A collection of 40 of the top prep baseball players this past spring from across The Times' 13-school coverage area.

The Times Sports staff is proud to present our picks for 40 of the top prep softball players across the area, the 2025 Times All-Area Softball Team.

The schools of The Times area sent plenty of athletes to the IHSA Girls Track and Field State Meet. Here are those state qualifiers, the 2025 Times Girls Track and Field All-Area Honor Roll.

A look at the best baseball players in the NewsTribune area for the 2025 season.

A look at the NewsTribune area's baseball stat leaders for the 2025 season.

A look at the top softball players in the NewsTribune area for the 2025 season.

A look at the top softball players in the NewsTribune area for the 2025 season.

Shaw Media’s Illinois Valley Sports Hall of Fame banquet always comes with a lot of laughs and smiles and fun remembrances each year. This year’s sixth annual event also came with sorrow and sadness Thursday at the Auditorium Ballroom in downtown LaSalle.

Henry's Lauren Harbison was named Class 1A First-Team All State in softball, other players from St. Bede, Princeton, Earlville, Henry and Fieldcreset also earned all-state honors and the Three Rivers announced its all-conference baseball team.

The Ottawa softball team had four of its members named to the Interstate 8 All-Conference team, while the Little Ten and Kishwaukee River Conferences released all-league teams.

L-P junior Taylor Vescogni was named the Interstate 8 Conference Player of the Year and the Three Rivers East, Lincoln Trail and Little Ten also released all-conference teams.

Ottawa's Weston Averkamp qualified for Saturday's Class 3A finals in both the 110- and 300-meter hurdles during Friday's preliminaries at the IHSA Track and Field State Meet, while Sandwich's Petter Popp in the shot put and Jacob Ross in the pole vault will move on in 2A.

Somonauk, Fieldcrest and Seneca all had advancers at the Class 1A state track and field preliminaries, while Ottawa's state-qualifying boys tennis doubles team got a pair of wins in the suburbs. This and more in The Times Thursday Roundup.

Ottawa's Adam Swanson blasted a walk-off homer against Geneseo on Saturday, while Streator softball dropped a doubleheader and the Pirates state-bound tennis duo of Evan Krafft and Noah Gross placed 4th at the 1A sectional.

The Seneca softball team - behind the pitching and hitting of Tessa Krull - won a 2A regional title on Friday, Sandwich's Sunny Weber advanced to the 1600-meter run finals at state, and the Ottawa doubles team of Evan Krafft and Noah Gross clinched a state tennis berth.

St. Bede's Lily Bosnich and Henry-Midland's Daniella Bumber advanced to the finals in the Class 1A state track meet and more track, baseball and softball results in Thursday's NewsTribune roundup.

The Newark Norsemen did just about everything right in a 17-0 shutout of Earlville, securing the Class 1A Indian Creek Regional championship while keeping their postseason run alive Thursday night in Shabbona.

Newark defeated Earlville 17-0 to win the Class 1A Regional title on Thursday, May 22, 2025 at Indian Creek High School in Shabbona.

Ottawa senior Weston Averkamp won the 110- and 300-meter hurdles at the Class 3A Minooka Sectional on Wednesday to advance to the state meet in the events for the second straight year. Plus, more results from around the Times area.

The Henry-Senachwine and Earlville softball teams advanced in regional play, area boys track and field athletes qualified for state out of the El Paso-Gridley Sectional and more in Wednesday's NewsTribune roundup.

We take a look at all the area girls track qualifiers, including seven-time medalist Evelyn O'Connor of Seneca and four-time medalist Sunny Weber of Sandwich.

The Hall and Bureau Valley softball teams and Mendota baseball team won their regional openers and more baseball, softball and tennis results in Monday's NewsTribune roundup.

The Serena baseball team – behind the pitching of Tucker Whiteaker – defeated Earlville in a Class 1A regional quarterfinal on Monday, while the WFC and Fieldcrest softball teams had seasons come to an end. Plus, more results from around the Times area.

The Marquette baseball and softball teams both earned home wins over Forreston on Saturday, while the Seneca, Serena and Somonauk/Leland softball squads pick up victories. Plus, more results from around the Times area.

Serena softball won in eight innings, Seneca softball split two games to take its first loss of the season, and the area went winless on the baseball diamond. That and more in The Times Friday Roundup.

