2023 NewsTribune Baseball All-Area Team

A look at the top baseball players in the NewsTribune area for the 2023 season.

First Team

Alex Ankiewicz, St. Bede, P, jr.

Ankiewicz had the best ERA on a talented and deep pitching staff at 1.98. He went 5-1 and struck out 57 batters in 42 innings to help the Bruins win the Three Rivers Conference East Division. He was unanimous All-TRC East.

Brendan Boudreau, La Salle-Peru, OF, jr.

Boudreau did it all for the Cavaliers, playing center field, third base and pitching. He hit .280 with seven doubles, 26 RBIs, which ranked fifth in the area, and nine runs. On the mound, he was 6-2 and was third in the area with a 1.40 ERA. Boudreau was honorable mention All-Interstate 8 Conference.

Danny Cihocki, Princeton, P, sr.

Cihocki was dominant on the mound for the Tigers. He was 5-3 with a 1.60 ERA, which ranked fourth in the area. He struck out 89 batters in 48 innings and was unanimous All-Three Rivers Conference East Division. Cihocki hit .333 with eight doubles, 23 RBIs and 13 runs.

Seth Ferrari, St. Bede, P, jr.

On a staff full of strong arms, Ferrari tied for the team lead in wins with a 6-1 record, which ranked second in the area. He also was top 10 in the area in ERA (2.23) and strikeouts (50 in 46 1/3 innings). Ferrari was second-team All-Three Rivers Conference East Division and helped the Bruins to the TRC East title.

Mason Johnson, Henry-Senachwine, P, sr.

Johnson was a strong No. 2 starter for the Mallards, going 7-0 with a 1.73 ERA and 62 strikeouts. He pitched complete games in the sectional final and state semifinals to help Henry reach the Class 1A state championship game. Offensively, he contributed 26 runs and nine RBIs.

Lance Kiesewetter, Henry-Senachwine, P, jr.

Kiesewetter was a shutdown starter all season and turned in a dominant postseason performance to lead the Mallards to a Class 1A runner-up finish. He led the area in wins at 11-2 and strikeouts with 136 in 76 2/3 innings. He finished with a 1.92 ERA. He hit .390 with nine doubles, four home runs, 30 RBIs and 22 runs. Kiesewetter was Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association Class 1A All-State and first-team All-Tri-County Conference.

Kyler Lapp, Hall, C, sr.

Lapp provided plenty of offense for the Red Devils, as he ranked second in the area in average (.438), tied for the area lead in doubles (14), ranked third in the area in RBIs (34) and tied for seventh in home runs (2). The unanimous All-Three Rivers Conference East Division pick helped Hall to a sectional title.

Noah LaPorte, Princeton, OF, So.

LaPorte was a standout in the outfield for Princeton. He ranked top 10 in the area in average (.400) and home runs (3) while also contributing four doubles, 16 RBIs and 15 runs. He was unanimous All-Three Rivers Conference East Division.

Mason Lynch, La Salle-Peru, IF, Sr.

Lynch had a solid season at the plate, on the mound and in the field for the Cavaliers. He hit .333 with a .504 on-base percentage to go along with seven doubles, one home run, 18 runs and 10 RBIs. He had a 3.34 ERA with 64 strikeouts and 18 walks in 44 innings. Lynch was voted All-Interstate 8 Conference.

Austin Mattingly, Putnam County, OF, sr.

Mattingly played center field and shortstop and pitched for the Panthers. He hit .317 with seven doubles, three triples and a home run to go along with team-highs of 28 runs and 16 stolen bases. He also had 15 RBIs. The second-team All-Tri-County Conference pick was 5-1 on the mound with an area-best 1.11 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 37 2/3 innings.

Jackson McDonald, Putnam County, IF, sr.

The first-team All-Tri-County Conference pick had another strong season. He hit .293 with 10 doubles, one triple and one home run. He led the team with 21 RBIs and was second in runs (23). McDonald had a 3.92 ERA and struck out 70 batters in 44 2/3 innings.

Ashton Pecher, Hall, IF, sr.

Pecher was an offensive force for the Red Devis, driving in an area-best 46 runs. He also tied for the area lead in doubles (12), ranked second in runs (32), third in batting average (.434) and tied for seventh in home runs (2). On the mound, he was 5-2 with two saves. The unanimous All-Three Rivers Conference East Division pick helped Hall to a sectional title.

Mac Resetich, Hall, IF, sr.

The 2023 NewsTribune Baseball Player of the Year put up incredible numbers, leading the area in batting average (.593), triples (8), doubles (14), runs (70) and steals (49) while ranking second in home runs (5) and RBIs (38). The unanimous All-Three Rivers Conference East Division and Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association Class 2A All-State pick helped Hall to the Elite Eight.

Colton Williams, Henry-Senachwine, C, sr.

Williams played a key role in the Mallards’ run to the Class 1A state championship game. He hit .333, tied for the area lead with 14 doubles, hit two home runs, drove in 23 runs and scored 10 runs. Williams was unanimous All-Tri-County Conference.

Honorable Mention

Ryan Brucker, Princeton, IF, sr.; Augie Christiansen, Princeton, OF, sr.; Nicholas Currie, Putnam County, C, sr.; Payton Dye, Hall, P, sr.; Evan Entrican, St. Bede, OF, jr.; Mason Guarnieri, Henry-Senachwine, OF, jr.; Jordan Heider, Fieldcrest, IF, so.; Joel Koch, Hall, OF, jr.; Ayize Martin, Bureau Valley, Ut., sr.; Billy Mini, La Salle-Peru, OF, sr.; Troy Petty, Putnam County, P, sr.; Izaiah Nanez, Mendota, P, jr.; Brendan Pillion, St. Bede, P/IF, sr.; Andrew Pyszka, Putnam County, IF, sr.; Sam Rouse, Bureau Valley, IF, sr.; Preston Rowe, Henry-Senachwine, OF, jr.; Luke Tunnell, St. Bede, IF, jr.; Sam Wright, Bureau Valley, C, sr.