Fox Valley Conference

Burlington Central

Coach: Kyle Nelson (21st season)

Last year’s record: 20-17, 8-10 FVC (seventh)

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

Top new players: Aidric Arndt, jr., RHP; Josh Cook, jr., 3B; Reese Beemer, so., RHP; Dom Henderson, jr. MIF; 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.”

Cary-Grove

Coach: Kyle Williams (second season)

Last year’s record: 25-14, 11-7 FVC (tied for third)

Top returning players: Kaden Norman, sr., RHP/1B/DH; Oskar Freund, sr., IF; Dylan Dumele, sr., LHP/OF; Andrew McGee, sr., RHP/1B; Braedan Mendro, sr., RHP/IF; Canyon McKinney, sr., 1B/3B; Brady Bauer, sr., C/RHP; Landon Moore, sr., OF; Lance Moore, sr., OF

Top new players: Jack Barcy, jr., 1B/DH; Mason Klimek, so., OF/LHP; Andrew Paduch, so., OF/LHP; Ryan Koltz, jr., 2B/IF; Joey Pristera, so., 2B/3B/IF; Liam Doherty, jr., OF; Jake Murdock, so., C; AJ Lossman, jr., RHP; Braden Bogda, sr., RHP/PR; Wyatt Mallmann, sr., OF; Dominick Dipaolo, sr., C; Cohen Vandemoortel, jr., OF; Luke Tegeler, jr., RHP; Bradley Allen, sr., RHP

Worth noting: The Trojans put together a memorable postseason run in Williams’ first season as coach of his alma mater, as they advanced to state for the first time since 2009. They finished fourth in Class 3A with a senior-loaded team. This season’s squad includes Norman (4-0, 50 IP, 40 K, 2.52 ERA), who was second in innings pitched last season behind since-graduated ace Charlie Taczy (UIC). Freund (.343 BA, 35 H) is the Trojans’ most-experienced returning hitter. The lefty Dumele (29 IP, 3.86 ERA) and McGee (34 IP, 4.94 ERA) will join Norman in the starting rotation. “We have a strong group of seniors returning who bring great leadership, along with a talented and competitive group of juniors and sophomores,” Williams said. “Because of how many seniors we graduated, there will be more opportunities this year for younger players to step into significant roles both in the field and at the plate.”

Crystal Lake Central

Coach: Cal Aldridge (third season)

Last year’s record: 12-21-1, 3-15 FVC (10th)

Top returning players: Wade Ozment, jr., P/OF; Johnny Geisser, sr., P/OF; Ethan Wolf, sr., IF; Konnor Altergott, sr., IF; Carter Kropke, sr., OF/P; Danny Adams, jr., P; Bud Bud Shanahan, jr., P/IF; Max Geske, jr., C/OF

Top new players: Connor Saip, so., C/P; Logan Laudadio, jr., OF/P

Worth noting: A year after winning the Class 3A state championship in Aldridge’s first season, the Tigers advanced to a regional final, losing to Crystal Lake South. Adams started nine games on the mound last season, going 4-2 with a 1.71 ERA. Altergott will be playing his third season on varsity. ... “We will do our best to compete in an always-loaded Fox Valley Conference,” Aldridge said. “We look forward to bringing a young and hungry group of guys to the field every day. We are excited to see how the year plays out."

Crystal Lake South

Coach: Brian Bogda (19th season)

Last year’s record: 25-13, 10-9 FVC (sixth)

Top returning players: Devin DeLoach, sr., P; Vince Pesce, sr., P; Nolan Dabrowski, sr., UT; Dane Chock, sr., 1B; Carson Trivellini, jr., SS/P; Nick Stowasser, jr., OF/P; Jackson Lee, jr., C; Michael Silvius, jr., IF/P

Top new players: Trevor Walker, sr., OF; Evan Rezendes, sr., 2B/OF; Brandon Davis, sr., OF; Michael Rathjen, sr., OF/P; Matt Bychowsky, sr., P; Coleton Bondi, jr., IF/P; Tanner Maurer, jr., OF/P

Worth noting: The Gators had their third 20-win season in a row last year, and they look strong again. Their returning players include a pair of D-I commits in NIU-bound lefty DeLoach (5-2, 73 K, 3.47 ERA, 48⅓ IP) and Illinois-bound shortstop Trivellini (.348 BA, 47 H, 12 2B), who also had six saves and a 1.45 ERA last season. As a sophomore on varsity last season, Lee batted .301 with seven doubles, two homers and 24 RBIs. "We will need to stay focused, trust the process, know our roles, and pay attention to details to be successful in the very tough FVC,“ said Bogda, who was inducted into the IHSBCA Hall of Fame last year. ”We know the games we play in the FVC will help prepare us for the postseason tournament."

