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: Lincoln-Way East Griffins
Preseason Rank: No. 7
Head Coach: John McCarthy
Classification: 4A
Conference: Southwest Suburban Blue
2025 Record (Finish): 28-11 (sectional finalists)
Key Players Lost: RHP Jack Tamer, LHP Jack Bauer, OF MJ Schley, OF Charlie Cosich, INF Danny Mackey

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ROSTER PREVIEW

Returning Positional Starters: 7
Returning Starting Pitchers: 2
Returning Relief Pitchers: 2
Team Strengths: Hitting, pitching, and defense

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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 Lincoln-Way East's top-three performers averaged across each category:

• Avg. Exit Velocity: 92.37 mph 
• Max Exit Velocity: 101.33 mph (T-No. 22 in the state)
• Max FB Velocity: 87.67 mph
• Top 60-Yard: 6.73s (T-No. 10 in the state)

INDIVIDUAL DATA STAND-OUTS:

• Casey Mikrut (2027) - SS/RHP - 5-8.7 , 176 lbs
  
  • CB spin: 2266 rpm (80th pctile. in IL, 77th pctile. in 2027 class)
  • 60-yd. dash: 6.91s (83rd pctile. in IL, 80th pctile. in 2027 class)
  • 10-yd. split: 1.65s (84th pctile. in IL, 79th pctile. in 2027 class)
  • vert. jump: 25.9 in (85th pctile. in IL, 79th pctile. in 2027 class)
• Cooper Johnson (2027) - RHP/1B - 6-3.3 , 198 lbs
  
  • max EV: 104.0 mph (97th pctile. in IL, T-No. 20 in 2027 class)
  • 10-yd. split: 1.66s (81st pctile. in IL, 74th pctile. in 2027 class)
• Jacob Newman (2026) - C - 6-0.4 , 174 lbs
  
  • bat speed: 74.3 mph (91st pctile. in IL, 79th pctile. in 2026 class)
• Keegan Crabtree (2028) - SS/2B - 6-1.2 , 163 lbs
  
  • max fastball: 88.0 mph (77th pctile. in IL, T-No. 16 in 2028 class)
  • IVB (rise): 17.9 in (92nd pctile. in IL, No. 16 in 2028 class)
  • SL spin: 2133 rpm (58th pctile. in IL, No. 25 in 2028 class)
  • vert. jump: 26.3 in (87th pctile. in IL, T-No. 25 in 2028 class)
• Malcolm Donaldson (2028) - OF/OF - 5-9.9 , 156 lbs
  
  • 60-yd. dash: 6.52s (T-No. 6 in IL, No. 1 in 2028 class)
  • 10-yd. split: 1.64s (87th pctile. in IL, T-No. 23 in 2028 class)
  • vert. jump: 26.3 in (87th pctile. in IL, T-No. 25 in 2028 class)
• Nate Kaminski (2027) - OF/LHP - 5-9.6 , 180 lbs
  
  • max EV: 99.0 mph (82nd pctile. in IL, 74th pctile. in 2027 class)
  • avg EV: 91.1 mph (83rd pctile. in IL, 79th pctile. in 2027 class)
  • 60-yd. dash: 6.82s (89th pctile. in IL, 87th pctile. in 2027 class)
  • 10-yd. split: 1.60s (95th pctile. in IL, 92nd pctile. in 2027 class)
  • vert. jump: 26.8 in (89th pctile. in IL, 87th pctile. in 2027 class)
• Rocco Triolo (2027) - C/OF - 5-11.7 , 191 lbs
  
  • max EV: 101.0 mph (90th pctile. in IL, 84th pctile. in 2027 class)
  • avg EV: 95.9 mph (97th pctile. in IL, T-No. 20 in 2027 class)
• Ty Hudik (2026) - 3B/OF - 6-0 , 175 lbs
  
  • 60-yd. dash: 6.84s (87th pctile. in IL, 77th pctile. in 2026 class)
  • 10-yd. split: 1.63s (90th pctile. in IL, 84th pctile. in 2026 class)
• Tyler Osmanski (2027) - RHP/SS - 5-10.8 , 157 lbs
  
  • IVB (rise): 17.4 in (89th pctile. in IL, No. 24 in 2027 class)
  • CB spin: 2395 rpm (90th pctile. in IL, No. 17 in 2027 class)

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X-FACTOR

The Griffins’ 2027 class is one of the more well-rounded ones in the entire state. They have pitching depth with RHPs Cooper Johnson (Purdue commit), Tyler Osmanski, Colin Bettenhausen, Casey Mikrut, and LHP Nate Kaminski. Their 2027 class also boasts some of the top position players in the state with SS Evan Riiff (Valparaiso commit), the previously mentioned Johnson who will play 1B when not on the mound, Mikrut who will play in the infield as well as Osmanski, with Kaminski also factoring into the lineup in the outfield. C/OF Rocco Triolo is another high-level name to know on the roster, who emerged last spring alongside incoming-senior backstop Jacob Newman (2026; Lewis). If this junior class can continue to take the next step in 2026, the Griffins could be playing deep into the postseason.

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TEAM OUTLOOK

Lincoln-Way East enters 2026 with considerable momentum after capturing the conference championship in 2025 before falling in the sectional final to Providence Catholic. Head Coach John McCarthy, who boasts a 319-159 career record with a 50-25 record at Lincoln-Way East, returns a veteran core anchored by seven positional starters and four pitchers. The Griffins lost significant contributors in Jack Tamer, Jack Bauer, MJ Schley, Charlie Cosich, and Danny Mackey, but the returning talent provides a strong foundation for a potential deep postseason run.

"Hitting, pitching, and defense" are the team's core strengths according to McCarthy, and that combination is evident throughout the roster. C Jacob Newman (2026; Lewis) leads the senior class behind the plate with impressive bat speed metrics and advanced receiving capabilities, while 3B/OF Ty Hudik (2026; Maryville) brings speed and versatility to the lineup. RHP/1B Cooper Johnson (2027; Purdue) will be a main cog in both the lineup and the pitching rotation, as he could potentially take on the ace role atop the Griffins' rotation. The pitching staff will also include RHP Owen Lense (2026; Quincy), LHP/OF Ryan Flanagan (2026; Rock Valley JC), and RHP/SS Tyler Osmanski (2027) to name a few.

The junior class provides the program's most explosive talent, headlined by the aforementioned Johnson, whose 104 mph max exit velocity ranks among the state's elite hitters. C/OF Rocco Triolo (2027) offers power and versatility after having a breakout spring last year, while SS/RHP Casey Mikrut (2027) provides two-way ability. OF/LHP Nate Kaminski (2027) adds speed and contact ability to the outfield mix, and the aforementioned Osmanski will be another two-way to know. The 2028 class features standout speed from OF Malcolm Donaldson (2028), whose 6.52-second 60-yard dash ranks No. 1 in his class statewide. INF/RHP Keegan Crabtree (2028) is another young name to know in the program that could provide depth as another two-way player for the Griffins in 2026.

Coach McCarthy expects team speed to be the primary area for improvement, but the combination of offensive firepower, pitching depth, and defensive reliability should position the Griffins as serious contenders in the competitive Southwest Suburban Blue Conference. The key matchups against conference rivals Lincoln-Way Central and Lincoln-Way West will likely determine the conference race, while a sectional final appearance suggests this group has the experience and talent to make another deep postseason run in 2026.

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BOTTOM LINE

Lincoln-Way East has the offensive firepower and pitching depth to compete for another conference title and make noise in 4A postseason play behind a strong veteran group, paired with arguably the top junior class across the state.

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Find more information on the 2026 Lincoln-Way East program below:

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

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