Prep Baseball Report

Become a Member

More +

Top 10 Stories of 2025: No. 7 Sacred Heart-Griffin Walks It Off to Take the 2A State Title

December 23, 2025
Kai Formella
IL/WI Content Writer

The Sacred Heart-Griffin Cyclones went on an incredible playoff run to capture their third state title in program history, defeating Teutopolis in walk-off fashion to win the 2A State Championship. They featured a relatively young roster last season, losing only two seniors from the lineup, and it will be interesting to see how this experienced group of juniors and seniors fares this spring.

Sacred Heart-Griffin cruised through the Regional and Sectional rounds behind a dominant pitching staff, allowing just three total runs as a staff prior to the Super Sectional. The staff was anchored by impact arms such as RHP/OF Andy Antonacci (2025; Heartland CC), RHP Will Pennell (2026; Lincoln Land CC), LHP Will Coady (2026; Uncommitted), and RHP/OF Drew Ward (2026; Uncommitted), who provided valuable depth and consistency throughout the tournament. 

Antonacci established a major two-way impact all season for the Cyclones, leading the team in batting average (.392), doubles (10), home runs (6), and RBIs (33), while also launching a home run in his first at-bat of the state championship game. On the mound, he led the staff with 57.2 innings pitched, posting a 7-2 record with a 2.67 ERA and 76 strikeouts. Ward also provided valuable depth as another two-way contributor, slashing .324/.432/.505 across 105 at-bats while also showing promise in the closer role, finishing 4-0 with three saves and a 2.82 ERA.

The Cyclones’ offense also received a major boost from key bats including OF Ty Springer (2026; Lincoln Land CC), INF Carson Butler (2026; Heartland CC), INF Austin Rutter (2027; Uncommitted), 3B Mikey Groesch (2027; Uncommitted), and INF Thomas Lauterbach (2025; Uncommitted), all of whom played significant roles in the lineup as starters throughout the season. With a large core of contributors set to return this spring, the Cyclones appear poised to make another deep run in the state tournament.

To read more about the 2A State Champs, click HERE.

Below you’ll find our game story from the Cyclones’ victory in June:

2A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

For the final game of the 1A/2A season, we watched Sacred Heart-Griffin take on Teutopolis for the 2A State Championship.

Sacred Heart-Griffin started things off in the bottom half of the first inning with a two-run home run from 1B Andy Antonacci (2025; Heartland CC), putting the Cyclones ahead 2-0 early.

Teutopolis responded in the top of the fourth inning, loading the bases on a single, a walk and hit-by-pitch. They eventually cleared the bases on a throwing error across the diamond, giving the Wooden Shoes the 3-2 lead.

The Cyclones responded in the bottom of the fourth inning with a run. Antonacci reached base on a single, and 2B Austin Rutter (2027) later drove him in on a pull-side single, tying the game at 3-3.

In the top half of the sixth, the Wooden Shoes tallied three singles in a row, the third coming from CF Davin Worman (2026) who drove in a run, giving them the 4-3 lead.

The Cyclones followed up with a run of their own in the bottom of the sixth inning on an RBI single from SS Carson Butler (2026), tying the game at 4-4.

The Cyclones followed up with a run of their own in the bottom of the sixth inning on an RBI single from SS Carson Butler (2026), tying the game at 4-4. In the bottom of the seventh inning, LF Will Coady (2026) reached third base on an error, and 3B Thomas Lauterbach (2025) followed with an RBI single to walk the game off and give the Cyclones the 2A State Title.

THIRD PLACE GAME

The 2A third- and fourth-place game took place on Saturday afternoon between Eureka and Newman Central Catholic. Eureka struck first as RF Isaac Schaefer (2025) drove a ball into center for an RBI single. DH Tanner Wiegand (2025) followed up with a two-run triple to left field. Schaefer and Wiegand would each drive in another run in the third to extend the lead to 6-1. 2B Liam Nicklaus (2027) would give Newman Central Catholic their second run of the game on an RBI single to center field. P Cohen Alstat (2025) connected on an RBI double into deep right field to give Eureka another run in the bottom of the fourth. P Evan Bushman (2025) connected on a sac fly to center field to drive in a run for Newman Central Catholic in the top of the sixth. 3B Teagan McLaughlin (2027) put the eighth run on the board for Eureka with an RBI single into right field. Eureka would hold on and take the 9-3 victory over Newman Central Catholic for third place in 2A.

RELATED CONTENT