Baseball: 2024 Sauk Valley Media All-Area Team

First team

Carson Akins, Forreston, so., CF: An All-State first-team selection in Class 1A by the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association and an All-Northwest Upstate Illini Conference first-teamer, he led the Cardinals with 51 hits, 18 doubles, a .459 batting average, .552 on-base percentage, and 1.246 on-base plus slugging. He also stole 21 bases and knocked in 32 runs for the conference champions.

AJ Boardman, Fulton, sr., 3B: An All-NUIC West first-teamer, he led the team with a .444 average and 1.257 OPS. He had 32 hits, two home runs, 17 RBIs and 32 runs scored. The Spoon River College commit posted a 1.95 ERA with 94 strikeouts in 50⅓ innings.

Bryce Feit, Dixon, sr., IF: An All-Big Northern Conference first-teamer, he hit .412 with a .553 OBP and 1.082 OPS. The Kishwaukee College commit had 35 hits, 21 RBIs and led the team with 40 runs scored, 23 walks and 16 stolen bases.

Kendall Erdmann, Forreston, so., SS/P: An All-NUIC first-teamer, he had 44 hits, hit .386, stole 20 bases and led the team with 54 runs scored. He was 2-1 with two saves with a 2.31 ERA, striking out 41 in 39⅓ innings.

Nolan Hahn, Polo, sr., 3B/P: An All-NUIC first-teamer, he hit .351 with a .429 OBP. He had 26 hits and 11 RBIs, pitching 56⅔ innings with a 5-2 record, 90 strikeouts and 2.35 ERA. He is a Sauk Valley Community College commit.

Alex Harrison, Dixon, sr., P/SS: An all-Big Northern Conference first-teamer, he went 4-3 with a 2.06 ERA, striking out 67 in 51 innings pitched. He hit .367 with 21 RBIs and 36 runs scored.

Brock Lehman, Ashton-Franklin Center, jr., C: An All-NUIC first-teamer, he had a school-record seven home runs this spring and batted .431 with a .558 OBP. He led the team with 25 RBIs and had a .930 fielding percentage.

Aaron Lester, Ashton-Franklin Center, jr., SS: An All-NUIC first-teamer, he led the team with 21 stolen bases, 21 walks and 34 runs scored as leadoff hitter. He hit .365 with a .551 OBP and played strong infield defense.

Hunter Miller, Eastland, jr., SS: An All-NUIC first-teamer, he was the recipient of the Jamie Koehn Award as conference MVP. He led the team with 28 RBIs and hit .464/.606/1.259. Miller had 10 doubles and one home run with 21 runs scored and 25 walks.

Garrett Polson, Sterling, sr., P/IF: An All-Big 6 second-teamer, he allowed 16 earned runs in 51 innings with 91 strikeouts and a .095 batting average against. Offensively, he had a .459 OBP and set a single-season school record of 13 times hit by a pitch.

Parker Rangel, Erie-Prophetstown, jr., C: An All-TRAC West first-teamer, he led the team with 39 hits, two home runs, 15 RBIs, a .476 average, .511 OBP and 1.219 OPS.

Alec Schoonhoven, Forreston, jr., IF: An All-NUIC first-teamer, he led the team with five home runs and 49 RBIs. He had 44 hits with a .407 average, scored 35 runs and stole 20 bases. He was 4-2 on the mound with a 3.68 ERA, striking out 44 in 32⅓ innings.

Carter Schueler, Rock Falls, sr., RF/P: An All-Big Northern Conference first-teamer, he led the team with a .449 batting average and three home runs, 28 RBIs and scored 27 runs. He went 5-4 with a 4.72 ERA with 61 strikeouts in 46 innings pitched.

Brendan Tunink, Newman, sr. CF/P: An IHSBCA All-State selection in Class 2A, Tunink was a unanimous All-TRAC East first-team outfielder. He set school records in runs scored, walks, and stolen bases as teams often did not pitch to him. He hit .524 with a .683 OBP and 1.575 OPS, tallying 44 hits, seven home runs, 39 walks, 27 RBIs, 34 stolen bases and 55 runs scored. He pitched only 16⅔ innings this season with 31 strikeouts and a 0.84 ERA as he has hopes of a potential professional baseball career. He committed to the University of Notre Dame.

Garet Wolfe, Newman, so., P/3B: A unanimous All-TRAC East first-teamer, he was 6-1 on the mound with a 2.92 ERA. He hit .306 with 27 RBIs and 27 runs scored.

