Bishop McNamara Fightin’ Irish

Coach: Aaron Fuerst (first season)

Last season: 27-8

Top returners: Callaghan O’Connor, sr., P/3B/1B; Preston Payne, jr., P/2B/SS; Braylon Ricketts, jr., C/OF

Top newcomers: Michael Clark, jr., P/OF; Nick Pignatiello, jr., P/IF; Gavin Jones, so., P/SS/3B

Worth noting: Fuerst may be a first-year head coach, but he is rather familiar with the Fightin’ Irish after serving as a longtime assistant. Anchored by O’Connor, a four-year starter and Notre Dame commit, the defending All-City and Chicagoland Christian Conference champions have plenty of optimism as they look to make it back-to-back regional champions.

Payne and Ricketts developed into serious threats by the end of 2025, as did Jones when he was brought up to varsity before the postseason. Clark and Pignatiello are also a part of a deep junior class that’s known nothing but success at the lower levels, while O’Connor has classmates like OF Coen Demack, P/1B Logan Popovich and P/OF Ian Irps to provide senior leadership.

“To build upon last year’s accomplishments, the emergence of new leaders on the offensive side of the ball and the health and continued development of our pitching staff will be keys for a successful season,” Fuerst said. “We have built a competitive schedule that puts our guys in a great position to be tested early and develop in preparation for season-ending, playoff baseball.”

Bradley-Bourbonnais Boilermakers

Coach: Brad Schweigert (ninth season)

Last season: 19-19

Top returners: Liam Martin, sr., P; Lucas Garrett, sr. P; Jace Boudreau, sr., 2B/SS/P; Eric Rainbolt, sr., P/1B

Top newcomers: Cody Youngblood, so., C; Tyson Arbour, so., P/OF

Worth noting: After late-season surges led the Boilermakers to back-to-back regional plaques in Class 4A, a largely new core will look to keep that momentum rolling. Martin looks to inherit the ace role from 2025 Daily Journal Player of the Year Cody Freitas, while Garrett and Rainbolt give the Boilers a pair of proven southpaws. Pitching and defense, where Boudreau excels up the middle, have been the Boilers’ calling cards in recent years.

With 15 seniors on the roster, the Boilers are as experienced as they come as they set foot on their SouthWest Suburban Conference gauntlet. But several of those seniors have had to patiently wait behind solid classes in each of the past two seasons, meaning they’ll still be learning as they go through the early part of the year.

“We will be looking to our senior heavy group to turn the corner and produce this year, many new faces in the lineup who did not see significant time last year,” Schweigert said. “Our pitching has a chance to be very competitive in our conference if we continue to stay healthy and develop. As always, pitching and defense will be the determining factor in our success this year.”

Kankakee Kays

Coach: Nick Crowe (second season)

Last season: 10-22

Top returners: Jacob Vinardi, P/1B, Sr.; Jaden Villafuerte, jr., IF/OF; Bryce Deany, sr., 2B/SS/P; Bryce Arseneaux, sr., 3B/OF; Bentley Deany, so., 2B/SS/OF

Top newcomers: Devin Arbour, sr., C/P/OF; EJ Hazelett, sr., 1B/P; Johnny Short, fr., 3B

Worth noting: The Kays nearly upset a mighty Morris team in the playoffs last year, giving them some positives to build off of ahead of Crowe’s second season. Arbour’s transfer from Bishop McNamara puts him with a deep class of returning seniors in Vinardi, a skilled southpaw, and the versatile Villafuertue, Bryce Deany and Arseneaux, while Hazelett is seeing how well his All-State basketball skillset can translate to the diamond.

Short is one of several members of a skilled freshman class that will get some varsity opportunities. Crowe knows that although he’s got a lot of reliable seniors, there’s also plenty of youth that will continue to grow as the season develops.

