3A is a class that will be very interesting to watch in 2025. The defending champs, Andrean, will feature a new-look club with several key players from the 2025 class now gone. That leaves the door open for our preseason #1 Guerin Catholic to take 3A by storm. This Guerin team is one of the most talented teams in the state on paper, regardless of class, boasting ten players committed to play baseball at the college level on their roster - and four of those are Division 1 commits. Cathedral is a perennial power who has Victory Field aspirations, Western returns more experience than just about any, and Hanover Central, our preseason #5, may have the best frontline talent of them all. New Pal and Roncalli stand firmly within our Top 10, while the 8-10 slots were debated heavily by our staff. Twin Lakes enters at No. 9 with Coach Burton returning virtually his entire roster, while Gibson Southern starts as our favorites in the south with 2025 3A State Runner-Ups in Jasper falling just behind at No. 10.

Several teams left off this list initially will certainly force us to reconsider at some point. The South Bend battle between St. Joe and New Prairie will be exciting to follow, while the same could be said for teams like Dekalb and Leo in Fort Wayne. Sure to change once other contenders emerge and upsets occur, please enjoy our 2A Preseason Rankings below...

---

THE TOP-5:

 + No. 1 Guerin Catholic Golden Eagles

• 2025 Record & Accolades: 19-13 (Sectional & Regional Champions, Final 4 app.)
• Returning Starters (Pos/P): 8/5
• Impact Players: SR RHP/1B Tate Troxell (Alabama), SR OF Ian Taylor (George Mason), JR INF Ben Canada (Northwestern), SR INF Karson Smith (Taylor), SR INF Nolan Ratcliff (Marian), SR RHP Luke Gremelspacher (Indiana Wesleyan), SR RHP Harrison Haq (Illinois-Springfield), JR C Carson Kail (Dayton), SR OF/C Grant Beard (Marian), SR RHP Tyler Larsh (Goshen), SO RHP Jayce Cunningham.

On paper - this Guerin Catholic team appears primed for another deep run after coming one-game shy of Victory Field in 2025. They return nearly every key piece from that group for this season, with some of the best pitching depth of any team in the state, regardless of class. Tate Troxell returns as a 3A 1st Team All-State performer on the hill in 2025, the ace of the staff once again, after racking up 100 strikeouts in 56 IP along with a 1.00 ERA as a junior. Gremelspacher returns after getting the second-most IP on the staff in 2025, and the addition of SR transfer Harrison Haq gives the Golden Eagles a lethal group of experienced, college-bound arms atop the rotation. Senior Tyler Larsh also returns, after recording the third-most (11) appearances on staff last year, and sophomore RHP Jayce Cunningham is a talented underclassman who has a chance to really breakout this spring, along with SO LHP Ben Aho. 

While the pitching depth is real, the offense won't skip a beat either. Guerin returns their top six hitters from a season ago, all of whom are upperclassmen that have already committed/signed to play at the college level. OF Ian Taylor returns as a 1st Team All-State OF'er from 2025 after clubbing 9 doubles, 6 triples, and 4 homers while also reaching base at an over-.500 clip. JR INF Ben Canada, one of the top-ranked juniors in the state, led the Golden Eagles in hitting (.407) and home runs (6) as a sophomore and is expected to do much-of-the-same in his junior campaign. Smith and Ratcliff both hit over .350 as juniors with double-digit stolen bases, likely to set the table for the two power threats in Taylor and Canada. Kail and Beard both return plenty of production in their own regard, providing real depth to this order. Gremelspacher and Troxell, while expected to bring immense value on the mound, will also add power threats to the bottom of the order. 

The Golden Eagles have just about everything needed for a big run: pitching (quality and quantity), strong defense in the middle of the diamond, ample team speed, and an experienced group of hitters - leading 3A in our Preseason Rankings as the No. 1 ranked squad heading into the spring. 

