High School Sports RSS: Baseball

Thursday's summer baseball roundup

Thu, 2 Jul 2009 00:00 CST

Scores and highlights from Thursday's summer baseball action.

Biondo's bat keeps Crusaders rolling

BY MIKE CLARK mclark@suntimes.com — Wed, 1 Jul 2009 00:00 CST

After playing a backup role this spring, Justin Biondo is making the most of his expanded playing time for Brother Rice. He drove in five runs Wednesday in the Crusaders' 14-13, eight-inning win over Sandburg.

Wednesday's summer baseball roundup

Wed, 1 Jul 2009 00:00 CST

Scores and highlights from Wednesday's summer baseball action.

Payton powers Rita after USA tryout

BY MIKE CLARK mclark@suntimes.com — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00 CST

After playing in a USA Baseball 18-and-under national tourney last week, Mark Payton was back at St. Rita on Tuesday. He didn't skip a beat, reaching base four times and slugging a homer in a split with Mount Carmel.

Tuesday's summer baseball roundup

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00 CST

Scores and highlights from Tuesday's summer baseball action.

Ratajczak left mark at Joliet Catholic

BY DICK GOSS dgoss@scn1.com — Thu, 2 Jul 2009 00:00 CST

With his clutch hitting, stellar defense and hard-nosed style of play, Herald News Player of the Year Nick Ratajczak made his presence felt for the Joliet Catholic baseball program.

Monday's summer baseball roundup

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00 CST

Scores and highlights from Monday's summer baseball action.

Sunday's summer baseball roundup

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 00:00 CST

Scores and highlights from Sunday's summer baseball action.

Saturday's summer baseball roundup

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 00:00 CST

Scores and highlights from Saturday's summer baseball action.

Mustangs' Payton proves critics wrong

BY PAT DISABATO pdisabato@southtownstar.com — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00 CST

Mark Payton's not the biggest guy, but the St. Rita junior put up some huge numbers: .446, 10 doubles, 12 homers, 42 RBI and 56 runs scored. That's why he is the SouthtownStar Baseball Player of the Year.

Thanks to Sutor, Eagles soared this spring

By Pat Disabato, Staff writer — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00 CST

For guiding Sandburg to the SouthWest Suburban Blue title, 30 wins and a supersectional berth, Doug Sutor is the SouthtownStar's Baseball Coach of the Year.

Thursday's summer baseball roundup

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00 CST

Scores and highlights from Thursday's summer baseball action.

Brauer's power surge lasted all spring

BY ERIK JACOBSEN ejacobsen@scn1.com — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:00 CST

Streamwood second baseman Brian Brauer hit his first homer of 2009 in the season opener and stayed hot all spring, finishing with a .525 batting average, 15 homers and 61 RBI. Those numbers explain why he's the Courier News Player of the Year.

Wednesday's summer baseball roundup

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:00 CST

Scores and highlights from Wednesday's summer baseball action.

March, Crusaders focused on future

BY MIKE CLARK mclark@suntimes.com — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:00 CST

After seeing their spring season come to a frustratingly early end, Ryan March and his Brother Rice baseball teammates are intent on moving forward. On Tuesday, March sparked the Crusaders to an 8-7 win over Mount Carmel.

Lincoln-Way North is back in black

BY MIKE CLARK mclark@suntimes.com — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00 CST

Thanks to its black uniform tops, the heat is on for Lincoln-Way North's baseball team this summer. But the Phoenix also is keeping the pressure on its opponents with its improved depth and speed on the bases.

Monday's summer baseball roundup

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00 CST

Scores and highlights from Monday's summer baseball action.

Friday's summer baseball roundup

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:00 CST

Scores and highlights from Friday's summer baseball action.

Thursday's summer baseball roundup

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:00 CST

Scores and highlights from Thursday's summer baseball action.

Nelson has young Rockets on rise

BY ERIK JACOBSEN ejacobsen@scn1.com — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00 CST

Kyle Nelson took an inexperienced Burlington Central club and guided it to a 25-7 record and a berth in the Class 3A sectional finals. For that, he's the Courier News Baseball Coach of the Year for the second time in four seasons.

