Prep Baseball Report

Become a Member

More +

4A State Finals: Recap

June 14, 2026
By: Tyler Defibaugh
Manager, Content & Operations/Area Scout

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Libertyville defeated Maine South 7-6 to repeat as 4A State Champions. The Wildcats were down 5-2 at one point and came back to tie the game in the sixth inning before taking it in extras.

Maine South jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when CF Sean Sladky (2027) drove home the courtesy runner for C Luka Stojakovic (2026; Creighton) - who tripled earlier in the inning.

Stojakovic would drive in the game’s next run the very next inning, hitting a sacrifice fly to give the Hawks a 2-0 advantage entering the third inning.

The Hawks would add another run in the bottom of the third on an RBI groundout from DH Braden Cremins (2027), which scored LF Gavin Krischke (2027) who tripled earlier in the inning.

Libertyville would answer back in the top of the fifth inning with a two-run inning. 3B Bode Rohrbach (2026) and 2B Madden Cotts (2027; Bradley) each notched back-to-back RBI doubles to cut the deficit to one, making it 3-2 entering the bottom of the fifth.

Maine South would answer right back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the fifth. Cremins and Jordan Rosa (2027) each would plate a run in the inning, making it 5-2 entering the sixth inning.

The Wildcats would storm back to tie the game in the sixth inning, scoring three runs. A bases-loaded wild pitch, a sac fly from OF Matthew Hara (2027) and an RBI single from OF Jack Cenar (2026) tied the game up entering the bottom of the sixth.

Both teams would work scoreless seventh innings, to send the game to extras. A balk in the top of the eighth by Maine South would give the Wildcats a 6-5 lead, before Carson Holmes (2027) would drive in a run on a single to give Libertyville insurance entering the bottom half of the eighth.

RHP Madden Cotts would seal the deal for the Wildcats in the bottom of the eighth, working out of a bases-loaded jam to secure Libertyville’s second consecutive state championship.

RHP Jack Gianikos (2026; John A. Logan JC) gave the Hawks a stellar start in the loss. He worked his fastball 87-89 mph and held throughout his outing, while mixing in a tight breaking ball for swing and miss. He would go on to punch out six over five innings of work.

The Wildcats finish the year 31-10-1, while the Hawks from Maine South end their season 26-16. Congratulations to both teams on great seasons.

THIRD PLACE GAME

Mount Carmel defeated Naperville Central 11-2 to claim 3rd place for the state’s 4A Classification. For the final time, Mount Carmel received stellar pitching performances from seniors LHP Ian Tosi (Miami) and RHP Jake Matise (Lewis).

Tosi got the ball to start and turned in four innings of one-run ball on four hits and a walk, while punching out seven. Matise came out of the ‘pen for the Caravan and delivered three innings of one-run ball on one hit with six strikeouts.

Naperville Central would kick the game’s scoring off in the bottom of the first, with Jackson Persin (2026) plating Jermaine Kenady (2027) on an RBI single.

Mount Carmel would answer right back the very next frame to take a 2-1 lead after Christian Clark (2026) doubled home a run and Cylis Rainey (2029) singled home a run, and from there the Caravan never looked back en route to the win.

The Caravan would score three runs in both the third and fourth innings, while scoring another run in the fifth, and two more in the sixth.

With the win, Mount Carmel finishes 2026 with a 31-11 record, while Naperville Central finishes the year 30-11. Congratulations to both teams on great seasons.

RELATED CONTENT