---

+ No. 2 Andrean 59ers

• 2025 Record & Accolades: 31-3 (3A State Champions)
• Returning Starters (Pos/P): 5/4
• Impact Players: SR LHP/1B Kaden Maxwell (Illinois), SR OF Luke Goben (IU-Southeast), SR SS Jet Dutton (Northwest Ohio), SR LHP Louis Gage (Milwaukee School of Engineering), JR INF Chase Nelson, JR CF/RHP Paxton Lukac, JR 1B Aidan Gnatt, SO LHP Ian Funk, SO RHP/INF Matthew Kulig

The 59ers look to defend their state title with a new-look group in 2026 after the departure of one of the more-decorated senior classes in program history (2025s) now move onto the college ranks. As always, Coach Pishkur will reload with plenty of talent and he has a core of upperclassmen returning from last year's state title team. Kaden Maxwell, one of the top lefties in the state, should headline the pitching staff as the apparent ace while also returning as a middle-of-the-order hitter. He is joined by Luke Goben and Jet Dutton, two seniors that made big impacts to the lineup last year, along with JR INF Chase Nelson - who enters his third season as a varsity regular. Coach Pishkur will expect juniors Paxton Lukac and Aiden Gnatt to step up as impact-type bats in the order this year.

The real intrigue in this group lies in the crop of sophomores who are expected to fill big roles in 2026. RHP/INF Matthew Kulig was the lone regular for the varsity squad last season and will likely settle back into a role up the middle, along with stepping up as one of the top pitchers on the squad. Coach Pishkur expects sophomore LHP Ian Funk, one of our top ranked 2028 LHP'ers in the state, to step into a top-of-the-rotation type role to help fill the shoes of the plethora of talented 2025's who have now graduated. OF Leon Torres, C John Henry Lubash, and 3B Josh Alvarez are all apart of this talented crop of sophomores who are expected to make big contributions, as well. 

The pitching staff, led by Maxwell, will need the likes of Kulig, Funk, and senior Louis Gage to log big innings in order for this 59ers squad to make a trip back to Victory Field. Look for Dutton, Nelson, and Lukac to serve in two-way type roles to provide the staff with quality depth. 

---

+ No. 3 Cathedral Fighting Irish

• 2025 Record & Accolades: 20-10 (Sectional Champions)
• Returning Starters (Pos/P): 7/5
• Impact Players: SR SS Eli Sinsabaugh (Army), SR 3B Chase Nickols (Florida Southern), SR OF/RHP Landon Hughes (Hanover), JR RHP Henry Haley, JR UTL/RHP Bo Blondi, JR RHP/UTL Connor Christiansen, SR 1B Michael Gallgher, SO LHP Charlie Johnson, SO INF Callum Birdzell.

The Irish bring a core of quality players back, but do lose three key seniors that will force a handful of newcomers to step in for big impact roles. This group is led by their left-side, SRs SS Eli Sinsabaugh and 3B Chase Nickols, two of the top names from this group for three straight seasons. Sinsabaugh is one of the more dynamic offensive players in the state, while Nickols brings the steady presence with his ability to put bat to ball. SRs OF Landon Hughes, CF Cameron Koers, and IF Michael Gallagher are other veterans who bring experience back to this lineup as everyday starters from last year. SR 2B Tyler Carlos (Wabash), SR Ryan Freije, and SR Royce Ward (Young Harris) are other seniors who could contend for playing time, though the host of underclass bats coming up are notable. SO IF Callum Birdzell is a talented infielder who could plug into the middle infield and make an instant impact, while FR Alex McCord has the bat speed to be one of the biggest power threats as just a freshman, and he could play infield, outfield, fill a DH role, and even hast the arm strength to make an impact on the mound. The catching situation appears to be a group of three competing to replace '25 Bo Cooper in JR Bo Blondi, JR Scout Bushong, and SR Daniel Michael will all contend here. Blondi will also serve as a primary arm for this team, and likely plays some infield too.

JR Henry Haley and JR Connor Christiansen bring back a ton of experience and will be two of the top options for this club on the mound. Blondi and Hughes are likely to be big factors on the mound along with likely manning a key everyday role in the lineup. SO LHP Charlie Johnson threw nearly 20 innings as a freshman, and with a year of experience under his belt, he could contend with Haley and Christiansen for the top spot in the rotation this spring. SR RHP/2B Braden Mann (Hope) and SR LHP Charlie Finn could add depth to the staff, along with McCord. 