Sun-Times All-Area baseball team

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00 CST

The Sun-Times All-Area baseball team is loaded with talent, starting with Player of the Year Mark Payton from St. Rita.

Time for St. Rita to focus on future

BY MIKE CLARK mclark@suntimes.com — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00 CST

Still stinging from a close loss to New Trier in last weekend's Class 4A state championship game, St. Rita was back on the field on Wednesday to start preparing for the 2010 baseball season.

Sun-Times final baseball rankings

BY SEAN DUNCAN — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00 CST

Class 3A champ Joliet Catholic and Class 4A winner New Trier are 1-2 in the final Sun-Times baseball rankings for 2009.

Wednesday's summer baseball roundup

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00 CST

Scores and highlights from Wednesday's summer baseball action.

Tuesday's summer baseball roundup

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:00 CST

Scores and highlights from Tuesday's summer baseball action.

St. Rita's Payton earns the spotlight

BY SEAN DUNCAN — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:00 CST

The 2009 Sun-Times Player of the Year Mark Payton.

Monday's summer baseball roundup

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:00 CST

Scores and highlights from Monday's summer baseball action.

Trevians capture 4A title behind great pitching and defense

BY SEAN DUNCAN — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:00 CST

New Trier captured the 4A state championship thanks to flawless defense, solid pitching and timely hitting, defeating St. Rita 4-3.

Cservenyak's smack gives JCA 3A title

BY SEAN DUNCAN — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 00:00 CST

Joliet Catholic's Steve Cservenyak delivered a two-run single in the sixth inning that lifted the Hilltoppers to the Class 3A state championship, 3-2, over Chatham Glenwood at Joliet's Silver Cross Field Saturday afternoon.

Baseball notes

BY SEAN DUNCAN — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 00:00 CST

Notes from Saturday's baseball action.

Live from Joliet: State baseball

BY MIKE CLARK mclark@suntimes.com — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 00:00 CST

See how the state baseball finals played out on Saturday at Silver Cross Field in Joliet by checking out the live blog of YourSeason's Mike Clark.

Cook carries New Trier past Trojans in 4A

BY SEAN DUNCAN — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 00:01 CST

New Trier ace Bob Cook got stronger as the game went on and wriggled out of a late Cary-Grove rally in the seventh to lead the Trevians to a 3-2 victory in the Class 4A state semifinals Friday at Joliet's Silver Cross Field.

Mustangs strut their stuff, reach 4A final

BY PAT DISABATO pdisabato@southtownstar.com — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 00:01 CST

Led by Mark Payton, Shane Conlon, Dan Dispensa and Angelo Burrage, St. Rita knocked off O'Fallon 4-0 Friday in a Class 4A state semifinal at Silver Cross Stadium in Joliet. Payton went 3-for-3 with a homer.

Joliet Catholic puts an end to Rams' 3A charge

BY SEAN DUNCAN — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 00:01 CST

Joliet Catholic pitcher Kendall Paluch tossed a complete-game five-hitter as the Hilltoppers defeated Grayslake Central 4-1 Friday in the Class 3A state semifinals at Silver Cross Field in Joliet.

Hilltoppers know to expect unexpected

BY SEAN DUNCAN — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:00 CST

Though Joliet Catholic is the most battle-tested of the Class 3A semifinalists, the Hilltoppers aren't taking anything for granted this weekend.

Mustangs riding high, but 4A field strong

BY SEAN DUNCAN — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:00 CST

Though St. Rita comes into the Class 4A semifinals on a high after beating top-ranked Sandburg in the supersectional, each of the other three teams is a potential title contender.

Cubs draft Niles West grad Nasshan

BY DAN SHALIN -- PIONEER PRESS — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:00 CST

Recent Niles West graduate John Nasshan was selected Thursday by the Cubs in the 48th round, 1,460th overall, of baseball's draft.

St. Rita turns focus inward for state

BY PAT DISABATO pdisabato@southtownstar.com — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:00 CST

St. Rita coach Mike Zunica is less interested about countering what O'Fallon might do in Friday's Class 4A baseball semifinals than in making sure the Mustangs do what has made them successful all spring.

