The Illinois high school baseball season kicks off on March 17, 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 2025 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 2025 preseason coverage continues today.

High School: Normal Community Ironmen
Preseason Rank: 7
Head Coach: Ryan Short
Classification: 4A
Conference: Big 12
2024 Record (Finish): 33-4 (Lost to Bradley-Bourbonnais in Sectional Semi-Final)
Key Players Lost: LHP Ethan Eberle (Louisville), INF Kaileb Hackman (Augustana), OF Riley Hendren (Augustana), C Ryan Theile (Augustana), INF Owen Cavanaugh, INF Anthony Gura (College of Lake County), 1B Dexter Niekamp (Illinois State Football)

 

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ROSTER PREVIEW

No. of Returning Positional Starters: 4 (counting transfers)
No. of Returning Starting Pitchers: 3 (counting transfers)
No. of Returning Relief Pitchers: 3
Team Strengths: The Ironmen have a deep pitching rotation, impressive catchers, and their lineup looks like it will have more power throughout.

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X-FACTOR

The loss of last year’s ace Ethan Eberle will be tough for the Ironmen, but RHP Gavin Swartz (2026; Indiana commit) will look to fill that role after transferring to Normal Community this year. Swartz is one of the top prospects in the state’s junior class, and he recently showed an impressive look in his bullpen at our Preseason All-State event at the beginning of the month. His fastball sat in the low-90s and he works with two quality off-speed pitches to pair. He has big shoes to fill with Eberle graduating, but if Swartz can fill this role as the team’s ace, the Ironmen will have a strong spring.

RHP Gavin Swartz (Normal Community, 2026)

Further cemented his status as one of the top arms in the state.

Indiana commit.

🔷FB: 91-93 mph (T2398 rpm)
🔷CB: 78-80 mph (T-9.3" IVB)
🔷CH: 84-86 mph (T21.5" HM)#ILPASUpper

👤https://t.co/quqXQggIsT pic.twitter.com/uaMUwda8h5

— Prep Baseball Illinois (@PrepBaseballIL) March 3, 2025

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NEWCOMER TO WATCH

INF Gavin Michaels (2026; Cincinnati commit) is another name that transferred over to Normal Community this year. He saw limited playing time last year as a sophomore at Normal University and will hope to make a big impact on this year’s Ironmen squad. A member of Team Illinois at last summer’s Future Games, Michaels is an ultra-impressive athlete with speed, barrel control, and a strong defensive ability that can truly impact the game in all aspects. With the addition of Michaels, the Ironmen’s middle infield will be one top in the state with INF Kyle Beaty (2025; North Central) alongside him.

MIF Gavin Michaels (Normal Community, 2026)

Cincinnati commit, Michaels had one of the loudest all-around showings on the day.

🔷102 mph peak EV, 95.7 mph avg. EV
🔷6.57 runner
🔷T90 mph INF#ILPASUpper

👤https://t.co/Q9fuWBetwC pic.twitter.com/OQ3Ka13HzX

— Prep Baseball Illinois (@PrepBaseballIL) March 3, 2025

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TEAM OUTLOOK

The Ironmen are coming off a 33-4 season where they went an impressive 18-0 in conference play. Although they graduated some really important pieces, they have a ton of names that our staff are really excited for in 2025.

As mentioned above, INF Kyle Beaty is a senior that returns this season. He’s an athlete that was also the starting quarterback in the fall, and he’s continually impressed our staff on the baseball field. C/DH Drew Stevens (2026; Valparaiso commit) is another positional player that’s returning to the Ironmen this spring. He didn’t find a ton of playing time in 2024 due to senior catcher Ryan Thiele, but he will likely find plenty of playing time this spring. He continues to impress our staff each time we see him, continually looking better behind the plate while also showing improved power with his right-handed bat.

Swartz and Michaels, both mentioned above, will likely make a big impact, and another transfer that will look to make a splash this year is C/DH Max Heineman (2026; Illinois-Chicago commit). He was another member of Team Illinois at last summer’s Future Games, and he’s a quality backstop with a strong right-handed bat at the plate.

Some other names that will play a role in this year’s lineup will be 1B Ben Schweigert (2025), OF Brady Burkhart (2025), OF Andrew Naour (2026), and OF Gavin Borne.

On the mound the Ironmen will have plenty of arms in Swartz, RHP Luke Klunke (2025; Taylor University commit), and RHP Jonah Roper (2025; Rock Valley JC commit). We’ve seen Klunke sit in the low-80s on the mound, reaching up to 85 mph, with a quality breaking ball that generates swing-and-miss. Roper is still rehabbing from an injury, but he’s working to be back on the mound this spring. We saw him up to 88 mph last spring with his fastball with multiple quality off-speed offerings in his curveball and change-up.

They’ll have plenty more arms that will play a role including RHP Jacob Engel (2026), RHP Landyn Corbin (2026), and RHP Beckett Weber (2026). Engel has an upside frame that we’ve seen up to 85 mph, and we’ve seen him pound the zone with strikes in-game. Corbin is a loose moving arm that we’ve seen sit in the low-80s, and he’s shown a high-spinning curveball with quality actions, and Weber rounds out this trio of arms, and he’s shown a fastball up to 83 mph.

An underclassmen to keep an eye on this year is INF Lucas Beaty (2027), the younger brother of Kyle. He’s an athlete that can play multiple positions for this year’s team, and he may find some innings on the mound as well.

They have plenty of other names on this year's roster that will impact their lineup and rotation, and we’re eager to see their involvement this spring.

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BOTTOM LINE & DIRECTOR'S NOTE

The Ironmen are coming off a 33-4 season where they went undefeated in conference and won a Regional Title. They return plenty of talent both on the mound and positionally, and they also bring in multiple transfers that will make an immediate impact on their program. Losing their ace from last season will hurt, but they have plenty of pieces that will make up for the impact that he had on their team last season. With plenty of returners and new faces alike, Normal Community looks like they’re bound for a strong 2025 campaign.

"The Ironmen look to be the deepest, most talented team in Central Illinois. A mainstay in our Power 25 in 2024, expect Normal Community to be one of the top 4A programs across the state throughout the spring as well." Drew Locascio

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Find more information on the 2025 Normal Community program below:

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

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