2024 High School Team Previews : 4A Preseason No. 6 - No. 10
March 18, 2024
The IHSAA Baseball Season is quickly approaching and our preseason polls have been updated in preparation for the beginning of the season. Read along to find previews on the teams ranked No. 6 - No. 10 in our preseason 4A Top 25.
Find the full 4A Top 25, HERE.
#6 Noblesville Millers
Head Coach: Justin Keever
Class: 4A
2023 Record: 23-7
Conference (2023 Record): 11-3
Returning Starters/Pitchers: 5/8
2024 Team Strengths:
Pitching (Frontline & Depth) along with a strong group of bats at the top of the lineup
Impact Players:
- Aiden Reynolds, INF, 2026, Indiana
.316 BA, 9 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR, 26 R, 19 RBI - Trevor Corbett, INF, 2025
.341 BA, 5 2B, 1 HR, 33 R, .500 OBP - Nolan Decker, LHP/OF, 2024, Troy
5-3, 2.77 ERA, 68 K, 12 BB, 53 IP / .225 BA, 6 2B, 26 RBI - Aiden Ramsey, OF, 2025
.209 BA, 4 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 22 RBI - Lucas Stephan, RHP, 2024, Depauw
3-1, 2.31 ERA, 2 SV, 44 K, 9 BB, 33 IP - Quinton Black, RHP, 2024, Manchester
1-0, 3.50 ERA, 12 K, 14 IP - Joe Glander, RHP, 2025, Notre Dame
- Beckett Doane, LHP, 2026
- McCoy Fulk, INF, 2025
- Eli Hall, RHP, 2027
Outlook : The strength of this Noblesville squad will be their pitching staff, a staff built for a playoff run. The staff will be led by a reliable SR southpaw in Nolan Decker. Decker has been a mainstay in the Millers' rotation over his career and looks to lead a talented group. JR Joe Glander returns from an injury-plagued sophomore season and will look to join Decker atop the rotation. One of the state's top uncommitted sophomores, Beckett Doane, will look to bolster a stacked starting rotation. SR's Lucas Stephan and Quinton Black return with experience to provide the staff with even more depth, and FR Eli Hall should see time as well. Two of the better bats in the HCC, SO Aiden Reynolds and JR Trevor Corbett, were the top hitters from 2023 and will look to build upon strong seasons in 2024. Decker and JR Aiden Ramsey also return with experience and are primed to hit in the middle of the lineup.
#7 Carmel Greyhounds
Head Coach: Ty Neal
Class: 4A
2023 Record: 20-9
Conference (2023 Record): N/A
Returning Starters/Pitchers: 5/3
2024 Team Strengths:
Pitching & Athleticism
Impact Players:
- JD Stein, SS, 2025
- Hunter Snow, OF, 2024, Baylor
- Adam Buczkowski, RHP, 2024, Cincinnati
- Max Winders, RHP, 2024, Western Kentucky
- Gabe Mathison, OF/LHP, 2025
- James Charland, LHP/1B, 2024, Southern Indiana
- Theo Nagy, LHP, 2024, Purdue-Fort Wayne
- Tyler Walkey, 2B, 2024, Depauw
Outlook : The Greyhounds have a roster full of talent, headlined by SR CF Hunter Snow and JR SS JD Stein. Both are high level prospects that will lead the offense, with help from JR OF Gabe Mathison, SR James Charland, and SR 2B Tyler Walkey. Head Coach Ty Neal will have the luxury of turning the ball over the four different division one recruits on the mound, with SR's Adam Buczkowski and Max Winders expected to lead the staff. Charland, SR Theo Nagy, and Mathison will all combine to add depth to one of the better pitching staffs' in the state. The Greyhounds should be able to pitch it, if the bottom of the lineup produces this team could be a real state contender.
