St. Charles North continues rise from young team to emerging contender, followed by Yorkville, Burlington Central and Bartlett.

Top 10 Teams

1. St. Charles North (25-9-1)

Despite being young, North Stars topped 20-win mark again last season. Parker Reinke and Keaton, his sophomore brother, will be key cogs this spring. Josh Caccia fronts the pitching staff, while Colin Ryder and Jackson Spring provide experience at the plate.

2. Yorkville (15-18)

Foxes are loaded with star power, featuring four-year varsity pitcher Simon Skroch (Minneosta) as the headliner, plus standout Nate Harris (Kentucky) moving to the outfield and increasing his pitching load. Kam Yearsley also is coming off a monster season at the plate.

3. Burlington Central (20-17)

Rockets could be most experienced team in area behind four-year varsity players Brady Gilroy, AJ Payton and Michael Person. The pitching staff returns all but 10 innings from last season, while basketball star and standout catcher Jake Johnson also is back behind the plate.

4. Bartlett (20-16)

Young but experienced Hawks are poised for breakout season. Josh Colaizzi and Brandon Pelz, two of the top sophomores in Illinois, will be important contributors. Brendan Campbell (Minnesota-Duluth), Ryan Renella (Concordia Chicago), Robby Stankus (Loras) and Colin Swalley (Elgin) all have committed to college.

5. Hampshire (19-17)

Left-handers Anthony Karbowski (Lousiville) and Jack Schane return to lead pitching staff. The hard-throwing Karbowski, a junior, and the crafty Schane give teams a different look. Dominic Borecky (Winona State) leads offense on team with six three-year varsity players.

6. St. Charles East (27-5)

Saints lose a lot of firepower from team that reached sectional final, including New York Mets draftee Jake Zitella. Junior Joey Arend (Xavier), however, anchors pitching staff and plays in the outfield. New coach Derek Sutor replaces retired Len Asquini.

7. Oswego East (24-12)

It was an historic season for Wolves, who were a win away from reaching state after earning sectional championship over rival Oswego. Much of that firepower graduated, but several future college players return, including first baseman/pitcher Jackson Petsche.

8. Oswego (26-12)

Aside from senior first baseman Ben Hernandez, Panthers are young on position side. Senior pitching from Noah Mottet and Nick Tickle will help as they attempt to repeat as Southwest Prairie West champions, though.

9. Batavia (19-17)

Ace Jack Watson graduated, but Nate Nazos returns to anchor pitching staff. Star quarterback Ryan Boe provides power at first base, while Jacob Aseltine and Ryne Woods also return offensively. Three-sport star Charlie Whelpley comes back to baseball after a hiatus.

10. Geneva (14-20)

Vikings boast one of best middle infields in area with star quarterback Nate Stempowski at shortstop and Sam Seykora at second base. Bryce Breon and Seth Kisner, last season’s top pitching duo, return to lead the staff.

The 25 Players to Watch

• Joey Arend, St. Charles East, junior, pitcher/outfielder.
• Carson Bantz, West Aurora, senior, third baseman/pitcher.
• Daniel Bastidas, Metea Valley, senior, infielder.
• Josh Caccia, St. Charles North, senior, pitcher.
• Josh Colaizzi, Bartlett, sophomore, outfielder/pitcher.
• Jack Cozzi, St. Edward, senior, outfielder.
• Gavin Duran, Harvest Christian, senior, shortstop.
• Brady Gilroy, Burlington Central, senior, shortstop/outfielder.
• Nate Harris, Yorkville, senior, outfielder/pitcher.
• Nolan Hooper, Yorkville Christian, junior, pitcher/infielder.
• Anthony Karbowski, Hampshire, junior, pitcher.
• Martin Ledbetter, Hinckley-Big Rock, junior, pitcher/catcher/first baseman.
• Nate Nazos, Batavia, senior, pitcher.
• Keenan Oldani, South Elgin, senior, third baseman.
• AJ Payton, Burlington Central, senior, first baseman/pitcher.
• Brandon Pelz, Bartlett, sophomore, pitcher/shortstop.
• Michael Person, Burlington Central, senior, pitcher/shortstop.
• Jackson Petsche, Oswego East, senior, first baseman/pitcher.
• Keaton Reinke, St. Charles North, sophomore, outfielder/pitcher.
• Parker Reinke, St. Charles North, senior, outfielder.
• Simon Skroch, Yorkville, senior, pitcher.
• Jackson Spring, St. Charles North, senior, shortstop.
• Nate Stempowski, Geneva, senior, shortstop.
• Parker Violett, Kaneland, senior, infielder/outfielder.
• Kam Yearsley, Yorkville, senior, outfielder/pitcher.

Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.