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: Normal Community Ironmen
Preseason Rank: No. 2
Head Coach: Ryan Short
Classification: 4A
Conference: Big 12
2025 Record (Finish): 37-5 (4A IHSA State, Third-Place)
Key Players Lost: Jonah Roper, Kyle Beaty, Brady Burkhart, Luke Klunke

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ROSTER PREVIEW

Returning Positional Starters: 7
Returning Starting Pitchers: 4
Returning Relief Pitchers: 3
Team Strengths: Experience, depth, and starting pitching. 

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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 Normal Community's top-three performers averaged across each category:

• Avg. Exit Velocity: 96.4 mph (No. 5 in the state)
• Max Exit Velocity: 102.33 mph (T-No. 16 in the state)
• Max FB Velocity: 88.0 mph (T-No. 31 in the state)
• Top 60-Yard: 6.71s (No. 7 in the state)

INDIVIDUAL DATA STAND-OUTS:

• Drew Stevens (2026) - C/3B - 5-11.8 , 193 lbs
  
  • max EV: 103.0 mph (95th pctile. in IL, T-No. 23 in 2026 class)
  • avg EV: 96.4 mph (97th pctile. in IL, T-No. 13 in 2026 class)
  • bat speed: 80.1 mph (No. 6 in IL, No. 5 in 2026 class)
• Gavin Michaels (2026) - SS/2B - 5-11.7 , 173 lbs
  
  • max EV: 103.0 mph (95th pctile. in IL, T-No. 23 in 2026 class)
  • avg EV: 99.9 mph (No. 5 in IL, No. 3 in 2026 class)
  • bat speed: 77.8 mph (No. 17 in IL, No. 13 in 2026 class)
  • rot. accel.: 21.0g (94th pctile. in IL, T-No. 21 in 2026 class)
  • 60-yd. dash: 6.47s (No. 1 in IL, No. 1 in 2026 class)
  • 10-yd. split: 1.61s (93rd pctile. in IL, T-No. 21 in 2026 class)
  • vert. jump: 30.1 in (No. 18 in IL, No. 8 in 2026 class)
• Gavin Swartz (2026) - RHP/1B - 6-2 , 166 lbs
  
  • max fastball: 93.0 mph (T-No. 16 in IL, T-No. 5 in 2026 class)
  • FB spin: 2341 rpm (96th pctile. in IL, No. 10 in 2026 class)
• Lucas Beaty (2027) - C/SS - 5-11.7 , 206 lbs
  
  • avg EV: 91.9 mph
  • vert. jump: 28.5 in 
• Max Heineman (2026) - C/OF - 5-9.3 , 200 lbs
  
  • max EV: 101.0 mph (90th pctile. in IL, 83rd pctile. in 2026 class)
  • avg EV: 92.9 mph (90th pctile. in IL, 82nd pctile. in 2026 class)
  • bat speed: 73.4 mph (87th pctile. in IL, 72nd pctile. in 2026 class)
  • 60-yd. dash: 6.96s (80th pctile. in IL, 65th pctile. in 2026 class)
  • vert. jump: 27.6 in (93rd pctile. in IL, 86th pctile. in 2026 class)
• Owen Knox (2027) - 2B/OF - 6-0.1 , 146 lbs
  
  • 60-yd. dash: 6.79s (90th pctile. in IL, 88th pctile. in 2027 class)
  • 10-yd. split: 1.61s (93rd pctile. in IL, 90th pctile. in 2027 class)
  • vert. jump: 28.8 in (96th pctile. in IL, T-No. 18 in 2027 class)

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X-FACTOR

RHP Gavin Swartz (2026; Indiana commit) is one of the top pitching prospects in the state, and he figures to be the anchor of what could be one of the better rotations in Illinois this spring. The 6-foot-3, 183-pound right-hander posted a 2.09 ERA across 70.1 innings last spring, striking out 96 batters in the proccess. His fastball sits in the low-90s and has been up to 93 mph. He pairs it with a slider at 79-81 mph that features sharp action and late depth as a true swing-and-miss offering, and a changeup at 83-85 mph with sink. With Josh Jones now joining him in the rotation, the Ironmen have the makings of the top one-two punch in the state.

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NEWCOMER TO WATCH

RHP Josh Jones (2026; Indiana State commit) joins the Ironmen this spring after previously playing at Normal University, and he figures to make an immediate impact alongside RHP Gavin Swartz (2026; Indiana) in what looks like one of the top rotations in the state. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound right-hander has shown a fastball that sits in the low-90s with life through the zone, and he pairs it with a curveball that flashes sharp break and a changeup with late horizontal movement. With Jones added to the rotation, the Ironmen will be a tough matchup for anyone on the schedule this spring.

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TEAM OUTLOOK

The Ironmen are coming off their most successful season in program history, making their first Elite Eight appearance since 2004 and reaching the Final Four for the first time ever. That magical run resulted in their first baseball trophy, finishing third at the 4A state tournament. Now, coach Ryan Short's veteran squad has championship aspirations as they return seven positional starters and four starting pitchers from that historic team. "This team wants to make a return appearance to the state tournament, but we also know that we have a very difficult path to do that," Short said, "Along that path will be teams who we defeated last year and teams that we were able to avoid on the way. We will be hungry but also humble as we prepare to win each day."

The offensive foundation is built around an elite core of committed seniors. MIF Gavin Michaels (2026; Cincinnati) brings a rare combination of elite speed and power, leading the state with a 6.47-second 60-yard dash while posting elite exit velocity numbers. Michaels is one of the top seniors in the state, and as a junior he hit .376 with six doubles and a team-high 26 steals.

C/1B Max Heineman (2026; Illinois-Chicago) returns after a record-setting 2025 campaign where he established a new school record with 59 hits in a season while batting .471 with a team-high 40 RBI and 18 extra-base hits (4 HR). C/1B Drew Stevens (2026; Valparaiso) provides power potential with a 103.0 mph max exit velocity and impressive bat speed metrics. Those metrics translated to a strong junior spring, as he totaled a 1.128 OPS with 13 extra-base hits (4 HR) and more walks than Ks (19:13). RHP/1B Gavin Swartz (2026; Indiana), mentioned above, anchors the rotation having posted a 2.09 ERA with 96 strikeouts across 70.1 innings while contributing offensively. The addition of RHP/OF Josh Jones (2026; Indiana State) will give the Ironmen one of the top one-two punches in the entire state.

The pitching staff features proven arms who were instrumental in last year's playoff success. RHP/OF Landyn Corbin (2026; Augustana) emerged as a crucial piece with a 0.71 ERA across 39.2 innings pitched last season. RHP/3B Jacob Engel (2026) provides valuable depth with his ability to both start and close games, also hitting .387 last season, while OF Carter Harris (2026; Olivet Nazarene) adds athleticism and versatility, hitting .320 last year with seven extra base hits. Other major contributors include OF Andrew Naour (2026), who posted a .329 batting average with 10 doubles, 18 RBI, and 25 runs scored, while C/INF Lucas Beaty (2027) can play all nine positions effectively and provides important innings on the mound, and 2B/OF Owen Knox (2027), whose speed and defensive versatility give Short multiple lineup options.

With this much experience returning and a pitching staff that could be the best in the state, the Ironmen are legitimate contenders to go further in May than they did a season ago.

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BOTTOM LINE

With a rotation headlined by Swartz and Jones and an offense loaded with seniors, the Ironmen have the makings of one of the top teams in the state heading into 2026.

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Find more information on the 2026 Normal Community program below:

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

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Listen to our interview with Coach Short at the IHSBCA Convention:

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