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The high school baseball season starts this week. Here are previews of teams from around the Record Newspapers coverage area.
Newark
Coach: Josh Cooper (3rd year, 27-2)
Last season: 27-2 overall, 14-0 Little Ten
Top returning players: Lucas Pasakarnis, sr., C; Joe Martin, jr., P/IF; Jake Kruser, jr., P/OF; Mitchell Kruser, sr., P/OF; Tegan Kruser, sr., SS.
Key new players: Cole Reibel, jr., 2B; Clay Friestad, so., UT; Landon Begovac, fr., OF; Payton Wills, fr., P/IF; Jackson Walker, fr., UT.
Worth noting: The Norsemen produced a historic season in 2021 by compiling a program-best 27-2 record, their first Little Ten Conference championship since 1997, first regional title since 2006, along with Newark’s only sectional crown. It was capped off a third-place finish at the Class 1A state finals.
“We really hadn’t done much in baseball at Newark since the Hall of Fame team of 2006 that won the school’s only regional championship,” Cooper said. “So when we really got going last season, everybody started to get excited and it built up all the way to state. This year we’ve talked about goals and everybody says lets get to state again and the expectations are high because we have a lot of guys returning. But we can’t let those expectations turn into pressure and I don’t believe we will.”
Key to Newark’s success will rest on the arm of Martin, who tossed 46.1 innings in 2021 with a 7-1 record, 96 strikeouts, and a minuscule 1.058 earned run average. He’ll throw to four-year starting catcher Pasakarnis, who led the Norsemen with a .449 batting average, 36 hits, and 42 runs batted in. The trio of Kruser brothers should also provide dividends as they did in last year’s state run.
-- Bill Lidinsky
Oswego
Coach: Joe Giarrante (sixth season).
Last season’s record: 20-8, 11-4 Southwest Prairie Conference (first place).
Top returning players: Joel Johnson, sr., OF; Tyler Stack, jr., C; Cam Pick, sr., IF.
Top new players: Eddie Scaccia, jr., P; Cade Duffin, jr., IF; Bryson Mello, jr., P; Will Pavlick, jr., IF; Trey Hernandez, jr., IF.
Worth noting: The Panthers had a banner 2021 season, winning the program’s first conference championship since 2003. A number of key pieces off that team have graduated, though, including ace pitcher and Record Newspapers Player of the Year Jeffrey Behrends. Leading the returners is Waubonsee commit Johnson, who broke into Oswego’s starting lineup halfway through last season and ended up hitting .538 with a 1.350 OPS, 22 hits, 22 runs scored 10 stolen bases. Also back is Stack, a Xavier recruit, behind the plate and left-handed pitcher Logan, also committed to Waubonsee.
“We are very inexperienced at many positions, but we will be very competitive in the area and in a very tough conference,” Giarrante said.
Oswego East
Coach: Brian Schaeffer (first season).
Last season’s record: 11-11, 9-7 Southwest Prairie Conference.
Top returning players: Noah Schultz, sr., P; Ashton Izzi, sr., P; Carter South, sr., sr., C/IF; Christian Battista, sr., P/C; Zack Selvig, sr., P/IF/OF; Noah Dowler, sr., P; Nathan Edders, sr., IF; Josh Pobulinski, jr., OF.
Top new players: Mike Polubinski, jr., OF; Zach Polubinski, jr., 1B/P; Cody Haynes, jr., 1B/P; Mason Blanco, jr., IF; Spencer Knauss, jr., OF; Liam Mitchell, jr., OF; Griffin Sleyko, jr., P; Eric Lewis, jr., C; Patrick Flynn, jr., P; Jack Biala, jr., IF; Ryan Johnson, jr., 3B/OF/P; Dylan Kubek, jr., P/OF.
Worth noting: Schaeffer, previously Oswego East’s sophomore coach for four seasons, takes over the Wolves’ program as Matt Engelhardt stepped down. The Wolves will look to compete for the SPC title behind the dynamite one-two pitching punch of Schultz and Izzi. Schultz, a 6-foot-9 lefty and Vanderbilt commit who could be a top draft pick this year, was limited to 10 innings and three starts last year because of an injury and struck out 18. Hard-throwing righty Izzi, committed to Wichita State, went 3-2 with a 2.59 ERA and 35 strikeouts over 27 innings. Also back is Luther College commit South, who hit .267, Dubuque recruit Battista, who hit .308 in seven games and also threw 12.1 innings, Waubonsee commit Dowler, who struck out 27 over 25 innings with a 1-2 record, Danville commit Edders, who hit .444 in 10 games and Josh Polubinski, who was brought up late last season and hit .286 in five games. They’ll be bolstered a by a talented junior class that went 18-3 last year at the sophomore level. Non-conference games at the start of the season include Lockport, Waubonsie Valley and Lincoln-Way East.
“Pitching will be the strength of the team with a solid defense backing them up,” Schaeffer said. “We are young and inexperienced at the varsity level, but hope to have the returners provide the needed leadership to the newcomers so that we can take the next step and compete for a conference, regional, sectional and state title.”
Plano
Coach: Nate Hill (third season).
Last season’s record: 13-15, 4-10 Interstate Eight Conference.