---

+ No. 4 Western Panthers

• 2024 Record & Accolades: 26-5 (Sectional Champions)
• Returning Starters (Pos/P): 8/10
• Impact Players: SR C Ryan Rodman (Eastern Illinois), SR RHP Ashton Castillo (Indianapolis), JR C/3B/RHP Gavin Denton (Dayton), SR OF Cal Berryman (IU-Kokomo), SR OF Braydon Miller (Glen Oaks), JR LHP Jaiden McNulty, JR SS Eli Roe, SR DH/1B Charlie Brewer, SR 1B Levi Shoemaker.

Coach Ryan Berryman returns nearly the entire squad that helped him to a sectional title in 2025 and the Panthers debut as our No. 4 ranked team in 3A. The depth is glaring on both sides of the ball and the offense is set to be one of the more powerful in 3A, led by C Ryan Rodman. Rodman hit .471 as a junior with 10 2B, 6 HR, and 41 RBI a huge middle of the order threat once again when paired with junior Gavin Denton. This pair of Division I-bound bats combined for 73 RBI's in 2025 and will look to repeat that production in 2026. CF Cal Berryman led the team in runs scored last season and will likely set the table for Denton and Rodman, along with Braydon Miller, who returns a north-of .300 batting average from a season ago. Seniors Charlie Brewer, Levi Shoemaker, Miles Rudy, and Jason Dickison are all expected to make consistent contributions after doing so in 2025, and the addition of transfer SS in JR Eli Roe should give this group of position players everything they need to make a run this spring. 

While the offensive side features a little more starpower, the Panthers bring back 25 wins on the mound, along with 190 innings of experience from 2025. U Indy signee, Ashton Castillo, is the apparent ace heading into the spring. His high-spin breaking ball led to a 6-2 record, with a sub-2 ERA, and 78 strikeouts in 2025 - while JR Jaiden McNulty joins him for a quality 1-2 punch after a huge sophomore season that included a 5-1 record and a sub-2 ERA, as well. Denton, Shoemaker, and Rudy will all log impactful innings after doing so in '25, as will SR RHP Gavin White. Sophomore LHP Nathan Condo, along with Cooper Wells, Roe, and Brewer will also be options for Coach Berryman out of the 'pen, giving him plenty of options on the pitching side of things. 

---

+ No. 5 Hanover Central Wildcats

• 2024 Record & Accolades: 22-8
• Impact Players: 
• SR SS Dylan Bowen (Oklahoma State), SR RHP Matthew Cook (Evansville), SR 3B Aidan Creasbaum (Valparaiso), SR RHP Jacob Siska (South Suburban CC), SR RHP Ian Flores, JR C Jacksen Coduti, JR IF Dillon Twiddy, FR OF/RHP Paulie Hobbs.

Three D1-bound seniors bring real frontline talent back amongst an experienced cast of quality returners. Dylan Bowen, a first team All State performer last year, is the top-ranked shortstop in the state and will bring game-changing abilities on offense and defense. He combines with 3B Aidan Creasbaum on the left side, another talented senior who will also be one of the top power bats in the region. RHP Matt Cook provides a bonafied ace to the staff as one of the top pitchers in the region, armed with a low slot fastball up to 93. Finally, SR RHP Jacob Siska is a quality two who makes this team interesting come tourney time, and SR RHP Ian Flores adds yet another senior arm with varsity experience.

Juniors C Jacksen Coduti and IF Dillon Twiddy are breakout candidates who could really extend the heart of the order. Twiddy is a big power threat who could leave the yard at any time, while Coduti too brings an offensive presence along with returning as the everyday backstop from a season ago. FR Paulie Hobbs has a chance to make an immediate impact on both sides of the ball as an upper-80s right-hander and a strong outfield bat. 

---

THE REST OF THE TOP-10

---

Honorable Mention (alphabetical order): Cascade, Charlestown, Dekalb, Evansville Memorial, Heritage Hills, Illiana Christian, Leo, New Prairie, Providence, South Bend Saint Joseph, Tri-West, Vincennes Lincoln, Yorktown