Dundee-Crown

Coach: Andrew Zimmer (second season)

Last year’s record: 15-21, 4-14 FVC (ninth)

Top returning players: Max Backaus, jr., P/IF; Brady Benton, sr., P/IF; Nathan Bushy, sr., P/IF; Jacob Gillette, sr., P/IF/C; Jimmy Findlay, sr., OF; Ikey Grzynkowicz, jr., C/OF; Gavin Mahaney, sr., IF; Kyle Pierce, sr., P/OF; Ryan Pierce, sr., OF

Top new players: Shane DeMarsh, jr., P/OF; Alejandro Gonzalez, jr., IF; Anthony Horner, jr., P/OF; Kaden Klancnik, jr., P/OF; Fabian Manzanares, sr., P/IF; Cole Pearson, sr., IF; Valentine Rodriguez, jr., P/OF; Liam Farrell, jr., IF

Worth noting: The Chargers had an 11-game improvement and won a postseason game for the first time in 10 years in advancing to a regional championship in Zimmer’s first season. They graduated ace Jared Russell (60⅓ IP, 9-3 record, 69 Ks, 1.39 ERA), but feature good returning talent. Grzynkowicz batted .360 with a .532 on-base percentage and had a school-record 27 stolen bases. Ryan Pierce hit .360 with 24 RBIs and 22 steals, while Kyle Pierce batted .346 with a .500 on-base percentage, 16 RBIs, 27 walks and 16 steals. “We are looking to build off last year and take that next step as a program,” Zimmer said. “We want to compete in the always-competitive Fox Valley Conference. We have to play to our strengths as a team and do the little things right to be successful.”

Hampshire

Coach: Frank Simoncelli (ninth season)

Last year’s record: 28-9, 11-7 FVC (tied for third)

Top returning players: Jonathan Alexander, sr., OF; Michael Casey, sr., C; Zachary Farwell, sr., RHP; Cole Harkin, sr., RH/OF/IF; Nicholas Lueders, sr., LHP/OF; Dixon Murdock, sr., RHO/1B; Shane Pfeiffer, sr., SS; Joey Rodriguez, sr., RHP/3B

Top new players: Derek Biederstadt, jr., 3B/RHP/OF; Tyler Lacke, jr., OF/RHP; Logan Nawrocki, jr., 3B/RHP/1B; Cameron Ortega, jr., C; Jacob Ostrowski, jr., OF/RHP; Mason Stanley, jr., 1B/LHP; Lucas Prange, so., RHP/OF; Tyler Rubino, so., 1B/DH; Gavin Weston, so., IF/RHP; Connor Crowley, jr., C; Ryan Draftz, jr., 2B; Caleb Hammel, jr., OF/RHP

Worth noting: The Whip-Purs graduated a talented group that included All-Area first-team selection Calen Scheider (Bradley) and second-team choices Ari Fivelson (Quincy) and Wilson Wemhoff (McHenry County). Their returning players include All-FVC shortstop Pfeiffer (.301/.459/.965, 8 2B, 3 HR, 24 RBI). Harkin struck out 23 hitters in 16⅔ innings last season. “We look forward to seeing our players compete and gain experience each game,” Simoncelli said. “We do not have a lot of returning varsity innings, both on the mound and in the field, but we have some awesome kids that are great teammates. They work hard, and they will show up each day to get better than the next. Every year, you need to pitch and play defense at a high level, so that’s going to be a major focus for us.”

