The Illinois high school baseball season kicks off on March 17, opening day for regular season action under IHSA regulations. Over the next two weeks, leading up to opening day, we’ll be publishing our team previews ahead of the 2025 spring season, touching on programs spanning all state classifications, counting down through the official Prep Baseball 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 2025 preseason coverage continues today.

High School: Father McGivney Griffins
Preseason Rank: No. 21
Head Coach: Chris Erwin
Classification: 1A
Conference: Gateway Metro Conference
2024 Record (Finish): 34-5 (Super Sectional Loss)
Key Players Lost: Nick Franklin (Longwood), Ryker Keller (Concordia), Nathan Terhaar

 

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ROSTER PREVIEW

No. of Returning Positional Starters: 6
No. of Returning Starting Pitchers: 5
No. of Returning Relief Pitchers: 3
Team Strengths: Pitching, defense, baserunning

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X-FACTOR

Coming off an impressive sophomore campaign in 2024, 1B/RHP Isaac Wendler (2026) enters the season looking poised to insert himself into the conversation as one of the top two-way talents in the state. The junior hit .357 in 137 plate appearances and there is plenty of power potential to dream on as well. On the mound, the righty offers a mid/upper-80s fastball with some arm-side run out of a higher ¾ slot. He features a low 70s curveball with depth, as well as with a mid 70s changeup with arm-side fade. At times, he has shown a slider with short, 11/5 action to round out his arsenal. Wendler is a likely choice to get consistent starts this spring for a loaded McGivney rotation. If he can continue to improve upon pairing his raw strength with his strong feel for the barrel, expect Wendler to be a major contributor for a Griffins team with high expectations.

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Impact Underclassman

Expect left-handed hitting OF Omar Avalos (2027) to play a big part in Father McGivney’s aggressive style of play. Avalos enters the season ranked 20th in Illinois’ 2027 class thanks in part to his exceptional feel for the barrel with an ability to hit the ball to all fields. Avalos also clocked in at 6.95 in the 60 yard dash at the GBA Scout Day earlier this year. After a freshman season in which he played in almost a full season’s worth of varsity games, Avalos will hope to continue where he left off from his impressive 2024 campaign.

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TEAM OUTLOOK

The Griffins enter the 2025 season retaining all but one member of their pitching staff that helped bring them to the Super Sectional round in 2024, with plenty of depth to go around.

INF/RHP Kannon Kamp (2025; Southern Illinois-Edwardsville) is likely the name to lead the rotation after going 6-1 on the mound last season. Along with Kamp and the aforementioned Wendler, the Griffins could look towards seniors in RHP Mason Holmes (2025; Hendrix) and RHP Chase Kelley (2025; Spoon River) to fill out innings for the Griffins’ rotation.

OF/LHP Ben Sink (2026) is an intriguing left-handed option for the Griffins. The uncommitted junior throws out of a low ¾ slot which can create some uncomfortable ABs for opposing hitters. He was up to 86 mph with the fastball at the GBA Scout Day in February that comes in with some sink. He also features a pair of secondaries: a high-spin slider up to 2500+ RPM displaying a 2/8 shape, and a high-70s changeup with diving action arm-side.

RHP Evan Koontz (2025; John Wood) is likely to find plenty of opportunities after leading the Griffins’ staff in appearances and innings out of the bullpen in 2024. Right-handers David Carroll (2025), Tyler Jacobs (2026), and Ty Etcheson (2026) will also likely fill innings out of the ‘pen - while Dane Keeven (2025; Monmouth) provides an option from the left side.

Offensively, the Griffins are likely to continue with their uber-aggressive approach on the basepaths that has seen them swipe 100+ bases collectively each of the past four seasons.

The offense is led by INF Drew Kleinheider (2025; St. Louis), who hit and ran his way into IHSA All-State honors in 1A. The St. Louis commit put up a .471 AVG last season and stole 48 bags, which was good enough to be tied for fifth among all classes in Illinois. The Griffins will look towards Kleinheider to be a staple in the middle of the order for the Griffins in 2025.

The Griffins will also look towards INF Justin Terhaar (2025; Missouri-St. Louis) to help lead this experienced lineup. The senior hit at a .363 clip last season while only striking five times across 143 PAs in 2024. INF Kannon Kamp also returns as one of the top options for the Griffins lineup. The smooth swinging lefty provides an ability to hit to all fields and has some sneaky pop in his bat which helped him hit three home runs last season.

Another player that you could see have an impact at the plate this season is lefty INF Scott Phelps (2026). The previously mentioned OF Ben Sink and INF Mason Holmes will also likely find playing time on the field when they are not on the mound.

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Bottom Line & Director's Note

The Father McGivney Griffins have made a name for themselves in Southern Illinois these last few seasons, and the high expectations that they possess have not changed one bit. You can expect them to play fundamentally sound baseball both offensively and defensively, while creating havoc for their opponents on the basepaths. With all but one member of their pitching returning from last season, the Griffins have plenty of depth and experience for a team looking to make another postseason run. The likely favorites in the Gateway Metro Conference, the Griffins, coached by Chris Erwin, are also seen by many as a preseason favorite to make it back to state.

"In short order coach Erwin has turned Father McGivney into a perrenial power and one of the top 1A programs in the state. Expectations should be high once again as they have one of the top lineups in the Southern Illinois (regardless of class) and are coming off a 34 win 2024 season." Drew Locascio

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Find more information on the 2025 Father McGivney program below:

+ Follow them on X: @FMCHSBaseball
+ Visit the Prep Baseball Illinois Preseason Power 25 homepage.

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