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Why Gillespie baseball remains a threat despite loss of SJ-R player of the year

Ryan Mahan
Springfield State Journal- Register

The Gillespie baseball team remains confident that the Miners can have a prolonged postseason run despite graduation losses to key players, including The State Journal-Register's Small School Baseball Player of the Year, Kamryn Link. 听

Even though , the Miners had bigger goals than its undefeated regular season from a season ago. 听

Gillespie made the Class 2A Pleasant Plains Sectional title game last year but lost to Quincy Notre Dame for its only blemish all season. That was as far as the Miners had advanced in the postseason since 2002.

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鈥淲e want to make it farther; we鈥檝e got a tougher schedule this year 鈥 we already know that,鈥 senior Tristen Wargo said. 鈥淲e lose one, we鈥檙e going to come back strong (the next game).鈥澨

Gillespie (12-6 overall, 3-1 South Central Conference following a 5-4 loss at Piasa Southwestern on Tuesday), has several key players that kept the Miners formidable in 2024. 听

Gillespie's Bryce Buhs pitches against Litchfield during the game Friday, April 5, 2024.

Seniors Buhs, Wargo, Bryce Hohnsbehn and Jesse Berry were all major players for the Miners a season ago. Buhs opened the Miners鈥 SCC schedule with a no-hitter at Litchfield on April 5. It was his fifth of his career. According to the IHSA, seven no-hitters is the state鈥檚 all-time career record. Buhs鈥 five is tied for fifth in Illinois history, per the IHSA.听

鈥淲hen he鈥檚 on, he鈥檚 as good as anybody and he鈥檚 going to keep us in a lot of ballgames,鈥 Gillespie coach Jeremy Smith said of Buhs.听

Sophomores Luke Schuckenbrock and Colin Griffith, juniors Jack Kaylor and Sean Haywood, along with senior Jaydon Baker, were more than ready to step into the absences created by graduation.

Gillespie's Luke Schuckenbrock throws the ball to first for a double play during the game against Litchfield Friday, April 5, 2024.

The returning Miners still have a load of talent despite losing key contributors Link, Chase Helvey, Jaiden Johnson, Colton Bultema, Bryan Jubelt and Ian Brown.听

Smith beefed up his team鈥檚 schedule, resulting in losses to Class 4A鈥檚 O鈥橣allon, Class 2A runner-up Columbia, Jacksonville Routt, New Berlin and . While regular season losses are happening, his players will be ready for whatever rolls around in the playoffs.

Talent and experience will take teams only so far, though. Senior first baseman Bryce Hohnsbehn said his teammates were relentless since the high school season ended last spring.听

鈥淓verybody put in the work,鈥 Hohnsbehn said. 鈥淭here wasn鈥檛 a day in a week that we weren鈥檛 hitting. The improvement definitely went up and it鈥檚 showing. We (walked) into this season as confident as ever. We鈥檙e returning a bunch of guys and all these guys have talent and we鈥檙e ready to go.鈥澨

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Smith said his team has all the tools to be a successful bunch. 听

鈥淥ur defense has been solid for the most part all year so we feel like if we need our guys to throw strikes, we鈥檙e going to make the plays behind them,鈥 Smith said.听鈥淲e feel like if we can score, our defense and pitching is there.鈥澨

If it is, perhaps the Miners can make the state finals for the first time since 1991.

Contact Ryan Mahan:听788-1546,听ryan.mahan@sj-r.com, Twitter.com/RyanMahanSJR.