Aurora Central Catholic

Coach: Rich Swann, fourth season (10th overall at ACC)

Last season’s record: 14-17 overall, 5-9 in the CCL White (fifth place)

Top returning players: Brodie Curry, sr., P/OF; Tyler Davis, sr., P/IF; Nick Czerak, jr., IF/P; Luke Torrence, soph., P/IF; Leo Corral, so., IF/OF; Matthew Guzauskas, jr., P

Key newcomers: Luke Janosek, jr., C/IF; Marcos Pena, jr., C/IF; Grant Bohr, sr., OF/P; Joaquin Martinex, jr., IF/P; Jacob Ginnochio, jr., P; Cole Wolf, so., P/OF; Joey Guerrero, jr., OF

Worth noting: The Chargers return three of their top four pitchers from last season, including Davis (36 innings pitched, two wins, 57 Ks), Torrence (4-3, 23 innings pitched, 31 Ks) and Guzauskas (4-3, 40 innings pitched, 3.68 ERA, 56 Ks). “We will lean on that experience early,” said Swann. Curry, a four-year starter, hit .369 with three home runs, four triples, nine doubles, and 27 RBIs last season. Czerak (.276, 19 RBI, seven doubles, 10 stolen bases) and Guzauskas are three-year starters. Davis (Wabash Valley commit), Torrence and Corral will be joined by a host of juniors and sophomores competing for time along with senior Grant Bohr (20 stolen bases). “Finding and accepting roles on the team will determine how successful we can be,” said the coach. Bohr, Curry and Wolf are all cousins.

- Craig Breuske, Daily Herald Media Group

Aurora Christian

Coach: Andy Zorger, 18th season

Last season’s record: 21-15 overall, 4-8 in the Chicagoland Christian (seventh place)

Top returning players: Noah Hensley, sr., IF; Cristian Huerta, sr., OF; Owen Niedzwiecki, sr., OF/P; Nolan Robertson, sr., P/C; Zach Zappia, sr., IF/P; Preston Morel, jr., IF/OF

Key newcomers: Adan Sweeney, jr., P/IF; Jackson Zorger, jr., OF/IF; Colin Gary, so., OF/P; Noah Zappia, so., P/IF

Worth noting: The Eagles expect to contend in the competitive Chicagoland Christian Conference thanks in part to the return of college-bound Hensley (Aurora University), Robertson (St. Norbert), Niedzwiecki (Elgin Community), Zach Zappia (Illinois Wesleyan) and Huerta (St. Xavier). “We have a solid core of seniors returning to lead us this season,” said Zorger. “Team chemistry looks to be a strength for us. We return our top four pitchers in terms of innings from 2025. Defensively, we should be strong overall, and our lineup looks to be very solid. We probably aren’t going to hit a lot of home runs, but we should consistently put the ball in play and put pressure on opposing pitchers and defenses.”

- Craig Breuske, Daily Herald Media Group

Batavia

Coach: Alex Beckmann, 10th season

Last season’s record: 15-20-1 overall, 11-10 DuKane Conference (tied for third place)

Top returners: Brandon Oke, jr., C; Ryan Rodriguez, jr., C/IF; Liam Darre, sr., IF/P; Michael Vander Luitgaren, jr., IF; Danny Strong, jr., P; Hayden Peterson, sr., P

Key newcomer: Gavin McKelvie, so., OF/P; Cal Miller, so., C; Ben Johnson, fr., IF

Worth noting: The Bulldogs tied their best finish in DuKane Conference play last season, matching a third-place finish in 2022, and will look to plenty of returners on offense to power them further up the conference leaderboard. Batavia returned two of its top power hitters in Vander Luitgaren (13 XBH, 32 RBIs) and Darre (17 XBH, 31 RBIs), as well as consistent bats such as Oke (.464 on-base percentage) and Zeng (31 hits). The real question will come with pitching after losing ace Connar Temple to graduation. Peterson, a Pitt State commit, will more than likely take over that role. “With several key players gaining valuable experience last season, the team looks to build on its foundation and compete at a high level,” Beckmann said. “Batavia is returning six starters on defense and a number of pitchers who saw meaningful innings in 2025.”

