2026 Prep Baseball Illinois: First Team All-State

Jack Slightom RHP / Lyons Township, IL / 2026

The Cincinnati signee was one of the more dominant arms from start to finish this spring. A name that will surely garner draft buzz next month, he allowed just two earned runs over 45.1 innings to the tune of a 0.31 ERA in 2026. As impressive as his run prevention was, his strikeout-to-walk numbers were perhaps even more impressive; punching out 87 and only walking nine all spring. He finished the year with a perfect 7-0 record on the mound while helping lead Lyons Township to a 23-12 record. Slightom possessed one of the more dynamic arsenals we have seen come through the state; headlined by a fastball that touched 96 mph routinely, paired with a sweeping slider at 78-80 mph and rounding out his mix with a hard changeup at 85-87 mph. 

Colin Doyle RHP / Downers Grove North, IL / 2027

Duke commit, Colin Doyle, was one of the more impressive junior arms throughout the entire midwest this spring. Striking out 93 over 66.1 innings while sitting atop the Downers Grove North rotation, posting a 1.27 ERA. Doyle showed the ability to earn swing and miss with each look our staff got on him this spring; utilizing a lively fastball at 90-94 mph, touching 95, while going to a 81-85 mph slider and a splitter in the upper-80s to make for his secondary offerings. He finished the spring with a 9-2 record, while also going 1-for-1 in save opportunities, while the Trojans finished 2026 with a 24-13 record. 

Chase Rhodes RHP / Tremont, IL / 2026

John A. Logan JC signee, Chase Rhodes, put together a big spring pitching for the 1A State Champions. Amassing over 100 strikeouts (119 total) over 53.2 innings pitched, he scattered just 16 hits over that same span. He compiled a final record of 9-1, while allowing just four earned runs this spring, posting an ERA of 0.52. In the State Finals, Rhodes was sitting 90-93 mph with his fastball, while turning to a sweeping slider at 73-77 mph (2300-240 rpm), completing his arsenal with an 80 mph changeup. Rhodes was one of the main factors for why Tremont finished as 1A State Champs, finishing the year with a final record of 38-2. 

Traxton Roberts RHP / Armstrong, IL / 2027

Enter Analysis Here

 Traxton Roberts is one of the more dynamic arms you will find in Central Illinois in 2026. The Kentucky commit features a high-spin (2400-2600 rpm), low/mid-90’s fastball (T95 mph), paired with two above-average breaking balls; a 73-74 mph curveball (2500 rpm) and a 78-79 mph slider (2400 rpm). Roberts struck out 119 batters over the course of 50 innings, walking 17 and allowing just 12 hits all year to post a 0.42 ERA. The only loss on Roberts’ 4-1 record came in a 1-0 game that was an unearned run. During that same game, he struck out 15 batters in a complete game appearance. 

Asher Pruemer RHP / St. Joseph-Ogden, IL / 2026

Kaskaskia JC signee, Asher Pruemer, was the ace of one of the more dominant teams in the entire state in 2026, helping lead St. Joseph-Ogden to their first ever baseball State Title and a 40-2 record. Throwing 75 innings, he posted a perfect 11-0 record with one save while striking out 93 and walking just 11 to the tune of a 1.12 ERA. Pruemer can run his fastball up to 88 mph, paired with a sharp slider as his go-to swing and miss offering. 

Brandon Thomsen C / St. Viator, IL / 2026

Purdue signee, Brandon Thomsen, earns First Team All-State honors after an illustrious career at Saint Viator. Thomsen earned East Suburban Catholic Conference Player of the Year after posting a .524/.532/.961 triple-slash, good for a 1.593 OPS. Thomsen notched double-digit homers (10) in 2026, while collecting 13 doubles, a triple, and driving in 50. He walked over double the amount of times he struck out (35:15). All while supplying premier defense behind the plate; he is known for being one of the more talented catch-and-throw backstops in the region, and has been up to 84 mph from the chute for our staff.

Tristan Steger C / St. Laurence, IL / 2027

Kentucky commit, Tristan Steger, had a very impressive first year on varsity while playing for one of the top teams in the country. He shared the CCL Blue Player of the Year award and was a Gatorade Player of the Year Finalist in 2026. In 38 games played, he posted a .505/.631/1.124 triple-slash to tally a 1.755 OPS. Steger’s power numbers were jarring; swatting 19 doubles, two triples, 14 jacks, and 60 RBIs, all while walking twice as much as he struck out (26:13). Steger was also a vocal leader behind the dish for the Vikings, caught every single game this spring, and did not commit an error.

Keegan Seipp 1B / Triad, IL / 2027

Xavier commit Keegan Seipp put together one of the more impressive offensive seasons in the entire state, helping lead the Triad Knights back to Joliet where they ultimately finished second at the 3A level. He hit a staggering .398 with 16 home runs, four triples, 10 doubles, 53 RBIs and 42 runs scored - also accumulating an OPS of 1.414. He’s one of the more physical and intimidating power bats in the entire state with a blend of raw strength and polish at the plate, and he’s only coming off his junior year.  

Landon Thome SS / Nazareth Academy, IL / 2026

Florida State commit Landon Thome is one of the more popular names in the country and has been since he stepped foot into high school. A varsity contributor since his freshman year with a state title under his belt, Thome has had an illustrious prep career up to this point and really capped it off on a high-note, earning Gatorade Player of the Year for Illinois and also now First Team All-State honors. The left-handed slugger turned in a .535 batting average with a .630 on-base percentage, also swatting seven home runs with eight triples, 14 doubles, 31 RBIs, 59 runs scored, just 12 strikeouts to 30 walks and a staggering 54 stolen bases. He will likely be one of the first Illinois prep names off the board in this upcoming draft.  