Aspiring actor plays key role for JCA

BY BILL SCHEIBE bscheibe@scn1.com — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:00 CST

An aspiring actor in southern California before moving to the Midwest, pitcher Vinnie Hughes now plays an important supporting role for Joliet Catholic's baseball team.

Red Sox fit fine for Marmion's Milroy

Sun, 14 Jun 2009 00:01 CST

Matt Milroy admitted he watched 1,067 consecutive picks of Major League Baseball's three-day amateur draft before finally taking a breather. He was able to do so when the Boston Red Sox called him to tell him his name would pop up on the computer at No. 1,068, in the 35th round Thursday afternoon.

Krol gets the call from Oakland A's

BY PATRICK MOONEY pmooney@scn1.com — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:00 CST

Patrick Mooney: As a present for his ninth birthday, Ian Krol threw out the first pitch before a Kane County Cougars game. The 18-year-old could soon be working there. The Cougars are now a Class A affiliate of Oakland, which drafted Krol once he fell into the seventh round on Wednesday.

Duffy's spark fires up Hilltoppers

BY BILL SCHEIBE bscheibe@scn1.com — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:00 CST

Bill Scheibe: By the bottom of the third inning Monday, Joliet Catholic senior Dan Duffy had departed from his perch atop the steps of the Standard Bank Stadium dugout to begin warming up senior reliever Vinnie Hughes.

Teams turn attention to signing draft picks

BY PATRICK MOONEY pmooney@scn1.com — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:00 CST

With the baseball draft over, organizations will shift their focus to getting their players under contract by the Aug. 17 deadline.

Sheppard, Esquivel get draft call from Cubs

BY ADAM L. JAHNS -- SUN-TIMES — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:01 CST

Wrigley Field was the first thing to come to Dan Sheppard�s mind when he saw he was selected Wednesday in Day 2 of baseball�s amateur draft. Why Wrigley? Because the Downers Grove North catcher was taken by the Cubs.

Hilltoppers ready for fresh start

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:01 CST

When Joliet Catholic Academy advanced to the Class 3A State Baseball Tournament a year ago, the Hilltoppers came in with the No. 1 ranking and walked away disappointed. They did finish third on the strength of a 7-0 victory over Crystal Lake Central on Saturday, but it was the 5-1 loss to Rock Falls in the Friday semifinal that soured the weekend. That's what can happen when you face an ace pitcher who is on his game.

Rams' ace will take hill against 'Toppers

By DARREN DAY dday@scn1.com — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 04:00 CST

The list of state-finalists from the East Suburban Catholic Conference in prep baseball is long and distinguished.

Hampshire grad drafted by Houston Astros

BY ERIK JACOBSEN -- COURIER NEWS — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:00 CST

Jake Goebbert, a 2006 Hampshire graduate, was drafted by Houston in the 13th round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on Wednesday with the 401st overall pick.

Underclassmen have big-league talent

BY TAYLOR BELL — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:01 CST

Traditionally, Illinois enjoys a reputation as a producer of corn and soybeans, not baseball players. Historically, however, the state ranks fourth for sending the most players to the major leagues. Not bad for a so-called cold-weather state.

A barrage of success for St. Rita's Burrage

BY PAT DISABATO -- SOUTHTOWNSTAR — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:00 CST

The waggle of the bat, the pronounced right leg kick as the ball approaches, the slight uppercut, the prodigious follow-through - it all screams Ken Griffey Jr., circa 1997. Early in the season, however, St. Rita's Angelo Burrage's results were screaming Griffey, circa 2008.

Oswego's state bid falls just short

BY STEVE NEMETH -- FOR THE BEACON NEWS — Tue, 9 Jun 2009 18:00 CST

A pair of warning-track outs in the seventh inning helped LaSalle-Peru hold off a stubborn Oswego team 4-3 Tuesday in a Class 3A supersectional in Rock Island, ending the Panthers' improbable playoff run.

