With baseball season finally here, five of the Times area’s top players are set to do big things in 2023:
Paxton Giertz, P/OF, Seneca, so.
In terms of room for growth after an already stellar season a year ago, it’s hard to imagine a player with more upside than Giertz, who had a 3.87 ERA and more strikeouts than innings pitched while batting .373 and taking center field for the Fighting Irish as a college freshman playing.
Taylor Waldron, P/OF, Marquette, sr.
The reigning Times Baseball Player of the Year had an all-state junior year last spring with an 0.89 ERA, 99 strikeouts in 55 innings pitched and an 11-2 record while beating also .274 with 17 RBIs for the Crusaders.
Payton Knoll, P/Util., Ottawa, sr.
No matter what the Pirates needed to do last season, more often than not, Knoll stepped in to get the job done on his way to All-Interstate 8 and Times All-Area conference honors after being a dependable pitcher. on the mound, one of the strongest players on the team. and a .322 hitter with 17 runs batted.
Joe Martin, P,/IF Newark, sr.
A unanimous pick for the Times All-Area and All-Little Ten Conference teams, the Norsemen cornerstone posted a 7-2 shooting record with a .68 ERA while hitting .434 with 29 RBIs. Expect the same in 2023.
Adam Williamson, P/IF, Streator, sr.
Either Williamson or his Division I Bulldogs teammate Brady Grabowski could easily take that fifth and final spot, but it’s Williamson who gets the green light, thanks to his ability to control one game at a time at the plate ( .426 batting average with 23 RBIs last spring) and on the mound (6-2, 3.23 ERA, 1.36 Ks per inning).