“We’ve got a few good leaders and a few good baseball players, like Devin transferring in from Mac. It’s good to have him back,” Crowe said. “And we have a lot of freshmen, a lot of young guys that are going to make a big impact on our team this year. There’s going to be some growing pains in that, like with any young athlete going up to varsity right away. But we’re willing to ride through that. We trust them, we’re going to watch them grow, and it’s going to be an awesome thing.”

Coal City Coalers

Coach: Greg Wills (ninth season)

Last season: 23-12

Top returners: Lance Cuddy, sr., P/1B/OF; Ethan Olson, sr., P/1B; Gavin Berger, sr., OF; Donnie Ladas, sr., C; Connor Henline, jr., P/1B/OF; Kellen Forsythe, jr., P/3B/SS

Top newcomers: Carter Nicholson, jr., P/3B/SS; Braden Walker, jr., P/2B/SS; Bobby Rodriguez, jr., P/OF/1B

Worth noting: After handing Illinois Central Eight champion Wilmington its only conference loss last spring, the Coalers were on the wrong end of a 1-0 2A Regional title game to the Wildcats last spring. They have a roster full of returning standouts motivated for 2026. Cuddy, a 2025 Daily Journal All-Area pick, Olson and Henline have Rodriguez joining them to give the Coalers four tough-to-read southpaws, and Ladas is back behind the dish.

Not only do they return nine varsity contributors from last year, but Wills also loves his junior class, including the potential double play duo of Walker and Nicholson.

“We think we can be very competitive throughout the season with any team on our schedule,” Wills said. “We hope to compete for an Illinois Central Eight Conference title and make a strong run in the postseason. Our goal is to take the next step. I think the ultimate goal for every program is to be playing in June. We are no exception, and we certainly look forward to the challenge.”

Herscher Tigers

Head coach: Eric Regez (34th season)

Last season: 29-8

Top returners: Cam Baker, sr., P/3B; Gaige Brown, jr., P/IF; Nash Brubaker, sr., P/1B; Tanner Jones, P/OF; Reed Laird, sr., P/1B; Mason Roberts, sr., SS

Top newcomers: Logan Anderson, jr., C; Dylan Bayston, jr., P/OF; Brock Berns, jr., P/IF; Colton Carson, fr., OF; Cooper Meredith, jr., C; Connor Sharper, jr., P/IF

Worth noting: The Tigers have won more than 50 conference and postseason plaques under Regez, a number that could very realistically grow behind a deep group filled with both experienced leadership and promising, young talent. Jones is a four-year starter and has experience around him in three-year starters like Brubaker, Roberts and Brown.

Not only are the Tigers experienced, but they have plenty of versatility, including perhaps the area’s deepest pitching staff. Brubaker had a team-best six wins last year, while Baker’s 14 appearances led the team to give Regez the reliability, experience and talent he knows is necessary for the type of season the Tigers know they can have.

“We are hoping with much experience gained in the 2025 season, the squad can show improvement in all three baseball phases as the season moves along,” Regez said. “The 2026 team needs to use the challenge of tough games in the early season schedule to improve at a fast rate to prepare for a very difficult tour in competing better with the top teams in the Illinois Central Eight.”

Manteno Panthers

Head coach: Matt Beckner (11th season)

Last season: 21-8

Top returners: Braden Campbell, sr., P/3B; Jake Stevens, sr., 1B; Connor Harrod, sr., P/OF; Tyler Buehler, sr., SS/OF

Top newcomers: Brendan Jedlicka, jr., P/3B

Worth noting: The Panthers lost a lot of skill from last year’s team, but a program that’s won at least 20 games every year but once in the last 15 seasons once again has a healthy chunk of its core back in place. Campbell’s been a varsity player since day one of his freshman year, growing into a more consistent pitching role each year while also manning the hot corner.

Harrod, a two-way talent with great stuff on the mound and a great bat in the box, and Buehler, the table-setter at the top of the lineup, are three-year guys, as is Stevens, who brings pop to the middle of the order. Jedlicka is perhaps the most notable standout from a deep junior class, and if he and some of those younger teammates can transition to varsity promptly, the Panthers could be in line for a repeat Class 2A Regional title.

