Introducing the 2025 Beacon-News/Courier-News Baseball All-Area Team
Three players from Hampshire, which had dominant regular season, lead first and second teams.
Zacharia Barkho, South Elgin, junior, pitcher/shortstop: Went 8-2 with 1.29 ERA and 68 strikeouts in 65 innings. Hit .313 with 10 runs, three doubles and 15 RBIs. All-conference.
Braden Behringer, Sandwich, junior, infielder: Hit .410 with nine doubles, three triples, two homers and 40 RBIs. Conference player of the year. Honorable mention all-state.
Noah Brandt, Somonauk, senior, outfielder/infielder: Hit .491 with 27 runs, 21 steals, seven doubles, two triples, two homers and 19 RBIs. All-state. Committed to Grand Valley State.
Josh Colaizzi, Bartlett, junior, outfielder/pitcher: Batted .425 with 20 extra-base hits, 20 steals and 23 RBIs. Pitched 53 1/3 innings with 83 strikeouts and 1.58 ERA. All-conference.
Brodie Curry, Aurora Central Catholic, junior, outfielder: Hit .369 with 24 runs, nine doubles, four triples, three homers and 27 RBIs. All-conference.
Martin Ledbetter, Hinckley-Big Rock, junior, infielder/pitcher: Hit .618 with 35 runs, 34 steals, six doubles, six triples, nine homers and 35 RBIs. Went 2-0 with 53 strikeouts and 1.56 ERA in 31 1/3 innings. Four-time all-conference. Team MVP. Committed to Wabash Valley.
Connor Lund, South Elgin, senior, outfielder: Batted .433 with 32 runs, 28 steals, six doubles, a triple, a homer and 11 RBIs. Upstate Eight West's player of the year. Committed to Elgin Community College.
Jason Phillips, Plano, junior, infielder/pitcher: Hit .474 with 12 doubles, a program-record seven triples, two homers and 29 RBIs. Struck out 78 with 3.97 ERA in 49 1/3 innings. All-conference.
Preston Popovich, Kaneland, senior, pitcher/infielder: Batted .402 with 35 runs, 14 steals, four doubles and 30 RBIs. Went 4-1 with 1.59 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 39 2/3 innings. Honorable mention all-state. All-conference. Team MVP. Committed to Benedictine.
Owen Roberts, Waubonsie Valley, senior, pitcher/shortstop: Went 8-2 with 0.49 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 72 innings. Threw no-hitter against Batavia. Hit .367 with 32 runs, five doubles, two triples, two homers and 19 RBIs. All-state and all-conference. Committed to Indiana State.
Calen Scheider, Hampshire, senior, pitcher/outfielder/infielder: Hit .336 with 33 runs, 18 steals, six doubles, four triples, a homer and 27 RBIs. Went 7-3 with 2.98 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 61 1/3 innings. All-conference. Committed to Bradley.
Zach Toma, West Aurora, junior, first baseman/pitcher: Beacon-News/Courier-News Player of the Year. Hit .459 with 33 runs, 10 doubles, six homers and 46 RBIs. Went 7-2 with 1.39 ERA and 99 strikeouts in 65 1/3 innings. All-state and all-conference. Team MVP.
Oscar Alexander Jr., West Aurora, sophomore, catcher: Hit .359 with 40 runs, eight doubles, four homers and 33 RBIs. All-conference.
Joey Arend, St. Charles East, senior, outfielder/pitcher: Hit .298 with 32 runs, 22 steals and 12 doubles. Had six wins on the mound, striking out 83 in 53 innings. Set DuKane Conference career records for wins with 14 and strikeouts with 114. All-conference. Committed to Xavier.
Jack Burns, Aurora Christian, senior, shortstop/pitcher: Hit .387 with nine doubles, two homers and 30 RBIs. Had 2.40 ERA. All-conference.
Andrew Deegan, Jacobs, junior, shortstop: Batted .393 with eight doubles, four triples and three homers. All-conference. Committed to Belmont.
Ari Fivelson, Hampshire, senior, outfielder: Hit .343 with 44 runs, 16 steals, five doubles, four triples, a homer and 23 RBIs. All-conference. Committed to Bradley.
Tyler Gluting, Metea Valley, sophomore, outfielder: Hit .362 with 33 runs, five doubles, three triples, three homers and 23 RBIs. All-conference.
Keaton Reinke, St. Charles North, junior, pitcher/outfielder: Went 5-2 with 2.73 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 51 2/3 innings. Hit .313 with 36 runs, 10 doubles, two triples and 14 RBIs. Stole program-record 35 bases. All-conference. Committed to Northwestern for football.
Matt Ritchie, St. Charles North, sophomore, pitcher/third baseman: Went 6-5 with 2.00 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 52 1/3 innings. Hit .280. All-conference.
Jared Russell, Dundee-Crown, senior, pitcher: Went 9-3 with 1.39 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 60 1/3 innings. Set the program career record with 1.65 ERA. All-conference. Team MVP. Committed to Judson.
Connar Temple, Batavia, senior, pitcher: Went 4-3 with 1.21 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 52 innings. DuKane Conference's pitcher of the year. Committed to Northern Illinois.
