Several days after being named to the prestigious Area Code Games, Barrington catcher Ryan Lidge capped off the most exciting week of his baseball life by orally committing to Notre Dame.
Lidge, a switch-hitter, batted .360 with two home runs and just six strikeouts as a junior last spring -- his first season as a varsity starter.
He's one of just three Illinois players selected to represent the White Sox in the Area Code Games in Long Beach, Calif., from Aug. 5-10. Approximately 130 players were invited to try out for the team.
"When I heard about it, it was surreal," Lidge said. "My dad told me when I was at baseball practice. I was like, 'Wait, is he serious?'"
The other two Illinois players to make the team are from Simeon: outfielder Corey Ray and infielder Ronell Coleman.