Burlington Central

Coach: Kyle Nelson, 20th season

Last season’s record: 20-17, 8-10 Fox Valley Conference (seventh place)

Top returning players: Liam Schultz, jr., C/3B; Thomas Koertgen, jr., CF; David Hintz, jr., OF; Wagner Viebrock, jr., SS; Sam Maglares, sr., P/IF; Tyler Kotwica, sr., P; Daniel Koertgen, jr., P

Top new players: Aidric Arndt, jr., P; Josh Cook, jr., 3B; Reese Beemer, so., P; Dom Henderson, jr. IF; Jaxton Bovee, so., OF

Worth noting: The Rockets won 20 games for the third straight season last year, and Nelson earned his 400th win in April. His 2026 squad includes Schultz, who slashed .313/.452/.952 with eight doubles and two homers. Schultz is one of five juniors who played a full season on varsity last year. Maglares is the top returning pitcher after going 6-2 with a 2.89 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 36⅓ innings last year. The lefty Kotwica, a Carthage commit, had a 1.29 ERA in 21⅔ innings. Daniel Koertgen, who’s another left-hander, struck out 24 in 25 innings. “We will have a young pitching staff that needs experience,” Nelson said. “Arndt, Beemer, Gavin Stumbaugh and Connor Sreckov will have to log heavy innings this year. ... Defense up the middle with Schultz (catcher), Viebrock (shortstop) and Thomas Koertgen (center field) should be a strength. A lot of our success will depend on what we get from our young pitchers.”

- Joe Aguilar

Geneva

Coach: Brad Wendell, ninth season

Last season’s record: 23-12 overall, 13-8 DuKane (second place)

Top returners: Blake Kopec, sr., P; Ryan Kastor, sr., P/IF; Mason Bruesch, jr., P/OF; Noah Hallahan, jr., OF/P; Nelson Wendell, jr., IF; Tate Beran, jr., IF; Alex Abraham, jr., C

Key newcomer: Nick Lozano, so., P/INF/OF; Gavin Dworak, so., C/IF; AJ Minderman, so., P

Worth noting: The Vikings won 20-plus games for the second consecutive season and found themselves just a win away from their first conference title since winning the Western Sun in 2010. Geneva returns a plethora of starters from that team led by Bruesch, a Michigan State commit who slashed .412 at the plate with four home runs and 22 RBIs while striking out 54 batters across 48⅓ innings. Kastor and Hallahan add more depth as two-way players, with the former earning all-conference honors last season. Wendell and Beran look to be vital bats atop the lineup once again for the Vikings. “With multiple all-conference players back in key positions, returning innings on the mound and stability up the middle defensively, the 2026 roster brings more continuity than the program has had in several years,” Brad Wendell said. “The focus remains on consistent execution, internal competition and striving to move the standard of Geneva baseball forward.”

Kaneland

Coach: Brian Aversa, 19th season

Last season’s record: 25-11 overall, 10-5 Interstate 8 (second place)

Key returners: Kanon Baxley, so., IF/P; Aidan Whildin, sr., OF/DH; Hayden Foster, sr., IF/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, the team’s offensive MVP. Alstott had a pair of home runs, 36 RBIs and 35 runs 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.

- Eddie Carifio

Marmion

Coach: Aaron Nieckula, fourth season

Last season’s record: 22-13-1 overall, 11-3 in the CCL White (second place)

Top returning players: Emmit Collins, sr., C/IF; Charlie Zebig, sr., IF; Matt Tulley, sr., OF

Key newcomers: Alec Gilsinn, jr., IF; Jackson Yates, jr., OF; Luke Young, jr., P/OF; Ben Piekarz, jr., P/IF; Max Ulbrich, jr., OF; Adam Vogt, jr., C/P; Brendan Kavanaugh, jr., OF/IF; Nick Proctor, jr., P/OF; Stephen Carlson, jr., IF

Worth noting: After compiling a 14-14 record two years ago – its best season since 2017 – the Cadets made another huge leap during last spring’s 22-win campaign that included a runner-up finish behind St. Francis in the CCL White. While Collins, Zebig and Tulley return with experience, the bulk of the roster is filled with promising juniors like Michigan State commit Gilsinn, Yates, Young, Piekarz, 6-foot-3 Proctor, and 6-foot-5 Carlson. Marmion, which lost a 4-2, eight-inning contest to Montini in the Class 3A regional semifinals a year ago, opens its season at home Saturday against DeKalb.

- Craig Breuske, Daily Herald Media Group

St. Charles East

Coach: Derek Sutor, third season

Last season’s record: 15-19, 10-11 DuKane (tied for sixth place)

Top returners: James Feigleson, sr., IF; Gavin Fuscone, sr., OF/P; Nate Moline, sr., IF/P; Dylan McCabe, jr., IF/P; Antonio Perez, sr., IF; Andrew Evans, jr., IF; Mason Daros, sr., C

Key newcomer: Kyle LaRose, jr., OF; Tyler Phillips, jr., C

Worth noting: After finishing last season with a sub-.500 record for the first time since 2019, the Saints are looking to bounce back. The Saints return six starters from last year, including the entire infield. Feigleson is the standout of the returners, with the UIC commit leading the team with 36 hits last season. Moline leads the returners on the mound after posting a 2.27 ERA across 49 innings. “This was one of our best offseasons in some time, and the focus has reshifted to restore the tradition of St. Charles East baseball,” Sutor said. “This group feels they are the group to do it. We might not be on many team’s radars at this moment, but if we play to our potential, we will be by the season’s end.”