#8 Center Grove Trojans
Head Coach: Keith Hatfield
Class: 4A
2023 Record: 29-4
Conference (2023 Record): N/A
Returning Starters/Pitchers: 4/2
2024 Team Strengths:
Pitching, Defense, and Athleticism
Impact Players:
- Noah Coy, SS, 2024, Notre Dame
.370 BA, 6 2B, 4 3B, 2 HR, 39 R, 27 RBI - Kobe Cherry, RHP/1B, 2026
4-0, 0.61 ERA, 23 IP, 29 K / .250 BA, 2 2B, 1 HR, 19 RBI - AJ Beggs, C/OF, 2024, SWIC
.236 BA, 6 2B, 1 HR, 21 RBI - Gannon Grant, INF/RHP, 2026
.278 BA, 3 2B, 9 RBI, 10 R - Conner Vander Luitgaren, RHP, 2024, Evansville
4-0, 2.95 ERA, 19 IP, 15 K - Drake McClurg, INF/OF, 2027, Indiana
- Andrew Krupa, OF, 2025, Ball State
- Brendan Ealy, RHP, 2024, Lindenwood
- Kellen Thomson, RHP, 2026
- Cal Schembra, OF/1B, 2025
- Reed Sawa, OF, 2026
Outlook : The Trojans lose a large chunk of the team that led them to Victory Field in 2023. However, Coach Hatfield always finds a way to reload and this Center Grove roster is primed to make another playoff run. SR SS Noah Coy will be counted on to be the leader of this squad as he is the top returning hitter of the group. SO Kobe Cherry, a highly ranked player in our 2026 class, returns after a strong freshman season and will be counted on to be the ace of the staff. SR Conner Vander Luitgaren, along with SO's Kellen Thomson and Gannon Grant, should also provide big innings for the Trojans in 2024. SR Brendan Ealy figures to be in the mix out of the bullpen, as well. Offensively, the Trojans have plenty of talent with Grant, JR's Andrew Krupa, Cal Schembra, and Easton Smith, and FR Drake McClurg hoping to replace the offensive production that they lost to graduation. Expect SR's Cam Alford and Connor Liford, JR Cayden Jones, and SO's Reed Sawa and Tristan Yerman, to compete for playing time as well.
#9 Cathedral Irish
Head Coach: Ed Freije
Class: 4A
2023 Record: 22-5
Conference (2023 Record): N/A
Returning Starters/Pitchers: 5/4
2024 Team Strengths:
Pitching, Defense, and Talent
Impact Players:
- JT Stiner, C, 2024, UNC-Wilmington
.280 AVG, 5 2B, 3 3B, 24 RBI - Eli Bennett, 1B/LHP, 2025, Indiana
.307 AVG, 1 2B, 2 HR, 19 RBI, 15 R / 50 IP, 6-1, 43 K, 3.64 ERA - Patrick Mazur, OF, 2024, Marshall
.346 AVG, 6 2B, 1 3B, 20 RBI, 28 R, 21 SB - Eli Sinsabaugh, SS, 2026
.220 AVG, 1 2B, 6 RBI, 15 R, 9 SB - Zander Carnahan, OF, 2025
.253 AVG, 3 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 24 RBI, 15 R, 8 SB - Jackson Reeves, RHP, 2024
4-3, 2 SV, 25 K, 2.73 ERA - Neil Parrish, RHP, 2024
6-0, 51 K, 1.22 ERA - Ethan Dorsey, RHP, 2025
- Bo Cooper, C/UTL, 2025
Outlook : The Irish return a strong group of players to create a very well-rounded club heading into 2024. SR C JT Stiner and JR 1B Eli Bennett are the highest profile players on paper, two big bats that bring tons of experience to the lineup. SR OF Patrick Mazur is another multi-year starter that will look to have a big senior year. JR OF Zander Carnahan, SO SS Eli Sinsabaugh, and JR UTL Bo Cooper will all be expected to step into big roles this spring. On the mound, JR RHP Ethan Dorsey appears to be the ace of this group with tons of depth behind him. SR Jackson Reeves and JR Eli Bennett return 10 wins combined and SR Neil Parrish will look to replicate his junior season, where he went 6-0 with a 1.22 ERA.
#10 Evansville North Huskies
Head Coach: Jeremy Jones
Class: 4A
2023 Record: 25-5
Conference (2023 Record): 8-1
Returning Starters/Pitchers: 5/3
2024 Team Strengths:
Pitching & Defense
Impact Players:
- Cole Decker, OF, 2024, Indiana
.404 BA, 7 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR, 19 RBI, 10 SB, 39 R - Brayden Huebner, SS, 2024, Ball State
.263 BA, 4 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 16 RBI, 17 R - Kellen English, RHP, 2025, Indiana
- Gabe Wilke, C, 2024, Lincoln Trail
.276 BA, 6 2B, 1 3B, 11 RBI - Chris Cranick, 3B/RHP, 2024, Olney Central
.345 BA, 6 2B, 2 HR, 19 RBI, 29 R - Bryce Minton, RHP, 2024, Rend Lake
- Braden Perry, RHP, 2025
- Mason Renfro, OF, 2025
- Conner Watson, 1B/RHP, 2025
Outlook : The Huskies face some tough losses to graduation, however they appear to have reloaded and we expect them to contend to be one of the top teams in Southern Indiana. SR OF Cole Decker is the face of this team, returning a .404 batting average and tons of varsity experience. SR SS Brayden Huebner, SR C Gabe Wilke, and SR 3B Chris Cranick are all familiar faces in the lineup that are set up for big senior seasons. JR OF Mason Renfro is a potential breakout player in the Huskies' lineup. Three talented arms will be relied upon to lead the pitching staff in SR Chris Cranick, SR Bryce Minton, and JR Kellen English. North returns defenders up the middle of the diamond that should take pressure off of a talented pitching staff, and they have enough hitters to suggest this team should continue to be a top program in a baseball-rich, Evansville area.