Prep Baseball Report

Become a Member

More +

Final Illinois Power 25 Rankings

June 16, 2025
By: Illinois Scouting Staff

With the conclusion of this weekend’s State Tournaments, we’ve finalized our Illinois Power 25 Final Team Rankings. Our rankings are not solely based on playoff outcomes, but rather an account of the entire season, including overall records, conference races, and in-season performances.

**CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL POWER 25 RANKINGS

With this update, it comes as no surprise that Libertyville sits atop the list. The 4A State Champions have earned their title as the No. 1 team in the state after knocking off Normal Community and McHenry in the final four. The Wildcats capped off a 36-4 season with a 10-game winning streak that finished with their first-ever State Championship in baseball.

Finishing No. 2 is the 3A State Champions, St. Laurence. At 37-5, the Vikings won 11 games in a row, which included wins over Triad and Benet Academy in the State Finals, Lemont in the playoffs, as well as an 8-3 win over Brother Rice before the postseason began. They’ve been a mainstay in our Power 25 throughout the entirety of the season, never dropping below No. 20.

McHenry earns the No. 3 spot in this update after an impressive 2025 campaign that ended with a second place finish in the 4A State Finals. En route to their second place finish, the Warriors defeated Brother Rice 4-1 in the State Semifinals, also beating South Elgin, Barrington and Huntley to make their way to Joliet. Before the State Finals loss, the Warriors were on a 12 game winning streak, and they finished the season 34-5-1, which included a 15-3 and first place finish in the Fox Valley conference.

Next up, Normal Community checks in at No. 4 after yet another impressive season, finishing 37-6 and 17-1 in the Big Twelve conference. The Ironmen defeated O’Fallon 10-8 on their playoff journey, and capped off the season by defeating Brother Rice 7-2 in the third place game of the 4A State Finals. Normal Community made their first trip to state under head coach Ryan Short this season.

Rounding out the top-5 is Brother Rice, who held the top spot in the rankings for five consecutive weeks. They finished the season 37-5 and looked the part of one of the top offenses in the state throughout the 2025 season, ultimately finishing fourth in the state. The Crusaders defeated some of the top teams in the state on their trip to Joliet, including Providence Catholic 8-5, Mt. Carmel 3-2 and Oak Park-River Forest 2-1.

As you can see, the 4A and 3A champions sit atop the final Power 25 update, but the 1A State Champions, Ottawa Marquette, own the No. 8 spot, while 1A State Runner-Up Father McGivney sits directly behind at No. 9. Sacred Heart-Griffin won the 2A State Championship, and entered the rankings at No. 10, and Teutopolis finished second in Class 2A, and jumped up 11 spots in the rankings, now sitting at No. 13.

With that being said, take a look below at the state’s Top 5 teams after this season’s end.

NO. 1 LIBERTYVILLE (36-4)

Coach Thompson and the Wildcats finished 2025 as the 4A State Champions for the first time in the program's history. With a talented pitching rotation and strong pieces offensively, Libertyville finished the year with 36 wins, which included a win over No. 4 Normal Community and No. 3 McHenry to earn the State Championship.

LHP Joshua Holst (2025; Air Force) led the staff with one of the most impressive seasons you will see across the state. Holst logged 73.1 innings, collecting 118 strikeouts on the season en route to a perfect 12-0 record. His 12 wins and 118 punchouts ranked 1st and 4th in the state regardless of class, respectively. Heading into the State Finals, Holst was tied for the team lead in home runs with five, to pair with his .359 average on the season. He also led their offense in the State Championship, tallying a hit with three RBI and a walk in the game.

RHP Chase Lockwood (2026) put up an incredible season as well, throwing 51.2 innings on the year with a sub-1.000 WHIP and struck out 57 batters with a 0.95 ERA. In the State Semifinal game, Lockwood tossed a complete game (8 IP), with seven strikeouts, three walks, no earned runs and five hits allowed.

There were other arms that played an integral role for the Wildcats, including RHP Brady Buenik (2027), who was impressive in his first crack at consistent varsity innings. He collected 34 strikeouts in 28.1 innings of work with a 1.24 ERA on the season. Charlie Gertz (2025), Zach Seiler (2025), LHP Nico Harper (2026), and Anthony Fry (2025) were also major contributors for the Wildcats. 