Huntley

Coach: Andy Jakubowski (20th season)

Last year’s record: 21-16, 10-8 FVC (fifth)

Top returning players: Sean Dabe, jr., RHP; Drew Borkowski, sr., RHP/OF; Travis Dudycha, sr., RHP/1B; Josh Rudnik, sr., RHP; Brady Klepfer, sr., RHP/UT; Ashton Jones, jr., C; Tommy Gasner, so., LHP/1B; Leo Bianchin, sr., LHP/1B; Owen Borkowski, jr., RHP/UT; Ben Anton, sr., RHP; Carter Dees, sr., RHP; Aiden Eickelman, sr., SS/UT; Ian Kelly, sr., OF; Brody Peters, sr., 2B; Diego Herrera, sr., RHP; Gavin Rettberg, sr., OF

Top new players: Liam Nash, jr., RHP; Kyle Ziebell, sr., MIF; Nate Larson, jr., LHP/OF; Hayden Wendt, jr., RHP; Blake Aumann, sr., RHP/OF; John Artinghelli, so., C/UT; Matt Keaty, sr., C/OF; Joey Lengle, jr., 3B/UT; Aydan Moore, so., P/SS/UT; Rowan Parker, jr., LHP; Ben Wilgreen, jr., OF

Worth noting: The Red Raiders won 20 games and a regional championship for the ninth straight year last season. Jakubowski said he has an athletic group of players who will put a lot of pressure on opposing defenses and buy into the “team approach” by playing to their strengths and finding ways to manufacture runs. Offensively, the Raiders will be led by Drew Borkowski, Jones (.284 BA), Gasner and newcomers Ziebell and Lengle. On the mound, the Raiders return 70-plus innings along with 10 wins. They will be led by Dabe (6-1, 3.68 ERA, 54 K, 45⅔ IP), Klepfer, Rudnick, Dudycha, Drew and Owen Borkowski. They will also rely heavily on newcomers Nash, Larson, Wendt and Parker. Ziebell and Nash, a junior righty who’s committed to the University of Houston, are transfers from Westminster Christian. “Our players are focused and excited for the 2026 season,” said Jakubowski, who has 563 wins in 26 seasons as a head coach. “The goal for this year’s squad hasn’t changed from previous years, as we are focusing on getting 1% each day and being quality teammates. We will focus on the little things, such as commanding the zone, playing solid defense, quality ABs and being aggressive on the bases. Ultimately, the goal is to be playing our best baseball at the end of the season and to make a strong postseason run.”

Jacobs

Coach: Jamie Murray (15th season)

Last year’s record: 16-20, 6-12 FVC (eighth)

Top returning players: Andrew Deegan, sr., SS; Cooper Gulgren, sr., P/OF; George Donze, sr., P; Aaden Colon, jr., 1B/P; Jowell Colon, jr., P/OF; Luke Flaskamp, jr., C; Jace Koth, jr., CF; Ryan Tucker, jr., 2B/P; Andrew Robertson, sr., OF; Braden Gasparaitis, sr., OF; Max Dailey, sr., P; Maddox Miller, jr., P/OF

Top new players: Brock Vincent, so., UT; Elliot Ross, so., P/UT; Jack Coates, so., P/UT

Worth noting: The Golden Eagles return 17 players from a team that won 16 games and lost to eventual Class 4A state runner-up McHenry 2-1 in a regional final. The returners include D-I commit Deegan (.393 BA, 8 2B, 4 3B, 3 HR), who Murray called one of the best defensive players he’s seen in his 30 years of coaching. Gulgren (UW-Stout), Donze (UW-Stevens Point) and Dailey (MSOE) also are college commits. Deegan and Gulgren have been on varsity since they were sophomores. The Eagles did graduate five pitchers. “We return a lot of talented players with varsity experience,” said Murray, whose team returns eight players who started in the regional final. “In addition, we have some talented arms that have experience too. This group is extremely close, and that will be a factor for us in the spring, especially competing in the FVC, which is very talented this year. Excited for the season.”

