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Jul. 11—Sports Editor Matt Daniels offers up one last update on the best of the best among the area baseball programs from the 2026 season:
40-2
No. 1
No baseball team from Champaign County has ever produced a season like the one SJ-O did in 2026. The Spartans cruised to a Class 2A state championship with a 15-1 victory in five innings against Harvest-Westminster on June 13 at Illinois Field in Champaign to give coach Josh Haley's program its first state title. A deep and talented senior class of Trevor Ames, Parker Fitch, Will Haley, Bryson Houchens, Kodey McKinney, Branson Pearman, Asher Pruemer, Logan Rosenthal and Cam Schluter made history. Well done.
32-7
No. 2
The Class 3A regional championships and superb seasons keep stacking one after another for coach John Staab's program. The Maroons, with senior Tre Cole and sophomore Ryan Pipkins leading a balanced lineup, won their most games since 2015 this spring. And gave Central, which won a share of the Big 12 Conference title, its sixth straight 3A regional title before the Maroons bowed out in the Sweet 16 against Normal U-High.
26-9
No. 4
Coach Tom Kimball's team gave Class 2A state champion St. Joseph-Ogden its toughest postseason game, with the Rockets losing 6-4 in nine innings on June 6 in a 2A sectional title game. Bolstered by a talented senior group featuring Dane Eisenmenger, Brayden Henry, Tyler Henry, Tre Hoggard and Coleton Langendorf, Unity overcame some late regular-season losses to give the Rockets their third 2A regional title in the last four seasons and only the fourth in program history.
24-4
No. 7
Traxton Roberts will be a must-see stop next spring anytime the Kentucky recruit pitches for the Trojans. The hard-throwing right-hander helped deliver A-P its first sectional title since 2003 and its fourth Class 1A regional title in the last five seasons. Coach Tom Wolken's program saw its postseason run end in the Elite Eight with a loss to eventual state champion Tremont, but A-P only graduates two seniors in Ryan Edwards and Luke Townsend. Watch out for the Trojans in 2027.
24-7
No. 3
The season ended abruptly with a 4-3 loss against Mt. Zion in a Class 3A regional semifinal game on May 27, but it didn't take away from another successful season for the Bulldogs. Coach Nic DiFilippo registered his 400th victory in charge of the Bulldogs as M-S won at least 23 games for the fifth straight season. M-S will miss seniors like Austin Wike, Max Young and Nolan Sanderson, among others, but the Bulldogs haven't had a losing season since 2008 and don't plan on doing so any time soon.
30-5
No. 5
Winning their first 21 games propelled the Sages to the top of the area scene until late April. A 7-0 home loss to eventual Class 2A state champion St. Joseph-Ogden was Monticello's first setback, but coach Chris Jones, who won his 300th game this season, and his team managed two separate winning streak of at least three games the rest of the way. Parkland signee Koyie Williams stood out as Monticello posted its third straight season of at least 30 victories, an unprecedented mark of success for the Sages.
21-10
No. 10
A dynamic offense sparked by superb talent Will Hilligoss and a quality pitching staff allowed the Knights to have a season unlike any in recent program for the program. Coach David McGrath's team punctuated the campaign with a 19-7 win at Neoga on May 30 to win a Class 1A regional championship, the first IHSA postseason hardware for ALAH since it was formed in 2014 and the first regional plaque for the program since 2005.
19-10
No. 6
Winning a Vermilion Valley Conference title and being the only team to top Armstrong-Potomac twice this season have to rank up among the highlights for the Blue Devils. Coach Mark Dodd's team made it to a Class 2A regional title game on its home field, only to lose 10-0 to eventual 2A state champion St. Joseph-Ogden on May 30. BHRA will miss all-around talent Cruz Dubois next season, but the foundation of success is there for guys like Liam Parish, Jaxon Spicer and others to keep building.
17-15
No. 9
The postseason breakthrough is bound to happen someday for Rantoul. The Eagles made it to a Class 3A regional title game this season after coach Kyle Lewis' team beat Bloomington 6-3 on May 27 in a regional semifinal game. But Levi Duitsman, Aiden Cheek and other returnees will have to wait until 2027 to try and win Rantoul's first regional championship since 1992 after eventual sectional champion Normal U-High beat the Eagles 9-0 in a regional title game. Still, a solid season for Rantoul with its challenging schedule.
10. Westville
22-13
No. 8
The Tigers will have to replace key stalwarts like Easton Barney and Matt Darling, with that duo contributing to their successful run in the Vermilion Valley Conference both with their pitching prowess and consistent hitting. Ben Johnson was a force at the plate, too, as veteran Westville coach Joe Brazas led his alma mater to its fourth straight season of at least 20 victories. Even more impressive considering Westville started April with a 3-7 record before posting a pair of win streaks of at least six games.
