2025 Daily Chronicle baseball preview: Team-by-team capsules

DeKalb Barbs

Last year: 22-13 overall, 8-7 DuPage Valley, lost to Huntely in a Class 4A DeKalb Regional

Top returners: Jackson Kees, sr., P/SS; Nik Nelson, sr., 2B; Brodie Farrell, sr., P/OF; Paul Kakoliris, sr., 1B; Isaac Black, sr., 3B; Ben Nunez, sr., C; Aidan Lange, sr., P; Cole Latimer, jr., P/OF

Key newcomers: Evan Johnson, jr., OF; Breydon Martin, jr., P/SS; Gavin Cheney, soph., C

Worth noting: It feels this season is what the team has been building for with third-year coach Josh Latimer. It’s the first time in his tenure that it’s not a young DeKalb team. The Barbs are loaded from top to bottom with senior starters, many of whom are four-year varsity players. DeKalb last won a regional in 2017 and last had back-to-back winning seasons in 2009-10, according to IHSA records. The coach said he knows expectations are high, but the team is going to go out and play DeKalb baseball and let the chips fall where they may.

Sycamore Spartans

Last year: 25-8 overall, 9-5 Interstate 8, lost to Morris in the Class 3A Geneseo Supersectional

Top returners: Davis Collie, sr., 1B; Tyler Townsend, jr., P/OF; Tyler Lojko, sr., OF; Kyle Prebil, P/OF; Nathan Lojko, jr., SS; Cal Harbecke, sr., P

Key newcomers: Adam Eder, jr., C; Jackson MacDonald, so., OF

Worth noting: Prebil was a first-team Daily Chronicle all-area selection last season but is likely out until May with an unspecified injury, coach Jason Cavanaugh said. Even then it’ll be just his bat and he probably won’t return to the hill. Between that and graduations to other starters last year, Harbecke and Townsend - overcoming some injury issues of his own - will be called upon to handle a lot of the pitching duties. The Spartans have reached the supersectional each of the past three seasons and took third in Class 3A in 2023.

Kaneland Knights

Last year: 20-12 overall, 9-5 Interstate 8, lost to Benet in a Class 3A Benet Regional semifinal

Top returners: Tom Thill, sr., 2B; Preston Popovich, sr., SS/3B/RHP; Dylan Borysiewicz, sr., 1B; Evan Ross, sr., P

Key newcomers: Nate Campbell, sr., C; Antonio Villanueva, sr., OF/P

Worth noting: Coach Brian Aversa said the Knights are pretty young this year, but there’s a good group of veterans sprinkled in. Thill (St. Mary’s), Popovich (Benedictine), Ross (Illinois Wesleyan) and Campbell (Coe) all have their college plans set. Aversa, a recent Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame inductee, said the team’s spring trip to Panama City, Florida, should answer a lot of questions about the team. Aversa has 399 wins at Kaneland with the season starting at home March 24 against Aurora Christian.

Genoa-Kingston Cogs

Last year: 7-20-1 overall, 6-11-1 Big Northern Conference, lost to Winnebago in a Class 2A Marengo Regional semifinal.

Top returners: Nathan Kleba, sr., P/OF; Andy Swider, sr., P/OF; Nick Cantrell, sr., P/INF.

Key newcomers: Nolan Kline, sr., INF/OF; Colton McDowell, jr., P/INF

Worth noting: The Cogs last had a winning season in 2018 and haven’t reached double-digit wins since 2019. Their last regional crown was in 2000. Coach Anson Ellis said he’s expecting pitching to be a strength this year, with the whole staff returning from last year. And with seven starters back on offense, he also expects the productivity at the plate to make a big step forward.

Indian Creek Timberwolves

Last year: 4-19 overall, 3-8 Little 10, lost to Forreston in the semifinal of the Class 1A Ashton-Franklin Center Regional

Top returners: Jacob Coulter, sr., P/1B; Kason Murry, sr., OF/P; Tyler Bogle, sr., SS/P; Giovanni Data, sr., C

Key newcomers: Landon Williams, sr., INF; Zakory Nelson, fr., 1B; Brayden Goodbred, fr., C/INF; Zane Kuestes, fr., C/3B

Worth noting: Coach Kevin Poterek said he’s looking for the team to have a big turnaround after a disappointing 2024 campaign. Coulter brings a big arm to lead the pitching staff, Murry has a big arm in centerfield and is a consistent presence at the plate. Bogle is a great fielder and Poterek said if he gets his bat going he could be a difference maker as a leadoff hitter. And Data is an experienced presence behind the plate and should help in developing younger pitchers. The Timberwolves' last winning season came in 2018, and their last regional title was in 2014.

Hinckley-Big Rock Royals

Last year: 14-11 overall, 10-2 Little 10, lost in a Class 1A Harvest Christian Academy Regional semifinal to HCA.

Top returners: Martin Ledbetter, sr., P/C/1B; Skyler Kaneski., jr., P/SS; Jacob Orin, jr., 2B/C/OF/SS/P; Luke Badal, jr., P/OF3B; Max Hintzsche, sr., P/1B; Austin Roop, jr., OF/3B/1B; Matthew Badal, jr., 2B/OF; Sawyer Smith, jr., OF

Key newcomers: Marshall Ledbetter, so., P/OF/3B; Jackson Dukes, fr., P/IF/OF

Worth noting: The Royals seem poised to have one of their best seasons in a long time. According to IHSA records, they have never had a winning record and won a regional in the same season. They’ve had a winning record the past three years. Both Hintzsche and Marshall Ledbetter missed last year, but both are back. Longtime assistant and first-year head coach Greg Jourdan said pitching in the era of the pitch count has been an issue in the past, but the Royals have six or seven pitchers if everyone stays healthy. That includes reigning Daily Chronicle Player of the Year Martin Ledbetter, who didn’t get to pitch after the first few weeks of the season due to a rotator cuff issue.

Hiawatha Hawks

Last year: 3-19, 0-12, lost to Ashton-Franklin Center in the first round of the Class 1A Ashton-Franklin Center Regional.

Top returners: Thomas Giebel, sr., P/3B; Tommy Butler, sr., P/SS; Aidan Cooper, sr., 1B/P/3B

Key newcomers: Bentley Payne, fr., P/OF; Colbe Wylde, fr., P/CF; Hunter Ziegler, fr., C

Worth noting: New coach Steven Kenyon said the Hawks are on the right path to improve from last year. He said there’s a good mix of veteran leadership and young talent. Kenyon said the pitching staff should be six to seven pitchers deep and could be 10 strong depending on how guys develop throughout the year. He said the team doesn’t have a lot of pop but has a lot of contact hitters up and down the lineup with a lot of speed that could force opponents into a lot of miscues.