Seneca Preps

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

Here is a look at some of the best softball players the area had to offer in the 2025 season, the 2025 Herald-News All-Area Softball Team.

See if your favorite player made the 2025 Herald-News All-Area Baseball Team, featuring the best of the best across the Will/Grundy County 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.

Congratulations to the 2025 Times Softball Player of the Year, Seneca all-state pitcher/hitter Tessa Krull.

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

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.

La Salle-Peru, Coal City, Minooka and Seneca are all sending recent graduates to play in this month’s Illinois High School Shrine Game.

Reed-Custer High School was the site of the Braidwood Shootout on Wednesday and Thursday, where 32 teams faced off for a little summer basketball action.

Marquette baseball's Alec Novotney has been named the Tri-County Conference Player and Pitcher of the Year, while the Interstate 8, Illinois Central Eight, Little Ten, Kishwaukee River and Heart of Illinois Conferences have released all-league baseball teams.

Lincoln-Way East and Lincoln-Way West each had five players make the All-Conference team in baseball for the Southwest Suburban Conference. See who else made their all-conference teams here.

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.

Ottawa senior Weston Averkamp had a day to remember at Eastern Illinois University’s O’Brien Field, as the EIU recruit finished third in the Class 3A 300 hurdles and seventh in the 110 hurdles for Ottawa's best state place since 2006.

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.

Ava Lorenzatti blasted a solo homer, and Taylor Norkus twirled a one-hit shutout as Beecher topped Seneca 1-0 to claim the 2A Seneca Sectional championship.

The Beecher softball team won its third straight sectional championship with a nail-biting 1-0 win over Seneca in the Class 2A Seneca Sectional championship game Friday, May 30, 2025.

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.

Tessa Krull struck out 11 in a four-hit shutout while Hayden Pfeifer's home run was part of a five-run sixth inning in Seneca's 6-0 win over Coal City in Tuesday's Class 2A Seneca Sectional semifinal.

We take a look at The Times area's boys track and field state qualifiers in Classes 1A, 2A and 3A, including past medalists Weston Averkamp of Ottawa and Simeion Harris of Sandwich.

Several Herald-News area athletes are among the top 10 qualifiers in their respective events entering this weekend's state boys track and field championships

Congratulations to The Times Athlete of the Week, Seneca girls track and field’s Lila Coleman!

Sandwich junior Sunny Weber completed the distance triple crown on Saturday, adding to her state cross country title won last fall by repeating as Class 2A 3,200-meter run champion and winning the 1,600 in a record-setting time. She led the area medalists in Charleston.

Sandwich junior Sunny Weber completed the distance triple crown on Saturday, adding to her state cross country title won last fall by repeating as Class 2A 3,200-meter run champion and winning the 1,600 in a record-setting time. She led the area medalists in Charleston.

Plainfield North won medals in all four relays — winning two of them — en route to a fifth-place finish in Class 3A on Saturday at Eastern Illinois University’s O’Brien Field. Meanwhile Lockport senior Mckena Miglorini and Reed-Custer junior Sophia Burciaga won pole vault titles.

Sandwich junior Sunny Weber completed the distance triple crown on Saturday, adding to her state cross country title won last fall by repeating as Class 2A 3,200-meter run champion and winning the 1,600 in a record-setting time. She led the area medalists in Charleston.

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.

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.

Despite taking first in only one event, the Seneca boys track and field team won the championship at the Class 1A Seneca Sectional

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 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.

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 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.

Seneca's Tessa Krull brought her “A” game to the circle Monday, pitching a one-hit shutout with 17 strikeouts to send the Irish to a 6-0 win over the St. Bede Bruins at the Academy. The win clinched the Tri-County Conference championship with the Irish improving to 28-0 overall.

Seneca defeated St. Bede on Monday, May 12, 2025 at St. Bede Academy. The Lady Irish improve their record to 28-0.

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 3-4-5 slots in the Seneca lineup had a big day Saturday in a 9-1 win over Morris that kept the Irish unbeaten at 26-0.

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 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.

Marquette defeated Seneca 7-0 on Thursday, May 8, 2025 at Masinelli Field in Ottawa.

In a game featuring few hits and a lot of soft contact, Marquette Academy leaned on dominant pitching, aggressive base running, and steady defense to claim a 7-0 win and series sweep over Seneca at Masinelli Field on Thursday.

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.