Morris' Cody DelFavero named Illinois’ Class 3A Baseball Player of the Year

When the 2024 baseball season started, Cody DelFavero had a feeling that his Morris team could be something special.

His feeling proved to be correct. Morris went 29-4 last season and finished third in the state in Class 3A.

“Going into the season, I knew we could do something,” DelFavero said. “My junior year didn’t end how we wanted it to. We were pretty loaded last year and wanted to make up for the year before.”

What he didn’t know was how big a part he would play in the team’s success. This was a team that also featured a four-year starter in senior AJ Zweeres at second base, University of Illinois recruit Jack Wheeler at third, Evansville recruit Nazim Baftiri at shortstop, and three-year starter Griffin Zweeres, all juniors, returning from a team that went 26-5 the previous season.

DelFavero was in the middle of everything in 2024 for Morris, literally and figuratively. He was the team’s No. 1 pitcher, going 14-0 with a 1.28 ERA and 93 strikeouts in 69 innings. In the third-place game, a 1-0 win over Highland, he threw an 8-inning, 1-hit shutout while throwing just 84 pitches. He was equally dominant with the bat in his hands, and he played center field when he wasn’t pitching. He finished the season with a .370 batting average with a team-leading five home runs to go with 36 RBIs and an OPS of 1.150.

For his efforts, DelFavero was recently recognized by the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association as the Class 3A Player of the Year. He also was a first-team All-State selection by the IHSBCA, the Interstate Eight Conference Player of the Year, and was a Herald-News first team All-Area selection.

“I didn’t even know that they [IHSBCA] gave out the award,” DelFavero said. “[Morris] Coach [Todd] Kein texted me on Nov. 23 and let me know that I had won. I guess they take the All-State team and vote on the Player of the Year, and I was a unanimous pick.

“It’s a great honor to win it. Coach told me that the last person from Morris to win it was Kelly Dransfeldt [in 1993].”

DelFavero certainly had the stuff on the mound to be a strikeout pitcher, but with the talent on the infield - Wheeler at third, Baftiri at short and AJ Zweeres at second, he knew he didn’t have to fan everybody.

“It’s a great feeling as a pitcher to know that I can just throw a couple of fastballs and get quick groundouts,” he said. “I trusted everyone that was behind me, so I could just pound the strike zone and let guys hit grounders. I knew my guys would make the plays.

“In our last game, I threw eight innings, struck out five and only threw 84 pitches. Our guys made all the plays.”

DelFavero is currently attending Parkland College in Champaign. The Cobras begin play Feb. 14 on a trip to Tennessee.

“They have been letting me pitch and hit,” DelFavero said. “I am pretty happy with how I performed at both in the fall. My first home run came at the University of Illinois, which is pretty cool.

“It’s definitely a different game at this level, especially hitting. It takes some getting used to, especially the breaking balls. But, I have been doing all right.”

If he had to choose, though, DelFavero said he would probably lean toward pitching as his future.

“I think I would rather be a pitcher if I had to choose,” he said. “One, I am left-handed and that’s always a bonus. I got up to 89 [miles per hour] on my fastball this fall and I think I can get that up by the end of the year. I like pitching from my competitive side.

“I like being in control on the field and when I am pitching, I am in the most control. I have the ball on every play and I like the feeling of having the game in my hands. Part of what made our team so special last year is that pretty much everyone thrived in those clutch moments.”

While the Morris team should have another strong season this year with its returning players, Kein knows his team will miss DelFavero’s presence.

“Cody is someone that you just cannot replace in our program,” he said. “What he did on both sides of the ball for the last two seasons, and as a leader, is nothing short of remarkable.

“He has been such a positive role model for your younger players, and he has definitely raised the bar for what it means to be a Morris Community High School baseball player. He is beyond deserving of this award and the entire baseball family is extremely proud of him.”