The Illinois high school baseball season kicks off on March 11, 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 2024 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 2024 preseason coverage continues today.

High School: Lincoln-Way East Griffins
Preseason Rank: No. 11
Head Coach: John McCarthy
Classification: 4A
Conference: Southwest Suburban
2023 Record (Finish): 31-9 (Super-Sectional)
Key Players Lost: Zach Kwasny (Ball State), John Connors (John A Logan JC), Aiden Knipper (Wisconsin-Oshkosh), Daniel Giusto (Loras), Trevor Fishman (Wabash Valley JC)

 

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ROSTER PREVIEW

No. of Returning Positional Starters: Three
No. of Returning Pitchers: Zero
Team Strengths: Pitching and team defense.

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X-FACTOR

There may not be a more well-known name in the state currently than SS Tyler Bell (2024; Kentucky commit). Bell put together a strong 2023 season as a junior, slashing .446/.577/.843, good for an eye-opening 1.420 OPS while also belting nine homers, driving in 46 and swiping 32 bags. The switch-hitter has seen his draft stock rise tremendously over the recent months thanks in part to stellar showings at the inaugural Prep Baseball All-American Game and most recently at the Super 60 where he earned high praise from Prep Baseball’s VP of Scouting, Shooter Hunt: “Although Bell’s performance in Chicago was hardly as earth shattering as what he did at the All-American game in Milwaukee, it is for that very reason that it might have been even more important in the eyes of the more than 100 MLB scouts in attendance. Noticeably stronger at nearly 6-foot-2, 192-pounds, the switch-hitting shortstop posted the two highest average bat speeds, per Blast Motion, at the event even without the effort-driven violent outputs. Those quick hands worked the barrel uphill with a compact stroke that delivered length in the zone with his patented quiet-intensity throughout. Reassuring was the look in the box, and even his takes dripped with confidence and supreme balance. Maxing out at an exit velocity of 101.1 mph with a max distance of 378 feet, he was on the barrel for the majority from both sides. Whereas the right-handed side has been thought of as a notch below the left, this look continued an upward trend with a less pronounced late lift of the hands prior to the approach, but still with the usual ability to get quality use of the hips. A gifted athlete, Bell posted a 6.84 60-yard dash time on what felt like a slower track, and was one of the top jumpers in terms of height at 34.8. On the infield, he moved gracefully with fluid footwork and transfers along with a stronger arm across the diamond at 90 mph. Already a high profile prospect, Bell’s performance did nothing to dissuade that. Perhaps most notable in this look was the fact that the Illinois native has graduated from the idea of “wanting to be the best” to “expecting to be the best” in the best sense of the phrase. In looking ahead to the spring, Bell has placed himself firmly in the early Day One discussion with the likes of shortstops Wyatt Sanford (TX), Carter Johnson (AL), and Charlie Bates (CA).”

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NEWCOMER TO WATCH

LHP Jack Bauer (2025; Virginia commit) is a sure-fire name to know heading into 2024 for the Griffins as he is currently ranked No. 1 in the state and No. 11 nationally. A participant in the Future Games two summers ago, and a recent standout at the inaugural Prep Baseball All-American Game, Bauer is poised for a big spring in 2024: “Prep Baseball All-American Game: Pure electricity from the left side. Standing 6-foot-3, 177-pounds with high-level projection remaining, Bauer uses a slower, methodical delivery with a loose arm action out of a three-quarters slot. Fastball will explode out of the hand at 92-94, touching 95 with heavy arm-side run. Shows aptitude to paint both sides of the plate and ability to create swing-and-miss with the pitch. Innate feel to spin (Avg. 2633) a low-80s slider that will get some sweep and can create whiffs. Changeup could be trending towards an above-average pitch at 82-84 with present plus command and arm-side fade while maintaining arm speed. The Virginia commit will miss bats with all three pitches, and shows a ceiling that can remain one of the best pitchers in the class.”

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TEAM OUTLOOK

Lincoln-Way East is a team with a ton of intrigue entering 2024 after finishing 31-9 last season before seeing their postseason run end in the Super-Sectional. Head Coach John McCarthy is entering his first year at the helm of the Griffins after previous head coaching stints at Homewood-Flossmoor and Brother Rice. Look for pitching and team defense to be the strengths of the Griffins going into the spring.

On the mound, the Griffins will be led by a trio of southpaws in LHP Tyler Ledvina (2024; Heartland CC commit), LHP Justyn Hart (2024; Missouri commit) and of course the aforementioned Bauer. 

Ledvina is an athletic mover on the mound and has run his fastball in the upper 80’s (T89) in the past for our staff, pairing that with a curveball and changeup that have both shown to be quality offerings. Ledvina is currently ranked No. 61 in the state.

Hart is more of a smooth mover downhill at 6-foot-2, 224-pounds, touting a mid-80’s fastball (T87) to go with a natural-fading changeup, and a swing-and-miss breaking ball. Hart is currently ranked No. 57 in the state and adds extremely valuable depth behind the previously mentioned arms. 

RHP Ethan Godlewski (2024; St. Xavier commit) will be another arm the Griffins will trot out, and he is currently ranked No. 169 in the state and can run his fastball in the mid-80’s.

On the offensive front, the Griffins bring back two seniors in 2B Johnny Dwyer (2024; Loras commit) and OF Matt Hudik (2024; uncommitted) to go along with All-American Tyler Bell. Dwyer was a standout performer at this past fall’s Unsigned Senior Showcase where he displayed a whole-field approach during BP from the right side. Hudik is a left-handed hitting outfielder who batted leadoff for the Griffins when we last saw him in 2023, and he'll look to be another quality table-setter for East in '24. 

Some underclassmen to note for Lincoln-Way East this year are 3B/OF Ty Hudik (2026) and C Jacob Newman (2026). Both players could be immediate impact guys this spring for the Griffins with both positions up for starting grabs.

BOTTOM LINE

The Griffins bring back a strong pitching staff from a team that won 31 games a season ago, and pitching should be the team’s strength throughout the spring. While having senior stability at the top of the rotation from Ledvina, Hart, and Godlewski, they will also have starpower in Bauer to help fill out the rotation. Offensively, the Griffins will go as Tyler Bell goes and they will need younger, fresh faces to step up as the season progresses. Overall, the Griffins look to have the pieces to make another strong postseason run among the state’s 4A class.

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Find more information on the 2024 Lincoln-Way East program below:

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

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