The 2025 Sauk Valley Media All-Area Baseball Team

First team

Evan Bushman, Newman, jr., P/IF: All-TRAC East first-team selection who went 9-1 in 12 starts with a 3.13 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 71.2 innings pitched. He’s lost just twice on the mound at the state tournament in the last two seasons.

Austin Castaneda, Rock Falls, sr., OF/P: IHSBCA All-State pick in Class 2A and a first-team All-BNC selection. Hit .344 with a .543 OBP, 1.054 OPS, 31 hits, 37 walks, 23 RBIs and 39 runs scored. Went 30 for 30 stealing bases. Mineral Area College recruit.

Chase Decker, Newman, sr., OF: All-TRAC East unanimous first-team pick who hit .376 with a school-record 47 hits, including a school-record 36 singles. Hit three home runs with 42 RBIs and 34 runs scored. Sauk Valley Community College recruit.

Chase Dykstra, Fulton, jr., P: IHSBCA All-State pick in Class 1A, unanimous All-NUIC West first-team selection who was 6-1 on the mound with 126 strikeouts in 67⅓ innings and a 0.73 ERA. Hit .426 with a 1.059 OPS and 20 RBIs.

Kendall Erdmann, Forreston, jr., SS/P: All-NUIC North first-team pick hit .400 with an area-best 50 hits, including 26 RBIs, 50 runs scored and 15 stolen bases. Went 3-1 as a pitcher with 51 strikeouts and two saves in 42 innings.

Kade Girton, Oregon, sr., 1B: First-team All-BNC pick who led the team with a .415 average, 37 hits and 35 RBIs. Highland Community College recruit.

Brendan Greenfield, Forreston, sr., IF/P: All-NUIC North first-team pick who went 13-0 with a school-record 2.1 earned run average. Hit .330 with 34 RBIs and 39 hits in 35 games. Highland Community College recruit.

Brock Lehman, Ashton-Franklin Center, sr., C: IHSBCA All-State honorable mention in Class 1A and All-NUIC South first-team pick. Hit .419 with a .505 OBP and 1.225 OPS. He had 39 hits, 37 RBIs, five home runs and went 25 for 25 stealing bases.

Garret Matznick, Newman, jr., SS: The 2025 SVM Player of the Year, an IHSBCA All-State pick in Class 2A and All-TRAC East unanimous first-team selection. Hit .381 with a .529 OBP, 1.037 OPS, 45 hits, 13 doubles, 33 walks, 51 runs scored, 25 RBIs and a school-record 49 stolen bases. He was just one run and one walk short of Brendan Tunink’s single-season school records of 52 runs scored and 34 walks. He was 6 for 6 in save situations on the mound, helping the Comets reach state for the third straight year.

Ashton Miner, Newman, so., OF: IHSBCA All-State pick in Class 2A, All-TRAC East second-team pick who hit .431 with a .568 OBP, 1.175 OPS, 44 hits and a school-record 15 doubles. Knocked in 41 RBIs, scored 35 runs and drew 31 walks.

Hunter Miller, Eastland, sr., P/SS: NUIC South Player of the Year who posted a 2.74 ERA with 61 strikeouts in 53⅔ innings pitched. Hit .375 with a .524 OBP, 1.011 OPS, 30 hits and 23 RBIs.

Drew Nettleton, Sterling, sr., P/3B/SS: All-Western Big 6 Conference second-team pick who pitched 61⅓ innings with a 1.94 ERA and 71 strikeouts. Hit .351 with a .456 OBP, 39 hits, 19 RBIs and 24 runs scored.

Logan Philhower, Bureau Valley, jr., P: IHSBCA All-State pick in Class 2A who set the single-season school record for strikeouts (103), ERA (1.58) and wins (eight). All-Lincoln Trail Conference first-team pick who hit .369 with 31 RBIS and 35 runs scored.

Daniel Kelly, Newman, sr., C: All-TRAC East unanimous first-team pick who hit .381 with a .514 OBP, 1.086 OPS, 40 hits, 28 RBIS, three home runs and 30 runs scored.

Second Team

Carson Akins, Forreston, jr. OF

Brady Feit, Dixon, jr., SS/CF/P

Brayden Jackson, Eastland, sr., 3B

Quinn Leffelman, Amboy, sr., C

Aaron Lester, Ashton-Franklin Center, sr., IF/P

Adrian Monarrez, Sterling, jr., OF

AJ Moore, Rock Falls, so., OF/P

Logan O’Brien, Ashton-Franklin Center, sr., OF

Alec Schoonhoven, Forreston, sr., P/IF

Jacob Voss, Fulton, jr., OF/P

Jack Washburn, Oregon, sr., IF/P

Jake Whelan, Dixon, jr., 1B/RF

Bryson Wiersema, Milledgeville, jr., P/CF

Garet Wolfe, Newman, jr., IF

Honorable mention

Amboy: Carson Barlow, Brody Christofferson, Eddie Jones

Ashton-Franklin Center: Chase Near, Caleb Thomas, Nolan Rueff

Bureau Valley: Drake Taylor

Dixon: Jagger Kemp, Jake Zepezauer

Eastland: Brody Simons, Peyton Spears

Erie-Prophetstown: Braedyn Frank, Tristan Hovey, Evan Steimle

Forreston: Connor Politsch, Mickey Probst

Fulton: Braden Brennan, Braedon Meyers, Dane VanZuiden, Jacob Huisenga

Milledgeville: Spencer Nye

Morrison: Kaleb Schroeder, Carson White

Newman: Drake Cole, Michael Morse, Liam Nicklaus

Oregon: Gavin Morrow, Keaton Salsbury

Polo: Dawson Foster, Logan Nelson, Gage Zeigler

Milledgeville: Dalton Adamec, Spencer Nye

Morrison: Aydan Meinsma, Koltin Swaim, Kamden White

Rock Falls: Carter Hunter

Sterling: Wyatt Cassens, Bryce Hartman, Cale Nettleton, Eli Penne