Northwest Herald baseball preview: 5 to watch in 2025

The baseball season gets underway next week. Here are five players to watch in the Northwest Herald area for the 2025 season.

Crystal Lake South's Mark Pachla (Photo provided by Crystal Lake South High School)

Mark Pachla, Crystal Lake South, sr., P

The crafty right-hander emerged as the Gators' ace in earning All-Area first-team honors last season. He beat some of the Fox Valley Conference’s top teams – Huntley, McHenry, Cary-Grove, Jacobs and Dundee-Crown – and threw a two-hitter in the Gators’ 4-1 Class 3A regional win at home over Lake Forest. Pachla went 8-1 over 58⅓ innings with 26 strikeouts, 21 walks, a 1.44 ERA and 1.25 WHIP.

Huntley's AJ Putty (Photo provided by Huntley High School)

AJ Putty, Huntley, sr., P-1B-3B

The 6-4 senior demonstrated pure power last season, hitting .419 with a 1.316 OPS, 13 doubles and an area-best 11 homers. An All-Area first-team selection, he drove in 29 runs and scored 35 as the Red Raiders won their sixth consecutive FVC title. Committed to Illinois since the fall of his junior year, Putty also was 4-0 as a pitcher with a 1.62 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 21⅔ innings.

Hampshire's Calen Scheider (Photo provided by Hampshire High School)

Calen Scheider, Hampshire, sr., P-IF-C

Scheider shined in his first season on varsity last year, showing off versatility and a big arm in earning All-Area first-team honors. The Whip-Purs right-hander went 8-1 as a pitcher with 66 strikeouts, 21 walks, a 1.27 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP in 49⅔ innings. He batted leadoff and played either second base or catching when not pitching, and hit .339 with 47 runs scored. He is committed to Bradley.

McHenry's Brandon Shannon (Photo provided by McHenry High School)

Brandon Shannon, McHenry, sr., P

The hard-throwing righty went 10-0 with a 1.86 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 60⅓ innings last season, and earned All-Area first-team honors. His pitching helped the Warriors beat Hampshire in the Class 4A Hampshire Sectional semifinal. He also posted a 1.16 WHIP, while holding opposing hitters to a .188 batting average. He is committed to Louisville.

Prairie Ridge's Karson Stiefer (Photo provided by Prairie Ridge High School)

Karson Stiefer, Prairie Ridge, sr., P-1B

The senior left-hander led the Wolves as the plate and on the mound last season. The All-Area first-team selection hit .472 with 21 extra-base hits, including three homers and 36 RBIs. He also posted a 1.588 OPS, scored 30 runs and stole 21 bases. On the mound, he went 5-2 with 30 strikeouts in 33⅓ innings and a 4.62 ERA. He is committed to Wisconsin-Parkside.