news

Springfield all-area baseball team for 2024

VaselineJune 25, 2024

0 7 minutes read

Springfield all-area baseball team for 2024

The State Journal-Register has selected 24 members for the annual high school baseball teams. This year there were 10 selections for the Large School Team and 14 selections for the Small School Team.

The players and their statistics are listed below, in alphabetical order, starting with the Big School team.

More: Cru finds his zone: Glenwood all-stater earns SJ-R Large School Baseball Player of the Year award

BIG SCHOOL TEAM

CAM APPENZELLER, Chatham Glenwood

When this junior got the ball and went to the mound, it was probably going to be a good day for the Titans. This commitment from the University of South Carolina led the Central State Eight Conference with a 0.65 ERA and a 5-0 record in 43 1/3 innings pitched. He also had a stellar 85 to 15 strikeouts while allowing just four earned runs and 18 hits. At the plate, he hit .265 (18-for-68) in 28 games with 21 RBIs and led Glenwood with 11 stolen bases. He was also an Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association All-State choice.

TYSON BINION, Rochester

The senior second baseman batted .348 (40-for-115) and drove in 20 runs for the 20-win Rockets. He scored 35 runs and stole 12 bases.

CRU ERICKSON, Chatham Glenwood

The senior center fielder earned The State Journal-Register’s Large School Baseball Player of the Year honors, as well as an IHSBCA All-State selection, by hitting .462 (54-for-117) with 38 RBIs and four home runs for the 30 -win Titans, who were a perfect 10-0 in the Central State Eight Conference. He scored 32 runs and added five stolen bases. He will play at Lincoln Land Community College next season.

COLBIE GLENN, Lincoln

The Railsplitters senior center fielder moved into a tie for the lead in the Central State Eight Conference by hitting five home runs and had 33 RBIs and a .429 batting average (48-for-112). He gave Lincoln 41 points, and his 20 stolen bases ranked second in the league. In 26 2/3 innings on the mound, he had a 1-2 record with a 3.94 ERA. He struck out 28 and walked only 13. Next season he will play at LLCC.

HAYDEN HICKS, Jacksonville

The Crimsons’ senior outfielder and pitcher batted .390 (41-for-105) with a .488 on-base percentage, drove in 17 RBIs, scored 35 runs and swiped 16 bases. In 48 innings pitched, he was 7-0 – including a seven-inning shutout of Rochester for Jacksonville’s first regional title since 2007 – with a 0.73 ERA, 75 strikeouts and 34 walks. He also had one save in three relief outings.

SETH IMPSON, Springfield High

The last holdout from the Senators’ 2021 Class 3A state championship run, the senior hit .357 (30-for-84) with 14 extra base hits, 20 RBIs, a .429 on-base percentage and a .619 slugging percentage. On the mound, he was 4-1 with wins over Lincoln, Southeast, Sacred Heart-Griffin and Rochester and had not allowed a decision in eight innings against Normal U-High with one earned run. He had a 1.58 ERA over 35 1/3 innings and finished with 41 strikeouts against 10 walks and an opponent batting average of .192. He will play at LLCC.

JAKE KEPLER, Sacred Heart Griffin

The Cyclones’ senior right fielder led the Central State Eight Conference with a .477 batting average (31-for-65), scoring 23 runs and throwing in 22 times. He stole 19 bases, finished in fourth place in the CS8 and helped SHG finish with 23 wins, including a Class 2A regional title.

CHARLIE LINDERMAN, Sacred Heart Griffin

The Cyclones’ pitcher and shortstop hit .400 (42-for-105) with 32 RBIs and 33 runs scored. He tied Lincoln’s Colbie Glenn with 20 steals for No. 2 in the Central State Eight Conference. On the mound, he was 4-1 with a 1.48 ERA in 28 1/3 innings. He allowed six earned runs and struck out 23 against 10 walks. He will continue his career at Heartland Community College.

JACK SWANEY, Rochester

The Rockets’ Northern Illinois University had a great senior season. He tied Lincoln’s Colbie Glenn for first place in the Central State Eight Conference with five home runs. He hit .383 (41-for-107) with 32 RBIs and finished with 15 stolen bases. When he wasn’t at first base, he was likely on the mound, giving the Rockets a 2-3 record with a 3.60 ERA in 37 innings pitched. He struckout 42 batters and walked 29 batters. He will play baseball at NIU.

ENRICO VEACH, Springfield High

The Senators’ senior short stop and pitcher batted .412 (35-for-85) with 18 extra basehits and 20 RBIs. He struck out just twice in just 108 at-bats and walked 17 times. The Wabash Valley College commit added 11 stolen bases. In 30 2/3 innings on the mound, he was 2-4 in 19 relief appearances, but had an ER of 2.51 and struck out 44 batters.

More: SJ-R’s Big School Softball Player of the Year leaves with a school home run record

SMALL SCHOOL TEAM

DREW ATWATER, Petersburg PORTA/AC Central

The Bluejays senior center fielder hit .469 (45-for-96) and had a .563 on-base percentage from PORTA’s leadoff spot. He also finished with 13 stolen bases, 18 RBIs and 21 bases tied at wide. His average was second best in the Sangamo Conference.