McHenry

Coach: Brian Rockweiler (19th season)

Last year’s record: 36-5-1, 15-3 FVC (first)

Top returning players: Kaden Wasniewski, jr., P/3B; Landon Clements, jr., SS; Carver Cohn, so., OF/P; Jeffry Schwab, sr., OF/P; Scotty Cole, sr., P; Nathan Niedhardt, sr., OF/P; Bennet Baumann, sr., P/1B/3B

Top new players: Garet Lobbins, jr., 1B/P; Gavin Polerecky, sr., C; Ian Boland, jr., P/2B; Aiden Mueller, OF

Worth noting: The Warriors enjoyed their best season ever last year, finishing second in Class 4A and establishing the school record for wins. They graduated ace Brandon Shannon (Louisville), the Northwest Herald Player of the Year, but return four of their top six hitters, including Wasniewski (.331 BA, 9 2B, 4 3B, 1 HR, 38 RBI) and Cohn (.378 BA, 10 2B, 4 3B, 4 HR, 27 RBI, 18 SB, school-record 61 R). Wasniewski and Clements (.333 BA, 8 2B, 2 3B, 28 RBI, 42 R, 20 SB) committed to LSU and UIC, respectively, in the fall. Clements moves from second base to shortstop. Wasniewski (27 IP, 3-0, 37 K, 2.33 ERA), whose fastball touches 90-plus mph, will anchor the pitching staff. The switch-hitting Cohn might have been the best freshman in Illinois last year. Wasniewski, Cohn, Clements and Schwab (.296, 5 2B, 28 RBI, 22 SB) all fly on the base paths. “Our lineup will definitely be a strength for us,” Rockweiler said. “We should also be very good defensively. We need to replace 190 innings on the mound from last year, but we have some seniors and some juniors that are working hard with Coach (Zach) Badgley and should be able to do a great job.” ... Cole (31⅔ IP, 4-1, 30 K, 1.99 ERA) gives the Warriors another experienced starter. Niedhardt (.307 BA, 12 RBI) also played regularly last year, while Baumann didn’t allow an earned run in 12 innings. “We have the same expectation as always – compete for the FVC title, win a regional, win a sectional,“ said Rockweiler, who won his 400th game last season and earned induction into the IHSBCA Hall of Fame. ”The FVC will be loaded again, and we look forward to the challenge of competing every day."

Prairie Ridge

Coach: Austin Padjen (first season)

Last year’s record: 27-10-1, 13-5 FVC (second)

Top returning players: Owen Satterlee, jr., P; Maddon McKim, sr., OF; Gabe Winkelman, sr., SS; Colt Zaleski, sr., P; Gavin Piekos, sr., OF

Top new players: Jack Herman, jr., IF/P; Jack Reina, so., P; Beckett Breseman, jr., C

Worth noting: Prairie Ridge graduate Padjen replaces Glen Pecoraro, whose Wolves won 14 regional titles and a Class 3A state title in 2021 during his IHSBCA Hall of Fame career. Padjen was Crystal Lake Central’s pitching coach the past five seasons. ... A senior-loaded Wolves team was in the FVC race until the final week of the regular season last spring. McKim was an All-FVC selection after hitting .339 with four homers and 42 RBIs, and stealing 25 bases. Winkelman is an excellent defensive shortstop who contributed 32 hits, including a team-leading 14 doubles, and 13 stolen bases. All-FVC selection Satterlee pitched 51⅓ innings, striking out 52 and posting a 1.64 ERA. “This is a group that cares and wants to be good,” Padjen said. “While we may have lost a great senior group, we have kids that are ready to contribute and earn their right to play varsity baseball.”

Kishwaukee River Conference

Harvard

Coach: Adam Ulen (eighth season)

Last year’s record: 6-25, 1-13 KRC (eighth)

Top returning players: Cole Coffer, jr., C/P/3B/1B; Conner Firlick, sr., C/3B; Logan Nulle, sr., OF/P; Eltan Powles, sr., SS/P

Top new players: Alex Bannwolf, fr., OF/P; Jackson Branum, fr., OF/P; Logan O’Brien, fr., C/OF/P; Brennan Peters, jr., SS/2B/P; Cash Stott, fr., 3B/SS/2B/P

