Preseason Power 25 Countdown: No. 9 O'Fallon

The Illinois high school baseball season kicks off on March 14, 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 2022 spring season, touching on programs spanning all state classifications, counting down through the official PBR 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 2022 preseason coverage continues today.

Team: O’Fallon
Preseason Rank: No. 9
2021 Record: 26-10
Conference: Southwestern Conference
IHSA Class: 4A
Head Coach: Joe Bauer

ROSTER PREVIEW

KEY PLAYERS LOST

+ Brandon Haake, RHP (2021; Southwestern Illinois JC)
+ Kaden Joggerst, RHP (2021; Missouri State)
+ Garrett Meyer, SS (2021)

STAT RAT

85.33 innings pitched. That is the amount of innings the Panthers will need to replace on the mound with the losses of Brandon Haake and Kaden Joggerst to graduation. A few arms who had successful 2021 campaigns will be asked to take a much larger role this spring.  

NEWCOMER TO WATCH

+ RHPs David and Michael Barker (2024): The sophomore Barker twins are two fresh faces that could potentially help fill the void left by the two graduating arms. They both have 6-foot-3, long-limbed, upside frames with loose arms to-boot. The fastballs sit in the mid-to-low 80's and their ability to log some quality innings this spring will go a long way for the Panthers.

X-FACTOR

Danny Mack (9/28/21)

+ Danny Mack, RHP/OF (2022): Mack is another arm that will be relied on more in 2022. Not only is Mack expected to step into a starter role on the mound, he should also see more time with the bat this spring, slotting at DH or potentially in the outfield some. On the mound, Mack attacks the zone with a low-to-mid 80’s fastball and features one of the better sliders in the state with advanced feel and sharp, late bite. Mack went 5-0 in 2021 with 35 strikeouts in 26.1 innings pitched and only allowed 15 hits. Coach Bauer may call on Mack to provide some more offense this spring as well, after his 33 at-bats last spring. Mack hit two triples, walked more times than he struck out, stole 10 bases and sported a .444 on base percentage, one of the highest on the team. Mack should play a pivotal role for the Panthers 

OUTLOOK

The Panthers sat at 7-6 on May 5 last spring before turning their season around in a big way, finishing 26-10 and a third-place finish in 4A. In the 4A state semi-finals, the Panthers showed their grit, putting up two runs in the top of the seventh inning to tie the game before a Lake Park walk-off in the bottom of the eighth ended the instant thriller. O’Fallon has long been one of the top teams in Southern Illinois and head coach Joe Bauer has won 25+ games in his first two seasons at the helm, showing no signs of slowing down any time soon.

The biggest question heading into this season will be how to replace over 80 innings on the mound. Luckily for the Panthers they return RHP Michael Larson who turned into a legitimate ace and was unflappable during their playoff run. Larson, a senior committed to Christian Brothers University, sat in the mid-to-upper 80’s last spring and had his breaking ball on a string come playoff time, using it whenever he wanted to get ahead of hitters and to put them away. He has the experience and stuff to beat any team in the state come playoff time. He finished his 2022 campaign with a 5-0 record in 40.1 innings pitched. Larson had the lowest era on the staff at 1.21 and only allowed 22 hits to go along with 52 strikeouts. 

Expect to see Mack, mentioned in the “X-Factor” above, and RHP Corey Quintal, to round out the starting pitchers. Quintal worked 22 innings last spring, finishing 1-2 with a 2.23 era. Quintal flashed swing-and-miss stuff, striking out 31. Outside of Quintal, expect RHP’s Jacob Hahs and twins David and Michael Barker, mentioned as "Top Newcomers" above, to see plenty of action out of the bullpen. Hahs did not see action on the mound in 2021 but he is a lean, upside 6-foot-1, 150-pound, strike thrower with the ability to land his breaking ball for a strike. 

The strength of this year’s team should be overall athleticism, team speed and threats up-and-down the lineup. The Panthers return nine position players who saw time last season, earning valuable playoff and state finals experience. The Panthers started three sophomores in the playoffs last year; C Will Millard, SS/3B Xavier Deatherage and OF Haidyn McGill; all of whom return and should be primed for even bigger junior seasons. Millard is arguably the best, most polished hitter in the lineup and should sit somewhere in the middle of the order. Millard hit .359 with three extra base hits, 19 RBIs but it was his plate awareness and ability to get on base that stands out. Millard walked 21 times and was hit by a pitch seven times leading to an impressive .508 OBP. Also, expect to see Millard hit for more power this year as his bat speed and overall strength continue to tick up.

Will Millard (9/28/21)

Deatherage is a strong-bodied infielder who seemed to be on the barrel for extra base hits in every big spots throughout the playoffs last season for O’Fallon. Deatherage hit .313 with eight doubles, two triples and 25 RBIs last spring while playing third base. Deatherage has a heavy barrel and works gap-to-gap with authority. He will also be tasked to move to shortstop this spring with the graduation of Garrett Meyer. McGill is an athletic, left/left outfielder who led off last year, hit .314 with three triples and can flat fly around the diamond. McGill was second on the team with 25 stolen bases on the season.

1B Quintal and 2B Hahs, should also play key roles with their bats along with on the mound. Quintal had six doubles, three triples, a home run and 26 RBIs last spring while Hahs hit .330 with a double in limited at-bats. 

Connor Lindsey, A Washington University (MO) commit, who seemed to spark the team last year when he returned to the lineup, brings senior leadership to this squad after hitting .319 with six doubles and 12 RBIs in limited at-bats. 

Mack, Ethan Crouse and RJ Cole should round out the last three spots in the lineup. All three know how to get on base and steal bases. Mack, a left-handed hitter, walked more than he struck out, had a .444 OBP with two triples and stole 10 bases. Crouse had a .400 OBP with 11 stolen bases while Cole had a .373 OBP with six stolen bases.

BOTTOM LINE

O’Fallon exceeded our expectations in 2021 and were one run away from playing for a 4A state championship. They enter 2022 with a few question marks but they return key pieces who shined in the playoffs and gained invaluable experience during the state run. There are certainly teams in the Power 25 with potentially deeper and more talented rosters on paper. Luckily, for coach Bauers group, that only means so much. They are battle tested, have an ace to lean on and should be able to score runs in a number of ways. 

Come playoff time, do not be surprised if the Panthers find a way to make it to Joliet once again. 

Make sure to follow @PBRIllinois on Twitter for the most up-to-date coverage throughout the 2022 season.

Find more information on the 2022 Panthers below:

+ Team Website
+ Team Schedule
+ Team Twitter

PRESEASON POWER 25 COUNTDOWN