2024 Sauk Valley Media baseball team preview capsules

Big Northern Conference

Dixon

Coach: Jason Burgess (ninth season)

Last season’s record: 19-9, 16-2 BNC (first)

Top returners: Aiden Wiseman, sr., C; Alex Harrison, sr., IF/P; Ari Selmani, sr., IF/P; Bryce Feit, sr., IF/P; Collin Scott, sr., IF/OF; James Leslie, sr., OF/P/1B; Quade Richards, sr., IF/P/OF; Max Clark, sr., OF/P; Robbie Ramirez, sr., OF/P; Tyler Shaner, sr., OF/1B; Gabe Buelvas, sr., OF

Key newcomers: Gage Helfrich, so., OF; Brady Feit, so., IF/P/OF; Brady Lawrence, so., 1B/P/OF

Worth noting: Dixon has won four straight Big Northern Conference championships. ... The Dukes return a pair of first-team all-conference performers from a season ago in Harrison and Richards ... “Our expectations are to go out every day and play the game with intent and purpose. We promote the TEAM concept and hope to compete for another conference title along with the hopes of peaking at the right time to be ready for a state playoff run,” Burgess said. “A few of our teams’ strengths would include team unity. Most all of our guys have played together for years in many sports and have a tight bond with one another. They hold each accountable and are very coachable. We are hoping to have a strong group of pitchers and hope to improve on our offensive numbers, both at the plate and on the base paths.”

Oregon

Coach: Nate Girton (fifth season)

Last season’s record: 15-14, 6-12 BNC (eighth)

Top returners: Jack Washburn, jr., P/SS; Logan Weems, jr., RF; Gavin Morrow, jr., C/CF; Keaton Salsbury, so., C/SS; Kade Girton, jr., 1B

Key newcomers: Bryce Becker, so., RF/P

Worth noting: Oregon was one of the most improved teams in the area last season, going from 5-24 two seasons ago to 15-14 last season. ... “Excited to watch our young/experienced get out and play the game and have fun,” Coach Girton said. “We should be a much more improved team from the years past. A successful season is winning regionals. Our strength will be our fielding.”

Rock Falls

Coach: Donnie Chappell (25th season)

Last season’s record: 16-15

Top returners: Carter Schueler, sr., 1B/P; Austin Castaneda, jr., OF/P; Cadon Schulz, jr., C; Colby Ward, sr., IF

Key newcomers: Owen Mandrell, so.; Ethan Mathews, fr.; Ethan Moeller, fr.; AJ Moore, fr.; Hunter Gale, jr.; Carter Hunter, so.; Mason Landes, jr.

Worth noting: The Rockets’ bounce-back 2023 season saw them reach the Class 2A Oregon Regional final. This year, Rock Falls reloads with a plethora of underclassmen. ... “We will be very young, but they are working hard and have a lot of talent. I expect to compete for a regional championship by the end of the year,” Chappell said. “We should be a solid defensive team with good pitching. Our goal is to win a regional championship.”

Northwest Upstate Illini Conference

Amboy

Coach: Christopher Tidmore (sixth season)

Last season’s record: 12-11, 7-3

Top returners: Landon Montavon, sr., P/IF; Landon Whelchel, sr., IF; Quinn Leffelman, jr., C/P/IF; Brody Christoffersen, jr., P/SS/C; Dillon Merriman, jr., 1B/OF

Key newcomers: Carson Barlow, jr., P/3B; Eddie Jones, jr., P/OF; Rylan McNinch, so., P/C/OF

Worth noting: “We have excellent team chemistry and expect to make waves this year. I like to use the quote: ‘Why not us? Why not now?’ ” Tidmore said. “We are deeper pitching and have an improved lineup from last year. We are looking to be in the hunt for a conference championship and our first regional title in 20 years.”