Fateful move for Mustangs' Stearns

BY PAT DISABATO pdisabato@southtownstar.com — Tue, 9 Jun 2009 18:00 CST

Junior Kyle Stearns went to Sandburg for two weeks as a freshman before deciding he'd be more comfortable at St. Rita. On Monday, his RBI triple was the pivotal hit in the Mustangs' 6-4 supersectional win over the Eagles, which earned St. Rita a trip to the Class 4A semifinals.

Hilltoppers know how to state their case

BY DICK GOSS dgoss@scn1.com — Tue, 9 Jun 2009 18:00 CST

Dick Goss: A team from Joliet is in the state baseball finals. Right-hander Andrew Giaudrone is the No. 1 pitcher. His catcher is Kevin Hulbert, although Hulbert does some pitching as well.

Elgin Post 57 eyes successful summer

BY ALEX LAWSON -- FOR THE COURIER NEWS — Tue, 9 Jun 2009 18:00 CST

With a host of players who earned all-conference honors this spring, Elgin Post 57 is looking forward to a good American Legion baseball season.

Mustang rally: St. Rita downs Eagles

BY SEAN DUNCAN — Mon, 8 Jun 2009 18:00 CST

Kyle Stearns tripled home the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth inning as No. 2 St. Rita rallied from an early deficit to beat No. 1 Sandburg 6-4 Monday in a Class 4A supersectional in Crestwood.

Cary-Grove earns first trip to state

BY ROB VALENTIN — Mon, 8 Jun 2009 18:00 CST

No. 5 Cary-Grove is heading to the state baseball tournament for the first time in school history after rolling past No. 6 Batavia 10-1 Monday in a Class 4A supersectional in Rockford.

Hilltoppers hold off pesky Eagles

BY SEAN DUNCAN — Mon, 8 Jun 2009 18:00 CST

No. 3 Joliet Catholic fell behind 3-1 and had to survive a strong challenge from Jones before pulling out a 13-8 win Monday in the Class 3A Crestwood Supersectional.

Trevians' big innings too much for Broncos

BY ROB VALENTIN — Mon, 8 Jun 2009 18:00 CST

No. 4 New Trier scored seven runs in the second inning and six more in the third en route to a 14-4 win over Barrington Monday in a Class 4A supersectional in Rockford.

O'Fallon's homers ground Redhawks

BY RANDY WHALEN — Mon, 8 Jun 2009 18:00 CST

O'Fallon hit two solo homers and that was enough to earn a 2-1 win over Naperville Central Monday in a Class 4A baseball supersectional at Illinois Wesleyan.

Grayslake Central rally stuns Nazareth

BY MATT LE CREN — Mon, 8 Jun 2009 18:00 CST

Grayslake Central rallied from a four-run deficit to edge Nazareth 8-7 in eight innings Monday in Class 3A supersectional action, clinching the Rams' first trip to state in baseball.

Sun-Times baseball rankings

BY SEAN DUNCAN — Mon, 8 Jun 2009 18:00 CST

Naperville Central and Nazareth join the top 10, while Sandburg remains No. 1 in this week's Sun-Times baseball rankings.

Kaminska, Redhawks end Celtics' run

BY SEAN DUNCAN — Sat, 6 Jun 2009 15:00 CST

Pat Kaminska led off the bottom of the eighth with a home run, lifting Naperville Central past 16th-seeded Providence 5-4 Saturday in the Class 4A Lockport Sectional final.

Sandburg pitchers cool off Andrew

BY PAT DISABATO pdisabato@southtownstar.com — Sat, 6 Jun 2009 15:00 CST

Troy Jozsa fanned six in six-plus innings and Lucas Fritsch got the last three outs to lead top-ranked Sandburg past the host Thunderbolts 4-1 Saturday in the Class 4A Andrew Sectional final.

Conlon, Mustangs put brakes on Caravan

BY MIKE CLARK mclark@suntimes.com — Sat, 6 Jun 2009 15:00 CST

Shane Conlon pitched a three-hitter and Mark Payton drove in two runs to lead No. 3 St. Rita past the host Caravan 3-1 Saturday in the Class 4A Mount Carmel Sectional final.

