A look at how each team from around the area is expected to fare.

Bolingbrook

Coach: Craig Dixon

2025 record: 4-25-1

Top returners: Thomas McDermott, jr., RHP; TJ Marshall, jr., INF; Luke Bednarski, sr., RHP/INF; Jayvyn Gray, sr., INF/OF/P

Key newcomers: JR Evan Kopaka, jr., OF; Jacob Ruiz, so., INF

Worth noting: It was a challenging season for the Raiders, but Dixon is back for year two to get things going in the right direction. McDermott, Bednarski and Gray Marshall bring experience to the team.

Coal City

Coach: Greg Willis

2025 record: 23-12

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

Key newcomers: Carter Nicholson, jr., 3B/SS/RHP; Braden Walker, jr., SS/2B/RHP; Bobby Rodriguez, jr., LHP/OF/1B

Worth noting: Willis has been at Coal City for 31 consecutive years, but 2026 is the final year of his storied tenure. After reaching the regional final last year, he’ll have a solid group of returners this year to likely send him out on a high note. Cuddy was one of the better players in the area last year, hitting .422 with seven homers while finishing with a 2.76 ERA on the mound. He, Olson and Berger were All-Illinois Central 8 Conference players last year and make up three of nine returners, including five of their six pitchers. Willis said, “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.”

Dwight

Coach: Jerry McDowell

2025 record: 25-12

Top returners: Joey Starks, sr., P/SS; Jake Wilkey, sr., 1B/P; Evan Cox, sr., 2B/P; Ayden Collom, jr., 3B/P

Key newcomers: N/A

Worth noting: It was an outstanding season for the Trojans, and they’ve got enough coming back that they should be excited about 2026. Starks was an All-State selection after hitting .424 with a .504 OBP while going 8-2 with a 2.16 ERA on the mound. Wilkey went 5-0 with a 2.34 ERA while Cox hit .293 with a 0.70 ERA on the mound. Collom should provide stability in the lineup after hitting .287. McDowell says the three senior pitchers will lead the team as they hope younger players step up as the year goes on.

Gardner-South Wilmington

Coach: Allan Wills

2025 record: 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

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

Worth noting: Millette was a first-team All-Conference player last season, tossing 31 K’s while hitting .342 at the plate. Case Christensen was on the second team after finishing with a 1.64 ERA. The younger Christensen tossed 29 K’s while Gray (.307 BA) and Enerson (.442 OBP) had solid years. Sorensen was a top JV player while the freshman brings potential. Wills said, “We are a very young team with only three seniors and four juniors. Lineups most nights might have up to 8 underclassmen. However, most of them gained some varsity experience last year, so I am looking forward to a successful season & should compete for our conference championship.”

Joliet Catholic

Coach: Jared Voss

2025 record: 23-15

Top returners: Rocco Szambelan, sr., P; Brady Tunkel, sr., P; Jacob Wojciechowski, sr., P; Kyle Christensen, sr., P; AJ Perez, sr., INF; Steve Martin, sr., OF; Johnny Curbis, jr., INF

Key newcomers: Derrick Pomatto, jr., C; Josh Perez, jr., OF; Anthony Kilimnik, jr., P

Worth noting: Any year Joliet Catholic plays baseball, they’re going to have a chance to do something special. While last year’s 23-15 mark was down from years past, that says something about how good they’ve been. There will be key pieces to replace, but six experienced seniors will make that easier. The group is led by Szambelan, a Butler commit who tossed 46 K’s with a 3.04 ERA last season. Tunkel is an outstanding athlete who finished with a 2.41 ERA, while Christensen’s mark was 2.57. The lineup will be led by Perez (.338 BA), Martin (.288, 20 RBI) and Curbis (21 hits). The biggest issue will be overcoming the loss of Eastern Illinois commit Lucas Simulick, who will miss the season with an injury. There’s enough depth here, though, that the Hilltoppers should be a solid squad once again.

Joliet Central

Coach: Miguel Silva

2025 record: 4-30

Top returners: Gilberto Garcia, sr., 3B/P; Ryan Cooling, jr., P/INF/OF

Key newcomers: Robert Pena, jr., SS

Worth noting: As the record would indicate, it was a tough season for the Steelmen. With Garcia and Cooling back, though, there are pieces to build around. Garcia is an Aurora University commit who has had a strong offseason, while Cooling was the team’s most consistent pitcher as a sophomore. Silva expressed excitement about Pena’s continued development. Silva said, “We expect to build on the progress that we made after taking over last season. We had a great offseason in the weight room and look to translate that onto the field. We expect our guys to continue to improve and compete on a regular basis.”

