Top 10 Teams
1. Jacobs: The Golden Eagles, regional champions last season, have 12 players committed to play in college led by Anthony Edge (Bradley), Christian Graves (Bradley) and Nicholas Gottfried (McHenry). Gavin Feck and Kyler Kennen return to lead the pitching staff.
2. St. Charles East: Third baseman Jake Zitella (Illinois) is one of the best seniors in Illinois. Seth Winkler, the DuKane Conference’s player of the year last season, and two-sport star James Brennan are big bats in the middle of the order for Saints.
3. Oswego: Panthers surprisingly reached sectional championship game last spring but won’t sneak up on anyone this season. Tyler Stack (Xavier), Cade Duffin (Illinois-Springfield), Bryson Mello (Fort Scott) and Troy Vosburgh (DuPage) lead experienced team.
4. Yorkville: Foxes are loaded up for another postseason run behind a trio of Division I recruits. LeBaron Lee Jr. (Illinois State) returns to pitching staff along with two-way junior Nate Harris (Northwestern). Junior left-hander Simon Skroch committed Tuesday to Minnesota.
5. Kaneland: Knights were disappointed to finish second in conference last season but made a postseason run to the sectional championship game. Alex Panico, Johnny Spallasso and Parker Violett are among the returnees hoping to keep that progress going.
6. Hampshire: Pitching is the biggest name of the game for the experienced Whip-Purs, who return a whopping 21 players. Senior Colin Miller (Illinois State) and sophomore Anthony Karbowski (Louisville) head the rotation with veteran catcher Austin Leonard, a senior, guiding them.
7. St. Charles North: Two-way player Anthony Estrada is the top senior returnee for the North Stars, but they have a roster this season heavy on juniors. Joshua Caccia, Parker Reinke, Colin Ryder and Jackson Spring headline the junior class.
8. Harvest Christian: On paper, this could be one of the best teams the Lions have put on the field in program history. Five of the top six pitchers and eight defensive players return. Gavin Duran, Jacob Janisko, Jared Rodriguez and Sam Rohlfing headline the returnees.
9. Streamwood: Last spring, Sabres had their best season since 2011 by reaching the regional championship game. All-state senior catcher Nick Weaver is the leader for the Sabres. Miguel Rodriguez, who went 7-0, returns to head the pitching staff.
10. West Aurora: Senior shortstop Ryan Niedzwiedz (SIU-Edwardsville) has emerged as one of the top seniors in the state. Colin Tarr (Logan) heads up the pitching staff for Blackhawks. Niedzwiedz also will see innings on the mound.
25 Players to Watch
James Brennan, St. Charles East, senior, designated hitter; Cade Duffin, Oswego, senior, first baseman; Gavin Duran, Harvest Christian, junior, shortstop; Anthony Edge, Jacobs, senior, pitcher; Brady Gilroy, Burlington Central, junior, outfielder; Christian Graves, Jacobs, senior, third baseman; Nate Harris, Yorkville, junior, outfielder/pitcher; Jacob Janisko, Harvest Christian, senior, pitcher; Martin Ledbetter, Hinckley-Big Rock, sophomore, catcher/pitcher; LeBaron Lee Jr., Yorkville, senior, pitcher; Joe Martin, Newark, senior, pitcher; Bryson Mello, Oswego, senior, pitcher; Colin Miller, Hampshire, senior, pitcher; Ryan Niedzwiedz, West Aurora, senior, shortstop; Michael Person, Burlington Central, junior, pitcher; Simon Skroch, Yorkville, junior, pitcher; Tyler Stack, Oswego, senior, catcher; Nate Stempowski, Geneva, junior, infielder; Zach Stuck, Aurora Central Catholic, senior, catcher; Colin Tarr, West Aurora, senior, pitcher; Jarron Thompson, Waubonsie Valley, senior, pitcher; Parker Violett, Kaneland, junior, infielder/outfielder/pitcher; Nick Weaver, Streamwood, senior, catcher; Seth Winkler, St. Charles East, senior, pitcher; Jake Zitella, St. Charles East, senior, third baseman.
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
