DeKalb Barbs

Coach: Joshua Latimer, fifth season

Last year: 25-11-1 overall, 8-7 DuPage Valley Conference, lost to Huntley 8-4 in the Class 4A Rockford Guilford Regional championship game.

Key returners: Cole Latimer, sr., CF/P: Evan Johnson, sr., RF; Hunter Kriese, sr., P/1B; Breydon Martin, sr., SS/P; Mason Weber, sr., P; Gavin Cheney, jr., C

Top newcomers: Zach Dyer, sr., P/IF; Carter Gymon, sr., P/IF; Will Smrz, sr., P/1B; Benny Probst, so, 2B/SS/C; Aaron Rhoades, so., OF; Caden Smith, jr., P/OF; Luke Duffy, jr., P/OF/1B

Worth noting: The Barbs have spent four years getting better each season under coach Latimer, going from four wins in his first season to 25 last year. But last year’s seniors were the biggest group the coach has lost since taking over. He still has some weapons, starting with Cole Latimer, who hit nine home runs and had a 1.351 OPS last year and is a two-sport recruit in football and baseball for NIU. Hunter Kriese was a solid pitcher, going 5-2 with a 2.03 ERA in 31 innings. Evan Johnson hit .271 and had a solid glove in right field. The Barbs still have a large contingent of seniors to provide leadership and experience to a large group of newcomers. DeKalb hasn’t won a regional title since 2017, and that came in a 10-win season. According to IHSA records, the last time the Barbs won both a regional title and 20 games in a season was in 2010, when they took second in state.

Sycamore Spartans

Coach: Jason Cavanaugh, 28th season

Last year: 18-16 overall, 7-8 Interstate 8, lost to Dixon 3-1 in a Class 3A Freeport Regional semifinal.

Key returners: Henry Hamingson, sr., P/OF; Jackson Macdonald, jr., P/OF; Ben Anderson, jr., P/OF; Sawyer Valdez, so., P/OF

Top newcomers: None reported

Worth noting: Last year, the Spartans were down two top pitchers and still put together a winning season. This season, the team has between 12 and 14 pitchers, according to Cavanaugh, with a good mix of lefties and righties. He points out that most are unproven, but the chemistry is good and everyone is on the same page. In limited playing time, Anderson hit .421 in 14 games. Valdez pitched 15⅓ innings with a 2.74 ERA, while Macdonald had almost 40 innings pitched with a 5.51 ERA, starting all eight games he appeared in. The Spartans had won regional titles in the last four postseasons before last year, including a third-place finish in 3A in 2023.

Kaneland Knights

Coach: Brian Aversa, 19th season

Last year: 25-10 overall, 10-5 Interstate 8, lost to Benet 5-4 in the Class 3A Kaneland Regional championship game.

Key returners: Kanon Baxley, so., SS/P; Aidan Whildin, sr., OF/DH; Hayden Foster, sr., SS/P; Brady Alstott, sr., OF; Carter Grabowski, sr., OF

Top newcomers: Caleb Cornell, so. IF/OF; Jackson Velntini, jr., P

Worth noting: The Knights bring back a lot of talent, starting with Baxley. He had a pair of home runs and a 1.036 OPS plus a 4-2 record and a 2.31 ERA, and should factor in to bigger roles both on offense and on the hill. Whildin hit .398 and scored 37 times and drove in 28 with an OPS of 1.075 and was the team’s offensive MVP. Alstott had a pair of home runs, 36 RBIs and 35 runs scored while hitting .340. Foster led the team in innings pitched last year, going 6-3 with a 3.88 ERA. The Knights have at least 20 wins in the last seven full seasons and haven’t had a losing record since 2013.

Genoa-Kingston Cogs

Coach: Anson Ellis, fourth season

Last year: 10-19 overall, 7-11 Big Northern Conference, lost to Marian 4-2 in a Class 2A Johnsburg Regional play-in.

Key returners: Jack Peterson, sr., P/IF; Cody Cravatta, sr., P/IF; Colton McDowell, jr., P/INF; Lane Davidson, jr., P/INF; Blake Ides, jr., C/OF

Top newcomers: JT Cravatta, so., C/INF; Jacob Rutkowski, so., P/INF

Worth noting: The Cogs went 7-5 to end the season last year and Ellis said he’s hoping that momentum carries over into the start of this season. The team returns only about 25% of its innings pitched from last year, but Ellis said he likes the arms on the team this year. He said defense is also very improved this year. The 10 wins last year were the most since 2019, and now the team looks for its first winning record since a 13-11 mark in 2018.

Indian Creek Timberwolves

Coach: Kevin Poterek, ninth season

Last year: 1-23 overall, 1-11 Little Ten, lost 9-5 to Parkview Christian in a Class 1A Hinckley-Big Rock play-in game.

Key returners: Dominik Nelson, jr., OF; Addux Pearson, jr., P/IF; Zack Nelson, so., 1B; Dylan Carey, so., P/IF

Top newcomers: Cooper Bernabei, fr., P/INF; Dylan Wheeler, fr., C; Rhett Crutcher, fr., P/1B; Kaeden Stadie, fr., INF

Worth noting: The Timberwolves are young and are basically looking to turn the page after five combined wins the past two seasons. They last had a winning season in 2018, going 14-11-1. Poterek said the freshmen are going to have to step up in order for the Timberwolves to start the climb.

Hinckley-Big Rock Royals

Coach: Greg Jourdan, second season

Last year: 13-12-1 overall, 10-2 Little Ten, lost to Aurora Christian 4-0 in a Class 1A Hinckley-Big Rock Regional semifinal.

Key returners: Skyler Janeski, sr., P/SS; Jacob Orin, sr., IF/OF/P; Luke Badal, sr., P/1B/OF; Marshall Ledbetter, P/OF/3B; Travis Herrmann, so., P/OF; Colten Sargent, so., C/3B

Top newcomers: DJ Hansen, so., 2B/RF; Adam Ness, so., OF; Jackson Dukes, so., P/SS/OF; Ben David, fr., P/SS

Worth noting: Although reigning Daily Chronicle Player of the Year Martin Ledbetter graduated, Janeski and Orin were unanimous all-conference players. Janeski hit .442 last year with four home runs and 27 RBIs. He also went 4-0 with a 1.51 ERA, striking out 81 and walking 29 in 46⅓ innings. Orin started at every position last year except pitcher and right field. Herrmann and Sargent both fielded tricky positions at excellent clips as freshmen. The Royals shared the Little 10 title last year and have posted three winning seasons in a row, but haven’t won a regional crown since 2015.

Hiawatha Hawks

Coach: Dedric Wright, first year

Last year: 8-15 overall, 3-9 Little 10

Key returners: Aidan Cooper, sr., 1B/3B/P; Bentley Payne, so., P/OF; Colby Wylde, so., P/OF; Hunter Ziegler, so., C; Tim Pruitt, jr., IF/OF/P

Top newcomers: Mason Alm, fr., C/Util.

Worth noting: Wright is back coaching high schools, something he hasn’t done since his two-year stint ended at DeKalb in 2018. While he lost 26 games both years, he did win a regional title with DeKalb in 2017, the school’s last. He takes over a Hiawatha team moving into the Northeastern Athletic Conference. Cooper and Wylde each hit .328, the top returning hitters back. Pitching will be a weaker spot, Wright said, especially early on. Success will depend on playing solid defense and developing a committee approach, meaning pitchers who can throw strikes and limit big innings. Wright said the focus is on growth throughout the season as they look to build the program the right way.