Preseason Power 25 Countdown: No. 11 Edwardsville

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: Edwardsville
Preseason Rank: No. 11
2021 Record: 34-4
Conference: Southwestern Conference
IHSA Class: 4A
Head Coach: Tim Funkhouser

ROSTER PREVIEW

KEY PLAYERS LOST

+ Rogelio Berumen, OF, (2021; Rend Lake JC)
+ Evan Funkhouser, INF/RHP, (2021; St. Charles CC)
+ Hayden Moore, OF/RHP, (2021; Missouri State)
+ Quinn Weber, RHP, (2021; Webster)

STAT RAT

30 wins. In head coach Tim Funkhouser’s 22 seasons leading the Tigers, they have won 30-plus games in a season 13 different times. Since the 2014 season, they have averaged over 32 wins a year, including in 2019 when they won the 4A state title. The Tigers are one of the few teams in the state that never seem to be rebuilding, as they just reload with fresh up-and-coming talent. 

NEWCOMER TO WATCH

Joseph Chiarodo (2/5/22)

+ Joseph Chiarodo, RHP/OF (2025): Chiarodo burst on the scene at an event in Missouri this winter and looks like one of the top freshmen in the state, especially on the mound. The talented freshman has advanced athleticism in all parts of his game, including a clean, quick arm, advanced mound presence and a fastball that we have seen up to 87 mph, with reports of him being even firmer in preseason workouts. Chiarodo is also an advanced position player who is 90 mph from the outfield with a compact, strong right-handed swing. With the depth of the Tigers, Chiarodo will have to earn a spot in the lineup but he certainly has a chance to impact the 2022 squad in a number of ways, potentially even early in the spring rather than later. 

X-FACTOR

Grant Huebner (4/17/21)

+ Grant Huebner, UTIL, (2022; St. Charles CC commit): Huebner is another high-level athlete that has two-way abilities and will impact this Tigers team in a number of ways. A former PBR Future Games participant, Huebner is entering his final prep season and he should be the straw that stirs the drink, especially at the plate and on the bases. The right-handed-hitting catcher/outfielder hit .366 last season with 12 doubles, three triples, two home runs that produced 30 RBIs. On top of that, he stole 17 bases last season and is instinctual on the basepaths, always looking to take the extra bag. Huebner also features a plus arm that is a weapon for him defensively and he will use it out of the bullpen for the Tigers this spring as well. His talents and production in all facets of the game will go a long way to Edwardsville’s success this spring. 

OUTLOOK

Edwardsville, year in and year out, is one of the top programs in the state and they always seem to be a threat for the 4A state trophy, one they most recently hoisted in 2019. The Tigers have their typical depth across the diamond and on the mound to make one think 2022 will give them the same kind of chance to pave a path to state yet again.

The strength of this year’s squad should be the depth and talent of the position players across the board. Looking at the lineup, Huebner, 3B Spencer Stearns, 1B Riley Iffrig and OF Caeleb Copeland all hit over .320 last year and should anchor the middle of the lineup. Stearns was arguably the most dangerous bat in the lineup, hitting .384 with eight doubles, two triples and five home runs to go along with a team leading 43 RBIs. He is poised for a big senior season and has been showing well so far in the preseason. Iffrig hit .321 with four doubles and two homers as a sophomore. Copeland, who was also a sophomore last season, hit .382 with six extra-base hits and 16 RBI’s. 

Spencer Stearns (4/17/21)

Junior Cole Funkhouser should enter the lineup this year and play one of the middle infield spots along with Kayden Jennings. Both are smooth defenders with upside offensive potential. Some other names poised to compete for starting jobs are Alec Marchetto (2024), Adam Powell, Gannon Burns and CF Cade Hardy. Chiarodo, mentioned above, should also compete for a spot in the everyday lineup. Positionally, it is one of the deepest, most talented lineups in the state, with a chance to have one of the better defenses in the state as well. 

On the mound, they do not jump off the page with high-end arms but that has never really been the M.O. of coach Funkhouser’s teams in the past. What they lack in tantalizing velocity, they should make up with competitive strike throwers, who are going to keep their teams in games and allow their defense to work. RHP Stearns, also one of their top bats, arguably has some of the best raw stuff on the staff and has been showing well. Stearns was limited to just 14 innings pitched in 2021 but he struck out 21, allowed five hits and sported a 0.50 era. He has a chance to turn into the ace by the end of the season. Also, expect to see a lot of RHP/INF Gannon Burns, RHP Alec Marchetto, along with RHP Jake Holder. Burns went 5-1 in 2021 with a 2.00 era in 42 innings pitched while striking out 33, scattering 26 hits.

Huebner could see a much larger role on the mound as well this spring. Some other arms that have a chance to see quality innings this spring are Chiarodo, Caden Archer, Iffrig, Tyler Powell, Andrew Hendrickson, Logan Geggus and Evan Moore.

BOTTOM LINE

Edwardsville’s depth and talent in a number of key spots, along with their returning middle of the lineup, make them as dangerous as any other team in the state. They should swing it up and down the lineup, able to score runs in a variety of ways, and they'll throw strikes on the mound while defending each position competently backed by depth. Coach Funkhouser will have the flexibility to figure out what lineup combination is the most effective throughout the season and, by playoff time, it would be easy to find them at the center of the teams called favorites to make it to Joliet. Edwardsville is once again rostering one of the IHSA's most complete teams, which is no surprise for the all-time winningest program in Illinois.

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

Find more information on the 2022 Tigers below:

+ Team Website
+ Team Schedule
+ Team Twitter

PRESEASON POWER 25 COUNTDOWN