Hawks Ready to Take Flight in 2026

Michael Hubatch

Baseball | 2/9/2026 11:19:00 AM

Palatine, IL: The baseball season is right around the corner as the Hawks come into the season with the highest expectations ever going into a season. Coach Dominic Milano will enter his second season as head coach without the interim tag. He will be assisted by third year pitching coach, Hank Schau and third year assistant coach, Mason Schaller.

Last year's Hawks team arguably had the most successful season in the last 30 years. On the field, the Hawks were 36-15, and finished losing in the Sectional Championship to #9 Kankakee 8-7. Last year's team saw over 10 players move on to the 4 year level, including Dominic Jacoby to Louisville University.

This year's roster will feature 29 returning players from last year's team. The Hawks return six players offensively who all had over 100 PAs and hit over .325, and return six out of their top eight arms in terms of innings pitched. Coach Milano is extremely excited about the familiarity, "Returning so many players who contributed at a high level is a blessing. Familiarity with how we want to play, and how we want to practice and prepare everyday goes a long way towards success."

The Hawks have 11 new players that they are excited about as well. That features a mix of transfers and freshmen. "We were really picky about the guys we were bringing into this class due to so many returning players, but we are really high on the group of new guys and expect several to contribute at a high level."

Here is a breakdown of the 2026 Hawks by position:

Catching
The Hawks have three faces back from last year's catching staff. Kevin Geake caught over 70 percent of the innings last year, threw out 16 runners, and had a .330 AVG. Matt Guza returns after having a productive spring and fall. He slashed .360 AVG last spring in 35 PAs. Guza committed to continue his baseball and academic career at Judson University. The last returner is Gustavo Vivas, who will fight for time.

The new face in the catching room is Collin Roche, who is a two time state champion out of Nazareth Academy. Roche exceeded expectations this fall and has put himself in a position to fight for a lot of playing time.

Infield
One of the strongest areas on the field for the Hawks will be the infield play. Returning close to 500 PAs between Nick Drtina (Purdue Commit), Michael Mango, and Alex Tabbert. Drtina committed to Purdue University this fall, after slashing .407/514/.568 as a freshman. Mango and Tabbert each had successful seasons as well. Mango hit .359 AVG with an .OPS of .927 and 18 SB. Tabbert hit .351 with a team high 27 SB.

Some new faces in the Hawk Infield include former Eastern Michigan Commit, Aiden Nohava, from Brother Rice HS, Cooper Nelson from Fremd HS, Griffin Kelly from Buffalo Grove HS and Lewis Barbour from IC Catholic HS. Nohava possesses a loud bat from the right side, Nelson possesses elite athleticism and quick twitch, Kelly possesses a strong approach with some juice from the left side, and Barbour possesses a ton of versatility and high Baseball IQ.

A returner fighting for time is Jaxon Cook. As a freshman in 16 ABs, Cook hit .375. Cook recently committed to play baseball at Eureka College the next two years.

The rest of the infield is rounded out by returners Evan Fahey, and Jay Younan.

Outfield
The outfield, much like the rest of the position groups, returns a solid foundation. It is headlined by Connor Kave and Brayden Clancy. As a freshman Kave played stellar defense, and slashed .327 with 21 SBs. Clancy, arguably the Hawks most valuable player, slashed .363 with an OPS of 1.056 and proved to play almost everywhere on the diamond.

Also returning in the outfield are sophomores Will Hickey, Peter Castaneda, and Brandon Koth. All four look to take a jump in their roles from last year. Look for Hickey to step into a lot more time after a really productive fall.

The Hawks outfield is rounded out by Owen Anderson. Some other players that could see time in the outfield include previously mentioned Lewis Barbour, Aiden Nohava, Collin Roche, and Alex Tabbert.

Designated Hitter
The designated hitter role is almost like a power play card for this Hawks team. It can be filled by about anyone on the roster and will be rotated between several players throughout the year.

Pitching
Pitching is another huge area where the Hawks saw a ton of improvement from 2024 to 2025 under Coach Schau. The Hawks ERA went from 10.26 to 5.46, and the staff this year will look to improve on that even more. The Hawks have 20 arms on the roster, between returners and new players.

