Advertisement

IHSA baseball playoffs 2023: Predicting the Class 3A and 4A Illinois state finals in Joliet

adam duvall, journal star
·4 min read

The 2023 Illinois High School Association Class 3A and 4A baseball state finals are scheduled for June 9-10 at Duly Health & Care Field in Joliet.

Here is information about each of the matchups, including top players and predictions on which teams will make it to the championship games and who will ultimately leave Joliet with the large schools' biggest trophies.

Peoria baseball: Peoria-area postseason schedules, scores and pairings

CLASS 3A

Grayslake Central vs. Effingham

  • First pitch — 10 a.m. Friday

  • Records — Grayslake Central (32-7); Effingham (22-15)

  • State finals appearances — Grayslake Central 2014 (4th, 3A), 2013 (3rd, 3A), 2009 (3rd, 4A); Effingham 1942 (single class)

  • Top Grayslake Central players — Sr. P Will Schufreider (8-2 W-L, 63 Ks, 1.92 ERA, 51 IPs), Sr. P-1B Chris Rogers (.353, 31 RBIs, 8 2Bs, 2 3Bs), Sr. 2B-SS Garrett Guenther (.340, 31 RBIs, 7 2Bs), Sr. OF Adam Fitzgerald (.344, 28 RBIs, 5 2Bs).

  • Top Effingham players — Sr. P Josh McDevitt (10-2 W-L, 126 Ks, 0.68 ERA, 72 IPs), Sr. OF-INF-P Quest Hull (.330, 27 RBIs, 8 2Bs, 5 HRs), Sr. SS-P Jack Harper (.417, 23 RBIs, 9 2Bs, 1 HR), Sr. C Myles Maxedon (.269, 22 RBIs, 6 2Bs, 2 3Bs).

  • Semifinal prediction — Grayslake Central 4, Effingham 1

LaGrange Park Nazareth vs. Sycamore

  • First pitch — 12 p.m. Friday

  • Records — Nazareth (32-6); Sycamore (33-5)

  • State finals appearances — Nazareth 2022 (1st, 3A), 2018 (3rd, 3A), 2015 (2nd, 3A), 2012 (3rd, 3A), 2011 (4th, 3A); Sycamore None.

  • Top Nazareth players — Sr. DH-P Finn O'Meara (7-0 W-L, 76 Ks, 1.62 ERA, 39 IPs), So. INF-OF-P-C Jaden Fauske (.487, 38 RBIs, 17 2Bs, 3 HRs), Jr. INF-P David Cox (.396, 35 RBIs, 9 2Bs, 2 3Bs, 3HRs; 3-0 W-L, 43 Ks, 1.08 ERA, 26 IPs), Jr. INF-P Cooper Malamazian (.569, 32 RBIs, 9 2Bs, 3 3Bs, 5 HRs).

  • Top Sycamore players — Sr. P Jimmy Amptmann (9-0 W-L, 78 Ks, 1.46 ERA, 48 IPs; .402, 31 RBIs, 9 2Bs, 7 HRs), Sr. INF-P Owen Piazza (7-0 W-L, 33 Ks, 2.26 ERA, 34 IPs; .349, 24 RBIs, 12 2Bs, 2 3Bs), Jr. INF-P Matthew Rosado (4-1 W-L, 41 Ks, 0.44 ERA, 32 IPs), Jr. C Kyle Hartmann (.382, 36 RBIs, 9 2Bs, 7 HRs).

  • Semifinal prediction — Sycamore 6, Nazareth 3

  • Championship prediction — Sycamore 2, Grayslake Central 1

All-star baseball: The 94 players selected for the 2023 McDonald's all-star game in Peoria

CLASS 4A

Edwardsville vs. Elmhurst York

  • First pitch — 3 p.m.

  • Records — Edwardsville (31-9); York (25-13-1)

  • State finals appearances — Edwardsville 2022 (1st, 4A), 2019 (1st, 4A), 2017 (4A, 2nd), 2007 (AA), 2004 (AA), 2002 (2nd, AA), 2000 (AA), 1999 (AA), 1998 (1st, AA), 1991 (2nd, AA), 1990 (1st, AA), 1988 (AA), 1982 (AA), 1980 (AA), 1953 (single class), 1952 (single class), 1947 (single class); York 1993 (1st, AA), 1960 (1st, single class).

  • Top Edwardsville players — Sr. P Logan Geggus (10-0 W-L, 71 Ks, 2.14 ERA, 49 IPs), So. P-OF Joe Chiarodo (5-2 W-L, 65 Ks, 0.98 ERA, 50 IPs; .333 18 RBIs, 6 2Bs), Sr. 1B Riley Iffrig (.377, 51 RBIs, 7 2Bs, 8 HRs), Sr. OF Caeleb Copeland (.400, 40 RBIs, 10 2Bs, 2 HRs).

  • Top York players — Jr. P Ryan Sloan (4-1 W-L, 88 Ks, 0.91 ERA, 46 IPs), So. INF Josh Fleming (.464, 38 RBIs, 22 2Bs, 2 3Bs, 7 HRs), Sr. OF Ryan Turner (.402, 31 RBIs, 8 2Bs), So. INF Josh Fleming (.464, 38 RBIs, 22 2Bs, 2 3Bs, 7 HRs).

  • Semifinal prediction — Edwardsville 8, York 3

Chicago Brother Rice vs. Winnetka New Trier

  • First pitch — 5 p.m.

  • Records — Brother Rice (25-15); New Trier (29-7)

  • State finals appearances — Brother Rice 2022 (3rd, 4A), 2007 (4th, AA), 1983 (AA), 1981 (2nd, AA), 1976 (1st, single class); New Trier 2017 (4th, 4A), 2009 (1st, 4A), 2007 (2nd, AA), 2000 (1st, AA), 1999 (2nd, AA), 1997 (AA), 1993 (AA), 1989 (AA), 1983 (AA), 1980 (AA), 1954 (single class).

  • Top Brother Rice players — Sr. P Cole Van Assen (9-4 W-L, 81 Ks, 1.97 ERA, 71 IPs), So. P Tadgh Callaghan (3-4 W-L, 34 Ks, 4.77 ERA, 44 IPs), Sr. OF Bryce Nevils (.352, 35 RBIs, 12 2Bs, 6 HRs), So. INF Gavin Triezenberg (.336, 28 RBIs, 4 2Bs).

  • Top New Trier players — Jr. P Max Kaplan (8-1 W-L, 56 Ks, 1.23 ERA, 57 IPs), Jr. P Justin Wood (6-2 W-L, 54 Ks, 2.64 ERA, 45 IPs), Sr. DH-P Dylan Mayer (.372, 35 RBIs, 9 2Bs, 2 3Bs, 6 HRs), Sr. OF Brendan Stressler (.367, 38 RBIs, 11 2Bs, 2 3Bs, 5 HRs).

  • Semifinal prediction — Brother Rice 4, New Trier 3

  • Championship prediction — Edwardsville 8, Brother Rice 5

Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: IHSA Class 3A, 4A baseball brackets: state finals predictions, preview