Two things we confirmed from Birmingham Brother Rice's 8-2 downing of Warren De La Salle in Catholic League baseball tourney action over the weekend:

Michigan-commit Karl Kauffmann has returned to tip-top shape on the hill – TEAM RIKER's junior ace snatched the win by tossing five innings of shutout ball, fanning 9. Kauffmann only pitched one game in April (the season opener) due to elbow soreness. Judging by this past weekend's outing, he's back with a vengeance. That spells disaster for CHSL opponents. Like a volcano erupting or a typhoon coming onto shore, Kauffmann is a true force of nature chucking that pill. This kid Brings the Noise, Brings the Funk and BAFFLES the comp 24/7. He's got power and finesse and is an artist painting the corners of the strike zone with pinpoint precision.

Junior outfielder Preston Pilat is flying to another stratosphere with his effort on the diamond lately. The southpaw sizzler went 3-for-4 with 2 RBI vs. De La Salle. I love this kid's arsenal – plenty of ammunition in the field with his glove, at the dish with his stick and on the base paths with his wheels and intelligence. He's got size, superior field IQ and that natural ORANGE&BLACK next-level swag that defines almost every Rice Warrior diamond dandy.