Ashton-Franklin Center

Coach: Brian Treadwell (second season)

Last season’s record: 14-9, 6-4 NUIC South (third)

Top returners: Caleb Thomas, jr., IF/P; Aaron Lester, jr., IF/OF/P; Brock Lehman, jr., C/1B; Nolan Rueff, jr., IF/P

Key newcomers: Mitchell McPheron, sr., IF/OF/P; Logan O’Brien, jr., OF; Justin Henert, so., IF/C; Chase Hayes-Near, so., IF/OF/P

Worth noting: “With only one senior on the team, we will be relying on a young, talented core of juniors this year. We expect to see tremendous growth while remaining very competitive,” Treadwell said. “We are excited to build off of last year’s team as we continue to build a winning culture at AFC. We want to be playing our best baseball come May. Our strengths will be defense and a returning core of bats at the top of the order. We have 4-5 returning starters, but will rely on some key newcomers to fill in some holes left by last year’s group of seniors.”

Eastland

Coach: Weston Burkholder (15th season)

Last season’s record: 17-12, 7-3

Top returners: Hunter Miller, jr., P/SS; Cole Huber, sr., C; Trevor Janssen, sr., OF/P

Key newcomers: Brayden Jackson, sr., 3B/P/C

Worth noting: “We’re returning a large core of players from last year. Our strengths are our speed and experience,” Burkholder said. “A successful season would be winning a regional.”

Forreston

Coach: Mike McClellan (seventh season)

Last season’s record: 20-13

Top returners: Kendall Erdmann, so., SS/P; Carson Akins, so., OF/P; Brady Gill, so., IF; Darin Greenfield, so., OF; Brendan Greenfield, jr., P/IF; Alec Schoonhoven, so., P/OF; Patrick Wichman, sr., P/IF; Alex Ryia, sr., P/OF

Key newcomers: Mickey Probst, fr., C

Worth noting: The Cardinals won their fourth NUIC South conference title under McClellan last season and have a 110-37-1 record during his head coaching tenure. ... “We are young, talented and are looking to grow into a team that can challenge for a tournament run in May,” McClellan said. “We are hungry for a conference title and a good showing in the IHSA tourney.”

Fulton

Coach: Brent Dykstra (sixth season)

Last season’s record: 17-8, 6-4 NUIC West (third)

Top returners: AJ Boardman, sr., IF/P; Jimmy Crimmins, sr., IF/P; Dom Kramer, jr., OF/P; Braeden Brennan, jr., IF

Key newcomers: Dane VanZuiden, jr., IF; Jacob Huisenga, jr., 1B/P; Baylen Damhoff, sr., OF/P

Worth noting: Boardman is committed to Spoon River College. ... “Coming off back-to-back regional titles, expectations are high for our young team this year. They are excited and hungry to prove themselves,” Dykstra said. “Pitching will be a strength this year. The plan for this year is to improve at every practice and every game.”

Milledgeville

Coach: Austin Caravia (fifth season)

Last season’s record: 5-14, 2-8 NUIC South

Top returners: Connor Nye, sr., SS/P; Colton Hendrick, sr., 1B; Karter Livengood, so., 3B/P; Bryson Wiersema, so., LF/P

Key newcomers: Evan Schenck, so., SS/P

Worth noting: “We look forward to having an experienced team, only losing one varsity starter from last year’s squad, and returning four all-conference guys. We’re looking to compete in our conference and postseason,” Caravia said. “A successful season would be finishing above .500 with competing for a regional title. Our strengths will be experience, pitching and defense.”

Polo

Coach: Nate White (fifth season)

Last season’s record: 4-18, 1-9

Top returners: Nolan Hahn, sr., P/SS; Scott Robertson, sr., P/1B; Carter Merdian, sr., P/CF; Dawson Foster, jr., OF; Jeffrey Donaldson, jr., P/C

Worth noting: “Our team has a significant amount of varsity experience that we’re looking to build upon and translate into success,” White said. “Our team wants to win more ball games and be at least .500, compete in conference and make it to a regional championship game. Our strengths will be pitching depth and defense.”

Three Rivers Athletic Conference

Bureau Valley

Coach: Ryan Schisler (seventh season)

Last season’s record: 13-13, 2-10 TRAC East

Top returners: Logan Philhower, so., P; Elijah Endress, jr., C; Bryce Helms, jr., OF

Key newcomers: Tyler Birkey, sr., OF; Blake Foster, fr., IF/P; Drake Taylor, fr., IF; Landen Birdsley, jr., OF

Worth noting: “We are an extremely young team, so we will look to build experience as we go and improve throughout the season. There is plenty of talent here, so the key will be us meshing as a team to be able to play good fundamental baseball as a whole group,” Schisler said. “We have several quality pitchers that will keep us in games. Playing significantly better baseball at the end of the season than we are at the start has to be the focus for us, and if we do that then the wins and losses will work themselves out along the way.”

