The Illinois high school baseball season kicks off on March 16, 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 2026 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 2026 preseason coverage continues today.

High School: Edwardsville
Preseason Rank: No. 12
Head Coach: Tim Funkhouser
Classification: 4A
Conference: Southwestern
2025 Record (Finish): 25-11 (regional champions)
Key Players Lost: Joseph Chiarodo (Alabama), Lucas Krebs (Illinois), Greyson Rathgeb (Maryville), Tyler Powell (SIU-Edwardsville), Ethan Stewart (SWIC), Dax Dunnill (John A. Logan), Eric Herman (Lincoln Lane), Augie Johnes (Missouri St. Louis), Tyler Rudd (Illinois Wesleyan), Tristan Lance (Lincoln Land), Max Waltenberger, Will Downs, Landon Dykes-Sadowski (Carthage), Logan Porter, Connor Aumend (Lewis and Clark), Evan Poynter, Mace Karnes, Gavin Ipanis (Greenville) 

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ROSTER PREVIEW

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DATA CENTER

TEAM RANKS:

This data is sourced from the 2026 Illinois winter showcase circuit and the 2025 Illinois State Games, compiled by Prep Baseball. We took the top-three metrics recorded by players from each high school in the following categories. Here is how Edwardsville's top-three performers averaged across each category:

• Avg. Exit Velocity: 95.0 mph (No. 12 in the state)
• Max Exit Velocity: 96.33 mph (T-No. 73 in the state)
• Max FB Velocity: 89.0 mph (T-No. 19 in the state)

INDIVIDUAL DATA STAND-OUTS:

• Anthony Eberlin (2026) - RHP
  
  • max fastball: 90.0 mph (89th pctile. in IL, 82nd pctile. in 2026 class)
• Hunter Baugh (2026) - SS/RHP - 5-9.3 , 148 lbs
  
  • IVB (rise): 19.6 in (T-No. 15 in IL, No. 5 in 2026 class)
  • FB spin: 2299 rpm (94th pctile. in IL, No. 15 in 2026 class)
• Miller Dunnill (2027) - RHP/SS
  
  • avg EV: 95.0 mph (94th pctile. in IL, 92nd pctile. in 2027 class)
• Nicholas Chiarodo (2028) - SS/RHP - 5-11.9 , 151 lbs
  
  • avg EV: 94.0 mph (92nd pctile. in IL, T-No. 15 in 2028 class)
  • max fastball: 90.0 mph (89th pctile. in IL, No. 5 in 2028 class)
  • FB spin: 2199 rpm (83rd pctile. in IL, No. 23 in 2028 class)
  • CB spin: 2359 rpm (86th pctile. in IL, No. 15 in 2028 class)
  • rot. accel.: 19.0g (88th pctile. in IL, T-No. 24 in 2028 class)
  • 60-yd. dash: 6.78s (91st pctile. in IL, T-No. 16 in 2028 class)
  • vert. jump: 29.0 in (97th pctile. in IL, No. 3 in 2028 class)
• Tyson Wampler (2028) - OF/1B
  
  • avg EV: 96.0 mph (97th pctile. in IL, No. 1 in 2028 class)

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X-FACTOR

Though the Tigers are dealing with some turnover after the departure of their 2025 class, they still have some key pieces returning - with one of the most notable being INF/RHP Hunter Baugh (2026; Lindenwood commit). The Tigers will rely heavily on Baugh on both sides of the ball, returning a .311 average from a season ago - along with a perfect 7-0 record on the mound with 45.1 innings pitched, 38 strikeouts to 12 walks and a miniscule 0.15 ERA. He will supply lockdown defense up the middle of the infield while also providing an athletic right-handed swing that profiles at the top of the lineup - as the Tigers will be looking to reload some of their offensive production from a year ago. Already an established ace on the mound, he will be a reliable piece at the top of their rotation with a long track record of success. If Baugh can produce on both sides of the ball the way we expect, he could end up being one of the most valuable and versatile players in the state this year.

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Underclassman TO WATCH

The loss of RHP/OF Joseph Chiarodo (2025; Alabama) stings quite a bit, but his younger brother Nicholas Chiarodo (2028) is looking to step in and fill his shoes. He saw some time on varsity last spring, and he’s looked to have made some big strides as a real two-way prospect in the sophomore class. The ceiling and overall athlete Chiarodo is stands out immediately, measuring in at 6-foot, 151-pounds with plenty of room to add strength in the coming years. He has sneaky pop from the right side with upper-90s exit velocities in-event, and he’s a natural defender on the dirt that should help man the middle of the infield with the aforementioned Baugh. Perhaps what we’re most excited about with Chiarodo is his ability on the mound, now boasting a fastball up to 90 mph with a handful of off-speed pitches to go along with it. Currently sitting at No. 5 in Illinois, Chiarodo is one of the more intriguing and talented sophomores in the entire state, and he’s primed for a big year in 2026.

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TEAM OUTLOOK

The Tigers will be strong at the top of their rotation, returning the aforementioned Baugh along with RHP Anthony Eberlin (2026; Texas Christian commit) and RHP Chase Milburn (2026; Heartland commit) - with Eberlin being a varsity contributor since his freshman year and Milburn since he was a sophomore. 

Eberlin is a talented right-hander with a fastball up to 90 mph and three-pitch mix, returning 25.2 innings with a 3.82 ERA and 39 strikeouts to only 13 walks from a season ago. 

There’s no shortage of talent with Milburn either, as he’s a physical right-hander with an upper-80s fastball that was named Prep Baseball Illinois Second-Team All-State his sophomore year after firing 61.1 innings with a 0.57 ERA, perfect 10-0 record and 57 strikeouts to 19 walks. Though he missed a good chunk of last season, the Tigers are undoubtedly happy to have him back in their slew of arms. 

Chiarodo will also have a chance to see a bulk of innings, giving them yet another talented piece they can trot out at any time.

RHP Miller Dunnill (2027) is yet another exciting arm for the Tigers on the mound, currently sitting at No. 218 in the state and equipped with a mid/upper-80s fastball.

The offense is where we see the most turnover, with Baugh looking to help lead the charge on that side of the ball. They also will look to OF Ethan Thomas (2026; Northern State commit), INF Zane Maxwell (2026), OF Jack Kirgan (2026) and Chiarodo to help carry the load. 

An underclassman that could make an impact is OF Tyson Wampler (2028), a projectable 6-foot-2, 170-pound right-handed hitter that showed well this past winter with some tools across the board (T96 mph EV, T88 mph OF). 

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BOTTOM LINE

It is no question that the Tigers lost quite a bit from their 2025 team, but it would be foolish to write them off so fast. They return a trio of talented arms that will help lock down the pitching aspect, providing a deep, trusted rotation that coach Funkhouser can turn to. They also have a slew of up-and-coming prospects in their junior and sophomore classes that will help bolster the lineup. As always, you can expect the Tigers to be well-coached and sound fundamentally, always making them a tough team to take down. If the offense can produce and if some of the new faces can step up, we are looking at yet another dangerous Edwardsville club.

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Find more information on the 2026 Edwardsville program below:

+ Follow them on social media: @EvilleTigerBB
+ Visit the Prep Baseball Illinois Preseason Power 25 homepage

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