Looking at their offense heading into the State Finals, C Quinn Schambow (2025; Oklahoma State) put together a strong season at the plate, leading the team in batting average (.459), hits (51), RBI (47) and doubles (18), and also swatting three home runs in his dominant senior season. Cole Lockwood (2025; Valparaiso) was electric atop the order, scoring a team-leading 50 runs on the year, as well as swiping 38 bases on the season. Lockwood also hit .412 on the year and only struck out 5 times on the season. OF Ryan Wilberding (2027) put up a strong season in his sophomore campaign, putting up a .395 average on the season and also hitting 3 home runs on the year. INF Carson Holmes (2026) was tied for the team lead with 5 home runs in only 68 at-bats (90 plate appearances) to go along with a .412 average. INF Trevor Wallace (2026) was also productive in the Wildcats lineup, registering a .308 average for Libertyville.

NO. 2 ST. LAURENCE (37-5)

Coach Lotus and the Vikings earned their first baseball State Title in program history with their 8-5 win over Benet Academy. They finished the season with 37 wins, and a 12-2 record in conference play, good for second in the CCL-Blue division. With a majority of their roster being 2026s and 2027s, the Vikings will look to build off their impressive year with yet another stepping stone heading into the spring of 2026.

The Vikings were led by 2B Mickey Lotus (2026) at the plate - a switch-hitting second baseman who sprays the ball around the field. He came into the weekend with an impressive .514 batting average, 54 hits, 54 runs, and nine XBH, and looked like the table-setter for St. Laurence. In the State Semifinal, Lotus went 3-for-4 with a double, run scored and a walk, and finished his season off with a 1-for-4 performance. CF Cory Les (2026; Louisville), DH/1B Connor Marino (2025; Wisconsin-Stout), 1B Adrian Perez (2026), 3B Daniel Coyle (2026) and RF Danny Donovan (2026) were all mainstays in their lineup. Les led the team with 16 doubles, also tallying five triples, and four home runs. Marino, who led off, hit .388 on the season with 47 hits and 51 runs scored, while Perez totaled 12 extra base hits, 40 RBI and bat .373. Coyle led the team in RBI on the season (41), while Donovan drove in 30 runs, tallied seven doubles and hit .354.

On the mound, 2027 LHP Jimmy Benson aced the staff, going 10-1 on the year while throwing 52 innings with 65 strikeouts, only six earned runs, good for a 0.81 ERA. Benson pitched in the State Semifinals and tossed 5.2 innings, struck out six, allowed three walks, three runs and seven hits to help the Vikings advance to the 3A State Championship.

RHP John Strezchowski (2026) and LHP Samuel Chin (2026) were two other starters for the Vikings this spring. Strezchowski struck out 59 batters in 53 innings pitched, while Chin tallied a 4-2 record, throwing 45 innings while collecting 53 strikeouts. Les, mentioned above, also found time as a reliable relief option, collecting nine appearances on the season with only two earned runs allowed.

NO. 3 MCHENRY (36-5-1)

The McHenry Warriors and Head Coach Brian Rockweiler had a fantastic season that saw them finish as the State Runner-Up for the 4A classification. This team was built upon a stellar pitching staff that helped lead them to their best finish in program history.

Heading that pitching staff was senior RHP Brandon Shannon (Louisville), who exits the program now carrying multiple season and career records for McHenry. Shannon had an undefeated record on the mound (12 wins), while posting a 0.79 ERA over 62 innings, while striking out 103 batters over that span, and putting up a big-time performance in the State Semifinal to send his team to the State Championship. 

The Warriors were also able to identify some key foundational pieces that should help the program win for the following years in OF Carver Cohn (2028) and INF Landon Clements (2027). Cohn was the everyday leadoff hitter from day one for the Warriors, batting .385 as a freshman and appearing in every game while notching 18 extra-base hits including four homers. Clements was pulled up to the two-spot in the order near mid-season and helped the Warrior’ offense reach another level in the middle of Fox Valley Conference-play while batting .345 with eight doubles and two triples, appearing in every single game in 2025 except for one. 

