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4A State Finals: Preview

June 11, 2026
By: Clayton Hopfinger
Area Scout, Content

This year’s 4A IHSA State Finals are set for this weekend at Duly Health And Care Field in Joliet, IL, and it looks like it will be a talented field.

Following the 3A State Semifinals, Naperville Central and Maine South will face off at 4 pm, and directly following, Libertyville and Mount Carmel 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 all these games and the 4A State playoff games, you won’t want 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 2026 4A State championship.

Naperville Central (30-9)

Naperville Central is headed to the 4A State Finals for the first time since 2010, where they hope to win their third title in program history. They enter the final weekend of the season having just given up four runs the entirety of the postseason. With a pitching staff that boasts depth and dominance, as well as a balanced lineup that has seen production from many different areas, Naperville Central is in a strong position to bring home the 4A State Title.

Offensively, Naperville Central saw plenty of production out of OF Michael Page (2026; North Central). The North Central College commit led the team in at bats with 130, putting up a .377 average with 20 extra base hits and 26 RBIs, including three home runs. INF Grant Umbright (2026; John A. Logan) was also one of the top run producers for Naperville Central, hitting .316 with a team-leading four home runs, as well as also being tied for the team-high in runs scored (36) and RBIs (30). INF/OF Ryley Orlanes (2027) has seen the ball during his junior season, hitting .420 on the year with 23 RBIs. Cooper Page (2026) was tied for the team lead in runs scored with 36, hitting .316 on the year in the process. Ryan Pall (2027) provided some pop for the team throughout the season, hitting three home runs and also driving in 25 this spring. Also keep an eye on Mark Williams (2028), who hit .326 this spring. The offensive production itself was pretty spread out for the Redhawks, and they have players that can make an offensive impact throughout their lineup.

The Naperville Central pitching staff has a strong amount of depth that could rival among some of the best in the state. At the top of the staff is the previously mentioned RHP Grant Umbright posted a 9-1 record with a 2.03 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 48.1 innings pitched this season. Next to Umbright is LHP Max Henson (2026; Dupage) was second on the team with 41.2 innings pitched, striking out 48 with a 1.18 ERA on the season. Bennett DeSantis (2026) has the team-low 1.13 ERA on the season in 31 innings pitched, striking out 31 on the year. RHP Decker McDonald (2027) and RHP Declan Boyce (2027) each had a sub 1.50 ERA this spring in 34.1 and 28 innings pitched each, respectively, rounding out just five dominant arms that Head Coach Mike Stock can go to.

Naperville Central boasts one of the most dominant pitching staffs in the state that would be enough to carry a team on its own to the State Finals. However, they pair the pitching staff with a lineup that has spread the production throughout, and brings even more reason to believe in the Redhawks as they try to win their third title in program history.

Maine South (25-15)

Maine South will head to Joliet for their first appearance in the State Finals for their first time since 1966, where they will hope to win the title for the first time in program history. This season saw Maine South win the Central Suburban League conference title, and they hope to continue that momentum with another trophy earned by the end of the week.

Offensively, OF Evan Adamczewski (2027; Northern Illinois) and OF Nate Cera (2026; Parkside) have been leading the charge, with each hitter clubbing six home runs this year. Adamczewski has a .384 average in that span with 27 RBIs and a team-leading 53 runs scored, and Cera has a .379 average of his own with 24 RBIs, as well as leading the team in doubles with ten. OF Sean Sladky (2027) hit .342 on the year with 24 RBIs of his own. C Luka Stojakovic (2026; Creighton) hit five home runs of his own this season, proving to be another power option for Maine South. Gavin Krischke (2027) put together double digit extra base hits this season, including two home runs, to go with 21 RBIs.

On the mound, RHP Connor Griffin (2026; Rollins) proved to be the leader of the staff this spring with a 1.53 ERA in 55 innings pitched with 55 strikeouts this season. RHP Henry Murphy (2028) was right behind Griffin in terms of production, putting up a 3.05 ERA in 39 innings pitched, striking out 52 batters in that span. RHP Jack Gianikos (2026; John A. Logan) had some swing and miss throughout the season, striking out 54 batters in 41 innings pitched, which were both second on the team. RHP Russell Hengels (2027) proved to be a quality option out of the ‘pen, striking out 38 batters in 24 frames this season. RHP Charlie Kolz (2027) was strong in his 21 innings of work, logging a 2.67 ERA in that span. Also look for RHP Alex Aridas (2027) and LHP Sam Higgins (2026; Wisconsin-Oshkosh) to be potentially called upon in the State Finals, as each arm finished with a 3.50 ERA with 26 innings pitched.

