2025 baseball preview: Woodland/Flanagan-Cornell hoping high talent outweighs low numbers

Stunning Peoria Heights 1-0 in a 1A regional play-in, the 2024 Woodland/Flanagan-Cornell Warriors baseball team doubled its win total and, despite a season-ending loss its next game, finished off a rough 2-18 spring with some much-needed positive momentum.

Tucker Hill, who pitched that gem of a shutout, is gone to Pomp and Circumstance, but four of the five WFC players who provided hits in that regional win are back to make up the core of the 2025 Warriors roster.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot returning alongside them. Low numbers across the co-op for spring sports are a point of concern, but the 13 young men who are out for the WFC baseball team look to be a talented – though admittedly young and thin in depth – group.

“We’re low on numbers this year,” fourth-year WFC coach Dan Essman said, “but it is what it is, and you’ve just got to roll with what you’ve got. Usually we don’t have too many freshmen who have to step up to big roles on varsity, but this year they’re going to have to.

“Ready or not, someone’s going to need to step up and fill some shoes.”

The four freshmen – IF/P Brayden Matsko, IF/OF Blaine Bates, 2B/P Hayden Marsinko and UT Eli Quantance – won’t be alone, though. While last season’s statistics weren’t overly impressive, a lot of Warriors got a lot of valuable experience and are trending upward for 2025.

Starting with the seniors, there’s P/UT Theron Essman, P/SS/C Connor Dodge, 1B Sam Schmitz and OF Eric Miramontes. Essman also cites junior P/UT Nolan Price and a pair of sophomore, C/P Brezdyn Simons and IF/P Reece Pelnarsh (last spring’s top hitter by average who provided the Warriors' lone game-winning RBI and earned WFC’s only spot on the 2024 Times All-Area Baseball Team) as game-proven ballplayers ready to lead.

Lead where? To exponentially more wins and more positive momentum, the Warriors hope.

“I’m hoping we can get to 10 [wins],” Essman said. “It’d be nice to get a little more flow like we had two years ago where the kids were having fun, we were winning some ballgames. It all starts with our pitching and defense. If we can field a ground ball and catch a pop fly, I think the bats will come around.”

Matsko also has been showing promise of becoming an instant impact player as a freshman, though there will be plenty of at-bats for everyone on the roster – rounded out by junior OF/3B Brian Delara and sophomore OF/P Noah Lopez – to earn playing time by showing a little success, be it at the plate, in the field or on the mound.

“We’re not going to be a big-hitting team,” Essman said. “We’re the scrappy single, double team, gets some runs on the board, get some bunts down in the right situations. And there are probably going to be a lot of kids throwing a little bit. Basically, what we’re going to need is strikes from our pitchers, and hopefully our outfield and infield can back them up. ...

“In the past, I know that’s been our downfall a little bit. Hopefully we can turn that around and help those pitchers out.”

The Warriors are scheduled to open their 2025 season with a four-game homestand. The season-opener is set for Tuesday, March 18, at the Windy Confines against old Midstate Conference rival Lexington.