“Our goal first and foremost is to try to compete for a conference title,” Beckner said, “and to be playing our best ball at the end of the season.”

Peotone Blue Devils

Head coach: Teddy Baffes (third season)

Last season: 10-19

Top returners: Tyler Leitelt, jr., OF/SS/P; Tavin Harshfield, sr., OF/IF/P; Alex Chenoweth, jr., OF/P; Lincoln Tierney, sr., IF/OF/P; Eli Chenoweth, jr., OF

Top newcomers: Declan McMaster, jr., IF/OF/P; Kayden Derkacy, so., IF/P; Cole Peppers, jr., IF/C/P

Worth noting: They may have graduated an all-time program great in Ruben Velasco, but the Blue Devils do have a cast of versatile letterwinners back from a team that reached double-digit wins for just the third time in the last decade.

Leitelt developed into a feared leadoff hitter and smooth-fielding shortstop as a sophomore and is one of a handful of arms the Blue Devils will rely on to get through the Illinois Central Eight gauntlet. Harshfield, a Eureka recruit, is one of several old-fashioned ballplayers who bring defensive versatility and steady plate presence.

“I am very excited for this upcoming season,” Baffes said. “This is the biggest roster I have had here since getting the position. Our goal this year is to bring a regional championship to Peotone High School.”

Reed-Custer Comets

Head coach: Jake Evans (10th season)

Last season: 19-13

Top returners: Thomas Emery, sr., IF; Alejandro Fierro, jr., C; Matt Kuban, so., P/SS; Kaiden Klein, so., CF

Top newcomers: Jeffrey Wolford, jr., P/IF; Chase Isaac, so., UTIL; Cole Yeates, so., 2B

Worth noting: After a slight slip-up in 2024, the Comets put together their 20th winning season since the turn of the century last spring, and although they’re on the younger side in 2026, that youth is talented enough that the Comets will once again look to compete in the Illinois Central Eight.

Six starters graduated from a year ago, and while graduation was especially harsh on the pitching staff, Kuban has true ace potential with Wolford looking to promptly become a reliable starter as well. Klein joins Kuban as sophomores with starting experience, with Isaac and Yeates two of the more notable names joining their classmates as underclassmen this spring.

“After the graduation of six starters from last year’s 19-win team, the young Comets will turn to a mix of numerous new faces and the leadership of returning upperclassmen as we look to remain competitive in the always strong Illinois Central Eight Conference,” Evans said.

Wilmington Wildcats

Head coach: Mike Bushnell (11th season)

Last season: 24-9

Top returners: Ryan Kettman, sr., P/SS; Zach Ohlund, sr., C; Dierks Geiss, sr., RF; Bobby Phillips, sr., 1B; Cooper Holman, jr., P/3B; Declan Moran, jr., CF; Brysen Meents, jr., OF/SS

Top newcomers: Tyler Krand, jr., P

Worth noting: The Wildcats finished a game shy of a repeat trip to the Class 2A State Finals, and despite graduating a pair of All-State two-way phenoms in Lucas Rink and Kyle Farrell, they still return some of the area’s biggest stars.

Ohlund mashed five home runs last season and hit three more through the first four games this year. Kettman is looking to give the Wildcats their third All-State ace and shortstop in as many years, while Geiss, Phillips, Holman (Bradley commit), Moran and Meents join them as a returning core that combined for a dozen dingers last year. Kettman and Holman return as the top two arms, and if Krand’s first varsity season can be a successful one, the Wildcats could have the pitching, hitting and fielding for another deep run, one they’ll look to make with heavy hearts.

“This group has the potential to make another deep run,” Bushnell said. “The 2026 Wilmington Wildcats bring back seven starters with two key pitchers from 2025. The season will be dedicated to (assistant coach) Nick Dziuban, who passed away Feb. 2, 2026.”

