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2A State Finals Preview

June 5, 2025
By: Dane Poe, Clayton Hopfinger & Coby Miller
Illinois Staff

This year’s 2A IHSA State Finals are set for this weekend at Illinois Field in Champaign, IL, and it looks like it will be a talented field.

To kickstart the state playoff, Eureka and Sacred Heart-Griffin will face off at 4 pm, and directly following, Newman Central Catholic and Teutopolis will play at 7 pm. The third place game will take place Saturday at 4 pm with the State Championship set to begin at 7 pm.

With extensive coverage of both these games and the 2A State playoff games, you want to be sure not to miss the action. You can find the coverage on our X @PrepBaseballIL.

Below, you can learn more about the four teams that will be competing for the 2025 2A State Championship.

EUREKA (34-4)

Eureka is relying on its solid core of senior leadership, who have been instrumental throughout the year as they enter the state playoffs. Guys like Cohen Alstat (2025), Mason Stoller (2025), Ben Lapp (2025; Illinois Central), and Tanner Wiegand (2025) have provided consistent pitching and timely hitting, helping guide a team that’s stayed composed in tight games and high-pressure moments. Their postseason journey has relied heavily on that experience, which will play a significant role this weekend.

At the plate, Eureka is led by standout bats such as Mason Stoller and Ben Lapp, who have been consistent hitters. Lapp, the Eureka lineup’s spark plug, enters with a .455 batting average and a team-leading 56 hits and 52 runs. Stoller with a .458 batting average hits for power, as he leads the Hornets in doubles with 17, home runs with 4, and RBIs with 49. Behind them, the Hornets show off their lineup depth with key contributions from Andrew Zimmerman (2025), John Martin (2026), and Isaac Schaefer (2025) that make Eureka’s offense dangerous from top to bottom. Zimmerman, who plays shortstop and bats in the five-hole, has been a force this year offensively. On the year, he has a .384 batting average, 43 hits, 40 RBIs, seven doubles, and is tied for the team lead with two triples. Martin, the backstop for the Hornets, has been a key piece to their offensive success as well. Turning the lineup over, Martin sits third on the team in batting average (.396). Finally, Isaac Schaefer completes the high-powered offense with a batting average of .306 and 11 doubles.

On the mound, Tanner Wiegand has emerged as Eureka’s ace, posting a 10–1 record, 1.92 ERA, and 61 strikeouts across 62 innings. Behind him, Parker Roberts (2025) and Teagan McLaughlin (2027) offer valuable depth and have stepped up in big moments. Roberts has been dominant on the mound, with a team-best 1.34 ERA in 47 innings. He has struck out 40 batters while surrendering only 33 hits. McLaughlin has kept teams off the board by avoiding the free pass. He has thrown 36 innings, only allowing three walks, while striking out 28, which has earned him a 1.94 ERA. Alstat, a two-way player, contributes both on the hill and at the plate, giving Eureka even more depth. Alstat, 6-2, with a 2.04 ERA, also has a .330 batting average with 15 XBH. Alstat propelled the Hornets to the State Finals, throwing seven scoreless innings against Wilmington on Monday in the Super-Sectional.

Eureka appears to check all of the boxes heading into the semifinals, thanks to a combination of senior leadership, offensive depth, a dependable pitching staff, and individuals who can have a variety of impacts on the game. This group is built to make a run.

SACRED HEART-GRIFFIN (24-8)

A red-hot Sacred Heart-Griffin is heading to Champaign for the 2A State Finals. The Cyclones entered May with a record of 17-4. They then lost the first four games in the month of May. Since then, the Cyclones have won seven straight and are rolling behind a deep lineup and a few electric arms.

Sacred Heart-Griffin has two 2026 OFs that set the tone at the top of the order. Drew Ward (2026) is heading to Champaign with a .313 batting while having six doubles, six triples, and coming around to score 29 runs. Ty Springer (2026) is tied for first place in hits on the team with 35 while having a .361 batting average with four doubles and six triples. 1B Andy Antonacci (2025; Heartland) comes in leading the team in batting average (.427), RBIs (30), doubles (9), home runs (5), and is tied for first in hits. C Mike Groesch (2027) gives them another power bat as he has five doubles, one triple, and one home run while having a .354 batting average. Behind the power duo, is a dynamic middle infield duo of Carson Butler (2026) and Austin Rutter (2027). Butler has a batting average of .341 with 11 extra-base hits while driving in 22 runs. Rutter heads to Champaign with a .317 batting average with 13 extra-base hits while driving in 25 runs and coming around to score 25 as well. This deep lineup will give any pitcher trouble.

As powerful as the lineup is, Sacred Heart-Griffin also has a strong pitching staff that has racked up 217 combined strikeouts across 210 innings. Antonacci isn’t just the Cyclones’ top bat, the senior is also the team’s ace. In 51 innings, Antonacci has struck out 68 batters while having a 2.75 ERA and surrendering only 41 hits. The Heartland commit is accompanied at the top of the rotation by a 2026 arm that is on the rise. RHP Will Pennell (2026) is second on the team in innings with 46 while striking out 42 batters and having a 2.59 ERA. Will Coady (2026) is the next arm up and gives the Cyclones a lefty option. Coady comes in third on the team in innings with 34 while striking out 35 batters.

