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: Normal University
Preseason Rank: 8
2019 Record: 28-9
Conference: Central State 8
IHSA Class: 2A
Head Coach: Steve Paxson
Playoff Run: Sectional Semifinals appearance
2019 Final Rank: On The Bubble
Returning Starters: 7
Returning Pitchers: 8

TOP PLAYERS

NAME	STATE	SCHOOL	CLASS	POSITION	COMMITMENT
Bubba Mote	IL	Normal University	2020	SS	Marshall
Jackson Powell	IL	Normal University	2020	1B	USC-Upstate
Jack Feely	IL	Normal University	2020	RHP	Central Michigan
Jackson Blemler	IL	Normal University	2020	2B	Parkland JC
Drew Ziebarth	IL	Normal University	2020	C/RHP	Central Missouri
Brendan Tupper	IL	Normal University	2022	C	Parkland JC
Caleb Gross	IL	Normal University	2020	3B	Cedarville
MacCallan Conklin	IL	Normal University	2020	RHP/OF	Illinois State
Karson Bonaparte	IL	Normal University	2020	RHP/UTL	-
Daniel Mosele	IL	Normal University	2021	RHP/UTL	-
Jake Swartz	IL	Normal University	2022	RHP	Illinois

 

KEY PLAYERS LOST

NAME	STATE	SCHOOL	CLASS	POSITION	COMMITMENT
Nathan Hardman	IL	Normal University	2019	RHP/INF	Saint Louis
Jack Sauser	IL	Normal University	2019	RHP	Northwestern
Parker Mathieson	IL	Normal University	2019	SS	Central Michigan

NEWCOMER TO WATCH

Jake Swartz, RHP, 2022: Swartz is yet another high-level prospect the Pioneers and coach Paxson have coming through the program. A recent Illinois commit, Swartz has a lively arm with dynamic stuff that is seemingly ready for varsity action. For many other programs, Swartz would be a shoo-in to see a healthy amount of innings – for a program as deep as the Pioneers, it’s not as obvious. They have one of the deeper staffs in the state, so it remains to be seen how much the talented sophomore will be used. Regardless, Swartz is a name to know as he will be a main part of the rotation, if not now, then in the future.

Jake Swartz (7/23/19)

X-FACTOR

MacCallan Conklin, RHP/OF, 2021: Conklin, an Illinois State commit, was able to get his feet wet on varsity last spring. The two-way talent may be best known for his ability on the mound, but he is also more than capable of handling his right-handed bat. His two-way abilities should be on full display this spring and more than welcomed. On the mound, Conklin can be used in a number of roles thanks to the amount of quality arms on staff. If they need him to close, he can be the power-armed, upper-80s type to come in and collect a pivotal strikeout when needed most. Here is a report on Conklin from last spring:

“5.8.19 - Currently ranked No. 25 in the Illinois’ 2021 class. 6-foot-1, 168-pound, right-handed pitcher; long-limbed, high-waisted, projectable build. Looks taller on the mound than the listed 6-foot-1. Came out of the bullpen and closed out the game, throwing 2.1 perfect innings. Struck out one and did not allow a ball to leave the infield. Deliberate delivery, works slow and controlled, lands on-line, occasional effort and tendency to spin off on finish. Live, loose arm action, works quick out front, high ¾ slot. Fastball jumps out of the hand, finish through the zone, late arm-side-run, sat 86-88 mph. Showed the ability to throw to his glove side and work down in the zone at times. Mixed in a curveball, works mostly 11/5, flashed depth, around the zone, 72-73 mph. Showed a changeup in warmups, missed down, straight action. Upside 2021 right-handed pitcher with more in the tank.”

MacCallan Conklin (2/9/20)

As an outfielder, Conklin is a 6.95 runner in the 60-yard dash, and he’s topped 93 mph from the outfield with a quick, aggressive right-handed swing, too. When he is not pitching, Conklin should be making an impact as an everyday outfielder for the Pioneers. His versatility and high-level two-way talents, along with experience gained as a sophomore, make him a big X-Factor heading into the 2020 campaign.

