59 high school baseball players in the Springfield area to watch for the 2024 season
High school baseball around the Springfield area is loaded with a lot of talent this season. The State Journal-Register brings you 59 players in its circulation area worth keeping track of this season. Players are listed in alphabetical order.
More: Here are 10 baseball teams to watch around Springfield for the 2024 season
More: Here is the SJ-R's large school baseball team for 2023
More: Here is the SJ-R's small school baseball team for 2023
Tad Andrews, Lutheran
Through six games, the Crusaders’ senior shortstop is hitting .444 (8-for-18) with a team-high six stolen bases.
Madyx Angel, Pana
The sophomore middle infielder is hitting .400 through seven games (8-for-20) and tied with Cole File to lead the Panthers with nine RBIs. He also has patience at the plate with just one strikeout in 27 plate appearances.
Lucas Bixby, New Berlin
The Pretzels’ senior first baseman and pitcher boasted a healthy .451 average with 32 RBIs and 21 runs scored in 2023. In 44 innings pitched, he had a 3-3 record with a 3.34 ERA and struck out 88.
Jaron Boggs, Havana
The senior left-side infielder also pitches for the Ducks. In 2023, he hit .356 (26-for-73) and struck out 40 in 23 2/3 innings pitched.
Bryce Buhs, Gillespie
The Miners’ senior center fielder and pitcher has a .375 average (9-for-24) and 13 RBIs through nine games after hitting .273 with 31 RBIs a year ago as Gillespie won a sectional semifinal for the first time since 2002. Additionally, he was 8-0 with a 1.45 ERA last season and struck out 72 batters.
Cooper Carter, Auburn
The junior pitcher and third baseman is hitting .409 (9-for-22) with 10 RBIs and has just one strikeout in 31 plate appearances. He has 18 strikeouts in 12 innings pitched and has a 2-1 record.
Joe Catalano, Williamsville
One of the three senior “Killer Cs” for Williamsville — along with outfielder Kyle Carter and catcher Josh Cates — the future Kankakee Community College player went 8-1 last season with a 1.29 ERA and he issued 60 strikeouts. When he’s not pitching, he joins Carter, who will play at Frontier C.C., in the outfield.
Conrad Charpentier, Jacksonville Routt
The Rockets’ senior pitcher is 2-1 with a miniscule 0.33 ERA through 21 innings and has 29 strikeouts against nine walks. The future Lincoln Land Community College player went 8-1 with a 1.86 ERA in 52 2/3 innings last season.
Noah Convery, Carlinville
An up-and-coming sophomore first baseman/pitcher, he leads the Cavaliers through eight games with a .364 (8-for-22) average. He has just one strikeout in 23 plate appearances and stands 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds.
Jaxon Cook, Southeast
A senior third baseman and pitcher, he hit .343 (34-for-99) in his junior season and had 10 extra-base hits. Currently, his six RBIs (in seven games) is second on the team to Ethan Murphy’s nine.
Tate Dobrinich, Litchfield
Litchfield’s senior pitcher, third baseman and outfielder is keeping hitters off-balance through 16 innings pitched with a 1-0 record and a 1.31 ERA. He’s struck out 28 while issuing just four walks.
Izaak Doyen, Nokomis
NHS’ team batting average leader in March hit .500 with a .594 on-base percentage and a 1.094 on-base plus slugging percentage. He tied Nolan Herpstreith in the first month with 13 hits.
Jonah Elvidge, Raymond Lincolnwood
The Lancers’ junior pitcher and shortstop leads the team through seven games (6-1 start) with a .500 average (13-for-26) and has nine RBIs. In 20 1/3 innings pitched, he’s 1-1 with a 3.10 ERA and has struck out 32 against 13 walks.
Cru Erickson, Chatham Glenwood
Glenwood’s senior outfielder batted .452 (38-for-84) with 26 RBIs and nine doubles a year ago. Through eight games, he has a .357 average and a team-high eight RBIs.
