On the Bubble: Sacred Heart-Griffin
March 3, 2020
The Illinois high school baseball season kicks off on March 16, opening day for regular season action under IHSA regulations. Over the next several weeks, leading up to opening day, we’ll be publishing our team previews ahead of the 2020 spring season, touching on programs spanning all state classifications, leading into a countdown 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 2020 preseason coverage continues today.
Team: Sacred Heart-Griffin
Preseason Rank: On The Bubble
2019 Record: 20-12
Conference: Central State Eight
IHSA Class: 2A
Head Coach: Nick Naumovich
Playoff Run: Sectional Semifinals appearance
2019 Final Rank: NR
Returning Starters: 6
Returning Pitchers: 6
OUTLOOK
While young, the Cyclones are very talented and they’re returning six starters to a team that won 20 games in 2019 and its primary contributors on last year’s team are back. Juniors Sam Antonacci (uncommitted) and Isaiah Thompson (Indiana State commit) are genuinely a couple of the best 2021s in the class, both ranked inside the state’s top-50. Both spent the end of the summer repping Team Illinois at the PBR Future Games, too. Antonacci is a middle infielder with a disciplined and quick left-handed bat, capable of spraying the ball to all fields. Thompson has legitimate two-way upside as a sub-7.00 runner with a strong left-handed bat and he also sat 81-83 mph, touching 84, at the Future Games, flashing a swing-and-miss breaking ball.
SHG is also rostering one of the state’s best sophomores: OF Ramon Jimerson Jr. (Oklahoma). He’s a compact athlete with a physical right-handed swing that earned him a varsity role as a freshman. The Antonacci-Thompson-Jimerson trio is lethal offensively, and they’re surrounded with reliable depth, too. Brannan Kraft (2021), Sam Maroon (2020), and Paul Gilmore (2021) will each pull their weight. Sophomores RHP Jack Davis 3B/RHP Mitch Dye could also pry themselves significant roles, too.
VIDEO SPOTLIGHT
Ramon Jimerson Jr. (2/16/20)
Make sure to follow @PBRIllinois on Twitter for the most up-to-date coverage throughout the 2020 season.
Find more information on the 2020 Cyclones below:
+ Full Schedule
+ Team Twitter
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