LUXAS BIXBY, New Berlin

The Pretzels’ senior left-handed pitcher and first baseman finished his four-year career with an overall average of .392. As a senior, he hit .376 (44-for-117) with five home runs, 26 RBIs, a .447 on-base percentage and a .632 slugging percentage. He also stole a career-best 11 bases and finished with a total of 18 extra-base hits. The Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association Class 2A All-State selection, he had an ERA of 1.38 over 61 innings pitched. He was 8-3, fanning 108 batters against just 19 walks and allowing 12 earned runs in 14 appearances, including one save. He helped New Berlin go from just seven wins as a freshman to back-to-back 22-win seasons in 2023-2024.

MATTHEW BYWATER, Litchfield

The Purple Panthers’ second shortstop, from Mount Olive, hit .394 (41-for-104) and helped Litchfield to a program-best 28 wins. He also finished with an on-base percentage of .537 and hit two home runs as part of his 12 extra-base hits. He drove in 11 runs, scored 44 runs and walked 22 times.

CONRAD CHARPENTIER, Jacksonville Routt

The State Journal-Register’s Small School Baseball Player of the Year was a two-way threat as the senior pitcher and first baseman helped the Rockets to a Class 1A third-place finish in the state tournament. He, along with teammate Nolan Turner, were named IHSBCA Class 1A All-State players. He finished with a .374 average (46-for-123), drove in a team-high 45 runs, hit three home runs, stole 16 bases and had a .521 on-base percentage. On the mound, he was 9-3 with a 1.41 ERA in 79 2/3 innings, including winning his last six decisions. He struck out 104 batters against 22 walks and held opponents to a .201 batting average.

JONAH ELVIDGE, Raymond Lincolnwood

The Lancers’ junior pitcher and shortstop led the team with a whopping .514 average (54-for-105) and had a team-high 37 RBIs. He had an on-base percentage of .560 and led the Lancers with 19 stolen bases. On the mound, he was 3-6 with a 2.90 ERA in 58 innings pitched, striking out 81 against 27 walks.

AIDEN HATALLA, North Mac

The Panthers’ junior shortstop shined at the plate with a .517 batting average, a .625 on-base percentage and just five strikeouts in 84 at-bats. He drove in 24 runs and scored 26. He also had a .980 fielding percentage on 88 attempts.

NATHAN MATOUSH, Hillsboro

The junior pitcher and first baseman did everything he could for the six-time Hiltoppers. He had a 2-3 record and a 0.66 ERA in 42 2/3 innings, with an impressive 94 strikeouts against 16 walks, while throwing nearly 90 miles per hour. He allowed just four earned runs and came in to make two saves. He also was the team leader at the plate with a .393 average (33-for-84) and tied for the team lead with 18 RBIs and had half of the team’s four home runs. He struck out just eight times in 99 at-bats.

CHANCE PAYNE, Mount Pulaski

A Class 1A IHSBCA All-State selection, the Hilltoppers junior left-handed pitcher and first baseman had a 7-0 record with a 0.45 ERA and 94 strikeouts in 47 innings pitched. He gave up only three earned runs and 17 hits. At the plate, he hit .456 (36-for-79) with a .551 on-base percentage and totaled 38 RBIs, nine doubles, three triples, three home runs, seven stolen bases and walked 19 against seven strikeouts. The Hilltoppers won a Class 1A regional title.

ETHAN SAATHOFF, Litchfield

The Purple Panthers’ second-year pitcher and third baseman helped his team get off to an 11-0 start en route to a program-record 28 wins. He was 6-1 with two saves and a 1.67 ERA in 46 innings pitched. He fanned 43, walked 24 and helped Litchfield advance to the Class 2A supersectional for the first time since 1985. He batted .343 (34-of-99), had a .461 on-base percentage, doubled 13 times, had 27 RBI’s and scored 21 runs.

COOPER SCHALLENBERG, Pleasant Plains

The junior third baseman and pitcher of the Cardinals batted .398 (41-for-103), drove in 26 runs and scored 32 runs in 37 games. He also had 17 stolen bases. In 31 1/3 innings, he was 1-2 with a 1.79 ERA and struck out 27 against eight walks. Plains brought home another Class 2A regional title, along with a Sangamo Conference banner.

TRAGER SHULTZ, Pleasant Plains

The Cardinals’ junior center fielder earned IHSBCA Class 2A All-State honors by leading the Sangamo Conference with a .477 batting average (41-for-86). He also had 16 RBIs, 32 runs scored and tied teammate Grady Grisham with a league-high 22 steals for the Cardinals with 29 wins.

NOLAN TURNER, Jacksonville Routt

The senior shortstop led the Rockets to a third-place finish in Class 1A with a .386 average (56-of-145). He collected 29 RBIs, 57 runs scored, 23 extra-base hits and stole 29 bases. He, along with senior teammate Conrad Charpentier, were each selected to the Class 1A IHSBCA All-State team. He and Charpentier will remain teammates at Lincoln Land Community College next season.

TRISTEN WARGO, Gillespie

The Miners’ senior shortstop and pitcher hit .414 (41-for-99) from the leadoff spot with 18 RBIs, 32 runs scored and 16 stolen bases. In 46 innings pitched, he finished 7-0 with an ERA of 0.97 and had a pair of saves in 13 appearances. He fanned 63 and walked 10 batters.

CARSON WORT, Pawnee

The junior catcher and second baseman posted a .485 average (48-for-99) and drove in 44 runs with 17 extra basehits in 33 games. He walked 14 times, struck out just six, stole 37 bases, scored 42 runs and hit two home runs to earn IHSBCA All-State honors in Class 1A.

Contact Ryan Mahan: 788-1546, [email protected]Twitter.com/RyanMahanSJR.