The Hawks return several high profile arms. Logan Sarna, who recently committed to Nationally ranked DII Grand Valley State, returns after throwing 47 ⅓ IP, with a 2.47 ERA and a .201 BAA. He will look to take another step forward. The Hawks also return Second Team All-Region Selection (2024) in Mason Hulligan. Hulligan looks to have a great year after coming off of injury. The Hawks also return sophomores Zach Zalewski, David Essien, and Evan Fahey. All three threw over 18 innings as freshman. Essien looks to take a huge step forward after now improving his velocity to 96 MPH.

The Hawks also bring back Zack LaBrec (Judson Commit), Jeremy Florez, Younan, Anthony Santos, and Braylon Singer.

On top of all those returners, the coaching staff is extremely excited about the new arms the Hawks acquired. There are several impact transfers expected to contribute. Those include redshirt freshmen Kenny Nanos from Valparaiso University and Cal Korosa from McHenry County. Along with the transfers, there are several freshmen looking to carve out big roles. Those include RHP Gavin O'Neil, and LHPs Griffin Kelly and Riley Blackwell. All three freshmen are competing for spots in the starting rotation.

Other new faces that are competing for time on the mound include Jonah Elvidge and Daniel Gross.

Season Starts South
The Hawks kick off their season on February 13th against three NJCAA DI schools. The season opens with four games in three days against Saint Charles, followed by a round robin with Jefferson College and Kansas City Community College. The following weekend the Hawks will travel to Heartland's Corn Crib to play perineal powerhouses Kirkwood, Parkland, and Lincoln Land.

"We set up our schedule to play some bigger nationally known JUCOs early on. It does not matter what you do in February and early March. Region play is what matters the most. Playing this difficult schedule early on will prepare us for Region play." stated Coach Milano.

Eyes on Enid
With a deep roster, proven leadership, and plenty of motivation, the Hawks head into 2026 ready to build on last year's success. The mix of experienced returners and talented newcomers gives Coach Milano and his staff one of the most balanced Harper lineups in his lifetime, one that can compete with anyone in Region 4.

After coming within striking distance of a regional title last spring, the Hawks are determined to finish what they started. Their experience, chemistry, and hunger set the tone for a season defined by high standards and higher aspirations. The path won't be easy, but this group has embraced the challenge. Their sights are firmly set on Enid, Oklahoma, and a run at the NJCAA Division II World Series.

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Players Mentioned

#45 Kevin Geake: C; 5' 11"; Redshirt Freshman; R/R

#6 Matt Guza: C; 6' 1"; Freshman; R/R

#1 Dominic Jacoby: INF/RHP; 6' 1"; Sophomore; R/R

#47 Gustavo Vivas: C; 5' 8"; Freshman; R/R

#49 Mason Hulligan: RHP; 6' 0"; Redshirt Sophomore; R / R

#37 Owen Anderson: OF; 6' 1"; Sophomore; L / L

#38 Lewis Barbour: UTIL; 5' 10"; Freshman; R / R

#26 Riley Blackwell: LHP; 6' 1"; Freshman; L / L

#28 Peter Castaneda: OF; 5' 10"; Redshirt Sophomore; R / R

#31 Brayden Clancy: UTIL; 5' 8"; Sophomore; L / R

Players Mentioned

#45 Kevin Geake
: 5' 11"; Redshirt Freshman; R/R
: C

#6 Matt Guza
: 6' 1"; Freshman; R/R
: C

#1 Dominic Jacoby
: 6' 1"; Sophomore; R/R
: INF/RHP

#47 Gustavo Vivas
: 5' 8"; Freshman; R/R
: C

#49 Mason Hulligan
: 6' 0"; Redshirt Sophomore; R / R
: RHP

#37 Owen Anderson
: 6' 1"; Sophomore; L / L
: OF

#38 Lewis Barbour
: 5' 10"; Freshman; R / R
: UTIL

#26 Riley Blackwell
: 6' 1"; Freshman; L / L
: LHP

#28 Peter Castaneda
: 5' 10"; Redshirt Sophomore; R / R
: OF

#31 Brayden Clancy
: 5' 8"; Sophomore; L / R
: UTIL