Maine South brings a pretty deep pitching staff with a strong top of the lineup into the 4A State Finals with hopes of winning their first ever state title that is over sixty years in the making.

Libertyville (29-10-1)

Libertyville returns to the 4A State Finals just one year removed from winning their first title in program history. After winning their sixth straight North Suburban Conference championship, they hope to carry that momentum into the postseason.

Leading the charge offensively for Libertyville has been INF Trevor Wallace (2026; Wilmington). The Wilmington commit has the team lead in hits (41), runs scored (37) and RBIs (39), along with hitting .347 this spring. 1B Braden Tolzien (2026; Heartland) has also been among the top producers offensively, hitting .368 with a pair home runs and 30 RBIs. C Ryan Wilberding (2027; Marshall) has just 44 at bats this season but has really made his presence felt, hitting .409 and clubbing six home runs with 25 RBIs in that span. Bode Rohrbach (2026) hit .304 and was tied for second in RBIs with 30 on the season. Jack Cenar provided some pop this spring, hitting .333 with three home runs and 21 RBIs on the year. Look for Madden Cotts (2027; Bradley) , Matthew Hara (2027), and Carson Holmes (2026) to also make an impact offensively, as they all had double digit extra base hits on the year as regulars in the lineup.

On the mound, RHP Chase Lockwood (2026; Illinois State) has led the staff this season. Lockwood led the team with 70.1 innings pitched, as well as leading the team in strikeouts (69) and ERA (1.89). Nico Harper (2026; Olivett Nazarene) and RHP Kaden Butt (2027) also finished in the top three in innings pitched, with each finishing with 46.2 and 38, respectively. Harper went 6-0 on the year with 42 strikeouts and a 3.45 ERA, with Butt finishing 3-1 with 30 strikeouts and a 2.39 ERA. RHP Brady Buenik (2027; Tennessee) struck out 42 hitters in his 25 innings of work, proving to be a solid swing and miss option out of the ‘pen. RHP Aksel McKnight (2027) and RHP Braden Tolzien each saw double digit outings out of the bullpen. McKnight posted a 2.38 ERA in 17.2 innings pitched and 25 strikeouts, with Tolzien also posting a 3.60 ERA in 11.2 innings pitched this spring to round out the many options for Head Coach Matt Thompson to go to.

The Wildcats feature plenty of talent within their pitching staff to lead them to a state title, and they couple that well with a strong, balanced lineup that can get production from multiple areas. With strength on both sides of the ball and a team that already has experience in the state championship, do not be shocked if you see the Libertyville Wildcats be crowned as 4A State Champions for the second year in a row.

Mount Carmel (30-10)

For the first time since 2015, Mt. Carmel will be heading back to the IHSA State Finals with hopes of winning their second ever state title.

Mt. Carmel was led offensively by 3B TJ McQuillan (2026; Wake Forest), who put together a monster season at the plate and led the squad in numerous categories. The senior lead the team in batting average (.477), runs (59), hits (62), RBI (44), doubles (17), triples (5), and home runs (7). SS Joey Ireland (2026; Illinois) has been right behind McQuillan in offensive production, hitting .460 with four home runs and 42 RBIs, while also collecting thirteen doubles on the year. CF Logan Fernandez (2026; Triton JC) has been productive with his team leading 130 at bats this spring, hitting .385 with 39 RBIs on the year, also hitting a pair of home runs. 1B Anthony Chavez (2026; Illinois) hit .364 over the course of the year with 30 RBIs, while also hitting a pair of home runs.

On the mound, Mt. Carmel has had a bulk of their innings out of three arms: RHP Connor Elenteny (2026; Notre Dame), RHP Jake Matise (2026; Lewis), and LHP Ian Tosi (2026; Miami). The Caravan has gotten the most innings thrown out of Eleteny, who has 66 strikeouts in 63 innings pitched this season with a 2.78 ERA to go along with. Matise is behind Elenteny with 51 innings thrown this season, striking out 55 batters with a team low 1.65 ERA on the year. Tosi is right behind Matise with 47 innings thrown this season, striking out 51 with a 2.09 ERA in that span. Out of the ‘pen, Aiden Giusti and RHP Cylis Rainey (2029) have had the bulk of the opportunities, so look for them to potentially see some time on the mound during the State Finals.

Mt. Carmel features plenty of offensive firepower and a three headed monster on the mound that could rival most teams in the state. If the Caravan's bats stay as hot as they've been all spring, and the rotation continues to dominate, they will be an incredibly tough matchup for any opponent in the bracket.

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