Second team

Evan Bushman, Newman, so., P: An All-TRAC East second-teamer, he was 11-1 on the mound and set the school’s single-season record in wins. He had 42 strikeouts in 61 innings pitched with a 3.21 ERA. He pitched a complete-game win with seven strikeouts, one walk, three hits and two earned runs allowed in the Class 2A sectional semifinals to send the Comets to state.

Austin Castaneda, Rock Falls, jr., CF: An All-Big Northern Conference first-teamer, he hit .362 with a .460 OBP and led the team with 36 runs scored. He had 38 hits and 17 stolen bases.

Chase Decker, Newman, jr., utility: A unanimous All-TRAC East first-teamer, he played every position but shortstop and catcher. He had 34 RBIs and 29 runs scored.

Brendan Greenfield, Forreston, jr., 3B/P: An All-NUIC first-teamer, he was 6-1 on the mound with a 2.86 ERA with 48 strikeouts in 49 innings. He hit .372 with 42 hits, 37 RBIs and 30 runs scored.

Trevor Janssen, Eastland, sr., CF: An All-NUIC first-teamer, he hit .366 with a .977 OPS. He had one home run, eight doubles, 22 RBIS and 19 runs scored.

Brady Lawrence, Dixon, so., 1B/P/RF: An All-Big Northern Conference second-teamer, he hit .379 with three home runs and 20 RBIs, scoring 14 runs.

Quinn Leffelman, Amboy, jr., C.: An All-NUIC first-teamer, he led the team with 26 hits, a .419 average, .560 OBP, 1.060 OPS, and 20 RBIs. He led the team with 160 putouts.

James Leslie, Dixon, sr., P/CF: An All-Big Northern honorable mention, he was 4-3 on the mound with a 2.78 ERA, striking out 43 in 45⅓ innings pitched. The Kishwaukee College commit had 18 RBIs.

Karter Livengood, Milledgeville, so., IF/P: An All-NUIC second-teamer, he led the team with a .359 batting average and .459 OBP. On the mound, he was 2-0 with a 1.79 ERA.

Ashton Miner, Newman, fr., RF: A unanimous All-TRAC East first-teamer, he led the team with 41 RBIs. His 11 doubles also led the team.

Quade Richards, Dixon, sr., 2B/P: An All-Big Northern Conference second-teamer, he led the team with a .395 batting average. The Kishwaukee College commit had a team-high 31 RBIs.

Alex Ryia, Forreston, sr., P: An All-NUIC second-teamer, he was 8-0 on the mound with a 1.87 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 33⅔ innings.

Cadon Schulz, Rock Falls, jr., C: An All-Big Northern Conference honorable mention, he hit .337 with a .435 OBP, 30 hits, two home runs and 26 RBIs. He had 197 putouts, including 12 caught stealing, with a .966 fielding percentage behind the plate.

Mason Smithee, Sterling, sr., 1B: Posted a .398 OBP and 23 hits with a team-best five doubles, one home run and 15 RBIs.

Jack Washburn, Oregon, jr., 3B: An All-Big Northern Conference second-teamer, he led the team with a .373 batting average and .479 OBP. He had 11 RBIs.

Bryson Wiersema, Milledgeville, so., CF/P: An All-NUIC first-teamer, he hit .339 and did not commit an error. On the mound, he posted a 3.08 ERA and struck out 36 in 25 innings.

Honorable mention

AFC: Logan O’Brien, Caleb Thomas

Amboy: Eddie Jones, Ryan McNinch

Dixon: James Leslie, Ari Selmani, Aiden Wiseman

Eastland: Cole Huber

E-P: Logan Copeland, Braedyn Frank

Forreston: Patrick Wichman

Fulton: Dom Kramer, Chase Dykstra, Mason Kuebel, Caden Wilkin

Morrison: Collin Renkes, Kolten Swaim, Carson Strating

Polo: Gus Mumford

Newman: Daniel Kelly, Garret Matznick

Oregon: Kade Girton, Keaton Salsbury, Logan Weems

Rock Falls: Ethan Moeller

Sterling: Tatum Allen, Bryce Hartman, Drew Nettleton

Milledgeville: Evan Schenck, Colton Hendrick

Newman: Garrett Matznick, Joe Oswalt

West Carroll: Jacen Anderson