The success that Father McGivney has had since head coach Chris Erwin took over the program in 2021 is highly impressive, especially because Father McGivney has only had a baseball program since the 2019 season. He owns a career record at 172-23, has never had less than 30 wins in a season, and has appeared in the 1A state playoffs twice. 

Before we touch on this year’s Father McGivney club, it’s important to recognize the path that their 2025 class paved for this program. Since the 2022 season, that group’s freshman year, Father McGivney has a 141-16 record with three regional championships, a super-sectional appearance, and a state runner-up finish. 

Names like INF Drew Kleinheider (2025; St. Louis), INF Kannon Kamp (2025; SIUE), INF Justin Terhaar (2025; UMSL), RHP Mason Holmes (2025; Hendrix), RHP Evan Koontz (2025; John Wood), RHP Chase Kelley (2025; Spoon River), LHP Dane Keeven (2025; Monmouth) and others in that group laid the foundation for present and future success at Father McGivney. 

Turning the page, the Griffins still have a strong core of returners making their way back to campus from last year’s runner-up team and will be infused with a talented bunch of fresh faces to the mix. 

We’ll start with their senior group, a class that also features a handful of names that have been contributing at the varsity level for quite some time. CIF/RHP Isaac Wendler (2026; Illinois-Springfield) has been a staple for this program since his freshman spring and is coming off a power-packed season at the plate, where he slashed .402/.519/.729 in 107 at-bats with 14 doubles, five home runs, and 44 RBI. Wendler’s middle-of-the-order profile will play right in the heart of this offense, but he’ll also likely take over the reins as the top arm on this pitching staff. In 33 innings last spring, Wendler posted a 1.91 ERA with 57 strikeouts and a 1.12 WHIP. His fastball comfortably plays in the mid-to-upper-80s, pairing that heater with strike feel for both of his secondaries (CB/CH). Wendler’s on our ‘Metro East Preseason Player of the Year’ shortlist with an excellent senior season on the horizon. 

Isaac Wendler

Also headed to Illinois-Springfield for his collegiate career from Father McGivney is OF/LHP Ben Sink (2026). He’s a strong, talented, high-motored left-handed hitter that’s coming off a season in which he hit .344 with an OPS at 1.006, including 11 extra-base hits and 37 RBI. Sink’s polish at the plate is advanced for his age, and he doesn’t whiff much, profiling nicely at the top of this lineup, as well as to the next level. He’ll also be a key piece to what Father McGivney is aiming to accomplish on the mound as a mid-80s strike-throwing southpaw with feel to spin a short, tight slider. In 32 ⅔ innings as a junior, Sink posted a 1.50 ERA and struck out 55 batters, walking just 16. 

Ben Sink

Two other key seniors of note are C/CIF Scott Phelps (2026; Kaskaskia JC) and MIF/RHP Ty Etcheson (2026; John Wood). Phelps stepped in and served as the Griffins regular behind the plate last spring, while also having a particularly impressive season offensively. In 108 at-bats, he slashed .398/.492/.537 with 13 doubles and 41 RBI, while also providing versatility defensively, given he can slide behind the plate or move around the infield. Etcheson is a wiry, athletic up-the-middle athlete that hit .309 in 55 at-bats as a junior and can also pitch in the mid-80s on the mound. 

Scott Phelps

The unquestioned spark plug for Father McGivney is OF Omar Avalos (2027; SIUE), who’s another Griffin that will land on our ‘Preseason Player of the Year’ watchlist. Avalos had a monster sophomore year, hitting .393 in 122 at-bats with a 1.265 OPS, nine doubles, four triples, and eight home runs. He drove in 39 runs from the top spot in the lineup on most nights, walked (32) nearly as much as he struck out (17) and went 33-for-34 on stolen base attempts. Avalos may have the highest bat-to-ball skills in the area and he’s packed on plenty of muscle mass over the last 24 months that largely contributed to the uptick in power he showed last season. Unquestionably one of the Metro East’s more productive offensive threats, look for Avalos to be the table-setter for this offense once again in 2026. 

Omar Avalos

One name our staff is particularly excited to see contribute this spring is MIF Jack Rolves (2027). Rolves popped onto our radar at a summer showcase last spring as a lean, wiry, and athletic up-the-middle defender that could really pick it and showed flashes of future impact at the plate. As Rolves continues to add strength to his frame, he’ll create more thump off the barrel consistently, something that will allow him to work gap-to-gap on the regular given his current bat path. His glovework is advanced defensively, and his ability to slow the game down on the move while maintaining his rhythm, direction, and footwork were standouts. We’ll see Rolves’ offseason progress at our Winter Showcase – IL event next weekend, and we’re eager to see the impact the uncommitted junior can provide to the Griffins this coming spring season. 

Jack Rolves

OF/LHP Mathew Crownhart (2027) is a name that could potentially factor into this mold as a two-way contributor. He swings a clean, athletic left-handed barrel that has shown well in our looks and can also pitch in the low-to-mid-80s on the mound from the left side. 

Mathew Crownhart

Another junior we’ve heard positive things about this winter is RHP Aiden Willis (2027). The strong, square-shouldered uncommitted junior right-hander pitched in the low-80s when we saw him last year from a higher slot, but we’ve heard he’s already started to tick up this winter from a velocity standpoint. Willis also threw a big, bendy breaking ball with high arch/depth, and he showed us a tumbling splitter in our bullpen looks, too. INF/RHP Jacoby Danco (2027) is a strong two-way follow to keep an eye on as another name that can step into this group and contribute, as is INF/OF Patrick Gierer (2027), and 1B Max Reznack (2027).

Aiden Willis

As far as their underclassmen go, C/CIF Grant Reed (2028) will be a name to watch for the Griffins in 2026. The strong-bodied right-handed hitter showed well this fall in our looks, working on the barrel with strength at impact to all fields, and is a candidate to see time behind the plate this spring, as well as at first base. INF/RHP Paddy Martin (2028), OF Brendan Kaiser (2028), C Ty Menossi (2028), and RHP Will Heinz (2028) are a few other sophomores worth noting. 

Grant Reed

It’s unclear how much, if at all, the Griffins will tap into their freshman class this coming season, but if they do, keep an eye out for MIF Tayven Yates (2029). Yates popped up at our 14U Spring Invite last season, and again at a showcase this summer, showing well in front of our staff in both looks. He looks to be one of the top up-the-middle defenders in the area for his class and swings a longer, more leveled right-handed barrel that will grow into impact as he gets stronger. 

Tayven Yates