Jed Ferguson, Auburn
The senior second baseman has produced a team-high 11 RBIs through eight games as the Trojans have jumped out to an 8-2 record. He’s hitting .320 (8-for-25).
Colbie Glenn, Lincoln
The Railsplitters’ senior center fielder and pitcher hit .394 (50-for-127) with 24 extra-base hits — including four homers. He also drove in 25 runs and scored 43 times. He was 3-2 with six saves and 44 strikeouts for a 1.83 ERA in 38 1/3 innings pitched.
Drake Gasperson, Litchfield
The senior first baseman, outfielder and pitcher leads the suddenly-formidable Purple Panthers with a .500 average (17-for-34) and has knocked in 14 runs.
Aiden Hatalla, North Mac
The Panthers’ junior middle infielder and pitcher is in his third season as a starter. Not only did he average .394 as a sophomore, but he struck out just twice — impressive for any player, let alone an underclassman.
Nolan Herpstreith, Nokomis
Through March, the sophomore pitcher, catcher and outfielder is hitting .433 with a .514 on-base percentage and a 1.014 on-base plus slugging percentage. He led the team in the first month with 13 hits and eight RBIs.
Hayden Hicks, Jacksonville
The Crimsons’ senior outfielder and pitcher hit .367 as a junior and has upped that to .409 (9-for-22) through JHS’ first eight games. In 17 innings pitched, he’s 2-0 with a 0.41 ERA with 33 Ks against eight walks.
Bryce Hohnsbehn, Gillespie
The Miners’ senior first baseman had a stellar junior season with a .377 average and 38 RBIs. So far, he’s batting .346 with seven RBIs as Gillespie attempts to defend its South Central Conference title.
Carter Hood, Southeast
The senior outfielder/pitcher is picking up right where he left off a year ago with a .368 average (7-for-25) through seven games with a .520 on-base percentage and a .941 slugging rate. He batted .400 as a junior.
Seth Impson, Springfield High
The Senators’ senior infielder, outfielder and pitcher who plans to play at Lincoln Land Community College is the last remaining player from the 2021 Class 3A state champions. As a junior, Impson hit .371 (33-for-89) with 16 extra-base hits (including six home runs) and 28 RBIs. On the mound, he was 3-2 with a 2.36 ERA and struck out 35 against 10 walks in 29 2/3 innings.
Davis Ishmael, Athens
The Warriors’ junior first baseman, he’s one of three teammates hitting above .300 through the first five games (.312, 5-for-16) with five RBIs.
Ryan Karbach, Pana
The Panthers’ four-year starter at shortstop has come out of the gates on fire with a .429 average (9-for-21), 11 runs scored and eight stolen bases in Pana’s 4-3 start.
Jake Kepler, Sacred Heart-Griffin
The Cyclones’ senior outfielder who plans to attend and play baseball with the Air Force, he hit .373 (28-for-75) with 16 RBIs in 2023.
Evan Kessler, Auburn
The Trojans’ junior catcher is looking to follow up his 2023 campaign (.314 average, 24 RBIs, five homers) and so far, he has a .304 average with 10 RBIs and two homers.
Max Leitschuh, Litchfield
The Purple Panthers already achieved their most wins (11-1) in a season since 2014 and this sophomore is a big reason. This outfielder, catcher and pitcher is hitting .341 (14-for-41) and leads the team with 16 RBIs.
Carter Legendre, Staunton
The Bulldogs’ sophomore catcher leads the team with a .386 average (17-for-44) with eight RBIs, four extra-base hits and an on-base percentage of .438 through the team’s 3-11 start. Teammate Matthew Overby, a sophomore third baseman, is hitting .371 (13-for-35) with a .542 OBP and eight RBIs.
Charlie Linderman, Sacred Heart-Griffin
The Heartland Community College-bound senior shortstop and pitcher hit .418 (38-for-91) with 28 RBIs and had 11 extra-base hits. In 46 1/3 innings pitched, he was 6-2 with a 2.87 ERA and struck out 32 batters.
