their first League and Regional Championships in 13 years. For his efforts, Lotus was awarded the Anthony Lawless Award for Most Outstanding Coach in the Chicago Catholic League. Lotus was also heralded as the Daily Reporter’s High School Coach of the Year. Lotus won his second Lawless Award in 2008 after the Vikings went a combined 13-1 in CCL play. He garnered back-to-back Lawless Awards by being named Coach of the Year again the next year, then went on win an unprecedented fourth Lawless Coach of the Year Award in 2011, after guiding the Vikings to the Blue Division championship.
A 1994 graduate of St. Laurence, Lotus played at the University of Illinois-Chicago where he was a 4-year starter and 1st-Team All-Conference performer. He returned to St. Laurence in 2003 and serves as the Director of Coaching and Training, teaching Anatomy and Physiology. In 2008, Lotus was recognized as the Blessed Edmund Rice Distinguished Teacher of the Year. Lotus was inducted into the St. Laurence Athletic Hall of Fame in November 2007.