Daily Chronicle 2024 Baseball All-Area Team

Daily Chronicle 2024 All-Area Player of the Year

Martin Ledbetter, jr., Hinckley-Big Rock, C/P/1B

All-area first team

Kyle Hartmann, sr., C, Sycamore: Hartmann hit .371 this year with two home runs and 24 RBIs. He was a strong factor behind the plate for the Spartans, going all year without committing an error. The all-Interstate 8 pick has committed to Western Kentucky.

Davis Collie, jr., 1B, Sycamore: Collie hit .371 for the Spartans with a team-best 1.051 OPS among players with more than three at-bats. The all-I8 pick hit three home runs, drove in 32 and scored 27 times.

Nik Nelson, jr., 2B, DeKalb: The honorable mention selection in the DuPage Valley Conference hit .299 with a home run and 21 RBIs while scoring 35 runs. He also stole eight bases and had a .481 on-base percentage.

Matthew Rosado, sr., P/3B, Sycamore: An Interstate 8 all-conference pick was a force both on the mound and at the plate for the Spartans. He went 7-3 with a 2.91 ERA, striking out 63 and walking 11 in 65 innings. He also hit .308 with 27 RBIs to help Sycamore reach the supersectional round for the third straight year.

Jackson Kees, jr., P/SS, DeKalb: The multifaceted threat got it done all over the field for the Barbs, hitting .387 with 31 RBIs and a .996 OPS. In 57⅔ innings he went 6-4 with a 2.43 ERA, striking out 78 and walking 23. And in the field he made only five errors, finishing with a .951 fielding percentage. He was an all-DuPage Valley Conference selection.

Collin Severson, sr., SS/OF, Sycamore: The leadoff hitter and all-I8 selection set the table well for the Spartans, hitting .376 with an on-base percentage of .526, scoring 36 times. The left-handed shortstop made three errors and fielded at a .969 clip, turning eight double plays.

Parker Violett, sr., OF, Kaneland: One of only two all-state picks in the area by the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association along with Ledbetter, the all-I8 pick hit .394 with a 1.2 OPS. He blasted seven home runs, drove in 36 and scored 35. He made only one error on the season and had five outfield assists.

Cole Latimer, soph., OF, DeKalb: Already a two-year starter, Latimer notched all-DVC honors after hitting .274 with four home runs. He drove in 31 runs and scored 34 times while making only two errors, mostly playing center and right. He had a pair of outfield assists.

Brodie Farrell, jr., OF/P/1B/3B, DeKalb: Farrell was 4-2 for the Barbs with a 3.87 ERA, striking out 54 and walking 24 in 38 innings, providing the Barbs a strong No. 2 starter behind Kees. He hit .286 with three home runs and 18 RBIs while scoring 27 runs in earning all-DVC honors.

Skyler Janeski, soph., P/SS, Hinckley-Big Rock: A strong pitcher throughout the season, Janeksi was especially tough in Little 10 Conference play, not allowing an earned run and throwing a no-hitter against Newark. He went 6-2 with a 2.57 ERA, striking out 74 and walking 26 in 46⅓ innings. He also hit .272 on the year and was a unanimous all-L10 selection.

Matthew Brunscheen, sr., SS/P, Kaneland: Brunscheen hit .330 with a homer, 21 RBIs and 24 runs scored. The all-I8 pick also was 3-1 with a save while posting a 2.21 ERA.

Jackson Kottmeyer, sr., P, Kaneland: In 49⅔ innings, the all-I8 pick went 6-2, striking out 54 and walking 18. He finished the year with a 2.68 ERA.

Second team

• Zach Konrad, sr., C, Kaneland.

• Paul Kakoliris, jr., 1B/OF, DeKalb.

• Tom Thill, jr., 2B, Kaneland.

• Isaac Black, jr., 3B/SS, DeKalb.

• Kyle Prebil, jr., 3B/OF, Sycamore.

• Tyler Townsend, soph., OF/P, Sycamore.

• Jakob McNally, sr., OF/P, Indian Creek.

• Maddux Clarence, sr., P, DeKalb.

• Aidan Lange, jr., P, DeKalb.

• Alex Schiefer, sr., P, Kaneland.

Honorable mention

Andy Swider, sr., P/IF/OF, Genoa-Kingston; Nate Kleba, jr., CF/P, Genoa-Kingston; Jeffrey Probst, sr., OF/1B, Indian Creek; Jacob Orin, soph., 2B/SS/C, Hinckley-Big Rock; Alex Prince, sr., P, DeKalb; Hunter Kriese, soph., P, DeKalb.