Top returning players: Mason Accidentale, sr., 3B/CF/P; Emanuel Marin, sr., SS; Sean Earwood, sr., P/1B; Eric Perez, sr., OF/P; Chris Sloat, sr., OF/P.
Top new players: Luca Schoensee, sr., OF/P; Kaden Aguirre, so., OF/P;
Worth noting: The Reapers were not satisfied with their finish to the 2021 season – but it was the program’s highest winning percentage since 2011. Six senior starters return, led by four-year varsity starter Accidentale, who hit .361 with a .461 on-base percentage, four homers and 23 RBIs as a junior. Marin, another four-year varsity player, hit .370 last spring with a .458 on-base percentage and 21 RBIs. Earwood, who plans to pitch collegiately at Waubonsee, posted a 3-4 record with a 4.14 ERA and 33 strikeouts over 27 innings. Perez hit .316 with a .403 on-base percentage and 14 RBIs and Sloat struck out 29 over 27.1 innings. They’ll be joined by four sophomore call-ups and senior Schoensee, who missed the entire football season with a Week 1 injury and is playing baseball for the first time since middle school.
“This season we look to continue to move our program in the right direction and strive to compete at a high level in the I-8 as we return six senior starters and look to combine their veteran presence with four sophomore call ups,” Hill said.
Sandwich
Coach: Jason VanPelt
Last season’s record: 2-17 overall, 1-13 Interstate Eight Conference.
Top returning players: Andy Golinski, sr., P/IF; Austin Marks, jr., P/OF; Hunter Pavia, jr., P/OF; Chance Lange, so., P/IF; Taylor Adams, so., P/IF/OF.
Top new players: Tyler Lissman, so., P/OF.
Worth noting: The Indians were a very young team last year, and are still young. It won’t be easy competing against a difficult schedule that includes non-conference doubleheaders against DeKalb, West Aurora, Freeport, Yorkville and Newark. Golinski was dealing with an injury last year. Sandwich has about 26 kids out for baseball total program-wide, so numbers are a concern.
“We do have some good athletes that have great attitudes that will improve a lot by the end of the season,” VanPelt said.
Yorkville
Coach: Thomas Cerven
Last season’s record: 17-13-1, 7-9 Southwest Prairie Conference (fourth place).
Top returning players: Connor Corrigan, sr., P/IF; Owen Ross, sr., P/IF; Michael Hilker, sr., P/IF; Gavin Dobbels, sr., P/IF; Matt Bivens, sr., IF; Simon Skroch, so., P/OF.
Top new players: Lorenzo Rios, sr., C; Everett Ford, jr., P/IF; LeBaron Lee, jr., P/IF; Nate Harris, so., P/IF/OF.
Worth noting: Cerven takes over as the Foxes’ varsity coach after eight seasons leading the sophomore-level team. He inherits a senior-laden team with loads of experience from last year’s run to a sectional final. Cerven said that his team’s strength is unquestionably a pitching staff “as deep as anyone.” With that, and a solid infield core, he expects to be in every game. Hilker posted a 3-0 record with two saves and a 2.42 ERA with 44 strikeouts in 37 2/3 innings last year. Ross hit .323 with a .405 on-base percentage and .717 slugging percentage, along with nine homers, eight doubles, two triples, 35 RBIs and scored 31 runs. On the mound he posted a 3-1 record and 3.25 ERA with 30 strikeouts. Dobbels hit .361 with a .495 on-base percentage, two homers, five doubles, 18 RBIs and 26 runs scored. That returning core is joined by Rios, a transfer from Joliet Catholic, and Ford, a transfer from Sandwich, along with lefty-throwing Illinois State recruit Lee and Harris, another high-ceiling guy who could make an instant impact.
“The only true question marks are in our outfield as we do not return any starters,” Cerven said. “Overall we feel that we can compete for a conference title and make a deep run into the playoffs. That said, the SPC and our sectional is historically one of the toughest in the state and anything can happen.”
Yorkville Christian
Coach: J.R. Veliz (second season)
Last season’s record: 16-8, 11-2 in conference.
Top returning players: Donny Barbanente, sr., SS; Blake Salek, sr., C; Ayden Halverson, sr., P/OF; Chase Davis, jr., OF; Bryce Edwards, jr., OF; Trey Lombardo, jr., 3B; Andrew Fox, so., 1B.
Top new players: Cody Hazzard, jr., P; Reese Seng, fr., OF/IF; Nolan Hooper, fr., P.
Worth noting: With just about all of his starters back and a few key additions, Veliz believes the Mustangs can compete at a high level in their second season as a program. Salek, an Illinois State recruit, hit .508 with a .627 on-base percentage with five homers and 32 RBIs as a junior and anchors the lineup. Halverson, who will play collegiately at Spoon River, hit .353 with a .493 on-base. Also back is Lombardo, who hit .344 with five homers and 30 RBIs, and Edwards, who hit .354 with 39 runs scored. Hard-throwing Hazzard will be the Mustangs’ No. 1 or No. 2 pitcher and Hooper, another hard thrower, should get a lot of innings as a freshman. Seng could be an impact player on the bases.
“Our motto this year is FINISH,” Veliz said. “We had a great first season last year but the goal is to go deep in the playoffs. That regional championship still stings but it makes my boys even hungrier to go all out and not let up.”