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: Stevenson Patriots
Preseason Rank: No. 12
Head Coach: Nick Skala
Classification: 4A
Conference: North Suburban Conference
2023 Record (Finish): 30-10 (Super-Sectional appearance)
Key Players Lost: Brett Gaynor (Wisconsin-Oshkosh), Joe Richardson (Eastern Illinois), JR Nelson (Ohio), Colin Schmitke (Southeastern CC), Chris Iannuzzi (Southeastern CC), Luca Morelli (Illinois Wesleyan), Matthew Bressler, Michael Belbot (Illinois-Chicago) 

 

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ROSTER PREVIEW

No. of Returning Positional Starters: Four
No. of Returning Pitchers: Four
Team Strengths: Depth on the mound. Team defense and team speed will also be a plus, young athletes at every position.

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X-FACTOR

OF/RHP Frank Costabile (2026) will be a key force for the Patriots on both sides of the ball. A recent standout from our Preseason All-State: Underclass showcase, the No. 32 ranked player in the state opened some eyes with a fastball up to 92 mph, displaying some carry/run traits through the zone. His out-pitch looks to be a high-spinning slider at 79-82 mph, reaching over 2,700 rpm with late, sharp action. He’ll also go to a low-80s changeup to give the hitters another look, showing some feel for it in his ‘pen a few weeks ago with between 10-12” of run. In nine innings of work last season, the right-hander didn’t allow an earned run while fanning 18 hitters. The right-handed hitter will also be looked upon to help carry the offensive load, coming off a year where he turned in a .327 batting average in 55 at-bats with four doubles, three triples, two home runs, 12 RBIs and 15 runs scored. Costabile will also help provide value on defense in the outfield, boasting steady actions and quick feet, recording a 6.80 in the 60 earlier this winter. He also has an arm that will make runners think twice about advancing on him, reaching up to 98 mph from a crow hop in his workout. If Costabile can take on an increased workload from a season ago and produce in the way we believe he can, he will be the piece of the puzzle this group needs to put them over the top.

RHP/OF Frank Costabile (Stevenson, 2026) has been one of the most impressive two-ways today; from the mound:

▪️FB: 90-91 mph (T91.8); jumps, easy
▪️SL: 80-82; sharp, tight at 2,700 rpm
▪️CH: 81-82; locates with late fade/sink#ILPAS24 | @ShooterHunt pic.twitter.com/FisgjkF74p

— Prep Baseball Illinois (@PrepBaseballIL) February 24, 2024

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NEWCOMER TO WATCH

Not quite a new face, as he saw a handful of games on varsity last year, OF Ryan Harris (2026) will take on a much larger role this coming spring. Currently the No. 21 ranked player in the state, Harris has the tools of a much older player, let alone a sophomore. The right-handed hitter has premium strength in his bat, recording a max EV in the upper-90s last winter, so we can only imagine he has gotten stronger since then. He has already seen some brief success at the varsity level, recording a .286 batting average in 17 at-bats a season ago. His overall arm strength is another tool that makes Harris valuable, helping him cut down runners in the outfield, as well as potentially helping to eat up some innings out of the ‘pen; boasting a fastball up to 88 mph that pairs with a short slider at 76-77 mph and changeup/splitter combination in the mid-70s.

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TEAM OUTLOOK

The Patriots have the luxury of trotting out a number of quality arms, beginning with their starting rotation.

Acting as the likely 1-2 punch, RHP Nick Rayyan (2024; Benedictine commit) and RHP Brady Rosenkranz (2025; Missouri commit) will be a tough draw for opposing lineups.

Currently ranked No. 227 in the state, Rayyan, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound right-hander, saw a number of quality innings in 2023 - recording a spotless 4-0 record to go along with a 2.62 ERA in 29.1 innings, striking out 32 against only 12 walks. He features a fastball in the mid-80s that's complimented by a deceptive changeup that works in the low/mid-70s, as well as a slurvy breaking ball at 65-67 mph that can garner swing and miss.

Rosenkranz is an imposing 6-foot-7, 227-pound right-hander that has been trending in the right direction as of late, coming in as the No. 46 ranked player in Illinois. It’s an easy operation that creates a fastball up to 90 mph, creating quality extension into release with over 2,400 rpm at times. To pair off the fastball he’ll go to a high-spinning curveball/slider duo, both averaging around 2,300 rpm and even getting over 2,400 on occasion, each playing with their own distinct shape. His fourth offering is a changeup in the mid-80s, coming from a similar fastball window with heavy fade to his arm-side. He saw some valuable time on varsity last year as a sophomore, recording a 3.65 ERA in 23 innings with an impressive 42 strikeouts to 18 walks.

