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The 2025 high school baseball season starts this coming week. Here are previews of teams from around the Record Newspapers coverage area.
Newark
Coach: Josh Cooper (sixth season).
Last year’s record: 10-22 overall, 7-5 Little Ten Conference (third place).
Top returning players: Landon Begovac, sr., C/OF; Payton Wills, sr., IF; Toby Steffen, jr., IF;
Top new players: Eastin McBroom, fr., IF/P; Jimmy Kath, fr., IF/P.
Worth noting: The Norsemen, seeking a return to their winning ways after back-to-back seasons under .500, have a strong foundation led by experienced returnees Begovac, Wills and Steffen to lead a group of promising newcomers. Begovac is a consistent force and cornerstone of the lineup with his production and experience after batting .320 with a .416 on-base percentage and .849 OPS last year. Wills, who batted .340 with a .415 on-base percentage and .862 OPS, provides a steady presence in the lineup and a reliable glove at first base. Steffen’s return will be closely watched after he suffered a fractured hand from a hit by pitch and missed a significant portion of last season. When healthy he is a key contributor and hit .290 with a .436 on-base percentage and .791 OPS in 11 games last year. McBroom is expected to make an immediate impact for his arm on the mound and stellar defense. Kath comes in with experience on the mound and with the bat and should challenge for starting time and contribute right away
“With a solid group of experienced upperclassmen, the team is well-positioned to make a deep run in both conference play and the postseason,” Cooper said. “Their success will likely hinge on staying healthy and making key adjustments throughout the year. A few potential concerns include managing injuries and ensuring that the new players quickly acclimate to the competition.”
Oswego
Coach: Joe Giarrante
Last year’s record: 19-13 overall, 9-6 (third place) in Southwest Prairie West.
Top returning players: Kam Jenkins, jr., SS; Dylan King, sr., 1B; Easton Ruby, sr., IF/C; Gabe Herrera, sr., IF; Bryson Norwood, sr., OF/C; Patrick O’Toole, sr., OF; Donny Williams, sr., OF; Jacob Fehrmann, sr., OF' Brogan Mello, sr., P; Andrew Ronke, sr., P; Isaiah Logan, sr., P; Michael Delgado, sr., P.
Top new players: Andrew Zwemke, jr., P; Aiden Jacquez, jr. P.
Worth noting: The Panthers last season won 19 games for the third time since 2021. They did so with a junior-dominant lineup which bodes well for this spring. Ruby was an all-conference player that hit .330, led Oswego in hits with 30 and had five doubles, a homer and 13 RBIs. Jenkins, a Missouri commit, provides a smooth glove at shortstop and catalyst at the top of Oswego’s lineup. King, Herrera, Norwood, O’Toole, Williams and Fehrmann all were part of last year’s starting lineup. Oswego travels to Edwardsville and Belleville for four games at the PBR Classic to start the season.
“Should compete at a high level with several returning players with a lot of game time experience from last year,” Giarrante said.
Oswego East
Coach: Brian Schaeffer
Last year’s record: 14-21 overall, 5-10 (fifth place) in the Southwest Prairie West.
Top returning players: Jacsen Tucker, so., SS; Devin Wheaton, jr., IF; Niko Villacci, jr., IF/OF/P; Dom Battista, jr., CF; Mason Palermo, sr., C/DH; Derek Kubek, sr., C/1B; Colin Sadauskus, sr., OF; Ernest Williams, sr., P.
Top new players: Noah Deist, jr., P/IF; Joe Grimm, jr., C; Caden Bregar, jr., P/OF/1B.
Worth noting: The Wolves are a young team with a lot of varsity experience. Of their returners, nine saw significant time last season and look to continue to improve on their success that they generally had in their first year at varsity. Tucker started at shortstop as a freshman, hitting in the middle of the lineup, and batted .304 with a .994 OPS with extra-base hits, 16 runs scored and 16 RBIs. Palermo hit .310 with eight extra-base hits, 21 RBIs and 14 runs scored. Battista batted .299 with six extra-base hits, 12 RBIs and 21 runs scored.
“Overall, it comes down to pitching for us,” Schaeffer said. “We lost a lot of our experienced pitchers, but if we can compete and work effectively, we will be able to compete with any team.”
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Plano
Coach: Nate Hill
Last year’s record: 20-14 overall, 10-4 Kishwaukee River Conference (second place).
Top returning players: Jason Phillips, jr., P/IF; Josh Stellwagen, sr., CF/P; Dillan Johnson, sr., C; Quentin Santoria, so., P/IF; Jake Dixon, sr., OF/P; Amario Bryant, sr., OF.
