Baseball preview: A look at the seasons ahead for Seneca, Sandwich, Fieldcrest and our teams in the Little Ten

Here is a team-by-team season preview for baseball teams across The Times coverage area.

Editor’s note: Team previews for Ottawa, Streator, Marquette and Woodland/Flanagan-Cornell have already run in previous print editions and online at https://www.shawlocal.com/illinois-valley.

Newark

Coach: Josh Cooper (5th season)

Last season’s record: 10-20 (7-7 Little Ten)

Top returning players: Clay Friestad, P/IF, sr.; Landon Begovac, P/IF, jr.; Jackson Walker, UT, jr.; Payton Wills, P/IF, jr.

Top newcomers: Toby Steffen, UT, so.; David Ulrich, UT, fr.; Kiptyn Bleuer, P/OF, fr.

Worth noting: The Norsemen graduated seven seniors last year but are returning core players like Friestad and Begovac, who both hit over .275 last season with experience on the mound. What the squad lacks in overall experience they make up for in exciting young talent, as Cooper feels Steffen, Ulrich and Bleuer will all have major impacts on the team this year. Cooper expects his club to “show some spurts of inexperience, but will be an exciting team to watch when they start clicking.”

Earlville (co-op)

Coach: Dillon Reel (5th season)

Last season’s record: 0-17 (0-12 in Little Ten)

Top returning players: Ryan Browder, sr.; Trenton Fruit, sr.

Top newcomers: James Henne, jr.; Joe Clifford, jr.; Hayden Spoonmore, fr.; Declan Brennan, fr.; Aaden Browder, fr.

Worth noting: Earlville and Leland have combined forces on the diamond this spring, and Reel is excited to see how the addition helps fill some of the roles the program has been without the past few seasons. The Red Raiders return experienced players in Browder and Fruit, and Reel feels the younger players all have the potential to be starters and play significant roles on the varsity this year. “With the addition of Leland players to our roster, we are a much more well-rounded team,” Reel said. “The guys have worked hard in the offseason, especially in the weight room, to prepare for the season. I am excited to see what this season brings and the growth the guys make.”

Somonauk

Coach: Troy Felton (9th season)

Last season’s record: 13-9 (13-2 Little Ten)

Top returning players: Carson Bahrey, IF, sr.; Luke Rader, OF, sr.; Noah Brandt, IF/C, jr.; Aiden Hopkins, OF, jr.; Aldo Resendez, IF.P, jr.; Silas Johnson, IF/P, jr.; William Mosley, IF/P, jr.; Cole Gudmunson, OF/P, so.; Patrick Short, IF/P, so.; Aiden Wold, IF/P, so.

Top newcomers: Noah Ortega, IF/OF/P, sr.; Brady Andrews, IF/OF/P, fr.; Alex Barns, P/IF/C, fr.; Kaden Geers, P/IF, fr.; Landon Johnson, P/IF, fr.; Tristan Reed, P/IF/OF, fr.

Worth noting: The Bobcats will be looking to replace from graduation a trio of Times All-Area selections in Brock Slais, Coleton Eade and Justin Lee. Bahrey (.364, 6 2B, 11 RBI, 26 R, 9 SB, unanimous all-LTC) returns, and Felton feels his newcomers will all do a very nice job coming in and filling those spots. “We have had a lot of players putting in work in the offseason and came into the season game ready,” Felton said. “Our upperclassmen have done an outstanding job leading our younger guys. I believe we have the pieces to win the conference, and we have had the conversation several times in the last week that if this is a goal, you cannot have more than two losses in the conference in order to accomplish that goal. Our overall goal is to win a regional, as we have not accomplished that since 2018.”

Serena

Coach: Chad Baker (26th season)

Last season’s record: 15-13 (11-3 Little Ten)

Top returning players: Carson Baker, SS/P, sr.; Tanner Faivre, CF/SS/P, sr.; Hunter Staton, C/P, sr.; Beau Raikes, P/3B, jr.; Payton Twait, C/IF, so.

Top newcomers: Jimmy Faltz, sr.; Matt Farrell, jr.; Ian Watkins, so.; Nolan Muffler, fr.; Carter Meyer, fr.; Ethan Stark, fr.; Hendrix Johnson, fr.