St. Charles North

Coach: Todd Genke, 21st season

Last season’s record: 21-13, 14-7 DuKane (Conference champions)

Top returners: Mason Netcel, sr., IF; Matt Ritchie, jr., P/IF; Chase Ferguson, sr., IF/P; Reed Raczka, sr., OF/P; Emerson Miller, sr., P; Ben Auer, sr., OF/P; Charlie Major, sr., C/IF/P; Nolan Macholz, sr., IF

Key newcomer: Charlie Peppeard, jr., IF/P; Landon Paul, jr., IF/P; Will Lauby, jr., P; Cadyn Gabriel, so., OF

Worth noting: The North Stars, who successfully defended their DuKane Conference title on the final day of the regular season, will be looking to go for the three-peat as well as their fourth straight season with 20-plus wins. Ritchie, a TCU commit who posted a 2.01 ERA across 52⅓ innings, will lead the pitching staff alongside Miller and Josh Kobylinski. On the hitting side, Netcel (Indiana State commit) will look to lead the way again after hitting a team-high 28 RBIs last year alongside Auer (Wisconsin-Whitewater commit), who led the team with 35 hits, including 11 doubles. The North Stars will be without two-way star Keaton Reinke, who graduated early to pursue football at Northwestern. “The 2026 team will rely on its strong pitching staff, a solid core of versatile athletes on defense and a very capable offense,” Genke said. “Offensively, we should be able to score runs in bunches but also be able to execute ‘small ball’ opportunities when needed.”

St. Francis

Coach: Tom Ciombor, sixth season

Last year’s record: 26-10 overall, 12-2 in the CCL White (conference champions)

Top returning players: James McGrath, jr., OF; Chase Grigonis, soph., IF; Peter Solloway, sr., P; Brayden Hobein, sr., IF/P

Key newcomers: Vaughn Howser, soph., IF; Jose Samaniego, jr., P; Jules Hoecker, jr., C; Joey Zagotta, jr., IF

Worth noting: Ciombor has guided the Spartans to four Class 3A regional championships and three conference crowns in five years, including last year’s 7-1 regional title victory over Montini. Solloway, a hard-throwing right-hander, returns as the staff ace following last season’s performance that included a 7-2 mark and 1.31 ERA. Hobein, who went 2-0 with a 0.98 ERA in limited time last season, adds mound depth. McGrath, an all-state football player for the state champion Spartans this past fall, returns as one of the top center fielders in the area. “James McGrath is one of the top-rated juniors in the state, Chase Grigonis is one of the top sophomores in the state, and Dillon Rukel is one of the top freshmen in the state,” said Ciombor. “We will be a young team, but expected to compete with a tough schedule.” St. Francis reached the 3A sectional finals a year ago before falling to Benet Academy.

- Craig Breuske, Daily Herald Media Group

West Aurora

Coach: John Reeves, 19th season

Last season’s record: 27-8 overall, 16-3 in the Upstate Eight West (second place)

Top returning players: Zach Toma, sr., P/IF; Henry Hinkle, sr., IF/P; Oscar Alexander, jr., C

Key newcomers: Abe Martinez, jr., P/OF/IF; Tyler Fecht, jr., OF/P

Worth noting: The Blackhawks return one of the area’s top two-way players in senior southpaw Toma, who posted a 7-2 record and 1.39 ERA on the mound while hitting .459 with six home runs, 10 doubles, 46 RBIs and 33 runs scored. Toma, last year’s Daily Herald Fox Valley All-Area captain, struck out 99 in 65 1/3 innings. Hinkle, who finished 4-1 with a 1.09 ERA in six starts, batted .330 with two home runs and 29 RBIs last spring. Alexander hit .359 with four home runs and 33 RBIs while batting at the top of the order. Toma, Hinkle and senior Will Gray combined for a 13-3 mound mark in 2025, with Martinez ready to add support. “We have competition at virtually every other position on the field,” said Reeves. College commits include Toma (Heartland Community), Hinkle (Highland Community), and senior Angel Romero (Aurora University). Seniors Braiden Williams (2B/OF) and Elliott Zielke (P/IF) also look to contribute.

- Craig Breuske, Daily Herald Media Group