Top new players: Jackson Gates, jr., P/IF; Eric Nunez, jr., IF; Justin Bishop, so., P/IF; Braylon Schmidt, so., P/IF.
Worth noting: The Reapers graduated 11 seniors last year, but enter the 2025 season focused on maintaining the standard of play that those seniors set. Phillips, an All-State and all-conference pick, and all-conference selection Stellwagen will lead the offense. Phillips, a power corner infield bat, hit .485 with 50 hits, 49 RBIs, five homers and 25 runs scored as a sophomore. Stellwagen batted .415 with 44 hits, 31 RBIs, 27 runs scored and 15 stolen bases. A new-look pitching staff will rely heavily on Phillips, Santoria, Gates, Bishop and Schmidt. The Reapers open with five games scheduled for the week of March 17 before heading south to the Memphis area for their spring trip where they will play four games at the USA Stadium Complex from March 24-27.
“While I anticipate we may have some early growing pains as we gain experience at the varsity level, we are also confident that this group is driven and ready for their turn to compete at a high level,” Hill said.
Sandwich
Coach: Jason VanPelt
Last year’s record: 17-15 overall, 9-5 Kishwaukee River Conference.
Top returning players: Brady Behringer, jr., P/IF; Nick Michalek, jr., P/IF; Jeffrey Ashley, jr., C; Chase Clark, so., C; Alex Hernandez, sr., OF; Diego Corral, sr., IF/OF.
Top new players: Griffin Somlock, jr., P/OF; Cash White, so., P/IF/OF; Anthony Wade, so., P/IF/OF.
Worth noting: The Indians are fairly inexperienced, but will be led by three juniors that are returning starters from last year’s senior-heavy team that contended for the KRC title. Returning all-conference pick Behringer hit .341 and pitched to a 3.35 ERA. Michalek hit .253 and pitched to a 2.17 ERA and Ashley hit .293.
“We are expecting great leadership from those three and the rest of our team that is made up of two seniors, six juniors and eight sophomores is working very hard with great attitudes,” VanPelt said. “We will get better each day as the season goes on and we will see where we are at the end of May.”
Yorkville
Coach: Tom Cerven
Last year’s record: 21-13 overall, 11-4 (second place) Southwest Prairie West.
Top returning players: Aaron Klemm, sr., OF; Jailen Veliz, jr., IF; Phillip Yu, jr., C; Preston Regnier, sr., P; Liam Pheney, sr., P; Gabe Sanders, jr., P; Bohdi Harrison, sr., IF; Miles Nehring, sr., P.
Top new players: Kal Arntzen, jr., IF/C; Aiden Robles, jr., P.
Worth noting: The Foxes graduated six starters, notably Record Newspapers Player of the Year Kameron Yearsley and fellow slugger Nate Harris along with three-year varsity pitcher Simon Skroch. “This will be a year of learning about ourselves,” Cerven said. “We have a talented group of winners who will need to prove themselves at the varsity level.”
Regnier was a revelation on the mound as a junior, posting an 8-3 record with a 2.10 ERA and 49 strikeouts over 36.2 innings for an injury-ravaged staff. Veliz was an all-conference third baseman as a sophomore, batting .322 with a .417 on-base percentage and 28 hits, 20 RBIs, 18 runs scored and 10 stolen bases. Klemm is another who batted near the middle of the order.
“We should have the pitching and defense to keep us in games early in the year until the offense gains its footing,” Cerven said. “The conference looks to be strong again, with Minooka a clear preseason favorite.”
Yorkville Christian
Coach: Sean Bieterman
Last year’s record: 12-15 overall.
Top returning players: Nolan Hooper, sr., P/OF; Owen Curran, sr., C/IF; Brody Davis, sr., 3B; Ben Raddatz, sr., SS/OF; Danny Paige, sr., P/IF; Austin Vugteveen, jr., OF; Tyler Gleason, jr., OF; Phoenix Oliver, so., P/IF; Isaac McCoy, so., IF.
Worth noting: The Mustangs return seven starters, including every pitcher and nearly all of their offensive output. Hooper, committed to Lewis University, posted a 2.2 ERA last year with 74 strikeouts. Curran hit .397, Davis .282 and Raddatz .279 while Paige posted three wins on the mound.
“Team will focus on strong pitching and defense to take the next step in our program,” Bieterman said. “We have a talented group that is working very hard.”