C Andrew Satunas (Lockport, 2026) has been consistently making strides throughout his prep career, and he’s one of the more talented catchers in a strong Illinois 2026 crop. Currently ranked No. 72 in the state, Satunas has risen roughly 50 spots in the rankings over the past year, and it’s a testament to the hard work he has put in, on and off the field. 

He’s a well-rounded player that provides value on both sides of the ball, starting at the plate where the left-handed hitter has a fluid swing with length through the zone, showing an approach to the gaps with some natural lift at times. He’s also strong defensively, pairing a strong arm with natural actions behind the plate, looking to profile there long-term. 

We recently sat down with Satunas to talk through his recruitment process, along with some other fun topics, found below.  

Our Q&A 

Prep Baseball: What were your expectations about the recruiting process? What were you looking for out of a college program to continue your baseball career at?

Andrew: My expectations for the recruiting process were to find a place where I had a chance to compete for a spot, had resources to continue to develop, a winning culture and a program that felt like a family. 

PB: Did location or distance from home play a factor in your decision?

A: Yes, I wanted to get away from home and go experience a new area and meet new people. 

PB: When did the recruiting process really start to heat up for you? Where did the school you committed to first see you play?

A: The recruiting process really started to heat up for me during the spring of my junior year when schools started to come out to watch me and contact me. Grand Valley State saw me through film for the most part and followed me through the spring, then I got hurt and they stayed in close contact with me and had me up to campus for a camp. They also saw me play at the Illinois State Games and at The Rock. 

PB: What do you like most about the program you chose, and what were the key factors in making your decision?

A: What I like most about GVSU is the winning culture they built there, the coaching staff and the team environment.

PB: What other schools were on your short list before you made your final decision?

A: John A. Logan, Heartland, Wabash Valley and Lewis.

PB: Who is the best player you have faced in your state? What about them makes for a tough opponent?

A: The best player I have faced in the state is Michael Pettit. His stuff has crazy run and sweep especially lefty/lefty making it always a pretty challenging matchup against him. He’s also in my conference so I've faced him a few times. 

PB: At what point in your career did you realize you were a college-caliber player and became serious about taking your game to the next level?

A: I’ve always wanted to play college baseball but I believe I really started taking training super serious freshman year. All I wanted to do was go to my facility to hit, lift, throw and try to get better and get to a spot where I had a chance to play college ball. 

PB: What advice would you give to young baseball players striving to get where you are?

A: I would tell the young guys to just put their head down and get to work. Don’t care about all the social media posts and just know that if you keep doing the little things right like lifting, eating, hitting and recovery you’ll see the results and even begin to pass some guys up who were better than you because you’re hungry and want it more. 

PB: What is the most memorable moment in your baseball career to this point?

A: The most memorable moment in my baseball career so far is probably going down to Florida last fall and getting to experience the beautiful complexes and facilities with all my boys. 

PB: Preview your high school team's season for us. How do you feel your team will be?

A: I feel like we are going to be really good this year. Coming off a regional championship and a sectional semi-final loss we aren’t really losing any main contributors besides Bryce Flood. Our pitching rotation is extremely deep with Purdue Northwest commits Martin Kinnane and Jack Schiek, Morton commit Trace Schaff, Anthony Farina and Austin Winge, who were our main arms last year. Our position players will be really solid with Adam Kozak, Nick Moerman, David Kundrat, Tommy Miller and Connor Ryan. I think we have a really good shot right now to have a great season and make a deep playoff run. I can't wait for this spring.  

PB: If you could steal any tool or quality from another player in the state, what would it be and who would it be from?

A: If I could steal any tool from another player it would probably be a speed trait from someone like Adam Swanson or Mickey Lotus.  

PB: Who is the next talented young player to keep an eye on out of your high school or travel program?

A: The next young players to keep an eye on at Lockport are Anthony Farina and Austin Winge. Farina is a lefty who absolutely deals and was our top arm last season with an 85 mph fastball and a sharp curveball, as well as a solid changeup that works really well off his other pitches. Austin has been picking up steam in the recruiting world recently hitting 94 mph and he’s definitely got more in the tank. I’m really excited to see what he will do for us this year, hoping to see him in a starting role. 

PB: Did Prep Baseball assist in your recruiting? Whether it be through a showcase, tournament coverage, tweets, etc? If yes, please explain. 

A: Prep baseball definitely helped me a ton with the recruiting process through writeups, tweets, showcases and game coverage where I received a ton of attention from programs  

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