2025 1A Preseason Top 10

March 17, 2025
Cooper Trinkle
Scouting Director

The 1A landscape this season has massively shifted with Lafayette Central Catholic, back-to-back 1A state champs in 2022-2023, and 2024 1A state champ Barr-Reeve elevating to 2A for this season.

This list sees perenial powers like Bloomfield, Shakamak, Indy Lutheran, and Borden - though a few new contenders have emerged in our eyes to warrant a spot on our preseason top 10, and the new face of 1A (for now) is 2024 2A Regional Champions...

THE TOP-5:

+ No. 1 Knightstown

2024 Record & Accolades: 18-9 (2A Regional Champions)
Returning Starters (Pos/P): 7/5

Knightstown opens as the team to beat in 1A baseball and Head Coach Chris Ulrey has confidence in his team heading into the spring after a 2A Elite Eight appearance in 2024. SO RHP Carter Gossett is the apparent ace of the deep pitching staff. SO OF/LHP Carson Bonham will be a big factor on the bump, as well, and likely plugs into an OF spot. SO SS Jadyn Page and JR 3B Braylon Johnson are returners on the dirt that could also factor into that staff. SR C/2B Travis Louks and SR OF Kelton Weaver (Marian Ancilla) will provide leadership to this talented group as the experienced veterans. This group looks to take 1A baseball by storm after having success at the 2A level last spring.

+ No. 2 Kouts

2024 Record & Accolades: 18-8-1
Returning Starters (Pos/P): 8/6

Kouts returns much of the same team that won 18 games a season ago and have their sights set on a trip to Victory Field entering this spring. Pitching will be a big strength of this group with three arms leading the way. JR RHP/SS Landon Garrett is expected to be a workhorse for this club after tossing 35-plus innings as a sophomore while maintaining a 3.05 ERA and striking out 46. JR 1B/P Eli Harper also had success on the mound last year, working 33 IP with a sub-2 ERA. FR SS/RHP Billy Miller will likely make a huge splash in his debut campaign, currently ranked as one of the top freshman in the state of Indiana. Harper, Garrett, and Miller will be big bats for this group, as well, with names like JR CF Jesse Overholt and JR C Cooper Whitaker returning as everyday starters from 2024 who hit over .300.

+ No. 3 Indianapolis Lutheran

2024 Record & Accolades: 18-16 (Regional Champions)
Returning Starters (Pos/P): 9/7

Lutheran is coming off a semi-state appearance from 2024 with essentially that entire squad set to return. JR OF/LHP Hudson Mills is the apparent face of this group after a monster sophomore spring that included: a .464 batting average, 25 runs scored, a 5-4 record on the mound in 56.1 IP, 71 strikeouts, a 2.92 ERA, and a no-hitter in the regional final. JR SS/RHP Dax Lockliear and SR CF/P Nate Hughes are also expected to be big contributors on both sides after doing so last spring. SRs 2B Landyn Parker and C/RHP Ryan Redding are also returners that create quality depth for this club. Lutheran will look for SR RHP/1B Owen Lecher for a big bounceback spring after an injury-plagued junior year, though he was an All-State honoree as a sophomore with a chance to make a huge impact this spring. JR 1B/DH Gage Meaney is another power bat for Lutheran's lineup that appears to be one of the better lineups, on paper, in 1A.

+ No. 4 Tri-Township

2024 Record & Accolades: 11-9 (2024 Sectional Champions)
Returning Starters (Pos/P): 6/4

We are high on the Tigers to begin the spring, especially considering they have one of the most talented players in the entire class in SR RHP/INF Dillon Stewart (Quincy). Tri-Township can compete with anyone in the class with Stewart, armed with a 90-plus fastball, on the hill. Stewart racked up over 2 punch-outs per inning last spring with 92 K's in 45 IP, with the opposition hitting just .096 off him in 2024. Stewart's offensive numbers were just as, if not more impressive, as he batted .580 as a junior with 8 doubles, 3 triples, 4 homers, as he got on base at a staggering .720 clip. JR LHP/1B Cody Vernich will be a big factor in the teams' success when Stewart is not pitching, the apparent #2 after maintaining a 3.50 ERA as a sophomore with 36 strikeouts in 21 innings pitched. Vernich will be a middle of the order bat as well, with SR C/RHP Kade Koselke likely fitting the same mold as a key bat/arm returning.