Joliet West

Coach: John Karczewski

2025 record: 19-16

Top returners: Daniel Lukancic, sr., SS; Sean Hogan, sr., C; Henry Young, sr., P/1B; Isaac Harris, sr., P/OF; Maddux Chiquito, sr., P/3B; Brayden Myers, sr., OF; Bobby Malinowski, sr., 2B; Patrick Holmes, sr., P

Key newcomers: Adrian Chavira, RHP; Keegan Schwarting, 3B/1B/P; Michael Murphy, CF; Andrew Markun OF; Travis Skole C; Colin Horvath, RHP; Jacob Prosise, LHP; Austin Baranak, 3B/C

Worth noting: The Tigers are coming off a season in which they repeated as Southwest Prairie Blue champions and made the regional title game, falling to Lincoln-Way East. Lukancic was an All-Conference player last season, along with Young and Hogan, so they’ll lead the way. Karczewski says about 10-12 juniors should play various roles for this team, adding, “We feel our strength will be on the mound and on defense. We have guys that grind out there, and we will play hard every pitch. This is a fun group to be a part of. Looking to win a third conference title in a row and compete in a long postseason run.”

Lemont

Coach: Brian Storako

2025 record: 30-8-1

Top returners: Brett Tucker, sr., SS; Cannon Madej, sr., LHP/1B; Grady Garofalo, sr., CF; Zane Scneider, jr., 3B/1B; Mike Kalkowski, jr., OF; Ethan Kelby, sr., 2B; Sean Crane, sr., LHP

Key newcomers: Sean Murray, sr., INF; Matt Ciesla, sr., C; Matteo Rendina, jr., C; Dylan Jones, so., LHP; Nate Zdenovec, so., LHP; Jack Drozda, sr., RHP - Sr - RHP

Worth noting: It was another successful year for Lemont. After making it to state in 2024, they advanced to the sectional finals last season. Tucker leads the group of returners as an SIUE commit. Medaj is a four-year starter, while Schneider was voted by his teammates as their top offensive player last year. The team will have to replace five key seniors from last year’s squad, including Jacob Parr (now at Ohio State), but the run this team has been on the past few years has earned them some trust, Storako said. “We are extremely excited about this group. While we lost some key players from last year’s team, our guys have been working hard and have put themselves in a great spot to make an immediate impact.”

Lincoln-Way Central

Coach: Ryan Kutt

2025 record: 21-11

Top returners: Luke Tingley, sr., CF; Conor McCabe, sr., 1B; Shawn Mowry, sr, 2B; Connor Kelch, jr., RF; Owen Novak, sr., P; Alex Panos, sr., P

Key newcomers: Christian Lovingfoss, so., C; Des Gill, so., 1B/3B

Worth noting: The good news: Lincoln-Way Central has had a string of successful years, including a sectional semifinal appearance last year, so the program knows how to win. The bad news: They graduated 18 seniors from last year’s team, including Luke Mensik (Xavier) and Liam Arsich (Toledo). Tingley is the most experienced returner, having started since his sophomore year. Kutt believes Lovingfoss has a lot of power, while Gill has the athleticism to play multiple positions. Kutt says the team is excited to get going.

Lincoln-Way East

Coach: John McCarthy

2025 record: 28-11

Top returners: Jake Newman, sr., C; Cooper Johnson, jr., RHP/1B; Evan Riiff, jr., SS

Key newcomers: Keegan Crabtree, so., RHP; Rocco Triolo, jr., C/OF; Colin Bettenhausen, jr., RHP; Tyler Osmanski, jr., RHP

Worth noting: The Griffins were Southwest Suburban Conference champs last season and advanced to the sectional finals, where they lost to Providence. They’ll have pieces to replace, namely pitcher Jack Bauer (Mississippi State), and there’s not a ton of experience, but this is Lincoln-Way East. There will always be talent. Newman will be counted on for leadership as a three-year starter. Johnson (Purdue commit) and Riiff (Valparaiso) are two of the best in the state at what they do. McCarthy said, “The 2026 Griffins will be reliant on good pitching and defense. ...Our hitting will need improvement to become one of the better teams in the area. Overall, we will take some lumps early as we balance some youth and newcomers to varsity baseball.”

