Seniors Lon Roberts and Joe Ratcliffe already see the difference in the Lyons Township High School baseball lineup this season behind seven returning starters.
“I think the thing we lacked last year is experience throughout the lineup. Our lineup already is so much more successful and going to be a lot more impactful to help our pitchers,” Roberts said.
“It’s been kind of fun to see the growth from last year,” Ratcliffe said. “This group of guys wants it bad. I think last year’s group wanted it, but there’s definitely a different mentality.”
The Lions are hoping to elevate their game come West Suburban Conference Silver Division and Class 4A postseason time after a successful 2025 season (22-11-1) and third straight 20-win season that fell just short of higher aspirations.
In arguably the state’s hardest sectional, the Lions lost 10-2 in the regional final to Mt. Carmel on its home field. In the Silver, the Lions were third at 12-6, one game from a three-way share of their first league title since 2019.
Seven key returnees – all signed or committed to college baseball – are seniors Jack Slightom (Cincinnati), Ratcliffe (Wisconsin-Oshkosh), Tommy Georgelos (Eastern Illinois), Justin Heydorn (North Central), Roberts (Webster University, Webster Groves, Mo.) and Tanner Fridrych (Illinois Wesleyan) and junior Blake Ragsdale (TCU).
Also on the roster are seniors Abraham Caseres and Dylan Justinich, Marco Morrone, juniors Owen Cypress, Charlie Dansher, Nick Dreves-Hunt, Jack Eskra, Nathan Fitzgerald, Evan Gardner, Brady Koren, Noah Hickey of Brookfield, Nicholas Hines, EJ Kuhlman, Jack Lee, Brendan McCabe, Evan McCargo, Gabe Velez and Aidan Webster and freshman Tommy Cavaliere.
The Lions (2-0) beat Leyden 15-2 in five innings in the March 19 opener and Naperville Central 8-0 Saturday.
“When you’re bringing back seven guys who have some really big-time experience, I think that’s more of a calming nerves type thing. Hopefully we can use that to our advantage,” LTHS coach Kevin Diete said. “With us, it’s just about playing our game. We’re not going to be hitting home runs left and right. It’s going to require a little more small ball. We’ve got to have a really solid defense and our pitching has to be consistent. We’ve got some speed. It’s just how we utilize it.”
Both third-year starters, third baseman Ratcliffe (.404 batting average in 2025, three home runs, team-high 34 runs batted in) and Ragsdale (.352, 2 HR, 26 RBIs) were among the Lions’ All-WSC Silver players. Ratcliffe expects to add more first base this season and contribute as designated hitter. Last season, Ragsdale was sidelined roughly two weeks in midseason by an arm injury but returned exclusively as a hitter and then also at shortstop.
“I’d say the key to success for us is making sure that everything outside of baseball is right so when we get on the field, we’re focused,” Ragsdale said. “It’s just doing what we do. If we play with confidence, there’s nobody out there that can mess with us.”
Much focus early has been on Slightom, a 6-foot-5, 225-pound Major League pitching prospect whose fastball has increased from 92 miles per hour as a junior to 97.
Roughly 20 scouts attended the Leyden game for Slightom’s one hitless inning of work with two strikeouts and two walks.
“They see his projection and what he can be,” Diete said. “He’s improved his slider a bit, and also has a bit of a sink fastball. He’s really taken a lot of time to craft his pitches.”
Lyons Township’s pitcher Charlie Danaher (27) delivers a pitch against Naperville Central during a nonconference game Saturday, March 21, 2026 in Western Springs, IL. (Steve Johnston/Riverside-Brookfield Landmark) 
Lyons Township’s second baseman Lon Roberts (3) sets up under a pop fly against Naperville Central during a nonconference game Saturday, March 21, 2026 in Western Springs, IL. (Steve Johnston/Riverside-Brookfield Landmark) 
Lyons Township’s Noah Hickey (19) heads towards third base against Naperville Central during a nonconference game Saturday, March 21, 2026 in Western Springs, IL. (Steve Johnston/Riverside-Brookfield Landmark) 
Lyons Township’s Thomas Georgelos (18) comes in to score a run against Naperville Central during a nonconference game Saturday, March 21, 2026 in Western Springs, IL. (Steve Johnston/Riverside-Brookfield Landmark)
Having Heydorn back at catcher also bolsters the pitching staff, which includes Fridrych, Justinich (3-0, 27 strikeouts in 17.2 innings) and Webster, who also catches and plays outfield.
Roberts mostly played second base and some shortstop in Ragsdale’s absence. Center fielder Georgelos hopes to overcome injuries that disrupted and later ended his 2025 season. Kuhlman and Koren platooned as replacements.
The Lions increased their offseason weight training, which Diete said was led by Georgelos among others. The Lions also are trying to maintain an even-keel mindset and minimize emotional highs and lows.
“I think the combination of tougher and more focused practices as well as the lifting is going to translate to the games, which is going to make us a lot better,” Ratcliffe said.
Against Leyden, Georgelos was 2 for 3 with a home run, triple and three RBIs. Roberts and Heydorn had two hits and Hines tripled. Slightom, Justinich and McCabe allowed three hits.
Roberts had an RBI double Saturday. Pitchers Cavaliere (5 strikeouts in 2.0 innings), Dansher and Hines combined on a two-hitter.