Trevians dominate Loyola to take sectional

BY ROB VALENTIN — Sat, 6 Jun 2009 15:00 CST

No. 8 and 9 hitters Steve Mazzone and Gordie Campbell drove in New Trier's first six runs as the No. 4 Trevians rolled to a 12-3 victory over Loyola Saturday in the Class 4A Glenbrook South Sectional championship.

Cservenyak serves up win for Hilltoppers

BY DICK GOSS dgoss@scn1.com — Sat, 6 Jun 2009 15:00 CST

Steve Cservenyak slugged a grand slam and a two-run homer to lead No. 2 Joliet Catholic past Illiana Christian 11-1 Saturday in the Class 3A Crete-Monee Sectional final.

Trojans down Larkin for sectional title

BY CARTER CRANE — Sat, 6 Jun 2009 15:00 CST

Cary-Grove pitcher Steuart Gaulke filled in for an injured teammate and led his team to the Class 4A DeKalb Sectional championship, beating Larkin 7-2.

Batavia capitalizes on Falcons' mistakes

BY BRIAN BOWN — Sat, 6 Jun 2009 15:00 CST

No. 9 Batavia took advantage of some defensive mistakes by Wheaton North to earn a 6-4 win Saturday in the Class 4A St. Charles North Sectional final.

Buchholz buckles down for Barrington

BY DICK QUAGLIANO — Sat, 6 Jun 2009 15:00 CST

Sean Buchholz shut down No. 8 Stevenson on four hits Saturday as Barrington won its own Class 4A sectional with a 4-0 victory over the Patriots.

Sax settles in, leads Jones past U-High

BY PATRICK Z. MCGAVIN — Sat, 6 Jun 2009 15:00 CST

Matthew Sax took a no-hitter into the fifth and Daniel Corral and James Owens-Leary drove in two runs each as Jones beat U-High 9-2 Saturday to win the Class 3A Brooks Sectional.

Saturday's baseball roundup

Sat, 6 Jun 2009 15:00 CST

Scores and highlights from Saturday's baseball action.

Oswego's unlikely run continues

By STEVE NEMETH For The Beacon News — Sun, 7 Jun 2009 04:00 CST

Prep baseball: Power hitting and pitching proved to be a winning formula for the upstart Oswego Panthers on Saturday. Oswego's 11-3 triumph over Burlington Central in the championship of the Class 3A Rochelle Sectional is the latest chapter in a storybook second season.

Sectional finals filled with great matchups

BY PAT DISABATO pdisabato@southtownstar.com — Fri, 5 Jun 2009 17:00 CST

Andrew vs. Sandburg. Mount Carmel vs. St. Rita. It simply doesn�t get any better than these two Class 4A sectional final matchups Saturday.

Rams� Fun Bunch is serious about winning

By DARREN DAY dday@scn1.com — Sat, 6 Jun 2009 04:00 CST

In his seven seasons as head coach of Grayslake/Grayslake Central High�s baseball team, Troy Whelan has seen plenty of different makeups from each of his teams.

Trojans shut out Huntley

BY CARTER CRANE — Thu, 4 Jun 2009 18:00 CST

Corey Burns and Eric Chandler both hit home runs to lead Cary-Grove to a 6-0 victory over Huntley in a Class 4A baseball sectional semifinal Thursday.

Bulldogs rally past WW South

BY BRIAN BOWN — Thu, 4 Jun 2009 18:00 CST

Batavia scored seven unanswered runs Thursday to defeat Wheaton Warrenville South 7-2 in a Class 4A baseball sectional semifinal. Brian Krolikowski and Tim Schofield both had two hits and an RBI and Tim Drish added a solo home run to lead the Bulldogs (29-6). Adam Karger (10-0) struck out five, walked one and scattered 10 hits for Batavia.

Heiser's home run lifts Patriots

BY DICK QUAGLIANO — Thu, 4 Jun 2009 18:00 CST

Scott Firth tamed Lake Zurich while Teddy Heiser provided the bomb as Stevenson edged Lake Zurich 1-0 in the Barrington class 4A sectional on Thursday.

