Preseason Power 25 Countdown: No. 11 St. Laurence

March 14, 2025
By: Michael Anderson
Staff Writer

The Illinois high school baseball season kicks off on March 17, opening day for regular season action under IHSA regulations. Over the next two weeks, leading up to opening day, we’ll be publishing our team previews ahead of the 2025 spring season, touching on programs spanning all state classifications, counting down through the official Prep Baseball Illinois Preseason Power 25 Rankings.

Perennially, we’ve submitted a preseason questionnaire to high school head coaches across the entire state. Their responses have been flooding in and we’re using the detailed insight they’ve provided in our team-by-team preseason analysis.

Our 2025 preseason coverage continues today.

High School: St. Laurence Vikings
Preseason Rank: 11
Head Coach: Pete Lotus
Classification: 3A
Conference: Chicago Catholic League Blue
2024 Record (Finish): 31-6 (Won IHSA Regional - lost in Sectional Semifinal)
Key Players Lost: Jameson Martin (Minnesota), Matt Carrano (Parkland), Declan Musil, Kannen Mosher, Evan Les (Illinois Wesleyan)

ROSTER PREVIEW

No. of Returning Positional Starters: 5
No. of Returning Starting Pitchers: 3
No. of Returning Relief Pitchers: 3
Team Strengths: Offensive line-up with a lot of athleticism, speed, and experience as well as strong starting pitching.

NAME	STATE	CLASS	POS	COMMITMENT
Julian Esparza	IL	2025	C	Averett University
Ben Geary	IL	2025	INF	South Suburban JC
Aadden Guerrero	IL	2025	INF	McHenry County JC
Enrique Villanueva	IL	2025	C/RHP	South Suburban JC
Cory Les	IL	2025	INF/OF/RHP	Louisville
Connor Marino	IL	2025	1B	UW Stout
Jon Medina	IL	2025	OF	Lake Land
Andrew Banaszak	IL	2025	C	-
Sam Lefils	IL	2025	OF	-
Quaylen Petty	IL	2025	OF/RHP	-
Jozef Torres	IL	2025	C/RHP	-
Ryan Wollschlager	IL	2026	RHP	Pepperdine
Luke Arroyo	IL	2026	LHP	-
Sam Chin	IL	2026	LHP	-
Daniel Coyle	IL	2026	INF/OF/RHP	-
Casey Czyszczon	IL	2026	RHP	-
Danny Donovan	IL	2026	OF	-
Mickey Lotus	IL	2026	INF/OF/RHP	-
Tyler Malinowski	IL	2026	INF	-
Carter Mosher	IL	2026	INF/RHP	-
Adrian Perez	IL	2026	INF	-
Sean Popp	IL	2026	INF/RHP	-
John Strzechowski	IL	2026	RHP	-
Orlando Vazquez	IL	2026	OF	-
Jimmy Benson	IL	2027	LHP	-

X-FACTOR

RHP John Strzechowski (2026; uncommitted) will be playing a vital role for the Vikings this Spring. He is ranked No. 54 overall in the state of Illinois for the class of 2026 and has a couple years of varsity experience under his belt already. He has an athletic and proportionate 6-foot, 182-pound frame and is a smooth mover with athletic actions on the mound. His fastball sits 84-86 mph with some carry through the zone and he compliments his fastball with a loaded arsenal consisting of a cutter, curveball, and changeup. With Joe Olson out for the year, Strzechowski will be relied on to take on a larger role and lead the staff as the ace. He has already shown to have the ability to dominate the conference, coming off a year in which he had a 9-1 record with 51.2 innings pitched, 55 strikeouts, only 12 walks, a 0.987 WHIP and an ERA of 1.49.