Lincoln-Way West

Coach: Jake Zajc

2025 record: 28-8

Top returners: Jackson Mansker, sr., 3B; Michael Pettit, sr., LHP/1B; Carson Paulas, sr., OF; Quinten Lange, sr, SS; Peyton Globke, sr., OF; Owen Weber, sr., C

Key newcomers: Jacob Howard, jr., RHP/3B; Jackson Heinlen, jr., RHP; Kevin Thatcher, jr., INF; Luke Stoner, so., RHP/INF; Adam Redmond, so., LHP

Worth noting: There’s no way of denying it: Lincoln-Way West has to replace the best player in the area over the past two years. Connor Essemburg is a two-time Herald-News Player of the Year and is now playing minor league baseball for the Atlanta Braves. The good news is, the vast majority of last year’s contributors are back otherwise. Mansker hit 35 RBIs last year, while Pettit had 34 hits and is a Notre Dame commit. Paulas hit .386 with a dozen stolen bases, and Lange is the team’s best defender. Zajc mentioned the word “potential” for every newcomer. There’s little experience in the pitching department, but the Warriors always seem to find a way to be successful.

Lockport

Coach: Scott Malinowski

2025 record: 24-14

Top returners: Adam Kozak, sr., OF; Drew Satunas, sr., C; Nick Moerman, sr., OF; David Kundrat, sr., OF; Jack Schiek, sr., RHP; Trace Schaaf, sr., LHP; Martin Kinnane, sr, RHP; Austin Winge, jr., RHP; Anthony Farina, jr., LHP

Key newcomers: Tommy Miller, jr., SS/RHP; Connor Ryan, sr., INF; Caden Russell, sr., INF; Brendan Mecher, sr., INF; Frank Covelli, jr., C/INF; Matt Kies, jr., INF; Josh Kies, jr., OF; Jacob Manzo, jr., OF; Emmett O’Keefe, jr., RHP/INF

Worth noting: The Porters made the sectional semis last year and bring back a great deal of contributors from last year’s squad. Kozak is a two-time All-Conference player, while Satunas is a Grand Valley State commit. Schaaf has 80 innings of pitching experience, and Winge carried a 0.00 ERA into the last week of the season as the team’s closer. Farina’s 2.26 ERA as a sophomore has the coaches excited, while Miller was the starting 2B in the back half of the season. There are 15 multi-sport athletes on this team, a fact the coaching staff likes. Seven position players who started from last season are back with 160+ innings of pitching experience. Keep an eye on the Porters to make a postseason run when the time comes.

Minooka

Coach: Jeff Petrovic

2025 record: 33-4

Top returners: Zane Caves, sr., LHP; Jason Duy, sr., 2B; Brady Kozlowski, sr., CF; Rhett Harris, sr., DH/1B; Cam Rujawitz, sr., RHP

Key newcomers,: Tyler Ebel, jr., C; Joey Rutz, jr., SS; Howie Porath, jr., 3B; Landon Currie, jr., 1B; Logan Mackin, jr., RHP; Ryan Keener, sr., OF; Kyle Rodak, jr., RHP

Worth noting: The biggest returner here is Caves, a Michigan State commit. After missing much of football season and all of basketball season, he’ll be back for one last run. The Indians had a ton of success last season, coming up just short in the regional title game. The downside is who they’ll have to replace. Bayden Zilis is now at Illinois State, while CJ Deckinga is at Michigan State. Both will be tough to replace, but there’s experience and youthful talent there. “We are excited about this year, it is a good mix of seniors and juniors. They will be a positive, close-knit and hardworking group of guys that will be extremely competitive.”

Morris

Coach: Todd Kein

2025 record: 27-9

Top returners: Bryce Lee, sr., RHP/3B/1B; Mick Smith, jr., OF, Landon Norris, sr., 2B; Wyatt Schultz, sr., RHP/OF; Cade Laudeman, sr.; RHP/1B; Braydon Mark, sr., C; Austin Croegaert, sr., OF

Key newcomers: RJ Kennedy, jr., RHP/3B; Caden Medler, jr., INF; Brycen Johnson, jr., 2B/OF; Logan Conroy, jr., INF; Sean Skrtich, jr., C; Brady Knezevich, jr., RHP

Worth noting: After making state two years ago, Morris advanced to the sectional championship last season, going 15-0 in the I8 and winning it for the third straight year. This year, there are a lot of pieces to replace, particularly Jack Wheeler, who is now playing in the Texas Rangers’ minor league system. Still, there’s talent and experience there, including an honorable mention All-Conference pick in Smith. Kein’s been doing this long enough to know how to get the most out of his roster. The skipper said, ”It’s no secret that we graduated an enormous amount of talent last year. However, with the seniors we have and our solid junior class, we feel we can compete well in every game we will play. We have question marks like a lot of teams, but all of our guys are dedicated and hardworking and will represent our Program the right way."

