The Illinois high school baseball season kicks off on March 16, opening day for regular season action under IHSA regulations. Over the next several weeks, leading up to opening day, we’ll be publishing our team previews ahead of the 2020 spring season, touching on programs spanning all state classifications, leading into a countdown through the official PBR Illinois Preseason Power 25 Rankings.

Perennially, we’ve submitted a Preseason Questionnaire to high school head coaches across the entire state. Their responses have been flooding in and we’re using the detailed insight they’ve provided in our team-by-team preseason analysis.

Our 2020 preseason coverage continues today.

Team: Prairie Ridge
Preseason Rank: 21
2019 Record: 27-10
Conference: Fox Valley
IHSA Class: 3A
Head Coach: Glen Pecoraro
Playoff Run: Sectional Semifinals appearance
2019 Final Rank: 21
Returning Starters: 2
Returning Pitchers: 3

TOP PLAYERS

NAME	STATE	SCHOOL	CLASS	POSITION	COMMITMENT
Holden Phelps	IL	Prairie Ridge	2020	RHP	Missouri
Keegan Garis	IL	Prairie Ridge	2020	3B	Lake Land JC
Ryan Gouldschaal	IL	Prairie Ridge	2020	RHP/INF	-
Braeden Harrel	IL	Prairie Ridge	2020	RHP	-
Jake Masini	IL	Prairie Ridge	2020	C/OF	-
Will Anderson	IL	Prairie Ridge	2020	RHP/1B
Jeffery Stanish	IL	Prairie Ridge	2020	RHP	Milw. School of Engin.
Alex Milone	IL	Prairie Ridge	2021	SS
Matt Porter	IL	Prairie Ridge	2021	LHP/OF	-
Parker Swanson	IL	Prairie Ridge	2021	RHP	-
Ryan Gregorio	IL	Prairie Ridge	2021	RHP	-
Braden Thelander	IL	Prairie Ridge	2022	SS/RHP

KEY PLAYERS LOST

NAME	STATE	SCHOOL	CLASS	POSITION	COMMITMENT
Ben Harris	IL	Prairie Ridge	2019	RHP/1B	Brewton-Parker College
Dominic Listi	IL	Prairie Ridge	2019	LHP/OF	North Central College
Michael Patterson	IL	Prairie Ridge	2019	SS	North Central College
Alex Powers	IL	Prairie Ridge	2019	C	Illinois-Chicago

NEWCOMER TO WATCH

Junior LHP Matt Porter has been one of the biggest pop-up names and winners of the winter. He made his PBR event debut and was the top prospects at the McHenry showcase in late January where he sat around 84 mph, touching 85, with jump and carry through the zone. He paired it with a sharp 2/8 breaking ball with out-pitch potential and he could slowly earn himself a No. 2 role in the rotation, giving the Wolves arguably the top one-two punch in the area, if everything settles into place. Even if Porter takes some time to adjust to the varsity level, the Wolves’ staff is already deep enough to win, it’s just that Porter’s inherent talent would make the team that much better. All the while, Porter’s an athlete who will likely roam center field when he’s not pitching.

Matt Porter (1/26/20)

X-FACTOR

Prairie Ridge has what most teams seek: a legitimate No. 1 arm. Holden Phelps wasn’t that for them in 2019, but the 6-foot-5 senior has what it takes to be stretched out into that this year. The Wolves’ 2019 class had the strike-throwers and competitors to charter the rotation, so Phelps’ live arm was leaned on to close out ballgames. Since the end of the spring, Phelps has only begun to fully realize his massive potential. We’ve seen him up to 92 mph, with more to come, but Phelps threw more strikes over the summer all while sharpening his offspeed. His big fastball and improving slider combo is more than enough to be the ace PR needs this spring. When he’s locked into a rhythm, the Mizzou commit is one of the top arms in the conference, which is always nice to have come Regionals.

Holden Phelps (2/10/19)

OUTLOOK

Prairie Ridge has earned a reputation as a hard-working, smart squad that gets the most out of its roster, courtesy of head coach Glen Pecoraro and staff. Despite losing some quality 2019s from last year’s 27-win team, the Wolves’ FVC title hopes remain intact.

The seniors on this year’s team are going to rudder Ridge to success, having enjoyed winning springs in 2018 and ‘19. They’re familiar with the chemistry and atmosphere it takes to compete in the dogfight that is the Fox Valley Conference.

We touched on Phelps in the X-Factor section above, but the rest of the seniors here are what’s going to propel PR to another first-place finish in the competitive conference and beyond. 3B/1B Keegan Garis returns, the most productive bat on a team full of them a season ago. The Wolves are consistently full of hardy at-bats that don’t get cheated, and Garis is the picture-perfect example of this. Joining Garis inside the top of this lineup is INF Ryan Gouldschaal, who can hit for some power, but he’ll also be relied on one of the main arms behind Phelps in the rotation. Senior backstop Jake Masini is here, too, one of the more interesting uncommitted catchers in the state. He’s athletic behind the dish and should be able to fill the everyday shoes of the graduated Powers. He also swings a loose, fast right-handed bat, capable of spraying the ball all over the field.

Fellow 2020 RHPs Will Anderson and Braeden Harrell will bolster the rotation, too, giving Ridge the sought after depth of pitching.

Still, the Wolves will sorely miss the motor of its 2019 class, but the juniors here can help soften that blow. SS Alex Milone saw plenty of action as a sophomore last spring, and it’ll help him slide more comfortably into the lineup and up the middle of the infield this year. We touched on Porter above, but 6-foot-3 RHP Parker Swanson looks capable of forcing himself onto the mound more often as a junior. He was up to 83 mph this offseason with the makings of a swing-and-miss 12/6 breaking ball.

As always for this Ridge program, there’s useful underclassmen lurking. Given the graduates to this year’s squad, it’s possible dynamic two-way talent Braden Thelander will earn himself some kind of role on this year’s version of PR. He has a live 5-foot-10, 155 pound frame, and moves well on defense, which could be the key to him earning more regular playing time. Pecoraro’s rotation won’t need much help, but Thelander sat 82-83 mph with a tight breaking ball at an event in late January, so that’s also there if the Wolves need it.

Sophomores like RHP Noah Schlup and OF Zach Bentsen are also here in case of emergency and are names to know moving forward.

BOTTOM LINE

Prairie Ridge has brewed a culture of winning in the northwest suburbs of Chicago that typically leads to an optimistic outlook for this squad’s chances year after year. The ingredients are here for a deep playoff run still: senior experience and depth, a wealth of arms, with an injection of incoming junior and sophomore talent. It’s never a good idea to count out the Ridge Wolves.

Make sure to follow @PBRIllinois on Twitter for the most up-to-date coverage throughout the 2020 season.

Find more information on the 2020 Wolves below:

+ Full Schedule
+ Team Twitter

PBR ILLINOIS PRESEASON POWER 25