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: Triad Knights
Preseason Rank: No. 20
Head Coach: Jesse Bugger
Classification: 3A
Conference: Mississippi Valley
2025 Record (Finish): 35-7, 3rd place finish in state
Key Players Lost: Hayden Bernreuter, Gabe Deaver, Hayden Bugger, Landon Loomis, Sawyer Brunson, Drew Winslow

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ROSTER PREVIEW

No. of Returning Positional Starters: 4
No. of Returning Starting Pitchers: 3
No. of Returning Relief Pitchers: 1
Team Strengths: Depth of lineup, top of rotation

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X-FACTOR

C/1B Keegan Seipp (2027; Xavier commit) looks to be the offensive catalyst for the Triad Knights this spring following the departure of LHP/OF Hayden Bernreuter (John A. Logan), who was one of the more productive bats in the state a season ago. Seipp is no stranger to producing at the varsity level, hitting .365 with five doubles and 41 RBI last spring as a sophomore. The powerful left-handed hitter has the tools to take on a larger role, posting a 102.4 mph max exit velocity (avg. 91.2) and 402 foot max batted distance. A member of the Team Illinois Future Games roster last summer, Seipp has continued to put himself on the radar as one of the better bats in the class. If he can build on a strong sophomore campaign, Seipp has the ability to help Triad replicate last year's season.

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NEWCOMER TO WATCH

RHP Matt Morris (2028) saw his first varsity action last spring and made the most of it, posting a 0.41 ERA across 17 innings as a freshman. With impact arms graduating from a rotation that was one of the area's best a season ago, Morris figures to take on a much larger role in 2026. The athletic right-hander is a loose, repeatable mover on the mound who sat 81-83 mph with his fastball, pairing it with a curveball at 67-71 mph and a changeup at 70-73 mph when we saw him last fall. If Morris can build on his promising debut and handle an increased workload, he could be a key piece in keeping Triad's rotation among the area's best this spring.

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TEAM OUTLOOK

Coming off their most successful season in program history, Triad enters 2026 following a 35-7 campaign that ended with a third-place state finish. The Knights face the challenge of replacing six key contributors, but return a veteran core that should keep them in the conversation among Illinois' top programs.

The foundation starts with the Knights' established strength, a deep lineup and reliable rotation anchored by senior RHP/INF Nolan Keller (2026; Kaskaskia College), who went 9-2 with a 1.75 ERA across 56 innings while hitting .284 with four home runs and 34 RBI a season ago. LHP Pearce Goodfield (2026; SWIC) returns this year after striking out nine batters over seven innings of work, while OF/INF Carter Gaskill (2026; Illinois-Springfield) hit .421 with two doubles and 16 RBI. OF Braxton Yates (2026) adds another dimension to the lineup, hitting .321 with 27 stolen bases last spring to give the Knights one of the faster players in the area at the top of the order. Head coach Jesse Bugger, now in his 17th season with a 398-242-1 overall record and three state final appearances, remains optimistic about his team's depth: "We have a strong core of players returning as well as some talented up and comers." 

The junior class will be critical to Triad's success, led by the Seipp brothers: Keegan Seipp (2027) hit .365 with five doubles and 41 RBI at first base, while INF Kannon Seipp (2027) batted .328. RHP Nathan Klucker (2027) slots into the starting rotation after going 6-1 with a 3.14 ERA across 29 innings, while OF August Bugger (2027) provides additional offensive firepower, but saw limited action last spring. The wildcard could be C Kade Rocca (2027), who will handle catching duties, and two-way player Brody Hasquin (2027), though Hasquin will be limited early while recovering from an injury sustained during football season.

With significant offensive production to replace, the Knights will need their returning starters to step into expanded roles while integrating promising underclassmen like sophomore RHP Matt Morris (2028), who posted a 0.41 ERA across 17 innings in his first varsity action, into a larger role this spring. The schedule presents measuring-stick opportunities against Edwardsville, Mascoutah and O'Fallon, plus key conference tests that will determine whether Triad can repeat as Mississippi Valley champions.

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BOTTOM LINE

Triad has the pitching depth and veteran leadership to remain a threat, but replacing the production lost from six key contributors will determine whether they can match last year's historic run.

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Find more information on the 2026 Triad program below:

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

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