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: Barrington Broncos
Preseason Rank: No. 24
Head Coach: Paul Belo
Classification: 4A
Conference: Mid Suburban League
2025 Record (Finish): 25-10 (sectional final loss)

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ROSTER PREVIEW

No. of Returning Positional Starters: 4 (Steffens, Ostergaard, Abbatemarco, Tomczak)
No. of Returning Starting Pitchers: 4 (Renshaw, Ignacek, Postma, Schumaker)
No. of Returning Relief Pitchers: 2 (Ignacek, Radosh)
Team Strengths: Athleticism (position versatility), speed, 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-five metrics recorded by players from each high school in the following categories. Here is how Barrington ranked among them, as well as within the Mid-Suburban (West) conference:

+ Max Exit Velocity: 101.7 mph, No. 17 in Illinois, No. 1 in conference
+ Avg Exit Velocity: 92.3 mph, No. 29 in Illinois, No. 1 in conference
+ Max Fastball: 87.7 mph, No. 27 in Illinois, No. 1 in conference
+ 60-Yard Dash: 6.9s, No. 27 in Illinois, No. 2 in conference

INDIVIDUAL DATA STAND-OUTS:

• Bowie Heintz (2027) - SS/3B - 6-0, 175 lbs
  
  • vert. jump: 25.8 in (T-No. 150 in IL, T-No. 71 in 2027 class)
• Drew Whitney (2028) - C/1B - 6-3, 200 lbs
  
  • max EV: 100.0 mph (T-No. 111 in IL, T-No. 17 in 2028 class)
  • avg EV: 92.1 mph (T-No. 125 in IL, T-No. 25 in 2028 class)
• Dylan Ignacek (2026) - LHP - 5-10, 181 lbs
  
  • FB spin: 2408.0 rpm (T-No. 43 in IL, T-No. 23 in 2026 class)
  • CB spin: 2555.0 rpm (No. 31 in IL, No. 14 in 2026 class)
  • SL spin: 2492.0 rpm (No. 42 in IL, No. 23 in 2026 class)
• Gavin Sepe (2027) - 1B/LHP - 6-2, 225 lbs
  
  • max EV: 101.0 mph (T-No. 75 in IL, T-No. 37 in 2027 class)
• Jack Postma (2028) - RHP/1B - 6-3, 186 lbs
  
  • max fastball: 91.0 mph (T-No. 29 in IL, No. 4 in 2028 class)
• Jackson Roberts (2027) - SS - 6-0, 165 lbs
  
  • 60-yd. dash: 6.78s (T-No. 76 in IL, T-No. 32 in 2027 class)
• Joseph Mueller (2027) - OF/RHP - 5-11, 195 lbs
  
  • max EV: 104.0 mph (T-No. 23 in IL, T-No. 13 in 2027 class)
  • avg EV: 93.1 mph (T-No. 97 in IL, T-No. 45 in 2027 class)
  • bat speed: 76.3 mph (T-No. 31 in IL, T-No. 8 in 2027 class)
  • 60-yd. dash: 6.93s (T-No. 169 in IL, T-No. 71 in 2027 class)
• Tommy Abbatemarco (2026) - OF/3B - 6-0, 185 lbs
  
  • max EV: 99.0 mph (T-No. 156 in IL, T-No. 46 in 2026 class)
  • rot. accel.: 23.0g (T-No. 25 in IL, T-No. 9 in 2026 class)
• Will Steffens (2028) - 1B/OF - 6-3, 194 lbs
  
  • max EV: 100.0 mph (T-No. 111 in IL, T-No. 17 in 2028 class)
  • avg EV: 91.6 mph (T-No. 148 in IL, T-No. 31 in 2028 class)
  • 60-yd. dash: 6.94s (T-No. 175 in IL, No. 33 in 2028 class)

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X-FACTOR

RHP Jack Postma (2028) will look to take on a bigger role on the varsity squad this spring after getting his feet wet as a freshman last year. Currently sitting toward the top of the state’s sophomore class, he has one of the higher ceilings from a prospect-perspective on the mound at 6-foot-5, 200-pounds. Recently at our Preseason All-State: Underclass event, he ran his 4-seam fastball in the 89-90 mph range (T91 mph), while sitting 89-91 mph with a sinker. He has quality secondaries to go with his fastball as well; a 73-77 mph slider and a 76-81 mph changeup. Alongside LHP Will Renshaw (2026; Southeastern CC), if Postma can take that next step in his development, Barrington could have one of the stronger one-two punches in the area.

𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗹𝗹-𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀: 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 ⭐

RHP Jack Postma (Barrington, 2028) has one of the highest upsides in the state's sophomore class.

◾ 6-foot-5, 200-pounds
◾ FB: 89-90 mph, T91
◾ SL: 73-77 mph, avg. -13.6" HM
◾ CH: 76-81 mph,… pic.twitter.com/THHesSoVaF

— Prep Baseball Illinois (@PrepBaseballIL) March 4, 2026

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NEWCOMER TO WATCH

C/1B Drew Whitney (2028) is entering his first season at Barrington, after moving in from Georgia. Our staff got eyes on Whitney early last summer, and he has continued to show to be one of the more intriguing left-handed hitters in the state’s ‘28 class. Recently at our Preseason All-State: Underclass, the 6-foot-2, 195-pound prospect showed a direct and simple swing while living on the barrel (avg. 92.1 mph EV, T99.9 mph) with bat speed (avg. 68.3 mph bat speed). Look for Whitney to impact the Barrington lineup early this spring.

𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗹𝗹-𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀: 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 ⭐️

C Drew Whitney (Barrington, 2028) provided a loud round of BP.

◾️6-foot-2, 195-pounds
◾️99.9 mph max EV (92.1 avg.)
◾️68.3 mph avg. bat speed@DrewWhitney2028 | @bhsbleacher

👤:… pic.twitter.com/AAVvteiKti

— Prep Baseball Illinois (@PrepBaseballIL) March 5, 2026

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TEAM OUTLOOK

Barrington enters 2026 following a 25-10 campaign that ended one step short of a super-sectional. Perhaps the biggest question mark for coach Paul Belo's Broncos is whether they can establish a cohesive offensive identity while maintaining their pitching advantage in the Mid Suburban League. After identifying "offensive identity" as their primary weakness heading into the season, Barrington's path to another sectional championship may hinge on how quickly their versatile athletes can adapt to defined roles within the lineup.

The foundation starts with LHP Will Renshaw (2026; Southeastern CC), the returning MSL West co-player of the year who anchors a deep pitching staff alongside LHP Dylan Ignacek (2026; Southeastern CC). While Renshaw provides the veteran leadership, the emergence of underclassmen arms could determine their ceiling; sophomore RHP Jack Postma (2028) has shown impressive stuff for his age, including a fastball that has reached up to 91 mph, ranking fourth in his class statewide. LHP Koa Franzak (2027) is another exciting arm to know for the Broncos this spring, who showed well for our staff this winter. Belo, a Hall of Fame coach who guided Fremd to a state fourth-place finish in 2000, understands the value of pitching depth: "Athleticism, position versatility, speed, and pitching are our strengths," he noted, emphasizing the flexibility that could prove crucial in conference play.

Offensively, the Broncos return four starters in the lineup but face the challenge of replacing key offensive production. OF Tommy Abbatemarco (2026; Millikin) brings experience and pop with a 99 mph exit velocity recorded at Prep Baseball showcases, while junior OF Joseph Mueller (2027) has emerged as a legitimate power threat with a team-leading 104 mph max exit velocity. SS Jackson Roberts (2027) returns as well, after getting some time on varsity last spring, and he should provide stability on both sides of the ball. The development of underclassmen like 1B/OF Will Steffens (2028) and C/1B Drew Whitney (2028), both capable of 100+ mph exit velocities, could provide the offensive consistency Barrington seeks.

The Broncos' athletic versatility, Belo specifically highlighted "position versatility" as a strength, should serve them well in the competitive MSL West, where they've established themselves as the conference's top power-hitting program according to Prep Baseball showcase data. With four returning starters in the rotation and the team's speed creating additional offensive opportunities, Barrington has the pieces to make another deep playoff run if they can determine their offensive identity throughout the season.

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BOTTOM LINE

Barrington's pitching depth and athletic versatility give them a high floor for another strong conference showing, but their ceiling depends entirely on whether they can establish offensive consistency around their power hitters. Their pitching depth will likely keep them in every game and will be pivotal when the playoffs come around, giving this team the potential to be dangerous once again in 2026.

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Find more information on the 2026 Barrington HS program below:

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

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