Ramblers crush Niles West

BY ROB VALENTIN — Thu, 4 Jun 2009 18:00 CST

Loyola�s Charlie McElveen has been looking for his power swing all season long. The senior left fielder came into Thursday's Glenbrook South Sectional semifinal game against Niles West with just one home run after hitting nine last year. That power outage quickly disappeared as McElveen crushed a pair of two-run homers in his first two at-bats to lead Loyola to an 11-4 victory over the Wolves.

Illiana Christian, Lasowski refuse to back down

Fri, 5 Jun 2009 04:00 CST

When his team takes the field Saturday against Joliet Catholic Academy for the sectional championship, Illiana Christian's Kevin Lasowski most likely will have a good-sized bruise on his back.

Rockets power way into title game

Sat, 6 Jun 2009 00:01 CST

Burlington Central's big blue machine rolled right past Rock Island on Thursday. The Rockets claimed their 13th consecutive victory with a 6-1 triumph against the Rocks in the Rochelle Class 3A Sectional semifinals.

Panthers at their peak

By PAUL JOHNSON For The Beacon News — Thu, 4 Jun 2009 00:01 CST

After suffering through a 7-23 regular season and bringing up the rear in the Southwest Prairie Conference, Oswego baseball coach Chris Neitzel could preach until he was blue in the face that the postseason is a new season.

Larkin does it all vs. Hononegah

BY ERIK JACOBSEN -- COURIER NEWS — Wed, 3 Jun 2009 17:00 CST

Textbook execution was the name of the game for Larkin on Wednesday. The Royals played some small ball, some long ball, mounted a two-out rally, showed off some solid defense and got a stellar pitching performance from senior ace Luc Geier.

Seniors lead Larkin

Wed, 3 Jun 2009 00:01 CST

High School Baseball: Larkin seniors Justin Kalusa, Luc Geier and Jon Meidel enjoyed different levels of success as varsity baseball players prior to this season. This year all three are all performing at a high level and are three main reasons the Royals are still alive going into today's DeKalb Class 4A Sectional semifinal game against Rockton Hononegah.

Mount Carmel connects often vs. Young

BY SEAN DUNCAN — Sat, 30 May 2009 16:00 CST

Mount Carmel recorded 16 hits and starter Mike Stirling went the distance as the Caravan rolled past Whitney Young 16-1 in a Class 4A regional final Saturday at Haggerty Field.

Saturday's baseball roundup

Sat, 30 May 2009 16:00 CST

Scores and highlights from Saturday's baseball action.

Trojans knock off defending champ Prairie Ridge

BY CARTER CRANE — Sat, 30 May 2009 16:00 CST

Led by the pitching and hitting of senior right-hander Matt Nelsen, Cary-Grove defeated defending state champion Prairie Ridge 11-5 Saturday in a Class 4A regional final in Crystal Lake.

Paluch sickens Richards' bats

Sun, 31 May 2009 04:00 CST

Prep baseball: Kendall Paluch had a lousy day Saturday. Whenever he was not standing in the center of the diamond, that is. The Joliet Catholic Academy junior right-hander admitted to being "a little sick. I think I'm coming down with something." That was after throwing a 4-hit shutout in Saturday morning's 9-0 victory over Richards in the championship game of the Class 3A JCA Regional. How does he explain it?

Lockport flies on a Cisna engine

Sun, 31 May 2009 04:00 CST

Prep baseball: Jon Cisna couldn't do anything with the first two fastballs he saw in his second-inning at-bat. He turned the third one around. Cisna, a left-handed hitter, drilled a two-out, two-strike pitch into the right field corner for a two-run double. His blast was the highlight of a four-run outburst that propelled the Lockport High School baseball team to a 4-2 victory over Waubonsie Valley in the championship game of the 4A Plainfield South Regional on Saturday.