NEWCOMER TO WATCH

LHP Sam Chin (2026; uncommitted) is definitely a newcomer to watch this season. He has a long, lean frame, standing at 6-foot and weighing 155-pounds with plenty of upside. Ranked No. 39 overall in Illinois for the class of 2026, he is a clean and easy mover with the ability to generate high spin on his pitches. His fastball has recently taken a jump, reaching up to 87 mph this past winter while cruising 85-86 mph. He also shows above-average feel for a sweeping curveball, averaging 2721 rpm, while mixing in a changeup that flashes out-pitch potential featuring heavy arm-side fade. He is poised to play a big role in this year's pitching staff.

TEAM OUTLOOK

The Vikings and Head Coach Pete Lotus return in 2025 after finishing last season with a 31-6 record while playing in arguably the toughest conference in the state. They have key pieces returning from this group on both sides of the ball, and we'll start this by taking a look at the mound.

The aforementioned Strzechowski will look to headline the rotation, followed by Chin, but look for sophmore left-hander Jimmy Benson to see some notable time on the bump as well.

Listed at a long-levered 6-foot-8, 205-pounds, the southpaw delivers his arsenal from a deceptive low slot that will make for a tough at-bat regardless what side they hit from. His fastball will play around the 80 mph mark and is complimented by a curveball and a changeup.

The Vikings have plenty of depth on the mound after these three with RHP Enrique Villanueva (2025; South Suburban), RHP Jozef Torres (2025), RHP Ryan Wolshlager (2026), RHP Daniel Coyle (2026), RHP Cory Les (2025; Louisville) and RHP Mickey Lotus (2026) all likely to eat innings throughout the year.

We can also expect to see RHP Casey Czyszczon (2026), RHP Carter Mosher (2026) and RHP Sean Popp (2026) in some leverage situations out of the 'pen, adding even more depth to an already deep stable of arms.

There's a lot to like on the offensive side as well, starting with senior utility player Cory Les (2025; Louisville), who could potentially see time both in the outfield and the infield. The left-handed hitter is one of the more potent bats not just in the conference, but also the state with proven in-game success - bringing back a .369 average in 103 at-bats with three home runs, 31 RBIs, 31 runs scored and more walks than strikeouts on the year.

There's plenty more depth to go around the infield, with names like Mickey Lotus (2026), Daniel Coyle (2026) and Aadden Guerreo (2025) likely to see time there.

Lotus, a switch-hitter, provides reliable defense on the dirt and a compact, line-drive based swing that should act as a good table-setter throughout the year.

Coyle is one of the more potent bats returning to the lineup, earning Prep Baseball Third-Team All-State honors this past spring after he hit .410 in 100 at-bats with nine doubles, 34 RBIs, 32 runs scored and an eye-opening two strikeouts all year. Look for him to be a cornerstone in this lineup as one of the best pure bat-to-ball hitters in the state.

Guerrero is another toolsy prospect we have liked in the past, showing athletic actions on the infield with a strong arm and some strength in his right-handed bat.

INF Connor Marino (2025; Wisconsin-Stout) and INF Benjamin Geary (2025; South Suburban) are two returners that both saw success last spring - with Marino hitting .421 in 76 at-bats, and Geary hitting .311 in 90 at-bats.

Two more important pieces will likely be Jonathan Medina (2025; Lake Land) and Danny Donovan (2026) - a couple athletic outfielders that should play key roles throughout the year, with Medina bringing back a .296 average in 27 at-bats.

Mentioned above as a key arm for the Vikings, also look for Villanueva to handle the bulk of the catching throughout the year and be a nice right-handed bat in the lineup.

BOTTOM LINE & DIRECTOR’S NOTE

This team is perennially near, or at the top of one of the better conferences in the state, while winning it last season. 2025 will likely be another strong year behind an offensive lineup with a lot of athleticism, speed, and experience as well as strong starting pitching. While navigating the Chicago Catholic League Blue Conference, we expect the Vikings to be one of the top teams in the state all spring long. Find more information on the 2025 St. Laurence program below:

+ Follow them on X: @stlbaseball1
+ Visit the Prep Baseball Illinois Preseason Power 25 homepage