Beecher Bobcats

Coach: Brandon DuBois (16th season)

Last season: 14-17

Top returners: Chase Maher, jr., P/C/IF; Santino Imhof, jr., P; Nicholas Fox, sr., P; Chasten Clegg, jr., IF

Top newcomers: Noah Hanson, jr., IF/OF; Easton Lane, fr., P/IF; Gavin Van Ness, fr., P/IF

Worth noting: The Bobcats finished below .500 last season for the first time since 2000, but still managed to reach the regional championship round before their season came to an end. But with a sizable class of returning contributors, particularly on the mound, there is plenty of reason to be optimistic for a bounce-back.

“Last year was a down year for our program,” DuBois said. “All of our main pitchers are back from last season and have some young talent, which will help us be more competitive over the course of the season.”

Maher pitched 38 2/3 innings with a 2.53 ERA and 53 strikeouts, while Imhof racked up 78 strikeouts over 46 2/3 innings with an ERA of 2.70. Both were first-team All-RVC selections. Fox was a second-team All-RVC player with a 3.14 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 42 1/3 innings, while Clegg is back off a promising sophomore season in which he hit .308. The versatile Hanson will be added to the fold while Lane and Van Ness are primed to make an impact right away in their first high school seasons.

Clifton Central Comets

Coach: Brian Kohn (16th season)

Last season: 12-11

Top returners: Blake Chandler, sr., P/IF; Brayden Meents, sr., 3B/P; Derek Meier, jr., IF

Top newcomers: N/A

Worth noting: The reigning RVC champion Comets head into the 2026 season primed for another run toward the top of the conference standings. With just two seniors gone from last season’s squad, which posted the program’s seventh straight winning season, Chandler and Meents headline a senior class that will be supported by a large crop of juniors.

Chandler was the RVC Co-Player of the Year last season, posting a 2.71 ERA with 72 strikeouts in 62 innings while hitting .316 with 24 runs scored. Meents was a Daily Journal All-Area second teamer and a first-team All-RVC pick, while Meier and an experienced junior class featuring players like Mayson Mitchell, Reece Boudreau and Owen Palmateer will look to give the Comets an eighth straight winning season.

“We return eight of nine starters from last season,” Kohn said. “We added a bunch of games to our schedule. Our depth will be tested this spring if Mother Nature cooperates. We are going to compete every day and hope to head into the postseason healthy and playing good baseball.”

Gardner-South Wilmington Panthers

Coach: Allan Wills (12th season)

Last season: 10-18

Top returners: Reed Millette, jr., SS/P; Case Christensen, so., C/P/3B; Caden Christensen, so., P/1B; Cameron Gray, so., CF/SS/P; Brock Enerson, sr., C/P/3B

Top newcomers: Tyler Sorensen, so., P/OF; Fallon Stein, fr., P/OF; Grady Phillips, fr., 1B/OF/P

Worth noting: The Panthers may be young in 2026, but that does not mean they lack experience. A large and talented crop of freshmen and sophomores make up the bulk of the roster this season, and while some will get their first varsity action, many are seasoned beyond their years.

“We are a very young team with only three seniors and four juniors,” Wills said. “Lineups most nights might have up to eight underclassmen. However, most of them gained some varsity experience last year, so I am looking forward to a successful season and should compete for our conference championship.”

The junior Millette is back off an All-RVC season in which he hit .342 and struck out 31 batters in 26 innings. The Christensens were both two-way contributors, with Case posting a 1.64 ERA in 25 2/3 innings while getting on base at a .356 clip and Caden getting on base at .333 while striking out 29 batters in 26 innings. Gray hit .307 as a freshman, while Enerson brings versatility and senior leadership to the table.

Grant Park Dragons

Coach: Andy Bakhaus (3rd season)

Last season: 6-16

Top returners: Nolen Olthoff, jr., P/SS; Aiden Overbeek, jr., C/P; Dean Malkowski, jr., 1B/P; Joey McGinley, sr., P/SS; Ian Hamman, jr., OF

Top newcomers: N/A

Worth noting: The Dragons were very sophomore-heavy a season ago, and after a year of development, are set to hit the ground running to start the 2026 campaign.