The Seneca girls track and field team captured the program's 13th consecutive Class 1A sectional title on Thursday at Seneca High School.

Fieldcrest's Pru Mangan and Macy Gochanour qualified for state track along with baseball and softball results in Thursday's NewsTribune roundup.

Newark, Ottawa, Serena all score softball victories, Fieldcrest sends two girls to state track and field, plus more in The Times Thursday Roundup.

Teams from Aurora Christian, Beecher, Dwight, Earlville, Hinckley-Big Rock, Kankakee-McNamara, Lisle, Momence, Newark, Marquette, Seneca, Indian Creek, Somonauk, Westmont, Wilmington and Yorkville all competed during the Class 1A Sectional track meet on Thursday, May 15, 2025 at Seneca High School.

From regional play-ins to state championships, here are the complete baseball and softball postseason schedules for Times-area teams Ottawa, Streator, L-P, Morris, Sandwich, Marquette, Seneca, WFC, Fieldcrest, Earlville, Newark, Serena and Somonauk/Leland.

The Ottawa baseball team topped Rochelle in an I-8 game Wednesday, while a number of girls from Sandwich and Flanagan-Cornell punched their tickets to the state meet in sectional competition. Plus, more results from around the Times area.

The Henry-Senachwine softball team improved to 20-3, the Hall baseball team scored late to win and more baseball, softball, tennis and soccer results in Tuesday's NewsTribune roundup.

The Seneca softball defeated St. Bede 5-2 to finish off a second straight undefeated Tri-County Conference season on Tuesday, while Marquette and Newark also earned wins. Plus, more results from around the Times area.

The Marquette baseball team topped Midland to wrap up the Tri-County Conference on Monday, while the Ottawa boys and Streator girls track and field teams claimed titles at the Illinois Valley Invite. Plus more results from around the Times area.

The L-P softball team clinched the outright Interstate 8 Conference title and more softball, baseball, soccer, tennis and track and field results in Monday's NewsTribune roundup.

A look at the top times, distances and heights in the NewsTribune area for girls track and field.

The Marquette Academy baseball club earned wins No. 23 and 24 on the season in a round robin in Tolono, plus more in The Times Saturday Roundup.

The Earlville baseball team picked up a one-run win over Sandwich on Friday, while Seneca, Newark and Sandwich earned wins in softball. Plus more results from around the Times area.

The Mendota and St. Bede baseball teams won in their last at-bat and more baseball, softball and track and field results in Friday's NewsTribune roundup.

Mendota's Mariyah Elam won three conference titles in track, St. Bede softball won and more baseball, softball, track and field and soccer results in Thursday's NewsTribune roundup.

The Seneca softball team topped Marquette in 10 innings on Thursday, while the Streator boys track and field team won the Illinois Central Eight Conference meet. Plus, more results from around the Times area.

The Marquette softball team - behind a big day at the plate by Makayla Backos - rolled past Pontiac on Wednesday, while the Ottawa girls soccer team - led by a hat trick from Chloe Carmona - blanked Rochelle. Plus, more results from around the Times area.

The Seneca girls capture the title of the Tri-County Conference track and field meet on Tuesday. Plus, more results from around The Times area.

St. Bede's Lily Bosnich broke the 20-year-old Illinois Valley area record in the 100-meter hurdles in the Tri-County Conference Meet and more track and field, baseball and softball results in Tuesday's NewsTribune roundup.

L-P will find out out more this week about senior Jacob Gross's possible return, Bureau Valley has tied the school record for wins and more in the NewsTribune baseball notebook.

A look at the top baseball players in the NewsTribune area.

Lauren Harbison hit a grand slam and threw a shutout to lead the Henry-Senachwine softball team to a win, the La Salle-Peru boys and girls track and field teams won at home and more baseball, softball, track and field, tennis and soccer results in Monday's NewsTribune roundup.

Ottawa baseball and softball both won close ones, Streator softball shut out Lisle, the area saw multiple event winners in a five-school track meet in La Salle, plus plenty more in The Times Monday Roundup.

The Marquette baseball and softball teams each picked up wins over Hall on Saturday, while Serena softball swept AFC in a doubleheader. Plus, more results from around the Times area.

Earlville's Addie Scherer was voted NewsTribune Athlete of the Week after a strong week at the plate and in the pitching circle.