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2026 NewsTribune Baseball Player of the Year: Putnam County’s Johnathon Stunkel · Illinois Valley - Shaw Local

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  Speaker 1: Twenty twenty six News Tribune Baseball Player of the Year
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  Speaker 1: Putnam County's Jonathan Stunkel, Written by Kevin Schlum. This article
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  Speaker 1: is being read by an automated voice brought to you
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  Speaker 1: by Everlett. Down the line. When people look back at
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  Speaker 1: his baseball career at Putnam County, Jonathan Stunkel doesn't want
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  Speaker 1: to be remembered just for his lofty statistics. I want
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  Speaker 1: to be remembered as a leader on the team and
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  Speaker 1: not only having lots of talent, but playing with heart,
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  Speaker 1: Stunkel said. Stunkel will likely be remembered for his talent, leadership,
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  Speaker 1: and heart after his standout senior season this spring, he
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  Speaker 1: was a dominant two way player. Stunkel led the area
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  Speaker 1: in wins with a nine to three record, in strikeouts
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  Speaker 1: with one hundred and seven and ranked second in ERA
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  Speaker 1: at one point four to two. At the plate, he
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  Speaker 1: led the area in home runs seven and triples five,
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  Speaker 1: and was in the top three in batting average point
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  Speaker 1: four three to eight, doubles fourteen, RBIs thirty nine, and
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  Speaker 1: runs forty nine. As one of two seniors on the
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  Speaker 1: PC roster, he helped lead the Panthers to a runner
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  Speaker 1: up finish in Class one A. Stunkel was voted Illinois
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  Speaker 1: High School Baseball Coaches Association class won a first team
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  Speaker 1: All State and first team All Tri County Conference. For
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  Speaker 1: all he accomplished this season, Stunkel is the twenty twenty
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  Speaker 1: sixth News Tribune Baseball Player of the Year. I am
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  Speaker 1: proud of the way I performed and where it took me,
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  Speaker 1: Stunkle said. I feel I played both sides well, pitching
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  Speaker 1: and hitting. One of my biggest goals was to make
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  Speaker 1: a good postseason run, and we accomplished that. Stunkel is
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  Speaker 1: the eighth Putnam County player to win the award since
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  Speaker 1: it began in nineteen ninety seven, and the first since
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  Speaker 1: Andrew Piska in twenty twenty two. At the small school level,
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  Speaker 1: you have to have those kids who are good two
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  Speaker 1: way players. Putnam County coach Chris Newsom said, I think
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  Speaker 1: what differentials Jonathan from others is he does both extremely well.
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  Speaker 1: Talent alone obviously plays at the one to A level.
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  Speaker 1: I think he'd be a good to A player, and
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  Speaker 1: I think he'd be a good three A player. He's
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  Speaker 1: got what it takes, and then you tap into the
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  Speaker 1: intangibles like the work ethic and being almost an extension
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  Speaker 1: of the coaching staff. Stunkel also could rise to the
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  Speaker 1: occasion in the big moments. He was the winning pitcher
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  Speaker 1: in the Regional Teletel Game, Sectional semifinal, and Sectional championship.
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  Speaker 1: Stunkel also pitched six and two thirds innings in the
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  Speaker 1: state semifinal, helping the Panthers to a four to three
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  Speaker 1: to eight inning victory over North Clay thirty six to five.
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  Speaker 1: I don't want to take away from anyone else, but
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  Speaker 1: he's a big piece to the puzzle. Knewsome said about
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  Speaker 1: Stunkel's impact on the state run. He had those successive
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  Speaker 1: wins where based on our offensive scoring enough runs, we
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  Speaker 1: felt comfortable we could take him out so he could
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  Speaker 1: start the next one. There were a couple back to
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  Speaker 1: back short rests. That's not something I love to do,
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  Speaker 1: but it definitely takes a special kid to make that happen.
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  Speaker 1: I think he really enjoys those moments. He trusts himself,
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  Speaker 1: he knows his stuff will play, whether it's pitching or hitting.
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  Speaker 1: It's just in his blood. I think he relishes those moments.
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  Speaker 1: He's a gamer. The big stage doesn't scare him. He
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  Speaker 1: almost searches that out and wants to do that. In
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  Speaker 1: the postseason, Stunkel went eleven for twenty three with two
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  Speaker 1: home runs, a triple, four doubles, seven RBIs and eight runs.
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  Speaker 1: He was four for five with a home run, two doubles,
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  Speaker 1: three RBIs and two runs, and pitched a complete game,
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  Speaker 1: giving up no earned runs in the Sectional championship. In
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  Speaker 1: the State semi he doubled twice and scored the go
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  Speaker 1: ahead run in the eighth. I like being put in
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  Speaker 1: the big game situations, and I want to be in
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  Speaker 1: those spots during games, Stunkle said. I believe in my
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  Speaker 1: ability to get the job done, and having teammates, coaches,
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  Speaker 1: and a community that believe in you as well in
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  Speaker 1: those moments makes it a lot easier to perform in them.
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  Speaker 1: Stunkel will continue his career as a two way player
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  Speaker 1: at Illinois Central College, playing the game I love at
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  Speaker 1: the next level, and to be able to keep improving
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  Speaker 1: in the game is awesome. Stunkel said, I committed to
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  Speaker 1: ICC as a two way player, so I planned to
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  Speaker 1: bring a big stick and eat up some innings on
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  Speaker 1: the mound.