Ethan Bass SS / Glenbrook North, IL / 2026

Wake Forest commit Ethan Bass has been a cornerstone for Glenbrook North’s program his entire prep career, and he’s going out on a high note with First-Team All-State honors. He has collected numerous accolades throughout his career, including 100 career hits, the single season HR record and the career HR record. This past spring, he turned in a .449 batting average with 12 home runs, six doubles, 40 RBIs, 51 runs scored, 47 walks to only 16 strikeouts, 21 stolen bases and an OPS of 1.519 - all while supplying high-level defense at shortstop all year long.  

Griffin Meeker SS / Tremont, IL / 2026

Coming off a 1A State Title, Griffin Meeker went out on a high note and was undoubtedly one of the primary contributors to their success - hitting .478 with five home runs, eight triples, 16 doubles, 45 RBIs, 63 runs scored and 29 stolen bases. Now set to attend Heartland CC, Meeker is a 6-foot-2, 200-pound prospect with the tools and actions to stick left side of the infield long-term - pairing with his physical right-handed bat with proven in-game success. 

Jackson Ahrens SS / East Peoria, IL / 2026

One of the hottest names not just in the state at one point, but the entire country, Ahrens took the baseball world by storm with his historic stretch early in the year, recording back-to-back cycles in back-to-back games, ultimately earning Prep Baseball National Player of the Week. He finished the year at a .441 clip with 10 home runs, seven triples, 16 doubles, 33 RBIs as the leadoff man, 47 runs scored and 17 stolen bases - all while fielding .938 at short. 

Brady Cunningham 3B / Brother Rice, IL / 2027

Our 2026 Illinois Player of the Year, Cunningham put together one of the more impressive offensive seasons we have seen in some time, all while playing some of the top competition in the country. He finished the year at a .539 clip with 17 home runs, five triples, nine doubles, 62 RBIs, 52 runs scored and a 1.785 OPS. His conference stats are even more impressive despite playing in one of the toughest conferences in the state, finishing at a .622 average with eight home runs, 35 RBIs and an OPS of 2.101. 

Jazarris Mackmore Jr OF / Marian Catholic, IL / 2027

Illinois-Chicago commit Jazarris Mackmore Jr. put together an incredibly impressive season, breaking Marian Catholic’s home run record with 11 on the year and also breaking the RBI record with 55, shattering the previous record of 42. He finished the year with a .468 average with 11 home runs, four triples, 17 doubles, 55 RBIs, 34 runs scored and an OPS of 1.571. 

Trevor Ames OF / St Joseph-Ogden, IL / 2026

Morton JC commit Trevor Ames left his mark on the Spartans, helping to lead them to a 2A State Title. He was one of the more dominant bats in the entire state regardless of class, finishing with a .451 average in 142 at-bats with 11 home runs, two triples, 15 doubles, 67 RBIs, 43 runs scored and 21 stolen bases. He also went a perfect 8-0 on the mound with a 1.28 ERA. 

Danny Donovan OF / St. Laurence, IL / 2026

Wisconsin-Parkside commit Danny Donovan was a key factor in St. Laurence’s success all year long, helping to keep them at No. 1 in our Power 25 for most of the season and even up to No. 4 in our national rankings for a stretch. The right-handed hitter finished with a .420 batting average against some of the top competition in the entire country, also collecting six home runs, seven triples, 10 doubles, 52 RBIs, 48 runs scored, only 11 strikeouts all year and 21 stolen bases. 

Ryan Duncheon Jr. C/RHP / East Peoria, IL / 2026

Future Illinois State Redbird, RJ Duncheon put together one of the more dominant two-way seasons in 2026. He amassed over 300 career strikeouts on the mound, while adding 149 this year. In 85.2 innings, he notched a 1.47 ERA and a 0.70 WHIP, while walking just 20 batters all spring, leading the Raiders to the 3A State Finals with a final record of 11-3. Also a key contributor in the lineup, he put up a .542/.627/.883 triple-slash to make for a 1.510 OPS, collecting 14 doubles, nine bombs and 41 RBIs. He punched out just seven times all spring while drawing 32 walks. 

Kaeden Schatsiek OF/RHP / Brimfield, IL / 2026

Illinois State signee, Kaeden Schatsiek, set school records for home runs and on-base percentage after a historic 2026 season while possessing some of the loudest tools in the state. At a physical 6-foot-4, 215-pounds, he is a 7.07 runner in the 60, has been up to 94 mph from the outfield, and peaked at 108 mph off the bat. This spring in 38 games, he triple-slashed .486/.593/1.171 (1.764 OPS) while swatting 17 homers, 13 doubles and four triples with 61 RBI. He walked 26 times to just eight strikeouts, and also swiped 11 bags. On the mound, he punched out nearly 100 batters (99 total) over 48 innings. Schatsiek boasts a low-90’s fastball that was up to 94 mph for our staff during the spring, while showing a mid-80’s changeup. 

Cory Les SS/RHP / St. Laurence, IL / 2026

Incoming Louisville Cardinal, Cory Les leaves St. Laurence holding a pair of records following 2026; setting the single season record for runs scored (64) and triples (10). Les was also named the Anthony Lawless MVP of the CCL Blue in 2026. Offensively, he triple-slashed .486/.600/1.055 (1.655 OPS) while amassing 12 doubles, 10 homers, and 52 driven in. Les also walked 29 times to 13 strikeouts, while also stealing 21 bags. On the mound, he was a crucial part of the Vikings’ pitching staff, posting a 2.82 ERA over 22.1 innings, punching out 25 over that span.