EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. — Editor's note: Some photos in this story credit to Billy Woods of the Edwardsville Intelligencer
At Edwardsville High School, baseball is a serious business.
But this year, the Tigers pulled off the back-to-back for the first time ever. State champions at Class 4A in 2022 and 2023. This year's title came after a 6 to 4 win over Chicago Brother Rice on Saturday in Joliet.
It's the fifth state title for Edwardsville baseball and the second for this senior class, but the feeling never gets old.
"It's just straight adrenaline. You're trying to spring as fast as possible to go hug everyone," senior shortstop Kayden Jennings said.
"It still honestly hasn't set in. It may take a couple weeks," senior outfielder Caleb Copeland said.
It was a nail-biter of a championship game for the Tigers, but strong performances on the mound from Andrew Hendrickson and Alex Marchetto and clutch hitting from Cole Funkhouser and company put Edwardsville over the finish line.
"It's all about preparation. When this is what you worked for, you don't really get that nervous. You know you deserve to be in that spot," Hendrickson said.
Cole, whose dad, Tim, is the long-time head coach for Edwardsville, got the go-ahead hit in the sixth. And he saw a proud dad/coach in the third base coaching box.
"Right as I rounded first I was hyped, and I saw him smiling and pointing at me," Cole said.
"I probably am a little more reserved with my own son, and my older son when I coached him as well," head coach Tim Funkhouser said. "You're trying to make sure you coach all the guys the same way as much as you can, but I kind of had that dad moment in the coach's box. I hadn't really allowed many emotions to come out, sometimes they're internal, but I was really able to break a big smile."
So where does this Tiger senior class slide into the impressive history of Edwardsville baseball?
"I think we're probably one of the best classes in history, to go back-to-back our junior and senior year." senior pitcher Logan Geggus said.
"We're going to have a sign up there forever. I really do think it's going to be one of the best teams in Edwardsville history," Hendrickson said.
"I want people to remember the dedication each person had to the team and the resilience and how hard everyone fought every single pitch. It doesn't go recognized enough that each guy put in so much work each and every day at practice," senior outfielder Caleb Copeland said.
"Edwardsville baseball tradition is incredible. And we're glad to be a part of something bigger than ourselves," Tim Funkhouser said. "It's (going back-to-back) happened six times in IHSA history, Providence Catholic won it three years in a row. And then this year there was actually three teams, the 2A, the 3A and the 4A were all back-to-back. But I know it was one of the goals we had, it was a lofty goal."
Just a few days after completing that back-to-back, the Tigers were back on the field. But it wasn't for themselves — they were hosting camps for young and future Tigers to pass on that Edwardsville baseball legacy.
"I remember being here when I was little looking up to the older players and wanted to be like them, and hopefully they feel like that with us," Geggus said.
"Coming out here, all these kids know our names. They all love us and bond with us. They really trust what we say and are coachable. So they do what we tell them to do and it shows that they are getting better out here," Cole Funkhouser said.
"Out here you're kind of like a celebrity to these little kids, and you've got to show them what's next... and you can tell the next generation is gonna be great," Jennings said. "Last year before we won state I think we realized we had a chance to bring a legacy, and when we were kids looking up to like our dads' age winning state back then and even the former players who went to state before us, we decided we wanted to be a part of that legacy and carry it on to the youth today."
"It's one of my favorite things, to teach the next generation. It's so rewarding for me to keep the line going of great baseball players, and obviously coach Funkhouser runs all of it and he's probably the biggest reason this all happens, but for me to help out and be a part of it, it's rewarding," Copeland said.
And who knows? With this kind of foundation, the Tigers could make it a 3-peat next year.
"We've just got to get back to work and keep working. We can't be looking at a state championship every year because it's just a grind of a season and anything can happen," sophomore outfielder Joe Chiarodo said.
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