Class 3A, 4A softball, baseball playoffs start Monday. Here’s what to expect for Daily Chronicle area team

Softball

No. 1 Sycamore Spartans

Record: 27-6-1

First postseason game: 4:30 p.m. Tuesday vs. No. 8 Freeport at a Class 3A Freeport Regional semifinal

After that: The winner gets No. 4 Belvidere or No. 6 Boylan in the final, then heads to the Sycamore sectional to face the Woodstock North regional winner, possibly No. 2 Crystal Lake Central or No. 3 Kaneland. The sectional feeds into the Kaneland supersectional, making a third straight Antioch (also a No. 1 seed) vs. Sycamore supersectional a possibility.

Worth noting: A regional title will give the Spartans not only their third in a row and five in the past six postseasons, but be the second most wins in a season in program history behind the 33 they won both last year and when they won the 2019 state title. Bella Jacobs and Addison Dierschow have been a formidable 1-2 punch in the circle for the Spartans. The offense has cooled off a little late in the season, managing double digits once over the last eight games in five of the six games before that. Addison McLaughlin gets things started at the top of the lineup, and brings a mean glove into center field. Kairi Lantz is the reigning Daily Chronicle Softball Player of the Year and has led a power attack up and down the lineup.

No. 3 Kaneland Knights

Record: 23-12

First postseason game: 4:30 p.m. Wednesday vs. No. 5 Woodstock North in a Class 3A Woodstock North semifinal

After that: The winner gets likely No. 2 Crystal Lake Central for the regional title and a trip to the Sycamore sectional.

Worth noting: The Knights have won six of seven heading into the postseason. In stats available through the first 31 games, Addison Coulter leads the team with five homers and is hitting .276. Maddie Anderson has a pair of home runs and is hitting .356 with 23 runs scored, while Lillyana Crawford is hitting .344 with 21 RBIs. In 82 innings, Brynn Woods has a 1.88 ERA with 150 strikeouts and 27 walks. Ellie Peck is a reliable No. 2 option with a 2.35 ERA, 60 strikeouts and 20 walks in 53⅔ innings. The team has won a regional in every postseason dating back to 2015 according to IHSA records.

No. 4 DeKalb Barbs

Record: 16-15

First postseason game: 4:30 p.m. Wednesday against No. 5 Auburn in a Class 4A Hononegah Regional semifinal

After that: The winner likely gets No. 1 Hononegah at 4:30 p.m. Friday. A trip to the Class 4A Barrington Sectional goes to the winner.

Worth noting: The Barbs are in the midst of their most successful season since taking fourth in Class 4A in 2016. They took third in the DuPage Valley Conference after never winning more than one game since joining the league after the 2019 season. They’re in a little bit of a slump heading into the postseason having lost three of four. They scored two combined runs in the three losses but the win was 17-14 against Metea Valley in the DVC finale. The team can rake, led by Cassidy Cavazos’ team-high .535 batting average and Izy Aranda’s team-best four home runs. Aranda is hitting .471 with 28 RBIs and 24 runs while Cavazos has a homer, a team-leading 30 RBIs and 23 runs. Stats are through the first 26 games.

Baseball

No. 2 DeKalb Barbs

Record: 24-10-1

First postseason game: 4:30 p.m. Wednesday against Rockford East or Jefferson in a Class 4A Guilford Regional semifinal

After that: The winner gets No. 3 Huntley or No. 6 Guilford with the winner advancing to the McHenry sectional.

Worth noting: The Barbs are surging into the postseason having won five straight, including three games last week to claim the DuPage Valley Conference tournament title. They’ve allowed nine runs during the win streak and only once allowed an opponent over more than one run. Brodie Farrell claimed the DVC‘s Pitcher of the Year honor and is 7-0 with a 1.62 ERA, striking out 84 and walking 20 in 52 innings. Jackson Kees has also had a strong year on the mound, going 3-2 with a 1.69 ERA, 67 strikeouts and 15 walks in 49⅔ innings. In addition to a team-best 34 RBIs, Farrell is second on the team with a .357 batting average and four home runs. Cole Latimer is hitting a team-best .412 with eight homers and 27 RBIs. Nik Nelson is hitting .355 with three home runs, 22 RBIs and 38 runs scored.

No. 3 Sycamore Spartans

Record: 17-15

First postseason game: 4:30 p.m. Thursday vs. No. 5 Dixon in a Class 3A Freeport Regional semifinal

After that: The winner gets No. 2 Freeport or No. 7 Sterling for the regional title, then a trip to the Kaneland sectional, potentially against No. 1 St. Francis.

Worth noting: Not many teams can say an almost 20-win season is a down year, but it’s the lowest win total for the Spartans since 2018. They had an eight game winning streak earlier this year as part of a stretch in which they won 10 of 11. The offense has cooled off since that stretch, but Kyle Prebil and Davis Collie have provided a powerful punch at the top of the Sycamore lineup. Freshmen Sawyer Valdez and Ben Anderson have played their way into key roles, while Cal Harbecke has been a consistent workhorse on the mound.

No. 3 Kaneland Knights

Record: 23-10

First postseason game: 4:30 p.m. Thursday against No. 6 Wheaton Academy in a Class 3A Kaneland Regional semifinal

After that: The winner gets either No. 2 Benet Academy or No. 7 Glenbard South and a return to Maple Park for the Kaneland sectional.

Worth noting: A loss to Batavia at Cougars Stadium in Geneva in the regular-season finale snapped a nine-game winning streak for the Knights. They’ve scored at least five runs in each of those games. Preston Popvich and Brady Alstott have been consistent bats in the middle of the lineup for the knights.