Four programs who have won four state championships and made 10 state tournament appearances between them since 2015 headline the the inaugural Illinois Valley Baseball Tournament to be held Friday and Saturday at Schweickert Stadium and JA Happ Field in Peru.

Here is a look at where the Sauk Valley girls track and field teams will be competing on Wednesday and Friday with a shot at qualifying for state. Fulton, Oregon and Sterling all won sectional titles last season.

Sterling boys tennis beat Newman 4-1, Newman baseball beat Amboy 10-0, Rock Falls won 2-0, Dixon lost to Byron 8-2, Newman softball beat Amboy 8-7, results from the Milledgeville boys track invite and more in Monday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Eight Sauk Valley students have qualified for the Youth Equestrian Development Association National Championships, which will be held the first week of June in Lexington, Virginia.

Sterling's Lily Martinez hit two home runs in a 16-1 softball win over Rock Falls. Newman softball won 11-1, Forreston baseball beat Milledgeville 6-0, Dixon boys track took second in Geneseo and more in Friday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Dixon baseball rallied for four runs in the bottom of the seventh to earn a 4-3 walkoff win over Byron. Sterling girls track took second at the Big 6 meet, Oregon was second at the BNC meet, Fulton was second at the NUIC meet and more in Thursday's Sauk Valley roundup.

The IHSA has released the postseason softball schedules. Here is a look at where Sauk Valley area teams are competing. Morrison received a No. 1 seed and will compete at the Newman regional. Oregon and Milledgeville are No. 2 seeds.

Milledgeville softball beat Morrison 4-3 to take first in the NUIC South. Layla Wright had two home runs for Sterling, Dixon softball beat Oregon 2-1, track and field results, and more in Tuesday's Sauk Valley roundup.

The Newman Comets strive to do three things well every time they step onto the ball diamond - hit, pitch and play good defense. They did all three enroute to a 9-1 win at Princeton in a Three Rivers East tussle at Prather Field.

Dixon baseball held on to win 9-8 at North Boone in eight innings as Jake Zepezauer scored on an error and Jagger Kemp had the save. Rock Falls baseball fell 4-3 at Byron, Eastland's Tatum Grim had two home runs and more in Monday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Newman senior softball player Brenleigh Cook is the Sauk Valley Athlete of the Week, presented by Loescher Heating and Air Conditioning. She had the game-winning hit in a 9-8 win over Hall and is one of the Comets' top hitters. Here is a Q&A with her.

Morrison senior Brady Anderson's record-breaking track season continued at the Oregon Hall of Fame Classic. Amboy freshman Ian Hassler won the discus, while Rochelle, Erie-Prophetstown and Oregon also had wins on Friday.

Lucille Oetting plans to attend St. Louis University and continue her athletic and academic career in softball and physical therapy.

Sterling's Rosie Cantu hit two home runs in an 8-5 softball win at Rock Island. Eastland's Keara Kaus had two home runs, Zoey Silva pitched a one-hitter, Brady Anderson won four races, Newman's Garret Matznick pitched a one-hitter and more in Friday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Madisyn Eikenberry led Rock Falls with five RBIs in an 18-3 win. Morrison softball beat Eastland 15-5, Newman softball won, Fulton's Braedon Meyers pitched a one-hitter, Dixon baseball won and more in Thursday's Sauk Valley roundup.

The Newman baseball team faced an early deficit again against Mendota, but the Comets took advantage of walks while Michael Morse and Liam Nicklaus threw strikes. Newman won 9-2 in five innings due to rainy conditions.

Newman baseball beat Mendota 9-2 in a soggy home game in varsity baseball Thursday, April 30, 2026.

Newman's Ray Sharp, Eastland's Tyler Zumdahl and Oregon's Jarrett Reynolds were named IBCA Coaches of the Year on the boys side. Newman's Herb Martin, Eastland's Nicole Brinker and Dixon's Luke Ravlin were recognized on the girls side.

Newman High School will perform the Disney classic "Frozen". Shows will begin at 7 p.m. April 17, at 7 p.m. April 18 and at 2 p.m. April 19 at Centennial Auditorium on the campus of Sterling High School.

Jameson Hanlon had four hits and Michael Morse had four RBIs as Newman beat Eastland 10-0 on Wednesday. The Comets improved to 11-1 with the win.

Newman baseball beat Eastland 10-0 Wednesday, April 15, 2026.