McHenry will also have the highly-level two-way talents of RHP/INF Kaden Wasniewski (2027) for the next two seasons, who missed some time on the mound in 2025 due to an injury but was still able to bat .330 with 14 extra-base hits and one homer.

NO. 4 NORMAL COMMUNITY (37-6)

Coach Short and the Ironmen made their first trip to the State Finals in his tenure, finishing their season with 37 wins - their second 30-plus win season in a row. Normal Community had some strong offensive pieces, with a plethora of arms to choose from.

RHP Gavin Swartz (2026; Indiana) was the team’s ace all season, tossing 63 innings with 88 strikeouts, 17 walks, a 1.89 ERA, and an 8-1 record heading into the playoffs. In their State Semifinal matchup against Libertyville, Swartz tossed 7.1 innings, tallied seven strikeouts, two walks, two runs and six hits.

Other arms to note for the Ironmen are RHP Jonah Roper (2025; Rock Valley JC) who pitched to a 4-0 record, tossing 35 innings with 45 strikeouts and 11 walks on the season. In the third place game, Roper threw 5.2 innings, struck out seven, walked one, allowed two runs and three hits. RHP Landyn Corbin (2026) had an impressive 0.70 ERA in 40 innings pitching, totalling 55 strikeouts, 12 walks, and an 8-1 record, while RHP Luke Klunke (2025; Taylor) had 37 strikeouts in 31 innings pitching, including a 1.58 ERA.

On the offensive side of the ball, C/1B Max Heineman (2026; Illinois-Chicago) looked the part of one of the top bats in the state, hitting .471 this year with four home runs, four triples, eight doubles, 41 RBI, and 32 runs scored, with all of those categories leading the team except for triples and runs scored. C/1B Drew Stevens (2026; Valparaiso) is yet another name that hit in the middle of the Ironmen’s lineup, batting .380 on the season with four home runs, one triple, eight doubles, 32 RBI, and 22 runs scored. 2B Gavin Michaels (2026; Cincinnati) is the table setter for this year’s group, batting atop the order, and showing some of the best speed in the class, Michaels can impact the game in many ways. He hit .388 on the year with two triples, six doubles, 21 RBI and 29 runs scored. SS Kyle Beaty (2025; North Central football) was one of the leaders of this year’s group, hitting .277 with two homers, three doubles, 24 RBI and a team best, 37 runs scored. 

NO. 5 BROTHER RICE (37-5)

Finishing No. 5 in our final update is Brother Rice, who spent the majority of the season at the No. 1 spot. The Crusaders had a disappointing end to the season, finishing in 4th place at the 4A State Tournament, however it marked the third trip to Joliet in four years under Head Coach Sean McBride. 

The lineup featured a handful of talented seniors who will be playing next season at the Division 1 level in INF Gavin Triezenberg (Arizona), INF/RHP Jackson Natanek (Illinois State), and INF Aidan Nohava (Eastern Michigan). Triezenberg was their top bat in 2025, posting a .429 batting average, driving in 41, while coming around to score 44 times, and being second in both doubles (15) and triples (3), and being tied for second in home runs (4). 

The 2025 season can also be looked at as a foundational year for the program with a lot of young players getting tons of playing time at the varsity level that should serve the program well in the following years in OF Anthony Cartolano (2027), OF/INF Gavin Stanislawski (2027), INF/RHP Brady Cunningham (2027), Colin Campbell (2027; Louisville commit), LHP Aidan Dillon (2027), OF Nolan Ramoley (2026; Kentucky commit), and LHP Braydon McKendrick (2026). Cunningham was a force on both sides of the ball for the Crusaders in his sophomore year; posting a .412 batting average with 26 extra-base hits, driving in 28 runs and coming around to score 39 runs, and finishing second on the team in innings (53) while striking out 58 batters with a 1.85 ERA - all while pitching in very big games down the stretch and in the playoffs.

**CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL POWER 25 RANKINGS

RELATED CONTENT