Harm's homer gives Larkin regional title

By GENE CHAMBERLAIN For The Courier-News — Tue, 2 Jun 2009 00:01 CST

Prep baseball: With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Larkin's right-handed hitting third baseman Scott Harm launched a first-pitch offering from Dundee-Crown reliever Mike Vodicka over the fence in right-center for a walk-off home run and a 6-5 victory in the finals of the Larkin Class 4A Regional.

Burlington Central topples Sycamore

By ANDY ROHR For The Courier-News — Sun, 31 May 2009 04:00 CST

Prep baseball: Burlington Central overcame its hitting woes with men on base with a late power display and a fine pitching performance by Dave Hartwell to advance at its own Class 3A regional final with a 4-1 victory over second-seeded Sycamore on Saturday.

Johnson's no-hitter gives Boone repeat title

By Neal Boyer, Post-Tribune correspondent — Fri, 29 May 2009 04:00 CST

In a word, dominating. That describes pitcher Taylor Johnson, whose no-hitter powered Boone Grove to a Class 2A sectional championship repeat Thursday, 8-0 over North Newton.

Rain washes out Redhawks contest

Wed, 27 May 2009 00:01 CST

The Class 4A Lockport Sectional isn't the only postseason tournament Naperville Central coach Bill Seiple is tracking. Think of it as one eye on the weather and the other on some of his former players heading to NCAA regionals.

Aurora Christian win streak snapped

By BRIAN MILLER For The Beacon News — Wed, 13 May 2009 00:01 CST

If there were a true manifestation of gambling in baseball -- not the Pete Rose kind -- it would be the art of the pitching change.

Andrew rolls over Griffins

BY PAT DISABATO -- SOUTHTOWN STAR — Mon, 11 May 2009 18:00 CST

Led by pitcher Brett Maus, Andrew continued its hot streak, beating Lincoln-Way East 9-2 on Monday. The Thunderbolts have now knocked off the Griffins twice in the last three days.

Surging Redhawks take out Wheaton N. again

BY SCOTT POWERS — Sat, 9 May 2009 12:00 CST

A day after stunning No. 2 Wheaton North, Naperville Central went out and defeated the Falcons 8-2 again on Saturday. Sophomore Dan Ludwig threw a complete game for the Redhawks.

Batavia sweeps rival Geneva

BY MATT LE CREN — Sat, 9 May 2009 12:00 CST

Adam Karger and Brian Krolikowski each threw complete games and gave up a combined nine hits as the visiting Bulldogs beat rival Geneva 3-1 and 5-1 in a Western Sun Conference doubleheader on Saturday.

St. Charles East finishes hectic week

By SCOTT MILLER For The Courier-News — Mon, 11 May 2009 04:00 CST

Prep baseball: St. Charles East closed out arguably its most challenging week of the season with a 7-6, 12-4 doubleheader sweep against Upstate Eight Conference foe Elgin High on Saturday.

Central snaps Falcons' win streak

By BLAKE BAUMGARTNER For The Sun — Mon, 11 May 2009 04:00 CST

Prep baseball: With its pitching coach serving as motivation Saturday, Naperville Central may have become a team to watch as the IHSA postseason draws near. Behind some timely hitting and a complete game from sophomore left-hander Dan Ludwig, Central took the rubber match in its three-game series with Wheaton North, 8-2.

Old-school coach still attracts new followers

By BRIAN SOUTH For The Sun — Sun, 10 May 2009 04:00 CST

Prep baseball: When sophomore Matt LaCosse first met coach Paul Ryan on the diamond last year, he was terrified. "He yelled at me my first practice." The fact that LaCosse is Naperville North's starting quarterback and stands well over six feet tall did nothing to calm his fears.

Waubonsie Valley is back on track

Fri, 8 May 2009 12:00 CST

Waubonsie Valley is no longer blessed with Michael Bowden, or even some of the lesser arms that front other teams' rotations. But Waubonsie's roster is still defined by depth and length.

Spartans upend Highland Park

BY SEAN DUNCAN — Thu, 7 May 2009 18:00 CST

Glenbrook North put the Central Suburban North game away for good in the 10th inning with three runs to stun host Highland Park 9-6 on Thursday.