“Our team returns every pitcher and the top five hitters from last season, which gives us a great starting point heading into the year,” Bakhaus said. “The experience our upperclassmen gained last season, combined with a strong group of younger players, should give us good depth across the roster. We’re excited to see this group continue to grow and compete throughout the season.”

Olthoff had a promising season on the mound last year, racking up 48 strikeouts in 38 innings while scoring a team-high 20 runs and putting up an OPS of .845, second only to Malkowski’s OPS of .937. Overbeek’s 17 hits paced the Dragons in his sophomore season, while Hamman’s .281 average was fourth on the team. The senior McGinley will look to capitalize on a junior campaign in which he led the team with eight doubles and struck out 32 batters in 31 innings.

Momence

Coach: Jeremy Rozhon (1st season)

Last season: 7-13

Top returners: Sam Fitzgerald, sr.; Jackson Ford, sr.; Daulton Mitchell, jr.; Evan Sherwood, jr.

Top newcomers: Jayden Link, fr.

Worth noting: With a new head coach, Momence will be undergoing a bit of a reset in 2026. Pitching is an area where the most production will need to be made up, but with some upperclassmen carrying over, there will be a little bit of continuity for Rozhon to work with.

“A lot of our season is going to depend on how our pitching develops and whether we can find a few more consistent bats,” Rozhon said. “If those pieces come together, we believe this group can compete and take a step forward as a program.”

Ford’s .339 average and 20 hits both ranked third on the team last season. He also had 11 strikeouts in nine innings last season and will look to develop in more innings as a senior. Fitzgerald was fourth on the team with both his 14 hits and 13 runs scored a season ago. Mitchell and Sherwood will each look to step into heightened roles while Link expects to make an impact as a freshman.

St. Anne/Donovan Cardinals

Coach: Ike Spieser (2nd season)

Last season: 13-10

Top returners: Brandon Schoth, sr., C/P; Jesus Chaca-Tapua, jr., 2B; Cassen Berryhill, jr., CF/P; Preston Harrington-Dewitt, sr., IF/P; Jackson Hawkins, jr., OF

Top newcomers: Liam Goodrich, fr., OF/C/P; Jamey Hawkins, fr., SS; Matthew Langellier, sr., OF/P

Worth noting: A productive group of returning players, including reigning RVC Co-Player of the Year Brandon Schoth, would already be reason for excitement for the Cardinals. Add to that a group of newcomers who led the junior high team to a state appearance last year, and the 2026 varsity team has high expectations.

“This is the deepest and most athletic roster we have had at St Anne in my four years,” Spieser said. “With this group, we expect to compete for an RVC championship. We have a good mix of upperclassmen that have been starting since their freshman year and a good group of freshmen that helped lead us to state last season in junior high baseball.”

Schoth hit .419 a season ago and now enters his fourth season as an everyday starter. The speedy Berryhill will be stepping into the top spot in the pitching rotation, where Harrington-Dewitt will also have a prominent role, while Chaca Tapia and Jackson Hawkins provide reliability in the lineup. The football and basketball star Langellier brings his athleticism to the diamond as Goodrich and Jamey Hawkins look to replicate their IESA success.

Cissna Park Timberwolves

Head coach: Jeffrey Maurer (second season)

Last season: 4-18

Top returners: Jream Renteria, sr., P/C; Seth Walder, sr., CF/P; Jace Comstock, jr., OF; Skylar Estay, jr. OF; Joah Henrichs, so., P; Austin Kaeb, so., P/IF; Ayden Schaffer, so., P/IF

Top newcomers: Wyatt Marcott, fr.; Brady Neukomm, fr.

Worth noting: The Timberwolves were the area’s youngest team last year and will again be on the younger side this spring. But make no mistake, Renteria and Walder have been big parts of the program for years and will now look to help the program to its first winning season since they won a Class 1A regional in 2019.