Worth noting: The Huskers lost seven players to graduation, but return a solid core led by Baker (.372, 40 IP, 3.53 ERA, All-LTC, Times All-Area first team), Faivre (.385, 35 H, 31 R, 18 SB, Times All-Area honorable mention), Staton (3-0, 18 IP, 3.50 ERA) and Raikes (5-3, 4.60 ERA, 53 K, 16 BB). “We lost a lot from our lineup last year, so some key returners and some younger guys will have to step into those roles to provide our offense,” Coach Baker said. “I’m excited about the fact we have four of our five top pitchers back from last year, including Carson, Beau and Hunter, who combined for a 13-5 record and 80 innings pitched. I’m encouraged by the leadership and confidence I’ve seen in the returning players from last year, thanks in great deal to the success they had on the basketball court this winter. It might take us a little longer to hit our stride with missing the first week of practice, but it was worth it. I’m lucky I get to coach this group of seniors/juniors, because they’re a great group of boys and love to compete.”

Seneca

Coach: Tim Brungard (5th season)

Last season’s record: 18-9 (9-5 Tri-County)

Top returning players: Casey Clennon, 1B/P, sr.; Austin Aldridge, P/SS, sr.; Aidan Vilcek, SS/P, sr.; Chase Buis, 3B/P, sr.; Kenny Daggett, OF/P, sr.; Nate Neal, OF/P, sr.; Nate Othon, C, sr.; Paxton Giertz, CF/P, jr.

Top newcomers: Josh Lucas, sr.; Keegan Murphy, jr.; Brody Rademacher, jr.; Carter Clause, jr.; Casey Klicker, jr.

Worth noting: The Fighting Irish return eight starters, including Clennon (.402, 35 H, 32 RBI, 15.2 IP, 2.34 ERA, TCC first team, Times All-Area second team), Aldridge (32.1 IP, 32 K, 2,17 ERA), Vilcek (32 IP, 29 K, 3.72 ERA) and Giertz (.368, 32 H, 43.2 IP, 73 K, 1.76 ERA, TCC first team, Times All-Area first team). “We have a number of returning everyday players and a senior-heavy roster with guys with a ton of varsity experience,” Brungard said. “We’ll will be looking to compete at the top of the conference and have success against a tough nonconference schedule.”

Sandwich

Coach: Jason VanPelt (13th season)

Last season’s record: 9-18 (2-12 Interstate Eight)

Top returning players: Tyler Lissman, CF/P, sr.; Chance Lange, SS/P, sr.; Taylor Adams, C/P, sr.; Chris Barbor, P/IF/OF, sr.; Dino Barbanente, P/IF/OF, sr.; Quinton Rome, P/IF/OF, jr.; Braden Behringer, C, so.

Top newcomers: Lucas Krystozek, P/IF/OF, sr.; Dominic Rome, P/IF/OF, jr.

Worth noting: The Indians return seven starters from last year’s team that reached the regional final, including Lange (I-8 first team all-conference, Times All-Area honorable mention). Of that group, six are either three- or four-year varsity starters. Sandwich returns virtually their entire pitching staff, with only one graduated. “We look to be very competitive in our first year in the Kishwaukee River Conference,” VanPelt said.

Fieldcrest

Coach: Mark Brown (23rd season)

Last season’s record: 7-15 (5-6 Heart of Illinois Small)

Top returning players: Koltin Kearfott, IF/OF/P, sr.; Zach Johnson, 1B/P, jr.; Jordan Heider, 2B/P, jr.; Eli Peterson, RF, jr,; Eli Gerdes, CF, so.; Lucas Anson, C/P, so.; Layten Gerdes, SS/P, so.; Tyler Serna, 3B/C/P, so.; Lucas May, LF/1B/P, so.

Top newcomers: Noah Marsack, RF, sr.; Carter Lenhausen, UT, jr.; Cooper Haugens, 1B/P, jr.; Kade Kearfott, LF, so.; Drew Overocker, IF/OF/C/P, fr.; Cody Orabutt, 3B/C, fr.; Carter Senko, CF/P, fr.

Worth noting: The Knights were a very young team last season, but according to Brown were competitive squad in most of their games and return all but one starter. The returnees include Heider (.382, 3 3B, 11 SB, All-HOIC second team), Serna (20.1 IP, 18 K, 2.75 ERA) and Layten Gerdes (.313, 7 SB, All-HOIC honorable mention). “This group of guys has played a lot of varsity baseball even though we are still a relatively young club,” Brown said. “Practices have been great so far, and the bar is set high for this season.”