OUTLOOK

The 2020 season will be vastly different for the Pioneers, especially because Normal University will now be playing at the 2A classification, where they’ll instantly become one of the top 2A teams in the state. Coach Paxson’s team returns a numerous number of skilled athletes from a team that won 28 games last season and is equipped to compete for a state championship. 

Gone from last year’s squad are a trio of impact Division-I players: RHP Nathan Hardman (Saint Louis), RHP Jack Sauser (Northwestern), and INF Parker Mathieson (Central Michigan). All three of these leave behind a pretty hefty void that will be difficult to fill given the major contributions they provided to this program. 

Luckily, the Pioneers are equipped with players capable of stepping up to replace the production they’ll be without from that talented bunch. They’ll rely on heavy contributions from experienced upperclassmen, none of which have more varsity experience under their belt than the up-the-middle duo of SS Bubba Mote (2020; Marshall commit) and Jackson Blemler (2020; Parkland JC). Both are three-year varsity starters who are penciled in towards the top of this lineup to provide vital offensive production for the Pioneers throughout their season. 

Fellow seniors 1B Jackson Powell (2020; USC-Upstate), C Drew Ziebarth (2020; Central Missouri), and OF Brendan Tupper (2020; Parkland JC) are all returning impact players who are ready to leave their mark in their final season of high school play. Powell is a physical presence at the dish with easy pop in his bat and fits a corner infield profile. Ziebarth will see a large chunk of his reps behind the plate and will have control over one of the most well-rounded pitching staffs in the entire state. Luckily, his experience as a backstop at the varsity level will play into his favor and he is more than capable of holding his own back there. Tupper is a left-handed-hitting outfielder with an advanced feel for himself at the plate, which he showed to our staff at the PBR at The Rock 17U Championships this past summer, going 9-for-10 in a three-game stretch. All three are viewed as necessary pieces to this puzzle and their contributions could ultimately lead the Pioneers to a deep playoff run. 

There are some intriguing juniors who will also contribute on the offensive side of things, including the aforementioned Conklin, who might become the top overall player on this roster. However, INF/RHP Karson Bonaparte (2021; uncommitted) is a highly regarded two-way prospect with clear bat strength and gap-to-gap power at the plate. On the mound, we’ve seen him up to 88 mph with his heavy fastball and he’s shown the ability to spin two distinct breaking balls; a sweeping slider and 11/5 curveball. He’s going to be a heavy contributor for this team on both sides of the ball. INF/RHP Daniel Mosele (2021; uncommitted) is an athletic, gamer-type who can play multiple positions across the diamond – he can pitch, too. His strong defensive profile and versatility make him another important contributor to this team. 

As mentioned earlier, the Pioneers come into the 2020 spring season with one of the more well-rounded pitching staffs in the state. They’re led by senior RHP Jack Feely (Central Michigan), an impressive arm with a high-80s heater that's touched 90 mph, and also has feel for an advanced changeup with natural sinking action. Pair Feely with the aforementioned Conklin and Bonaparte and you start to quickly realize why this team’s pitching staff is so highly regarded. Senior RHP Caleb Gross (Cedarville) is another intriguing arm who will get innings this season. He brings some upside on the mound with an advanced feel for a changeup, but most importantly he brings talent and experience with him to this staff. Toss the aforementioned sophomore Swartz into this mix as well, as he figures to find his feet at the varsity level this season. Another talented sophomore coming through the Pioneers system is RHP Jack Bach. Bach has a physical 6-foot-4, 210-pound frame, clean arm and threw one of the more complete bullpens at this winter's Underclass Invitational, sitting 86-88 mph with a three-pitch mix.. 

Jack Feely (6/18/19)

BOTTOM LINE

Normal University stopped short of where they wanted to finish last spring after a narrow 3-2 loss in the sectional semis. Silver linings from last season include helping this 2021 class acclimate to the varsity level, because these juniors are critical to Normal U-High’s new 2A surroundings.

While there might be some question marks offensively, they’ll rely on an experienced and downright dominant pitching staff to push them to success more often than not. If they can figure it out offensively, this team should be viewed as a favorite to make their way down to Peoria come playoff time. 

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

Find more information on the 2020 Pioneers below:
+ Team Website
+ Team Twitter

PBR ILLINOIS PRESEASON POWER 25