RHP Brady Rosenkranz (Stevenson, 2025) made a jump over the offseason, three-pitch mix with strikes at 6-foot-7.

▪️FB: 87-89 mph (T89.6) at 2,400 rpm
▪️SL: 75-76; flashed sharp, strikes
▪️CH: 84-85; late arm-side action

Mizzou recruit #ILPAS24 | @prepbaseball pic.twitter.com/klZn8vrLzq

— Prep Baseball Illinois (@PrepBaseballIL) February 25, 2024

Another young arm that will likely see some important innings will be RHP Drew Clark (2026). The sophomore right-hander was a standout at this past summer’s Illinois State Games, displaying a mid-80s fastball that can reach over 2,400 rpm with heavy arm-side action. His curveball has true out-pitch potential with sharp 11/5 shape and depth, cruising in the low-70s with over 2,500 rpm. To round out his arsenal he’ll go to a mid-70s changeup that plays similar out of the hand to his fastball with over 14” of run at times. Listed at 6-foot-4, 165-pounds, Clark is the No. 45 ranked player in the state, and he’s an upside prospect that will be fun to watch develop over his prep career.

Likely grabbing the final spot in the rotation to start the year will be LHP Andrew Langerman (2025), who will be a nice addition and add depth behind the previously mentioned arms.

RHP Yunus Hamideh (2025) is an imposing arm we can expect to see the Patriots trot out from the ‘pen, and he’s another arm that recently showed well in front of our staff. Listed at 6-foot-7, 205-pounds, the right-hander has a deceptive, low release that creates a fastball in the 84-85 mph range with over 2,500 rpm. He’ll also go to a low-70s slider and low-80s changeup to mix up the pace. In 3.1 innings last season, Hamideh didn’t allow a single run cross the plate, striking out five along the way.

RHP Ben Fawcett (2024; Mount St. Marys), another right-hander that can work his fastball into the mid-80s, will help fulfill the late inning duties - along with RHP Will Kerksick (2024), RHP Andrew Maloney (2024) and the aforementioned Costabile.

The Patriots will be young on the offensive side, and there will be a learning curve to seeing the varsity pitching, but Head Coach Nick Skala is certain his boys are up for the challenge.

Alongside the aforementioned Costabile, one key bat returning will be OF Brandon Schultz (2024; Eastern Illinois commit). In a lineup scattered with new faces, the veteran Schultz will help serve as a cornerstone in their offensive production, returning a .385 batting average in 91 at-bats with seven doubles, three triples, 33 RBIs and 29 runs scored. The No. 62 ranked pleyer in the state also has game-changing speed that will cause headaches for opposing teams on the basepaths, as well as help cover ground in a premium outfield position.

INF Joe Dolenga (2024), the No. 147 ranked player in the state, will add some senior leadership and experience to the Patriots’ everyday lineup. He’s a dynamic athlete, recording a 6.80 in the 60 this past summer at the Illinois State Games. He also has sneaky power in his bat, recording a max EV of 99.5 mph with a max distance of 373’. He’s an above-average defender on the infield with a strong arm to pair (T88 mph), and he’ll help add some stability to the group on both sides of the ball. He’s also already proven he can be a valuable piece in the lineup, hitting to the tune of a .275 average last spring in 40 at-bats.

OF Kosuke Sakamoto (2025) will be an intriguing addition to the lineup, boasting well above-average speed that helps him play arguably the best outfield defense in the program. He’s also a left-handed hitter that can handle the bat and hit for some sneaky power.

The aforementioned Harris, INF Aidan Crawley and INF Ryan Martin will be a trio of talented sophomores set to take the field this spring, and they’ll also be joined by 1B/OF Tyler Martini (2024; Quincy commit), INF Will Nack (2025), INF Brayden Fell (2024; Simpson College commit) and the aforementioned Rayyan to help fill out the diamond.

BOTTOM LINE

The Patriots are no doubt one of the younger teams we have broken down so far, but they are not to be taken lightly. They have a deep pithching staff, both in the rotation and in the bullpen, with some top-end arms as well as quality role-players that will help eat innings down the stretch. Their offense also should come around after a potentilly brief learning curve, but there are plenty of dangerous bats in that lineup that opposing teams will not have fun facing. Its a well-rounded, athletic bunch that will be a fun team to follow throughout this coming spring. 

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Find more information on the 2024 Stevenson program below:

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

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