A team that has scored 34 runs while surrendering six in postseason play is looking good heading into Friday. The combination of talent on this Sacred Heart-Griffin team will give the Cyclones a chance to make it through Saturday night and potentially take home the 2A State Championship.

NEWMAN CENTRAL CATHOLIC (28-7-1)

For the third straight year, Newman Central Catholic advances to the 2A State Finals. After losing four of their last five games to end the season, the Comets have gotten hot at the right time as they have fought their way to Champaign by out-scoring their opponents 33 runs to 17 in postseason play.

Newman Central Catholic heads to Champaign with a young roster while having only three seniors on the team. Whether it be underclassmen or upper, the Comets have gotten production throughout their lineup. OF Ashton Miner (2027) leads the team in batting average (.438) and doubles (14) while also being second in RBIs (38) and tied for second in hits (42). C Daniel Kelly (2025) comes in second on the team in batting average (.394), third in RBIs (28), doubles (9), and runs (30) while being tied for first in home runs (3). OF Chase Decker (2025) provides a power bat as he has connected on 11 extra-base hits with a .387 batting average while driving in 42 runs which leads the team. MIF Garret Matznick (2026) leads the team in runs with 48 while connecting on 12 doubles and having a .375 batting average while driving in 25 runs. INF Garet Wolfe (2026) comes into Champaign hitting .372 with 21 RBIs while coming in to score 23 more.

The Comets have relied on a lot of arms this season as 14 different pitchers have been used throughout the 36 games that they have played so far. RHP Evan Bushman (2026) leads the team in several pitching categories including, games (12), innings (66), and strikeouts (44) while having a 2.44 ERA with a 9-0 record. Drake Cole (2026) is the lone lefty on the roster. Cole is second in innings (42) across 10 games while having a 5-1 record. RHP Michael Morse (2027) has struck out 38 batters, which is second on the team, across 32 innings while having a 2.63 ERA with a 5-1 record. RHP Liam Nicklaus (2027) has thrown 23 innings across eight games while having a 1.83 ERA. Matznick is just an impact bat as he has also thrown 19 innings across ten games while having 1.11 ERA.

A team that is very familiar with the spotlight that comes with the 2A State Finals, the Comets have proven themselves worthy of the stage. After placing third and fourth respectively the past two years, expect Newman Central Catholic to claw for a higher prize. With impact at the plate and a deep pitching staff, the Comets have what it takes to make a deep run through Saturday night.

TEUTOPOLIS (29-5)

Teutopolis has had a thrilling path to the 2A State Finals so far. They are coming off of back-to-back comeback wins against 2024 2A Champions St. Anthony and DuQuoin. This will be the first time in six years that T-Town will find themselves in the State Finals, and much like the run in 2019, they hope this year ends with them as 2A champions.

The Wooden Shoes will make the trip up to Champaign with a pitching staff that has been nothing short of lights out this season. They feature five different arms with at least twenty innings pitched and an ERA south of 2.00. Aidan Niemerg (2027) stands out among the plenty of talented arms, as he allowed only two earned runs all season in 32 innings pitched, which was good for a miniscule 0.44 ERA. RHP Caleb Deters (2027) enters Champaign with the second-lowest ERA  (1.31), coming in second on the team in strikeouts (38), and also allowing only 8 walks on the season. RHP Austin Borries (2026) has also been dominant on the mound, posting a 1.75 with 36 strikeouts on the year. LHP Davin Worman (2026) has truly been a workhorse from the left side for Teutopolis. In only seven appearances this season, he leads the team with 38.0 innings pitched and posted a 1.84 ERA to go with it. RHP Gavin Addis (2026) led the team in strikeouts (41) in 32.0 innings pitched. RHP Andrew Probst (2025), Michael Niebrugge (2025), and Carter Hoene (2025) are all options for Coach Fleener out of the ‘pen for Teutopolis.

Offensively, Michael Niebrugge was an absolute force at the plate this season, leading the team in multiple offensive categories, including batting average (.487), doubles (14), RBIs (49), and hits (55), and also hit  4 home runs, good enough for second on the team. C Jason Kreke (2026) led the team in home runs with 6 on the season, all the while sporting a .400 batting average and collecting 37 RBIs. Davin Worman had a strong year at the plate, hitting .400 and leading the team in runs scored with 50. Henry Thompson (2025) and Aidan Neimerg both hit .369 on the season in the same amount of at-bats (84). Austin Borries, Dawson Hoene (2025), and Carter Hoene (2025) have been contributors to the Wooden Shoes offense as well. 

Head coach Matt Fleener and Teutopolis are no stranger to the State Finals, and they look to win it for the first time since 2019. Coming off back-to-back walk-off wins that earned themselves a ticket to Champaign, they have plenty of momentum going their way. With some of the strongest pitching depth in the state and a well-rounded offense, they are in a great position to raise the 2A State Champions trophy on Saturday and win their third state title in ten seasons.

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