2025 High School Team Previews: #4 St. Xavier

March 13, 2025
Carter Floyd | Jamie Tessoff
KY Social Media Director | KY Scouting Director

We are less than ONE WEEK from opening day for the 2025 KHSAA season! The Prep Baseball KY staff has been hard at work ranking the top 25 teams in the Bluegrass State. We are now individually previewing our top ranked teams as part of our Power 25 countdown. Our next preview belongs to #4 ranked St. Xavier High School!

ST. XAVIER: TIGERS

2024 Recap:

Record: 24-16 (home: 14-5, away: 7-8, neutral: 3-3)

4nd overall in Region 7
1st overall in District 26

Postseason finish: Region 7 finalists

Offensive stats: 276 H, 211 R, 66 XBH, .276 AVG

Pitching stats: 265.2 IP, 232 H, 114 ER, 229 K, 3.00 ERA

Head Coach Remarks:

"The 2025 Saint Xavier Tigers return 16 players with varsity experience. Having only lost their second baseman, left fielder, and roughly 25% of their innings pitched to graduation, the Tigers look to challenge for the program's 10th State Championship. Again, the Tigers will play an incredibly challenging schedule including five teams from last year’s Sweet Sixteen. Locally, the Tigers will continue to play the stronger teams from the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th regions in addition to five Lexington area teams (Lexington Catholic, Dunbar, Frederick Douglass, Madison Central, and George Rogers Clark). Other in-state opponents include McCracken County, Beechwood, Bowling Green, Warren East, and Central Hardin. The Tigers will host four teams from Illinois: Providence Catholic, Brother Rice, St. Charles East, and St. Laurence. The Tigers remaining out of state competition consists of Ohio schools; Olentangy Liberty, Cincy St. X, Elder, LaSalle, and Indiana schools; Noblesville and Floyd Central. Pitching and defense should be the strength of the 2025 Tigers. Leading the way on the mound will be seniors Kaden Ford (Transy), Matthew Harris (Oberlin), Cooper Mattingly (Spalding), and juniors Brodie Bennefield (Air Force Academy), Mason Nett, and Colton Zuege. 2 or 3 sophomores and 1 or 2 freshmen may appear on the bump in a varsity game as well. Defensively, the Tigers infield returns Benefield at 3rd, Jaxon Coomer at SS, Donnie Sinkhorn at 1st , and Danny Jaso (Rose-Hulman) at catcher. Kyle Krupp and Oakley Clevenger lead a group of five outfielders with plenty of varsity experience.
Offensive leadership should come from Benefield, Krupp, Coomer, Sinkhorn, and Clevenger. Speed on the base paths will definitely be a part of the St. X offensive equation again in 2025. The St. X recipe for success remains the same: play the most challenging schedule in the state, possibly experience some growing pains along the way, and in the end, be prepared to make a deep post-season run." - HC Andy Porta

State Director's Input:

"After losing many players to graduation in 2023 and injury last year, Head Coach Andy Porta arguably did his best coaching job in his career with the Tigers still finding their way to 24 wins with one of the toughest schedules in the country. This team is deep and loaded with players like seniors LHP Kaden Ford (Transylvania) (2.00 ERA, 42 IP, 45K’s), RHP Matthew Harris (Oberlin), C Danny Jaso (Rose-Hulman), Player of The Year watchlist OF Kyle Krupp (uncommitted), Cooper Mattingly (Spalding), LHP Logan Ottman (Trine), Eli Winstead (Kentucky Christian), juniors INF/RHP Brodie Benefield (Air Force), OF Oakley Clevenger, INF Jaxon Coomer, OF Wyatt Graven, and LHP Colton Zuege (3-1 1.65 ERA). This is not your physical St. X squad we have become accustomed to, as the strength should be on the mound and defending. Offensively, you will need to get eyes on what might be the top uncommitted position player left on the board in Kyle Krupp. Krupp battled hamstring issues all last Spring and was very limited but he returns healthy. An absolute “BULLY” in the box with an easy knack for finding barrels. Look for Brodie Benefield to provide additional thump as well. The physical two-way plays with a high IQ with a skill set to match. An underappreciated but absolutely outstanding receiver is Danny Jaso, who will also be asked to carry a bigger load offensively. Look for Kaden Ford, who battled a broken hand last year which limited him offensively, to bounce back in a big way. Table setters Jaxon Coomer and Oakley Clevenger will be expected to provide the big boys' RBI opportunities and put pressure on opposing defenses. This is a deep and talented squad that is really good at baseball, which gives the Tigers a real chance at a deep playoff run. If the men in green and gold can stay healthy, could this be Head Coach Andy Porta’s 5th State Title?" - Jamie Tessoff

Top Newcomers:

Top Returning Players:

2025 Kaden Ford - LHP/OF (Transylvania University)
- 42.0 IP, 12 ER, 45 K, 2.00 ERA
2025 Matthew Harris - RHP (Oberlin College)
- 2-0, 19.1 IP, 12 ER, 11 K, 4.34 ERA
2025 Danny Jaso - C (Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology)
2025 Kyle Krupp - OF
2025 Cooper Mattingly - RHP (Spalding University)
- 4-1, 30.1 IP, 10 ER, 11 BB, 27 K, 2.31 ERA
2025 Cameron Marks - INF
2025 Logan Ottman - LHP/OF (Trine University)
2025 Donnie Sinkhorn - 1B
- .320 AVG, 33 H, 21 R, 25 RBI, 18 BB
2025 Eli Winsted - INF (Kentucky Christian University)
2026 Brodie Benefield - INF/RHP (U.S. Air Force Academy)
- .313 AVG, 35 H, 14 R, 22 RBI, 12 XBH, 10 BB
- 3-2, 19.2 IP, 9 ER, 23 K, 3.20 ERA
2026 Oakley Clevenger - OF
- .299 AVG, 32 H, 24 R, 21 RBI, 11 BB, 21 SB
2026 Jaxon Coomer - INF
- .385 AVG, 42 H, 3 R, 20 RBI, 8 XBH, 19 BB, 18 SB
2026 Wyatt Graven - OF
- .238 AVG, 10 H, 15 R, 10 RBI, 8 SB
2026 Colton Zuege - LHP
- 3-1, 42.1 IP, 10 ER, 44 K, 1.65 ERA