Newman graduate and St. Ambrose University sophomore golfer Ellie Rude hit a hole-in-one last week and placed 12th at the Judson Spring Invite.

Sterling graduate and Augustana College senior Blake Nettleton was named Co-Pitcher of the Week by the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin. He had 15 strikeouts in 8⅓ innings in a 9-0 win over North Central on Saturday.

Newman baseball pulled away with eight runs to finish a 12-2 Three Rivers East win over Princeton in five innings on Monday.

Newman graduate Brendan Tunink hit a home run in his first at-bat with the Ontario Tower Buzzers, the Single-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers playing in their inaugural season. Tunink has three home runs in his first three games.

Newman welcomes Princeton in baseball Monday, April 6, 2026. Newman took the win 12-2.

Newman scored nine runs in the first inning and Gianna Vance pitched a two-hitter as the Comets beat Lena-Winslow 9-1. Newman's younger players also stepped up in the win.

Newman softball beat Lena-Winslow 9-1 in a chilly afternoon game Wednesday, April 1, 2026.

Newman junior sprinter Elaina Allen is the Sauk Valley Athlete of the Week, presented by Loescher Heating and Air Conditioning. She is off to a good start and hopes to place even higher at state track this season. 'Elaina is a fierce competitor.'

In a game in which the Comets scored 14 runs over the last two innings on the way to a run-away 20-5 win over Bureau Valley, Newman coach Kenny Koerner pointed to relief pitcher Liam Nicklaus as providing a calming influence when the Comets needed it most.

Bureau Valley coach Dave Shepherd said it was about time. The Storm finally chalked up a victory over their old Three Rivers Conference rival Newman Monday, scoring four runs in the fourth inning and two more in the sixth to rally for a 9-6 win.

Newman defeated Bureau Valley 20-5 on Monday, March 30, 2026 at Bureau Valley High School.

Bureau Valley defeated Newman 9-6 on Monday, March 30, 2026 at Bureau Valley High School.

Here is a preview look at each baseball team across the Sauk Valley coverage area as the 2026 season is underway.

Newman was firmly in control with a 10-0 lead at Sterling before the game was called early due to lightning on Thursday. The Comets' offense is off to a hot start this season.

Sterling and Newman clash in early season high school baseball action Thursday, March 26, 2026. Game was called for lightning in the fifth with Newman leading 10-0.

A Sterling High School assistant tennis coach is seeking donations for his initiative that aims to ensure financial barriers don’t stand in the way of a player’s success.

Here is a preview look at each softball team across the Sauk Valley coverage area as the 2026 season gets underway.

Here are five of the top returning baseball players to watch in the Sauk Valley area as the 2026 season gets underway. Newman, Sterling, Fulton and Forreston are among the teams with key seniors back.

Woodlawn Arts Academy is proud to exhibit artwork from talented students and staff from all over the Sauk Valley area and is pleased to announce the winners of the 2026 student-teacher art exhibit.

Local tennis player Bob Orta has started a scholarship for Sterling, Dixon and Newman High School students.

Here are five of the top Sauk Valley area softball players to watch this season as the 2026 campaign gets underway.

Lauryn Francque plans to attend Sauk Valley Community College to earn an associate of arts degree in business. After Sauk, she intends to transfer to Iowa State to pursue a bachelor’s degree in business, with an interest in marketing.

Newman Central Catholic High School in Sterling recently announced the students who earned high honors and honors for the third quarter of the school year.

The Three Rivers Athletic Conference released its all-conference boys and girls basketball teams, with multiple area athletes recognized through voting by the head coaches.

Riverdale extended its lead in the BCR’s Three Rivers All-Sports Race with a strong winter sports season, including a first-place finish in girls basketball and a tie for second in boys basketball. This award is for athletics only.

Newman battled a physical Pecatonica into overtime on Tuesday night, but the Indians came back to win 70-66 in the Class 1A Orion Sectional semifinals as Zion Braimah scored 34 points. Newman finished with a program-high 33 wins.

Newman meets Pecatonica Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in the Orion Class 1A sectional semi. Newman fell 70-66 in overtime.

Newman's Blair Grenann won four straight matches to take third Saturday at the state championship, including beating the wrestler who beat her in the quarterfinals. Erie's Michelle Naftzger took fourth.

Newman beat Forreston 75-48 to win the Class 1A Alleman Regional title on Friday night as all five starters had at least 11 points. 'I’d say our offense right now is on fire.'