Isaac Long, Jacksonville Routt
The Rockets’ senior infielder has a .353 average (12-for-34) with a team-high 14 RBIs through 12 games. Last year, the future John Wood Community College player drove in 33 runs and hit .400 with five homers.
Gage Luttrell, Sacred Heart-Griffin
The Cyclones’ senior, who is going to play at Southwestern Illinois College, is going to be a key component as SHG’s expectations are high. Last year, he struck out 26 batters in 30 2/3 innings.
Mason Marshall, Chatham Glenwood
After hitting .303 (27-for-89) and 16 RBIs a year ago, the junior center fielder is at .526 (10-for-19) with seven RBIs through seven games.
Nathan Matoush, Hillsboro
The junior first baseman and pitcher posted 83 strikeouts while issuing 18 walks in 2023 in 44 2/3 innings and had a 0.78 ERA. In 2024, he has yet to give up an earned run in 14 1/3 IP and has struck out 28 batters. He’s also hitting .317 through 13 games.
Luke Martin, Mount Pulaski
The Hilltoppers’ sophomore pitcher and third baseman had an impressive freshman year with a .407 average, 33 RBIs, 19 stolen bases and three home runs.
Ketch Mills, Hillsboro
The Hiltoppers’ senior shortstop and pitcher, who will play at Illinois College, leads the team with a .364 average (8-for-22) following a .448 season in 2023.
Baron Odam, Taylorville
The young Tornadoes start four juniors, two sophomores and three freshmen. As a sophomore in 2023, Odam hit .431 (22-for-51) with 13 RBIs. Odam, an outfielder and catcher, is hitting .409 (9-for-22) with a home run and two doubles in his first seven games and only has one outing without a hit as the Tornadoes’ leadoff hitter.
Landen Patton, Buffalo Tri-City
The senior had a stellar junior season on the mound and carried a 1.95 ERA and a 5-1 record in 46 2/3 innings. He fanned 101 hitters against just 24 walks. He’s also more than capable at the plate and averaged .413 (26-for-63) a year ago. He plans to play at Heartland Community College.
Chance Payne, Mount Pulaski
The Hilltoppers junior pitcher/first baseman finished 2023 with a .494 average, 36 RBIs, 12 doubles and two homers while posting a 2-1 record and 2.25 ERA in 18 innings pitched with 41 strikeouts.
Zach Ponce, Pleasant Plains
The Cardinals’ junior catcher was second on the team a year ago with 27 hits (27-for-80, .338 average), finished with 16 RBIs and more than a third (10) of his hits went for extra bases. Defensively, he threw out 18 of 40 attempted baserunners.
Rockman Prince, New Berlin
The Pretzels’ junior second baseman, outfielder and pitcher hit .358 and finished with 25 RBIs, 25 runs scored and belted three home runs. On the mound, he had a 2.63 ERA with a 5-2 record and 38 strikeouts in 34 2/3 innings.
Krayton Reincke, Chatham Glenwood
A senior first baseman, he hit .484 (45-for-93) in 2023 with a team-high 31 RBIs with 15 extra-base hits. He’s at .421 with seven RBIs through Glenwood’s 6-2 start.
Jacob Roberts, New Berlin
A senior outfielder, last year he carried a .427 average, drove in 19 runs and scored 33 times for the 21-win Pretzels. He and senior Gannon Dodd have the range in the outfield to frustrate plenty of opposing hitters.
Cooper Schallenberg, Pleasant Plains
The junior third baseman and pitcher finished 4-1 with a 3.10 ERA as a sophomore. He also batted .335 and drove in 15 runs and scored 24 times.
Charlie Severino, Pleasant Plains
The junior shortstop last year drove in 16 runs and scored 23 while batting .349 (37-for-106). As a sophomore, he made just three errors at such an important position.
Brandon Sims, Jacksonville
Last year’s team leader in RBIs (29), he’s batting .476 (10-for-21) with eight runs driven in so far in eight games. The junior catcher, third baseman and pitcher was third on the team in 2023 with a .316 average.
