Under head coach Todd Baltz, Belleville West has always had the identity of a scrappy, competitive, and blue collar program in the ever so competitive Southwestern Conference. They’re a tough out year over year for anyone, and while last year’s season ended early into the playoffs, the Maroons still picked up wins over O’Fallon, Edwardsville, Chatham, DeSmet (MO), and Alton, all of whom were ranked teams in their respective state for us throughout the spring. 

Belleville West enters the 2026 season with a few key spots needed to be filled by departed seniors, but the names that return are talented, and will be supplemented by a deep junior class their coaching staff is high on. 

Looking at their current senior group, the Maroons have a pair of All-Conference returners at two integral positions on the diamond in C Braden Fournie (2026; Lindenwood) and LHP Chase Boente (2026): 

+ Fournie is the Metro East’s top catching prospect, proving time and time again that he’s an asset in all areas of the game defensively behind the plate. He turned a leaf offensively at the plate in his junior campaign, slashing .337/.457/.523 in 86 at-bats with 10 extra-base hits and 18 RBI. His glove alone brings an immense amount of value, but another honor-filled spring is ahead for the Lindenwood commit if he continues to trend upward from an offensive standpoint. 

Braden Fournie

+ Boente was fantastic for Belleville West last season from a bulk and production standpoint. He led the Maroons with 44 ⅓ innings of work, pitching to a 1.42 ERA across 11 appearances, seven of them starts. While he’s not overpowering from a “stuff” standpoint, Boente’s left-handed, and he creates deception on the backside with a shorter, compact arm action while also working across his body. It’s not an easy look for hitters, and his ability to throw a big, slurvy-type breaking ball around the zone whenever he wants helps keep them off balance. Boente’s going to play a big role for Belleville West in 2026, likely slotting at or near the top of their pitching staff yet again. 

Sticking with their senior group, the Maroons have a handful of returners worth highlighting. OF Bryce Schaltenbrand (2026; Kaskaskia) didn’t have the strongest spring at the plate, but did nothing but perform when our staff saw him this summer and fall at our events. He’s a prime candidate for a strong senior season offensively and he’s also an above-average runner (6.87 60), adding value in that aspect of the game as well. 

Bryce Schaltenbrand

INF Adam Bilzing (2026) earned a taste of varsity action last spring, hitting .326 in 43 at-bats as a junior. LHP John Freely (2026) is another pitchability southpaw that threw well in his opportunities, pitching to a 2.58 ERA in 19 innings, all of them out of the bullpen, while INF Brayden Skaer (2026) is another senior to know on this club. 

Turning to Belleville West’s junior group, CIF AJ Fultz (2027) is a name that sticks out. Fultz earned honorable mention All-Conference honors as a sophomore in 2025 after slashing .359/.405/.538 with a pair of home runs and 11 RBI. He has always been a performer at the plate in our staff’s looks and should be a middle-of-the-order piece for the Maroons’ lineup. 

AJ Fultz

LHP Lucas Womack (2027) would be a candidate to see an increase in innings after a quick cup of coffee on varsity as a sophomore. Yet another southpaw on this staff, Womack is cut from a similar cloth as his peers, creating deception on the backside from a short, tight arm draw. We saw him toe the rubber in a summer start at one of our tournaments, where he punched out seven across five scoreless frames. On that day, his fastball played in the low-80s, and he consistently spun a tighter slider off it around the zone. 

Lucas Womack

Two juniors that we are personally high on as a staff are OF/RHP Caiden Capell (2027) and OF Parker Wells (2027). Capell, who’s also the Maroons’ starting quarterback, is a two-way performer that will impact this team on both sides of the ball. Wells has done nothing but hit when we’ve seen him with a short, compact stroke that doesn’t whiff much and is consistently on the barrel. He’s a candidate to hit towards the top of this lineup and is capable of being a sparkplug in that role. 

Parker Wells

Another junior arm of note is RHP Jack Harris (2027), who’s expected to toe the rubber consistently this upcoming spring for the Maroons. INF Max Feazel (2027) saw some run on varsity last spring and is a lean, wiry left-handed hitter with sure-handed actions defensively. LHP/OF Adam Sangiolo (2027), LHP Colton Ferrara (2027), and RHP/C Cayden McNease (2027) are three other names to know. 

It’s hard to impact a varsity club as an underclassmen in the Southwestern Conference given the depth, talent, and experience at all of these clubs. With that being said, OF Wyatt Robinson (2028) is in prime position to be that for the Maroons. A physical left-handed hitter, Robinson proved to our staff this summer and fall that he’s one of the Metro East’s top sophomores. He blends above-average raw bat strength with feel to hit, and his ability to impact the baseball in-game has shown itself to us several times. There will surely be an adjustment period, there always is for youngsters in this conference, but Robinson has the tools and talent to be a staple offensive piece for Belleville West this year, as well as into the future. 

Wyatt Robinson