Preseason Power 25 Countdown: No. 23 St. Charles North

X-FACTOR

OF Parker Reinke (2024; Taylor commit) is a two-time All-Conference selection and will be a key factor in the North Stars’ success in 2024. A standout on the hardwood as well, Reinke projects to be the team’s Opening Day center fielder while also batting towards the top of the order. Reinke is currently the No. 88 ranked player in the state, and is a player our staff has seen as recently as this past summer where he stood out during batting practice at our Illinois State Games: “the 6-foot-4, 200-pound soon-to-be senior took one of the event’s more physical BP rounds. He elevated the baseball consistently (280 ft. avg) and his furthest batted ball (374 ft.) was amongst the event’s leaders. All of Reinke’s quality of contact measurables registered on the high-end scales of our player performance tiers - 91.1 mph average exit velocity, 97.3 mph peak exit velocity, 88% sweet-spot rate, 75% hard-hit rate.”

NEWCOMER TO WATCH

The younger brother of the aforementioned Parker Reinke, OF/RHP Keaton Reinke (2026) is expected to be a key piece for St. Charles North this spring as a sophomore and is our newcomer to watch heading into the 2024 season. The younger Reinke is currently the No. 16 ranked prospect in the state and was a recent standout at our Preseason All-State: Underclass event, earning high praise from one of our scouts: “It’s easy to see why Reinke’s had success on the gridiron for St. Charles North’s football team given his athletic measurables; 6.81 60-yard dash, 1.64 10-yard split, 31.9” vertical jump. His three hardest barrels came off his bat at 95.1, 95.7, and 97.2 mph, and his furthest traveled to straight away center field an estimated 347 feet, per TrackMan. Reinke’s power showed in his arm as well - he was up to 95 mph from the outfield and pumped his fastball at 87-91 mph on the mound later in the event.”. Look for the younger Reinke to join his older brother in the outfield this spring making for one of the more athletic outfield pairings across the state, while also being a key contributor on the mound for the North Stars as well.

TEAM OUTLOOK

Returning experience will be the team’s strength entering 2024 as they bring back eight starters on offense while also returning five arms from last year’s squad. St. Charles North will be led by recent IHSA Hall of Fame inductee, Coach Todd Genke, who led the North Stars to state as recently as 2019. The North Stars are coming off a strong 2023 season that saw them win 25 games and finish as regional finalists, and with their veteran roster could make a deeper run in 2024.

Starting on the position player side of things, outside of the aforementioned Parker Reinke, the North Stars return SS Jackson Spring (2024; Wisconsin-Whitewater commit), who is currently ranked No. 87 in the state, was All-Conference in 2023, and should be a table-setter atop the North Stars’ lineup. Also returning on the infield for the North Stars will be 1B Colin Ryder (2024; Southwestern Illinois JC commit) who was another All-Conference selection in 2023, and is currently ranked No. 156 in the state. C Mike Buono (2024; Wisconsin-Whitewater commit) will lead the team from behind the dish after earning All-Conference designation in 2023, and should help manage the North Stars’ talented pitching staff throughout the season.

(Jackson Spring)

Headlining the St. Charles North pitching staff will be their returning ace in RHP Josh Caccia (2024; Elgin CC commit), who was also All-Conference in 2023. Caccia is currently ranked No. 126 in the state and when we last saw him he was pounding the zone with a fastball in the mid 80’s (T86.5) that played with sink, and we could see a tick up in his velo this spring. Joining him atop the rotation will be RHP Andrew Good (2024; Lewis commit), who is another arm that we saw run his fastball in the mid 80’s last spring and should provide more veteran stability atop the rotation. Potentially making the jump from closer to starter in 2024 is RHP Liam Ruane (2024; uncommitted), who led the pitching staff in appearances last season. Keep an eye on RHP/1B Luke Holtz (2024; Loras commit) as another potential senior that could get starts this season for the North Stars.

(Josh Caccia)

In the bullpen, a pair of two-way Morton JC commits will be worth keeping an eye on this season in OF/RHP Jaden Harmon (2024) and 3B/RHP Jake Kujak (2024). Also expected to contribute out of the ‘pen in 2024 are both Parker Reinke and Keaton Reinke (both mentioned previously).

A pair of underclassmen to monitor this spring are INF/RHP Mason Netcel (2026) and INF/RHP Matt Ritchie (2027). Both players attended our recent Preseason All-State: Underclass event, while Ritchie represented the state of Illinois at the 2023 Junior Future Games this past summer.

(Matt Ritchie)

Bottom Line

Overall, this is a veteran, more experienced group in 2024, with most of last year’s team returning. They’ll be able to hit and defend at some of the more important positions on the field, and their pitching staff is another year older. This year’s group also leaves the door open for underclassmen like Mason Netcel and Matt Ritchie to potentially make significant varsity contributions this season as well. St. Charles North is a perennially solid group, and we expect more of the same in 2024.

Find more information on the 2024 St. Charles North program below:

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