Worth noting: The Hornets have won one KRC game each of the past two seasons and finished in last place both times. Nulle and Powles will be playing their third season on varsity. “Finishing last in the conference has provided us with a clear baseline and a powerful mindset for this year,” Ulen said. “This year, our focus is on the process of winning. We aren’t just looking to ‘do better.’ We are building a culture of discipline, high-intent repetitions and mental toughness. We are using a ‘next pitch’ mentality. We would rather make a mistake by being too aggressive than being too timid. We expect hard turns on the bases, aggressive hacks at their pitches and attacking the strike zone.” ... The Hornets return seven starters “who understand the speed and physicality of varsity play,” Ulen said, and have four freshmen on the roster. “Bringing up four freshmen this year will be new,” Ulen said. “They are eager to get on the field and prove their skills and grow and develop as varsity ballplayers.”

Johnsburg

Coach: Eric Toussaint (second season)

Last year’s record: 24-9, 12-2 KRC (first)

Top returning players: Ashton Stern, sr., P/SS; Peyton Mesce, sr., P; Jack Thompson, sr., C; Nate Frost, jr., P/IF; Josh Speer, jr., IF/P; Brady Fisher, sr., OF

Top new players: Jacob Smith, jr., OF/P; Trey Toussaint, jr., INF/P; Joey Frano, so., OF/P; Tavin Lewis, jr., OF/P

Worth noting: Eric Toussaint made an immediate impact in his first season, as the Skyhawks won 18 more games than they did the previous season and won the KRC. They graduated one of the best pitchers in school history in Evan Pohl (8-0, 1.53 ERA), but return Stern (4-2, 1.39 ERA), Mesce and Frost. Toussaint thinks his bullpen should have more depth. He calls Thompson, who made only one error in 32 games behind the plate last year, invaluable. The coach also likes his team’s speed. “We are going to be very fast,” Toussaint said. “One through nine in the order is very quick. Which, in turn, will make our defense very solid to support our pitchers.” The Skyhawks won’t rest on their laurels. “Last season was a great year for us, and those seniors set the bar for where we want to be every year,” Toussaint said. “A lot of basketball players on our team, and kids know how to win and expect it. We want to compete for the conference championship and make a run in the playoffs.”

Marengo

Coach: Nick Naranjo (seventh season)

Last year’s record: 23-10, 10-4 KRC (third)

Top returning players: Brady Kentgen, sr., 1B; Alex Johnson, sr., INF/P; Caden Oine, sr., C/OF/P; Max Broughton, sr., OF/P; Dane Kowalski, sr., INF/P

Top new players: Hunter Muench, jr., IF; Konstantinos Siambanis, jr., 1B/DH; Dominic Iovinelli, so., INF/OF/P; Mitchell Aukes, fr., OF/P; Brayden Jenkins, fr., OF/C

Worth noting: The Indians fell short of winning a third-straight KRC championship last spring but won a regional title with a veteran group. Their returning players include the slugger Kentgen, who’s been on varsity since his sophomore year. “We graduated a lot of seniors from last year’s team that played a lot of meaningful baseball for us,” Naranjo said. “There will be quite a few new faces in our lineup this year, but we are excited to see what this group can do. We will rely heavily on our seniors to help guide this young team, and they are eager to make their mark on our recent successes. We look at our challenging nonconference schedule to prepare us for a conference run and are hopeful for a postseason push.”

Richmond-Burton

Coach: Mike Giese (20th season)

Last year’s record: 8-18, 6-8 KRC (fifth)

Top returning players: Ryan Scholberg, sr., SS/P; Cooper Nagel, sr., IF/P; Ray Hannemann, sr., IF/P; Joe Larsen, sr., OF; Logan Johnson, sr., IF/P; Bryce Kowall, sr., OF/C; Grayson Morningstar, jr., IF/OF/P; Jace Nelson, jr., OF/P; Max Martin, so., C; Anthony Harvey, so., IF/P

Top new players: Lucas Bynum, fr., IF/P; Coby Mahoney, so., IF/P; Emerick Burke, so., OF/P

Worth noting: The Rockets should be much improved after not having one senior last year. They feature two four-year starters in Scholberg and Hannemann and several three-year starters, including Nagel, Larson, Morningstar and Nelson. Nagel had 37 hits, including eight doubles, and 22 RBIs last year in earning All-KRC honors. “We have high expectations, but must improve dramatically in the batter’s box,” Giese said. ”We have good senior numbers that bring a lot of experience with them. We play a very busy and challenging schedule, so it will be important to remain healthy and balance the ups and downs."