Peotone

Coach: Teddy Baffes

2025 record: 10-19

Top returners: Tyler Leitelt, jr., OF/P/SS; Tavin Harshfield, sr., OF/P; Kayden Derkacy, so., 3B/P; Declan McMaster, jr., INF, OF/P; Alex Chenoweth, jr., OF/C; Lincoln Tierney, sr., INF/OF/P

Key newcomers: N/A

Worth noting: The Blue Devils’ regular season didn’t go as planned, but they still advanced to the regional championship game and bring back a ton of experience. Baffes says the goal this year will be to get back to that round and win it.

Plainfield Central

Coach: Robert Keane

2025 record: 27-9

Top returners: Michael Arroyo, sr., INF; Sam Bathan, sr., C; Colin Coberley, sr., OF; AJ Lopez, sr., OF; Cole Sisti, sr., INF/RHP; Nathan Scates, sr., RHP; Alex Syska, jr., INF/RHP

Key newcomers: Nathan Franks, jr., C/INF/RHP; Finnley Gregoire, jr., OF/RHP; Matthew Theobald, jr., RHP; Ryder Sisti, so., INF/RHP

Worth noting: If there were an area coach of the year award, Keane surely would’ve won it. After going 17-16 in 2024 and with no notable additions, the Wildcats jumped to 27-9 last season, finishing second in the Southwest Prairie Conference East and making the regional championship game. The loss of four seniors, including JT Augusyniak, will hurt, but there’s still a ton of experience back on this squad. Arroyo will lead the way after making the All-Conference team last year. With some talented youngsters, too, this is a group to keep an eye on.

Plainfield East

Coach: Adam O’Reel

2025 record: 8-27-1

Top returners: Carlos David, sr., P; Kyle Menelli, sr., P; Jeremy Stokes, sr., C/3B; Jeremiah Schmidt, sr., DH/1B; Mason Cachur, sr., 2B; Jeff Wheeler, sr., UTL

Key newcomers: Jacob Salinas, jr., LHP; Vince Scorsone, jr., 3B; Kyle Ward, jr., CF/C

Worth noting: As the record would suggest, 2025 wasn’t the Bengals year. The upside is they’ll have a lot more experience this season as almost every position player is back. Stokes leads the way as a returning All-Conference selection and the team’s leading hitter from last season. Ward was the second leading hitter early last season and will be back for more. O’Reel said, “The seniors had a baptism by fire last year as juniors and are hungry to bounce back and have a solid season. Need to cut down on free bases allowed and strikeouts at the plate, which will dictate how our season progresses through the year.”

Plainfield North

Coach: John Darlington

2025 record: 24-12

Top returners: John Andretich, sr., OF/P; Connor Eydenberg, jr., C; Chase Holtzman, sr., 2B/P; Jackson Schlott, sr. 3B/P; Sam Finn, sr., P; Ryan Potter, sr. SS; Logan Huegel, sr., 1B; Matt McCormick, sr., OF/P

Key newcomers: Colin Ogden, jr., OF/C/P; Evan Monaco, so., 3B/P

Worth noting: Plainfield North finished under .500 two years ago, but had a big bounce-back season, reaching the sectional semifinals. There are eight returning starters from last year’s lineup, led by Kentucky signee Sam Finn. Andretich is a three-year starter and will provide leadership. Expect further success from the Tigers this season.

Plainfield South

Coach: Keith Halverson

2025 record: 15-16

Top returners: Matthew Rogers, sr., CF/P; Cam Kelliher, jr., INF/P

Key newcomers: Michael Holmes, jr., SS/P; Cam Campbell, so., C/P/INF

Worth noting: Kelliher is an important piece to have back as he hit .402 with a slugging percentage of .536. Holmes has displayed talent on the mound and at the plate in JV competition. Campbell saw some action at the varsity level last year, and Rogers is a Parkland commit. Halverson enters year two at the helm. He said, “This year’s Cougar team will be young (only 4 seniors), but includes a real hungry and close-knit group of players. This will be year two with the young catching core we have, and development has really started to show. We have solid pitching depth and a speedy group of athletic players. We look to compete hard in this conference and produce hard-fought battles throughout the season.”