Wilson Wemhoff, Hampshire, senior, outfielder/pitcher: Hit .337 with 26 runs, nine steals, 12 doubles, two triples, three homers and 35 RBIs. Went 5-2 with 1.95 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 46 2/3 innings. All-conference.
Hiroshy Wong, Waubonsie Valley, senior, third baseman: Hit .387 with 25 runs, nine doubles, a triple, a homer and 23 RBIs. All-conference.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Chicago Tribune
4 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
‘Pretty remarkable': West Aurora's Zach Toma is the 2025 Beacon-News/Courier-News Baseball Player of the Year
One day can change your life. West Aurora pitcher Zach Toma found that out on April 3. When he woke up that sunny morning, the junior left-hander knew that he would be on the mound. But he had no idea what was in store for him — and what was in store for his opponent. Toma ended up with 20 strikeouts in a stunning no-hitter for a 9-0 win over Joliet Central, and suddenly, people outside of the Blackhawks' program were talking about the talk of the town. 'It got posted on Prep Baseball Report, I was the player of the week, and after that, things started to roll in for me,' Toma said. 'They invited me to all-state games and that will do a lot for me.' Especially after Toma, the 2025 Beacon-News/Courier-News Baseball Player of the Year, struck out the first 15 batters of the game. That performance shocked everyone in attendance. The only thing preventing Toma's effort from being a perfect game was a dropped third strike on the second-to-last batter. It even prompted a phone call to former coach Dave Rowell. 'Pretty remarkable,' West Aurora coach John Reeves said. 'I called (Rowell) and said, 'Did you ever see anything like that?' He had some pitchers that were drafted, but that's pretty remarkable. '(Toma) was like, 'Why aren't they hitting the ball?' I said, 'Just keep executing your pitches.' He got noticed then. We knew what kind of player he was. At that point, people knew who he was.' But Toma still was taken aback as the game unfolded. 'I've had games like that where I'll strike out the first six guys,' Toma said. 'It got to a point where it kept going. Everything was working for me. It almost felt like it was fake for a little bit.' Toma rolled that momentum into a dominant season, both on the mound and with the bat. Besides going 7-2 with 99 strikeouts and a 1.07 ERA in 65 1/3 innings for West Aurora (27-7). Toma also was a force in the middle of the order, batting .459 with six homers and 46 RBIs. As a pitcher, he only allowed 35 hits and 16 walks. At the plate, he also scored 33 runs and added 10 doubles. His RBI total came up only two shy of the program's single-season record. 'He put in the hard work in the offseason,' Reeves said of Toma. 'He played football, which I think playing another sport is helpful. When he came back over the summer, he got taller and thicker. Once football was done, he was in the weight room. 'We even thought he could have been better. For us, we're excited about next year, what he can bring to the table as a senior, learning the game more, understanding how to pitch better and just maturing as a player.' Bartlett coach Alex Coan has been on the other end of Toma's game and came away impressed. 'He's by far one of the best pitchers in the state,' Coan said. 'I will go to war for that on. Locates well, mixes it up really well.' College interest started to ramp up for Toma after the no-hitter, with several schools making contact. The only question now remains — hitting or pitching? 'I would love to go to college and hit,' he said. 'I love hitting. I've always been a good pitcher. I worked hard and it showed with the bat. If I could go two-way, that would be the dream.' The attention only figures to increase this summer with his new travel team, Top Tier West. An extensive travel schedule and a star-studded roster figure to bring plenty of attention his way. 'It's a lot of driving, but I think it's worth the amount of attention we're getting,' Toma said. 'The nerves are there. They've always been there. I'm very excited, especially with the new team. 'I have to work harder to get seen more. It's that feeling of I have to be better and I have to work hard to make myself look good in front of these college coaches.'
