Kaskaskia is a program that has seen plenty of success under long-time head coach Mitch Koester. In his time at the helm, the Blue Devils have won three Region 24 championships, including a trip to Grand Junction in 2013, and finished as runner-ups five times in one of junior college baseball’s more talented regions. 

The Blue Devils will look to bounce back from a down year in 2025, by their standards, and have a roster armed with talent capable of doing so. They return a handful of key pieces on offense, added some impactful contributors by way of the transfer market, and brought in numerous freshmen that can be staples for this program over the next two years. 

POSITION PLAYERS 

It’s an interesting mix for the Blue Devils’ offense this year, as Kaskaskia returns several players that were regulars last year and groups them together with a talented, impactful freshman class. 

Their two top offensive threats from 2025, both of whom are still uncommitted, are back in R-Soph 1B Wade Pauley and sophomore CF Michael O’Brien:

+ Pauley’s physicality is his carrying trait, as the muscled-up left-handed hitter is among the more imposing offensive threats in the GRAC. There’s all sorts of raw strength inside his left-handed swing, bashing baseballs on repeat at our Kaskaskia Scout Day, including a 105.5 mph max EV and 101.1 mph average EV. There’s a track record of performance too, as he hit .358 last spring with 16 extra-base hits in 109 at-bats, posting a 1.039 OPS and driving in 28 runs. 

Wade Pauley

+ O’Brien was a revelation of sorts for the Blue Devils, heading to Centralia byway of a Georgia prep career and performing immediately in all areas of the game. He’s an old school, throw-back type with a double-plus motor, can really run, and slaps the ball around the yard from both sides of the plate. He drew 50 free passes to 27 punchouts last season in 156 at-bats, hitting .333 with a .495 OBP while also swiping 40 bags in 45 attempts. With his speed, instincts, and effort level, O’Brien can also really track things down in the outfield, completing an all-around prospect package that provides a ton of positive value on the diamond. 

Michael O’Brien

R-Soph C Michael Oates is another name to know who’s back for Kaskaskia, hitting .295 last year with 12 extra-base hits, and driving in 22 runs. The juice he showed at our scout day was some of the more impressive on the day, elevating comfortably over the left field wall with consistency, including a 395 ft. peak batted distance and 106.4 mph max EV. R-Soph CIF Chase Lewis hit .284 in 155 at-bats last season with 15 extra-base hits and a team-high 33 RBI. Sophomore CIF Conner Freeze (McKendree) brought home 27 runs in 172 at-bats, while sophomore OF Zayn Giles and sophomore OF Gabe Schlimme are two reliable right-handed hitters that each flashed bat strength with gap-to-gap feel at our scout day and have experience under their belt from a year ago. Sophomore INF Camden Raddatz is another physical right-handed bat that saw playing time last year, logging 86 at-bats. 

Michael Oates

There are a bunch of new names that are capable of impacting this offense plenty in 2026, whether it be via transfer or through the Blue Devils’ freshman class. R-Soph OF/RHP Daniel Shuta has a chance to be one of Kaskaskia’s top arms, but he also swings it, providing a highly physical right-handed barrel right in the middle of this lineup, and he launched four home runs this fall. Sophomore MIF Mason Glennon transfers in from East Georgia CC, bringing with him a reliable glove that can slide around the infield and a productive fall at the plate to match, hitting .380. 

Taking a look at their freshman class, one name that really stood out to our staff at the scout day was INF Jayden Bazile, who we believe has the potential to be one of the GRAC’s top prospects when his junior college career concludes. There’s bat speed (76.2 mph), hand speed (24.3 mph) and overall advanced athleticism (6.45) in Bazile’s lean, athletic frame, and he adds impact at the plate advanced for his age – 97.1 mph average EV, 101.4 mph max EV, 387 ft. peak distance. Defensively, Bazile’s glove will only continue to improve as he adds in-game reps at the collegiate level, with the present arm strength to stick on the left side of the infield. 

Jayden Bazile

Another freshman infielder that can be an impact out the gate is JT Augustyniak. The Chicago-area native worked through the middle of the field at our scout day, repeating a simple, quiet right-handed swing with strength off the barrel; 93.5 mph average EV, 99.7 mph peak. His defense is the calling card at the moment, with impact-type actions on the infield dirt. Augustyniak keeps his lower half in rhythm on the move, getting around the baseball in the right spot with soft, sure-handed glovework and a clean release to boot. We’re bullish on his ability to produce right away and think he’s going to be a plenty welcome addition to this Kaskaskia club. 