Continue reading...
40-2
No. 1
No baseball team from Champaign County has ever produced a season like the one SJ-O did in 2026. The Spartans cruised to a Class 2A state championship with a 15-1 victory in five innings against Harvest-Westminster on June 13 at Illinois Field in Champaign to give coach Josh Haley's program its first state title. A deep and talented senior class of Trevor Ames, Parker Fitch, Will Haley, Bryson Houchens, Kodey McKinney, Branson Pearman, Asher Pruemer, Logan Rosenthal and Cam Schluter made history. Well done.
32-7
No. 2
The Class 3A regional championships and superb seasons keep stacking one after another for coach John Staab's program. The Maroons, with senior Tre Cole and sophomore Ryan Pipkins leading a balanced lineup, won their most games since 2015 this spring. And gave Central, which won a share of the Big 12 Conference title, its sixth straight 3A regional title before the Maroons bowed out in the Sweet 16 against Normal U-High.
26-9
No. 4
Coach Tom Kimball's team gave Class 2A state champion St. Joseph-Ogden its toughest postseason game, with the Rockets losing 6-4 in nine innings on June 6 in a 2A sectional title game. Bolstered by a talented senior group featuring Dane Eisenmenger, Brayden Henry, Tyler Henry, Tre Hoggard and Coleton Langendorf, Unity overcame some late regular-season losses to give the Rockets their third 2A regional title in the last four seasons and only the fourth in program history.
24-4
No. 7
Traxton Roberts will be a must-see stop next spring anytime the Kentucky recruit pitches for the Trojans. The hard-throwing right-hander helped deliver A-P its first sectional title since 2003 and its fourth Class 1A regional title in the last five seasons. Coach Tom Wolken's program saw its postseason run end in the Elite Eight with a loss to eventual state champion Tremont, but A-P only graduates two seniors in Ryan Edwards and Luke Townsend. Watch out for the Trojans in 2027.
24-7
No. 3
The season ended abruptly with a 4-3 loss against Mt. Zion in a Class 3A regional semifinal game on May 27, but it didn't take away from another successful season for the Bulldogs. Coach Nic DiFilippo registered his 400th victory in charge of the Bulldogs as M-S won at least 23 games for the fifth straight season. M-S will miss seniors like Austin Wike, Max Young and Nolan Sanderson, among others, but the Bulldogs haven't had a losing season since 2008 and don't plan on doing so any time soon.
30-5
No. 5
Winning their first 21 games propelled the Sages to the top of the area scene until late April. A 7-0 home loss to eventual Class 2A state champion St. Joseph-Ogden was Monticello's first setback, but coach Chris Jones, who won his 300th game this season, and his team managed two separate winning streak of at least three games the rest of the way. Parkland signee Koyie Williams stood out as Monticello posted its third straight season of at least 30 victories, an unprecedented mark of success for the Sages.
21-10
No. 10
A dynamic offense sparked by superb talent Will Hilligoss and a quality pitching staff allowed the Knights to have a season unlike any in recent program for the program. Coach David McGrath's team punctuated the campaign with a 19-7 win at Neoga on May 30 to win a Class 1A regional championship, the first IHSA postseason hardware for ALAH since it was formed in 2014 and the first regional plaque for the program since 2005.
19-10
No. 6
Winning a Vermilion Valley Conference title and being the only team to top Armstrong-Potomac twice this season have to rank up among the highlights for the Blue Devils. Coach Mark Dodd's team made it to a Class 2A regional title game on its home field, only to lose 10-0 to eventual 2A state champion St. Joseph-Ogden on May 30. BHRA will miss all-around talent Cruz Dubois next season, but the foundation of success is there for guys like Liam Parish, Jaxon Spicer and others to keep building.
17-15
No. 9
The postseason breakthrough is bound to happen someday for Rantoul. The Eagles made it to a Class 3A regional title game this season after coach Kyle Lewis' team beat Bloomington 6-3 on May 27 in a regional semifinal game. But Levi Duitsman, Aiden Cheek and other returnees will have to wait until 2027 to try and win Rantoul's first regional championship since 1992 after eventual sectional champion Normal U-High beat the Eagles 9-0 in a regional title game. Still, a solid season for Rantoul with its challenging schedule.
10. Westville
22-13
No. 8
The Tigers will have to replace key stalwarts like Easton Barney and Matt Darling, with that duo contributing to their successful run in the Vermilion Valley Conference both with their pitching prowess and consistent hitting. Ben Johnson was a force at the plate, too, as veteran Westville coach Joe Brazas led his alma mater to its fourth straight season of at least 20 victories. Even more impressive considering Westville started April with a 3-7 record before posting a pair of win streaks of at least six games.
Continue reading...
