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Note: Records are through Wednesday’s games.
Baseball
Class 1A Stark County Regional
Team to beat: St. Bede (24-4)
Pairings: Monday, May 19, Game 1 - (9) Stark County at (6) Ridgewood, at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 21, Game 2 - (1) St. Bede vs. Winner 1, 4 p.m. Thursday, May 22, Game 3 - (4) Midland (11-14-3) vs. (5) ROWVA-Williamsfield, 4 p.m. Saturday, May 24, Championship - Winners 2-3, 11 a.m.
Worthy of note: The Bruins are the prohibitive favorite in a regional leading back to its own sectional it will host which will be played at Schweickert Stadium in Peru. They won 10 straight heading into Thursday’s game with Henry. St. Bede coach Bill Booker said the regional will be challenging. “Each team has one or two guys to put on the mound that could be lights out. Ridgewood and Williamsfield are playing good baseball right now and we feel Midland is by far the most improved team in our conference. We always look forward to this time of year. It’s time to focus, execute and be at your best because if you blink, you go home.” They’ve had contributions from a lot of sources, including Ranbir Saini (.404), Gus Burr (.349, 2 HR, 30 RBIs), Geno Dinges (.347), and Carson Riva (.355, 21 RBIs). Saini (5-0, 0.62) and Alan Spencer (8-0, 0.99, 89 Ks) also pitch in with a combined 13-0 record and sub-1.00 ERA. St. Bede reached the sectional finals last year, falling to Annawan-Wethersfield 4-2.
BCR pick: St. Bede
Last year’s regional finals: St. Bede 11, Ridgewood 2
Next: Winner advances to the St. Bede Sectional to face the Henry Regional winner on Wednesday, May 28 at 4:30 p.m. at Schweickert Stadium.
Class 2A Bureau Valley Regional
Team to beat: IVC (19-10)
Pairings: Monday, May 19, Game 1 - (8) Kewanee (11-18) at (7) Princeton (8-12-1), 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 21, Game 2 - (1) Chillicothe IVC vs. Winner 1, 4:30 p.m. Thursday, May 22, Game 3 - (4) Bureau Valley (20-9) vs. (6) Orion (16-14), 4:30 p.m. Saturday, May 24, Championship - Winners 2-3, 1 p.m.
Worthy of note: Bureau Valley set a school record with its 19th win, breaking the previous record of 18 in 2004. It now sets its sights on winning it’s first regional in school history since 2009 when it also hosted the tournament. “It was a cool thing to set the wins record, and especially one that has stood for 20 years. I think that’s a testament to how they’ve battled and competed each day,” Storm skipper Ryan Schisler said. “We’ve had a number of come-from-behind victories and close games, and you don’t win those if you’re not playing the game with some level of confidence and competitiveness. I think that we’ve created our own luck by having great energy on and off the field and by playing together, so we will look to continue that heading into the regional.” Junior Logan Philhower leads the Storm hitting (.374, 1 HR, 27 RBIs) and on the mound (7-2, 1.45). Other top contributors offensively are Drake Taylor (.352, 1 HR, 28 RBIs), Elijah Endress (.341, 3 HR, 21 RBIs) and Blake Foster (.349, 1 HR, 29 RBIs) with the pitching staff well armed with Endress (3-1, 2.15), Foster (3-1, 3.76) and Bryce Helms (5-3, 5.00). ... The Storm lost to semifinal foe Orion 8-0 last month. ... Princeton is running low on arms with a season-ending shoulder injury to junior southpaw Tyler Forristall (3.15 ERA) and potential season-ending elbow injury to senior Jordan Reinhardt (2.14). Senior Ace Christiansen has been a spark for the Tigers as their leadoff man. Other top batters in the lineup are Reinhardt (.420), Noah LaPorte (.351), Nolan Kloepping (.333) and Will Lott (.321).
BCR pick: IVC over BV
Last year’s regional finals: Hall 8, IVC 4
Next: Winner advances to the IVC Sectional to face the Fieldcrest Regional winner on Wednesday, May 28 at 6:30 p.m.
Class 2A Monmouth-Roseville Regional
Team(s) to beat: Hall (20-10), Sherrard (16-8)
Pairings: Monday, May 19, Game 1 - (10) Monmouth-Roseville (7-19) at (9) Mercer County (12-16), 4:30 p.m. Game 2 - (11) Knoxville (2-22-1) at (5) Rockridge (17-12), 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 21, Game 2 - (2) Sherrard vs. Winner 1, 4:30 p.m. Thursday, May 22, Game 3 - (3) Hall vs. Winner 2, 4:30 p.m. Saturday, May 24, Championship - Winners 2-3, 1 p.m.
Worthy of note: Hall has defeated potential semifinal foe Rockridge (5-3) as well as Mon-Rose (8-0). The Red Devils won six straight heading into Thursday’s game with Fieldcrest. Veteran Hall coach Tom Keegan knows it won’t be an easy task to repeat as regional champions. “Going to have to find a way to generate some offense while limiting free bases on defense. Our pitching will give us a chance to compete. There will be some quality arms within our regional. It’s a hike to get there for sure but that’s where we were put so thats where we will go,” he said. Offensively, Hall’s leaders are Greyson Bickett (.355, 13 RBIs), Jack Jablonski (.349, 26 RBIs) and Braden Curran (.321, 19 RBIs). The running Red Devils have six players with 10 or more stolen bases, topped by Curran’s 22. The Red Devils have a deep pitching staff with Braden Curran (5-2, 1.33), Izzaq Zrust (4-3, 2.05), Jablonski (4-0, 2.25) and Noah Plym (4-1, 3.13) to be able to make a deep postseason run. ... Hall won its own regional last year before falling to Peoria Notre Dame in the sectional semifinals. ... Top-seeded Sherrard was putting the finishing touches on the Three Rivers West championship this week. Hall beat Sherrard 5-1 at Sherrard last month. The Red Devils are 9-0 against common opponents with Sherrard, the Tigers 5-3.
BCR pick: Hall over Sherrard
Last year’s regional finals: Hall 8, IVC 4; Rockridge 7, Mon-Rose 2
Next: Winner advances to the IVC Sectional to face the Macomb Regional winner on Wednesday, May 28 at 4 p.m.
Other area regionals
At Putnam County (1A): Team to beat - (2) PC (16-12). Others - (3) Annawan-Wethersfield (18-9), (7) Henry-Senachwine (8-15), (8) Princeville (10-18-1), (10) Galva (5-14). BCR pick: PC.
At Ottawa Marquette (1A): Team to beat - (1) Marquette (26-3). Others - (4) Newark (12-17), (6) Somonauk (8-11), (8) Earlville (8-11), (9) Serena (5-17). BCR pick - Marquette.
At Stillman Valley (2A): Team to beat - (1) Byron (26-4). Others - (4) Rock Falls (11-15-1), (5) Oregon (12-15), (8) Mendota (8-16-1), (9) Stillman Valley (6-22). BCR pick - Byron.