Chicago Tribune
7 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Introducing the 2025 Beacon-News/Courier-News Baseball All-Area Team
Three players from Hampshire, which had dominant regular season, lead first and second teams. Zacharia Barkho, South Elgin, junior, pitcher/shortstop: Went 8-2 with 1.29 ERA and 68 strikeouts in 65 innings. Hit .313 with 10 runs, three doubles and 15 RBIs. All-conference. Braden Behringer, Sandwich, junior, infielder: Hit .410 with nine doubles, three triples, two homers and 40 RBIs. Conference player of the year. Honorable mention all-state. Noah Brandt, Somonauk, senior, outfielder/infielder: Hit .491 with 27 runs, 21 steals, seven doubles, two triples, two homers and 19 RBIs. All-state. Committed to Grand Valley State. Josh Colaizzi, Bartlett, junior, outfielder/pitcher: Batted .425 with 20 extra-base hits, 20 steals and 23 RBIs. Pitched 53 1/3 innings with 83 strikeouts and 1.58 ERA. All-conference. Brodie Curry, Aurora Central Catholic, junior, outfielder: Hit .369 with 24 runs, nine doubles, four triples, three homers and 27 RBIs. All-conference. Martin Ledbetter, Hinckley-Big Rock, junior, infielder/pitcher: Hit .618 with 35 runs, 34 steals, six doubles, six triples, nine homers and 35 RBIs. Went 2-0 with 53 strikeouts and 1.56 ERA in 31 1/3 innings. Four-time all-conference. Team MVP. Committed to Wabash Valley. Connor Lund, South Elgin, senior, outfielder: Batted .433 with 32 runs, 28 steals, six doubles, a triple, a homer and 11 RBIs. Upstate Eight West's player of the year. Committed to Elgin Community College. Jason Phillips, Plano, junior, infielder/pitcher: Hit .474 with 12 doubles, a program-record seven triples, two homers and 29 RBIs. Struck out 78 with 3.97 ERA in 49 1/3 innings. All-conference. Preston Popovich, Kaneland, senior, pitcher/infielder: Batted .402 with 35 runs, 14 steals, four doubles and 30 RBIs. Went 4-1 with 1.59 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 39 2/3 innings. Honorable mention all-state. All-conference. Team MVP. Committed to Benedictine. Owen Roberts, Waubonsie Valley, senior, pitcher/shortstop: Went 8-2 with 0.49 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 72 innings. Threw no-hitter against Batavia. Hit .367 with 32 runs, five doubles, two triples, two homers and 19 RBIs. All-state and all-conference. Committed to Indiana State. Calen Scheider, Hampshire, senior, pitcher/outfielder/infielder: Hit .336 with 33 runs, 18 steals, six doubles, four triples, a homer and 27 RBIs. Went 7-3 with 2.98 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 61 1/3 innings. All-conference. Committed to Bradley. Zach Toma, West Aurora, junior, first baseman/pitcher: Beacon-News/Courier-News Player of the Year. Hit .459 with 33 runs, 10 doubles, six homers and 46 RBIs. Went 7-2 with 1.39 ERA and 99 strikeouts in 65 1/3 innings. All-state and all-conference. Team MVP. Oscar Alexander Jr., West Aurora, sophomore, catcher: Hit .359 with 40 runs, eight doubles, four homers and 33 RBIs. All-conference. Joey Arend, St. Charles East, senior, outfielder/pitcher: Hit .298 with 32 runs, 22 steals and 12 doubles. Had six wins on the mound, striking out 83 in 53 innings. Set DuKane Conference career records for wins with 14 and strikeouts with 114. All-conference. Committed to Xavier. Jack Burns, Aurora Christian, senior, shortstop/pitcher: Hit .387 with nine doubles, two homers and 30 RBIs. Had 2.40 ERA. All-conference. Andrew Deegan, Jacobs, junior, shortstop: Batted .393 with eight doubles, four triples and three homers. All-conference. Committed to Belmont. Ari Fivelson, Hampshire, senior, outfielder: Hit .343 with 44 runs, 16 steals, five doubles, four triples, a homer and 23 RBIs. All-conference. Committed to Bradley. Tyler Gluting, Metea Valley, sophomore, outfielder: Hit .362 with 33 runs, five doubles, three triples, three homers and 23 RBIs. All-conference. Keaton Reinke, St. Charles North, junior, pitcher/outfielder: Went 5-2 with 2.73 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 51 2/3 innings. Hit .313 with 36 runs, 10 doubles, two triples and 14 RBIs. Stole program-record 35 bases. All-conference. Committed to Northwestern for football. Matt Ritchie, St. Charles North, sophomore, pitcher/third baseman: Went 6-5 with 2.00 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 52 1/3 innings. Hit .280. All-conference. Jared Russell, Dundee-Crown, senior, pitcher: Went 9-3 with 1.39 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 60 1/3 innings. Set the program career record with 1.65 ERA. All-conference. Team MVP. Committed to Judson. Connar Temple, Batavia, senior, pitcher: Went 4-3 with 1.21 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 52 innings. DuKane Conference's pitcher of the year. Committed to Northern Illinois. Wilson Wemhoff, Hampshire, senior, outfielder/pitcher: Hit .337 with 26 runs, nine steals, 12 doubles, two triples, three homers and 35 RBIs. Went 5-2 with 1.95 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 46 2/3 innings. All-conference. Hiroshy Wong, Waubonsie Valley, senior, third baseman: Hit .387 with 25 runs, nine doubles, a triple, a homer and 23 RBIs. All-conference.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Adams named Hampshire men's One-Day Cup head coach
Hampshire batting coach Jimmy Adams has been named head coach of the men's One-Day Cup team this summer. The former opening batter will step into the role as Adi Birrell will be working with the men's Southern Brave team in The Hundred. Advertisement The 44-year-old previously worked with the men's second team after retiring from playing before becoming batting coach in 2022. As a player, Adams made 462 appearances for Hampshire, winning six trophies. Hampshire won the One-Day Cup in 2018, beating Kent by 61 runs, and also reached the 2023 final, when they lost by two runs to Leicestershire. They start their campaign away to Glamorgan on 5 August. "Having worked with the group for a number of years now and seeing the talent we have coming through the pathway and academy, I'm hoping we can put in some strong performances and reach the final at Trent Bridge for the second time in three years," Adams said.