Two freshman outfielders, with pretty different profiles, to know are OF Brady Hatton and OF Benny Lehman:

+ Hatton has some of the easiest right-handed juice you’ll find in Illinois’ junior college baseball, as he utilizes his long, strong levers to torch balls on repeat off his barrel. He did nothing but crush home runs in BP at our scout day, sending his furthest ball 414 feet into the trees past the left field wall while averaging 100.2 mph per batted ball, maxing at 104.3 mph. There may be an adjustment period early on for Hatton, but if he can get rolling, the Blue Devils will have a true middle-of-the-order masher slotted right in the heart of their lineup. 

Brady Hatton

+ Lehman is a former multi-sport standout at Breese Central that played a huge role in getting the Cougars to last year’s sectional semi-final against eventual state runner-up Teutopolis. He’s a strong, scrappy old school left-handed hitter that can really run (6.54 60) and plays the game hard, while also showing more raw juice in BP than we’d seen previously; 92 mph average EV, 97.8 mph peak, 361 ft. max distance. 

Benny Lehman

The depth in this freshman class is noteworthy for Kaskaskia, as two other names to know on the offensive side are 1B Colton Webb and INF Hayden Bugger. Webb showed easy, advanced left-handed power in BP this fall, swatting baseballs off his barrel over the right field wall in BP with notable TrackMan numbers to match; 101.5 mph average EV, 105.5 mph peak, 408 ft. max distance. Bugger is a reliable performer at the plate that doesn’t swing-and-miss much and has a short, direct right-handed swing with added strength off the barrel. He also provides versatility defensively with the ability to move around and play all three infield spots. 

Colton Webb

PITCHERS

On the mound, Kaskaskia does lose a bulk load of their innings from last spring that departed with a handful of sophomore arms, including staff ace Mason Tibbs (Charleston Southern). That being said, the Blue Devils dipped into the portal market and grabbed a few arms that should be impacts, all while supplementing their returners with a handful of talented freshmen, too. 

We’ll start with the names coming back, most notably sophomore LHP Brady Phillips and sophomore RHP Jack Hendrix. Phillips is a low-release, cut/ride fastball southpaw (20.4 VB, -5.7 HB) that pitches in the mid-to-upper-80s with three secondaries to pair. He throws a bendy low-70s curveball with depth and also mixes in a harder, tighter sweeping slider in the mid-70s, completing his arsenal with a low-80s changeup. Last year, Phillips struck out 43 in 38 ⅔ innings and has the stuff to have a strong sophomore campaign if he can work in the zone consistently. Hendrix is a reliable relief weapon that made 15 appearances out of the ‘pen for the Blue Devils in 2025, pitching in the low-to-mid-80s with a 4.13 ERA over 28 ⅓ innings last spring. Two other left-handed sophomore arms that are still uncommitted of note are Garrett Gaddis and Kaden Nichols. 

Brady Phillips

We touched on Shuta above for his offensive efforts, but the Flo-Dar Tech transfer also figures to be a power arm for this pitching staff. It’s a carry fastball that plays in the upper-80s to low-90s and really jumps out the hand, playing with life at the top of the zone in our looks. He throws a hard, short, tight slider in the low-80s that compliments his heater well, and can also turn over a changeup at 81-83 mph with gradual run (20.1” HB). Shuta has the stuff to create swing-and-miss and cause issues for any opposing lineup, and if he’s in the zone with consistency, the Blue Devils will have another frontline arm on their hands.

Daniel Shuta

Another newcomer to know, who transfers byway of Lindenwood, is sophomore RHP Brendan Ealy. An Indiana native, Ealy was excellent this fall, allowing just two runs in his 16 innings of competitive work. He’s an athletic, high-effort mover down the mound that pitches in the upper-80s with his fastball, creeping into the low-90s at peak. Ealy throws two breaking balls, both in the low-70s velocity band but with differing spin; a bendy, more arching curveball and a more true sweeping slider (1.4 VB, -15.1 HB) with sharper, lateral tilt. His changeup has also shown flashes of being his best pitch in our looks, diving it down in the zone at 79-81 mph with fastball hand speed. 

Brendan Ealy

As far as freshmen go, look for RHP Joseph Stewart and RHP Oakley Koontz to be the biggest of impacts:

+ Stewart is a strong, sturdy athlete with arm strength, pitching in the upper-80s when we saw him this fall and having the ability to peak into the low-90s. He spins a short, tight slider off his heater at 77-78 mph and is a candidate to throw a bulk of innings right away this spring. 

Joseph Stewart

+ Koontz couldn’t be any more different than his counterpart, toeing the rubber at 6-foot-9, 230-pounds. The Georgia native pitched in the mid-to-upper-80s when we saw him this fall with a tight upper-70s slider and mid-70s splitter.

Oakley Koontz