Henrichs was an honorable mention All-Vermilion Valley Conference pick as a freshman and will look to continue his development and join Renteria at the top of the rotation. He’s got a ton of classmates who also played up on varsity last year, with Schaffer already dazzling in his first start of 2026. Freshmen like Marcott and Neukomm have flashed early potential and will look to find permanent homes in the Cissna Park lineup wherever they can help.

“I’m looking forward to us improving in every aspect of our game, including fielding, pitching, hitting, and base running,” Maurer said. “We know that we play a strong conference schedule, and we will do our best to compete and grow for the postseason. I’m excited to see the growth we have made from last season.”

Iroquois West Raiders

Head coach: Josh Trammell (fourth season)

Last season: 11-15

Top returners: Julian Melgoza, sr., P/1B; Ivan Ontiveros, sr., IF; Brody Mueller, so., P/SS; Caleb Fauser, so., OF; Aayden Miller, so., P/IF

Top newcomers: N/A

Worth noting: The Raiders graduated their top three pitchers from last season and will look to find a comfortable rotation as the early portion of 2026 progresses. Melgoza enters the season as the leader of the staff and figures to have some dependable arms alongside him in Mueller and Miller, a pair of dual-threat sophomores that showed flashes as freshmen.

Fauser is another sophomore who’s already a varsity veteran, providing speed and defense from center field and a presence at the top of the order alongside Mueller. While so much youth leaves a lot of questions at the start of the year, it also leaves some excitement.

“We are young,” Trammell said, “and just want to get better and better every day and compete.”

Milford Bearcats

Head coach: Greg DeWerff (14th season)

Last season: 17-16

Top returners: Aiden Frerichs, sr., C; Hixon Lafond, sr., P/SS; Cohen Cheever, jr., OF

Top newcomers: N/A

Worth noting: The Bearcats made it 11 straight seasons with double-digit wins and recorded their fifth winning season in the last six last spring. Their consistency figures to continue in 2026, where Frerichs enters as one of the area’s top catchers and leads a lineup with plenty of pop in the middle, posting a team-best .323 average last spring, with Cheever ready for a more prominent role as a junior.

Pitching is where the Bearcats have the most turnover, graduating top dogs Caleb Clutteur and Beau Wright. Lafond has gotten off to a solid start, including an opening day win against Herscher. As the pitching depth adds as the year develops, expect the same winning formula in Milford.

“We expect to be very competitive this season with several returning starters,” DeWerff said. “As is the case every year, our success will depend on our commitment to daily energy, focus and attention to detail.”

Watseka Warriors

Head coach: Stephen Rigsby (sixth season)

Last season: 11-15

Top returners: Austin Morris, sr., OF; Tyler Waugh, sr., SS/P; Payton Schaumburg, sr., OF; Seth Dirks, jr., C; Frankie Shervino, jr., 3B/P

Top newcomers: Ethan Price, sr., P/1B; Hunter Wolfe, sr., P/2B/SS; Andrew Yates, jr., IF/P/C

Worth noting: The Warriors tied their program’s high win total over the past decade last spring and have a good bit of experience back to try and get their first winning record since 2015. It literally starts with Morris and Waugh at the top of the order, with Schaumburg another senior back and newcomers like Price, whom Rigsby said could be their X-factor on the mound, and Wolfe help bolster a deep class of seniors.

Shervino has been a varsity mainstay since his freshman year and looks to continue developing into the potential star that he can be. He, Dirks and Yates are a junior trio that can provide some pop and drive in the likes of Morris and Waugh. That offensive aspect is where Rigsby wants to see the Warriors progress in 2026.

“We return a good amount of guys from last season and should be efficient defensively this season,” Rigsby said. “We will have to be much improved at the plate this year offensively to be competitive in and out of our conference. In the end, this season will likely come down to our pitching staff. We will need to compete on the mound each night to give us chances to win.”