+ No. 5 Morgan Township

2024 Record & Accolades: 14-14 (2024 Regional Champions)
Returning Starters (Pos/P): 7/2

Coach Ryan Troxel takes over as the head coach and his team begins the year as the No. 5 ranked squad in 1A. SR C/RHP Bradley Farris is the apparent leader of this club, one of the more talented players in the class with a chance to make a huge impact on both sides of the ball. He is armed with a big fastball that will likely overpower hitters at this level, and he also provides a solid bat to the middle of the order and a big defensive presence behind the dish. SO 3B/RHP/C Cal Lemmons will be a big bat for Morgan after hitting .280 with 7 XBH as a freshman, while classmate SO SS Clint Lemmons returns to man short after hitting .275 with 8 2B and 2 HR as a freshman. Coach Troxel is excited about SR RHP Jett Gheaja and the development he has made this offseason, and Gheaja is expected to have the ball in his hand in big moments this spring. SR/OF Matt Lowenthal is another experienced player that is expected to contribute at a high level for Morgan this spring, while SR 1B/RHP Chase Rosenbaum is an X-factor coming off an injury that caused him to miss much of last spring.

THE REST OF THE TOP-10

6	Shakamak	21-8	2024 Regional Champions
Click to view their 2025 Season Preview The Lakers lost in the semi-state in heartbreaking fashion (1-0) to eventual 1A State Champions Barr-Reeve last spring. Barr-Reeve now moves to 2A and the Lakers look primed for another run, especially with Barr-Reeve out of the way. SR Lindon Jenkins appears primed to lead this team after leading the Lakers to a regional championship last spring and he will be a big factor on both sides of the ball. JR Jaden Johnson, amongst others, will be a big contributor for this program that has a history of success.
7	Hauser	18-10	2024 Conference Champions
Click to view their 2025 Season Preview Hauser is a southern Indiana program with a history of success, and they drop down to 1A for 2025 looking to make a run. They return nearly every key starter from last season, led by JRs C/SS/P Stryker Gill and UTL/P Kameron Blair. Both batted just under .450 last season, with Gill providing 12 2B, 2 3B, and 3 HR. Another big bat to watch for Hauser is SR OF/LHP Simeon Wasil, who hit .432 with 6 2B, 8 3B, and a pair of homers in his junior campaign. SR UTL/P Hunter Pittman returns a .434 average and combines with Blair, Gill, and Wasil to make a dangerous top of the order. The Jets lose one arm to graduation, but they return 83% of the innings thrown last season, with Wasil as the apparent ace after going 6-0 last spring while maintaining a 1.86 ERA.
8	Borden	14-13

Click to view their 2025 Season Preview The Braves will need to replace 2x 1A All-State SS Alex Schuler, but the program has had tons of success over the last few seasons and a handful of returning players are primed for big seasons. SR UTL Garrett Schmidt (Frontier CC) is a returning 1A All-State honoree from last spring after batting .520 and driving in 31 runs. JR C Will Bobay is a big breakout candidate that batted .368 as a sophomore. SR UTL Zander Keith and SO INF Jayden Gardner are also returning starters who batted over .300 last season. JR 1B Michael McVoy had solid power numbers as a sophomore and likely plugs into the middle of this offense that has a chance to be explosive. Borden only loses one pitcher from last year, so the experience returning on the mound should be a strength, as well, with names like Schmidt, McVoy, Gardner, Keith, SO Colt Hardin, and SO Brady Peine likely making up most of the pitching staff.
9	Bloomfield	14-12
Click to view their 2025 Season Preview The Cardinals always have a competitive club and this year appears no different with SR Dillon Warnick leading a team that returns six starters and a pair of arms. Warnick is a do-it-all type that will likely see time in the INF, and behind the dish, while serving as the teams' apparent ace. Warnick hit .453 as a junior with 9 2B and 3 HR, also pitching to a 3.15 ERA with a 3-1 record in 26-plus IP. JR 1B/OF/P Chase Wiles returns after leading the team in appearances last season to create a 1-2 punch with Warnick in the rotation, and he also retuns an over .300 average to the offense. JR OF/2B Will Dowden will be another key bat for this group, returning a .339 average as a sophomore.
10	Fort Wayne Canterbury	8-8
Click to view their 2025 Season Preview Coach McMahon has confidence in his group headed into this spring with eight starters returning, including All-State honoree from a season ago SR CF/RHP Reed Hayes (Indianapolis). Hayes is expected to swing one of the more impactful bats in 1A, and there are several solid pieces surrounding him. SO SS/RHP JP Rowher batted .400 as a freshman, and is expected to be the ace of the pitching staff, and Hayes, plus Rowher, should be a tough 1-2 punch on the mound. SR 3B Parker Evans (Capital) and SO C Noah Hayes are also returners, amongst several others, with a chance to help this team to a playoff run.

Honorable Mention (alphabetical order): Clinton Prairie, Frontier, Northeast Dubois, Springs Valley, Tecumseh, Tri-County, Union City, Waldron