Woodstock

Coach: Ian Rago (second season)

Last year’s record: 8-19, 4-10 KRC (tied for sixth)

Top returning players: Sonny Marsalla, sr., C/INF/P; Angelo Pacini, sr., INF/P; Grady Goglin, jr., INF/P; Brenner Swanson, jr., INF/P; Chace Waterson, so., INF/C; Michael Offdenkamp, so., INF/P

Top new players: Noah Henning, jr., OF; Drake Jackson, jr., OF/P; Henry Noble, fr., OF/P

Worth noting: The Blue Streaks have won eight games in each of the past two seasons but look to improve with a group that includes Marsalla, who hit .390 last season and struck out only six times in 78 plate appearances, and Pacini. Marsalla will play college ball at Kishwaukee, while Pacini is committed to Olivet Nazarene. “We have some guys who have really focused this offseason and in our first two weeks of practice, which has been great to see,” Rago said. “Hopefully it translates to our overall success this spring. ... Sonny Marsalla and Angelo Pacini are starting to take pride in being leaders. Ultimately, we want to put our best lineup out there each day to compete and represent our school in a positive way.”

Woodstock North

Coach: John Oslovich (11th season)

Last year’s record: 11-17, 7-7 KRC (fourth)

Top returning players: AJ Cohen, sr., P; Braeden Berner, sr., OF; Ryan Lalor, sr., P; Zaiden Vess, sr., SS-2B/P

Top new players: Easton Klesch, so., C; Wyatt Kalish, jr., P; Lincoln Buening, jr., IF

Worth noting: Berner (.398 BA, 17 extra-base hits) earned All-KRC and All-Area second team honors last season. Cohen, who’s in his third year on the Thunder varsity, and Lalor should anchor the pitching staff. “Our goal for 2026 is to win a conference title while holding our own against a tough nonconference schedule,” Oslovich said. “We’ve built this team around defensive fundamentals, situational awareness and disciplined play. With a strong core of veterans returning, we expect our leadership and experience to be the difference-maker in close games.”

Chicagoland Christian Conference

Marian Central

Coach: Matt Schmidt (third season)

Last year’s record: 11-25, 5-9 CCC (sixth)

Top returning players: Colin Kowalsky, sr., RHP/1B; TJ Cutrona, sr., INF/RHP; Jackson Hatfield, sr., UT; Jaxson Christensen, jr., OF; Owen Neuzil, sr., OF

Top new players: Gus Fisher, fr., IF/RHP

Worth noting: The Hurricanes won 11 games for the second year in a row last season. Their returners include Christensen (.366 BA, 34 H), Neuzil (.321 BA, 34 H, 2 HR, 21 RBI) and Hatfield (3 HR, 21 RBI, 19 SB). “We have a strong leadership group at the senior level,” Schmidt said. “Our commitment to getting better each day of the season will determine our outcome in May/June. Looking forward to seeing the blend of our team compete this season.”

Northeastern Athletic Conference

Alden-Hebron

Coach: Brian Engelbrecht (16th season)

Last year’s record: 6-16, 2-6 NAC

Top returning players: Christian Nunez, so., P/1B/OF; Caleb Linneman, so., P/2B/3B/OF; Ulysses Johnson, so., P/SS; Jack Stewart, so., P/C/3B

Top new players: JP Stewart, sr., OF; Cohl Armbrust, fr., P/C/3B/1B; Kyle Linneman, fr., P/SS/C; Jacob Gritmacher, fr., OF/2B/P

Worth noting: The Giants graduated their best player in Wyatt Armbrust, but have added his freshman brother, Cohl, and family ties are a theme for this year’s squad. They boast the Stewart and Linneman brothers, and all four figure to contribute on a young team this spring. “We have mostly freshmen and sophomores,” Engelbrecht said. “They are talented but young. A .500 finish would be a good goal for this squad.”