Morrison

Coach: Shawn Swaim (third season)

Last season’s record: 6-15

Top returners: Carson Strating, sr., 3B/DH; Jake Reed, jr., OF; Kalob Schroeder, jr., 2B/P; Jason Hall, sr., RF

Key newcomers: Koltin Swaim, so., SS/P; Collin Renkes, so., CF/P; Aydan Meinsma, so., C/P; Carson White, so., 1B/P

Worth noting: Morrison ended its 2023 season in a 1A regional championship loss. ... The Mustangs are somewhat lacking in varsity experience this year, but they expect to have strong pitching and defense ... Coach Swaim expects all four sophomores to make an impact this season. ... “Hoping to get back to the regional championship and be a contender in the conference this year,” Swaim said. “Most excited for the youth we have to step up and see what they can do. Our goal is to have a better record than last season and to surprise some people. Go .500 or better and get back to the regional championship.”

Newman

Coach: Kenny Koerner (fourth season)

Last season’s record: 23-9, 8-4 TRAC East (second)

Top returners: Brendan Tunink, sr., CF/P; Garret Matznick, so., SS/P; Garet Wolfe, so., 3B/P; Joe Oswalt, jr., LF/P; Daniel Kelly, jr., C; Isaiah Williams, sr., 1B

Key newcomers: Ashton Miner, fr., C; Evan Bushman, so., 2B/P

Worth noting: The Comets move up to Class 2A this season after placing third in their first trip to state in 1A last season. ... Newman has reached the Elite 8 three seasons in a row and is 58-26 in three seasons under Koerner. ... The two-time first-team all-stater Tunink is a Notre Dame signee and the No. 3-ranked player in Illinois from the Class of 2024. ... Koerner expects instant impact from Bushman on the mound and Miner as a batter in the middle of the order. “We will start three sophomores and a freshman in our infield, so we will definitely be young again this season, but if you can play you can play. I don’t care if you are a freshman or a senior,” Koerner said. “Our goal once again this season is to make it to the state tourney. We will look to Brendan Tunink and Isaiah Williams for their senior leadership as we grow and build throughout the regular season to prepare for the tournament. Brendan set five school records as a junior last season. We are excited and blessed to have such a special athlete and person in our program. We should be a team up and down the order that is able to put the ball in play and put pressure on the defense offensively. We should also be sound defensively as the season progresses. We have Brendan as our No. 1 pitcher this year but need to find out who will emerge as our No. 2 and No. 3 pitcher during the regular season.”

Western Big 6

Sterling

Coach: Darwin Nettleton (third season)

Last season’s record: 9-26, 1-13 WB6 (tied for seventh)

Top returners: Garrett Polson, sr., P/IF; Drew Nettleton, jr., P/IF; Dylan Ottens, sr., OF/P; Braden Birdsley, jr., OF/P; Bryce Hartman, jr., P/MIF; Mason Smithee, sr., P/1B

Key newcomers: Nick Capp, jr., C; Lincoln Davis, jr., COF/CIF; James Leif, jr., OF/P; Tatum Allen, jr., IF; Eli Penne, so., P/IF

Worth noting: Polson is committed to Mineral Area College. ... “I have been coaching a long time in and out and around high school baseball – I do not remember a group of individual players that get along this well,” Coach Nettleton said. “Strengths this year are the players’ camaraderie. The players’ willingness to learn baseball. Overall, we have a combination of veteran savvy players and new full-time members of the varsity team. We have a level of depth that will provide the team with opportunities to do different things – play small ball if needed or move two bases at a time and apply pressure to the defense. Success is measured in wins and losses, but competing in the Western Big 6 provides unique challenges. From a conference standpoint, finishing in the top half of the conference would be a success. Improving the number of wins from the previous season would be a success. Players staying connected and committed throughout the season would be a success.”