Landon Smith, Mount Pulaski
The senior hits, pitches and plays the outfield as well as the left-side of the infield. The future Southwestern Illinois College player hit .352 last year with 29 RBIs, five home runs and 24 stolen bases. He also had a 4-1 record and a 2.87 ERA with 41 strikeouts. As a sophomore, he was an Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association Class 1A All-State pick.
Tyler Surber, Pawnee
Pawnee senior first baseman and pitcher batted .440 (40-for-91) a year ago with a .531 on-base percentage and a 1.135 OPS. He had 13 doubles and 32 RBIs. In 12 games on the mound, he went 1-1 with a 3.05 ERA and fanned 26 and walked just seven in 20 2/3 innings.
Jack Swaney, Rochester
The Northern Illinois University baseball commit is hitting .333 through the Rockets' first nine games. The senior first baseman and pitcher finished .397 (46-for-116) a year ago with 28 RBIs, 12 doubles and four home runs. In 49 2/3 innings pitched, he was 3-2 with a 2.01 ERA.
Cody Tobias, Athens
A junior middle infielder and pitcher, he has significantly stepped up his production at the plate, hitting nearly .300 in the team’s first five games (.294, 5-for-17) after a sub-.200 season as a sophomore.
Mason Tryon, Raymond Lincolnwood
A sophomore pitcher and first baseman, he batted .348 (24-for-69) with a .458 on-base percentage as a freshman with 10 RBIs. In 35 1/3 innings pitched, he was 1-2 with a 1.98 ERA and struck 45 while issuing just eight walks. In 11 2/3 innings so far, his numbers are even better: 2-0, 0.60 ERA, 22 Ks and four BBs.
Nolan Turner, Jacksonville Routt
The Rockets’ senior shortstop was an IHSBCA Class 1A All-State selection and will head to Lincoln Land Community College to continue his career. He’s batting .310 (13-for-42) through 12 games a season after going .445 with 33 RBIs with 18 extra-base hits.
Enrico Veach, Springfield High
A senior shortstop and pitcher, he plans to play at Wabash Valley College. Last year was his breakout campaign. Veach batted .365 (31-for-85) with 12 doubles and 20 RBIs. He also led the team with 25 stolen bases. He was 3-2 with 25 strikeouts against 15 walks in 19 1/3 innings pitched.
Tristen Wargo, Gillespie
The senior shortstop and pitcher hit .411 a year ago with 22 RBIs and had an impressive 4-0 record with an eye-popped 0.60 ERA. In just 10 innings pitched so far this season, he’s showing that was no fluke with a 0.70 ERA and 13 strikeouts against two free passes.
Kyle Weatherford, Athens
A senior pitcher and shortstop for the Warriors, he’s already posted a 3-0 record and a 1.91 ERA in 11 innings over three appearances. Weatherford, who will continue his career at Lakeland Community College, batted .402 (33-for-82) with 19 RBIs and 12 extra-base hits last season.
Chase Webster, Buffalo Tri-City
The Tornadoes’ senior outfielder is expected to be a top performer, says coach Jeremy Nihiser, after a junior campaign that saw him hit .276 (16-for-58) with 13 RBIs and a pair of home runs. He’s hitting .400 early (4-for-10) with four RBIs through five games.
Lance Weitekamp, Raymond Lincolnwood
One of just three seniors on the Lancers’ roster, the corner infielder and designated hitter hit .427 (38-for-89) with 28 RBIs, 16 doubles and two homers last year. In seven games, he’s hitting .423 with two homers and 12 RBIs.
Carson Wort, Pawnee
A senior catcher, he hit .337 last year (34-for-101) with nine doubles, three home runs and 28 RBIs. He struck out just four times in 118 plate appearances.
Max Yenchko, Lutheran
The sophomore third baseman and pitcher has a 1.11 ERA in 6 1/3 innings pitched over four appearances and has struck out 15 against five walks. He’s also averaging .471 (8-for-17) and has five stolen bases.
Contact Ryan Mahan: 788-1546, ryan.mahan@sj-r.com, Twitter.com/RyanMahanSJR.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Top high school baseball players around Springfield for 2024