Providence Catholic

Coach: Mark Smith

2025 record: 27-13

Top returners: Sammy Atkinson, sr., OF; Bryce Tencza, sr., 1B; Sam Webb, sr., C; Lincoln Boersma, jr., IF/RHP; Will Quinn, sr., LHP

Key newcomers: Landon Ehman, sr., OF; Mason Almazan, so., INF/RHP; Cole Clower, so., INF/RHP; Austin Leipart, so., INF/RHP; Kobe Jordan, jr., RHP; Charlie Caroselli, jr., RHP; Aidan Cullen, jr., INF; Easton Eggert, jr., 1B; Colton Carli, jr., OF/RHP; Jackson Killeen, jr., INF/OF; Cam Klene, jr., INF/RHP

Worth noting: The Celtics won it all two years ago and returned almost everyone last year. They lost in the supersectional and now will have a mostly new group this year. As long as Smith is in charge, never bet against Providence. Atkinson is the top returning hitter (.378 BA, 31 RBIs) and was an All-Chicago Catholic League Blue selection. Boersma is a UIC commit and went 4-0 with a 2.17 ERA last season. Smith said, “This is an extremely young, inexperienced, and talented group. We have some strengths we are excited about and some weaknesses we really have to address and work on. While we may start out slow, I hope by May we have adapted well, improved and are playing good baseball.”

Reed-Custer

Coach: Jake Evans

2025 record: 19-13

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

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

Worth noting: It was a solid year for the Comets, and there’s enough back to be encouraged about this season. Emery hit .289 with 24 RBI last year, while Fierro hit .273 with 16. Kuban went 5-1 with a 1.36 ERA, and Klein stole 15 bases. Still, Reed-Custer graduated six starters, including three All-Conference players. Evans said they’ll look to remain competitive in the Illinois Central Eight Conference.

Romeoville

Coach: Michael Skroch

2025 record: 22-15

Top returners: Jeremy Thompson, sr., RHP/INF; Richard Conley, sr., OF/RHP; Adam Skibinski, sr., C/1B; Sebastian Solis, sr., C/OF; Jack Mulheron, jr., RHP/OF; Tyler Rizzatto, sr., RHP/INF; Gabriel Miftari, sr., OF

Key newcomers: Aiden Hernandez, jr., RHP/INF; Ashton Martinez, jr., INF; Mikah Contreras, jr., INF

Worth noting: Romeoville tied the school record with 22 wins and advanced to the regional championship last year. With seven contributors back, they should be in a good position to keep succeeding. Thompson was an All-Conference player, while many of the other returners are future college athletes. Skroch said, “We are excited to pick up where we left off after a very successful 2025 season. We are facing the challenge of having to replace six starters from last season, but we have a strong group of returners and an eager group of newcomers who are ready for the challenge.”

Seneca

Coach: Tim Brungard

2025 record: 8-23

Top returners: Cam Shriey, sr., P; Joey Arnold, jr., INF; Brant Roe, jr., OF; Jace Mitchell, sr., INF

Key newcomers: Brady Haines, sr.; Cody Clennon, sr.; Griffin Hougas, sr.; Landyn Ramsey, sr.; Vinny Corrado, sr.; Wyatt Holman, so.; Tommy Watkins, jr., Rayce Aukland, jr.

Worth noting: While the Irish didn’t have a season they’d like to remember, there are a lot of pieces back with more experience than they had last year. Shriey (58 K’s) and Arnold (.308 BA) were honorable mention All-Conference players in 2025. Roe had a .408 OBP while Mitchell had 19 hits at the plate and 19 K’s on the mound. All the newcomers, save Watkins and Aukland, spent time on the varsity last year. Brungard said, “Last year we were young and inexperienced, we hope that after a full year of varsity play, these guys will have a good year. Our starting pitchers (Shriey, Mitchell and Holman) have looked great so far, and we have a very competitive competition right now for the 4th starting pitcher spot.”

Wilmington

Coach: Mike Bushnell

2025 record: 24-9

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

Key newcomers: Tyler Krand, jr., P

Worth noting: Yes, replacing Lucas Rink and Kyle Farrell will be big challenges for the Wildcats, but they certainly have the returning caliber players to keep the good times rolling. Wilmington made the super sectional round last season and returns All-Conference players in Kettman (0.72 ERA), Geiss (.356 BA), and Ohlund (24 RBIs, five HR). Holman is just a junior but is a future Division I player. He’s committed to Bradley after tossing 47 K’s and hitting 23 RBI last season. Krand led the JV pitching staff last season and will look to adjust to varsity this year. Bushnell said, “This group has the potential to make another deep run. The 2026 Wilmington Wildcats bring back seven starters with two key pitchers from 2025. The season will be dedicated to Nick Dziuban (Wilmington Asst. Coach 2018-2025), who passed away February 2nd, 2026.”