July 03, 2025
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Postseason starts today: PHS, St. Bede baseball at home

By Kevin Hieronymus
Princeton's Bennett Sierens dives back into first base as Bureau Valley's Bryson Smith takes a pickoff throw Thursday in Manlius. The visiting Tigers won 12-6.

The Princeton Tigers dive into regional play today at Prather Field against Erie-Prophetstown. (Mike Vaughn)

Area baseball and softball teams are turning their attention to the postseason this week. Here’s a look:

Baseball

The Princeton and St. Bede baseball teams open regional play at home today.

The No. 6 seeded Tigers (10-6) will ride a five-game win streak in to postseason play, hosting No. 8 Erie-Prophetstown (8-13) in their own Class 2A regional at 4:30 p.m. at Prather Field. The winner will advance to face No. 2 Hall (18-8) in Wednesday’s semifinals. The second semifinal will pit No. 3 Riverdale (15-4) vs. No. 5 Bureau Valley (13-10) on Thursday.

In 1A regional baseball, No. 8 St. Bede (6-18) will host No. 10 Earlville (3-17-1) in the Class 1A Ottawa Marquette Regional at 4:30 p.m. today. Their winner advances to face No. 1 Marquette (26-3) on Wednesday.

No. 2 Putnam County (23-8) awaits the winner of today’s game between No. 9 Indian Creek at No. 6 HBR in Wednesday’s Class 1A semifinals at Somonauk.

Softball

In today’s Class 2A Kewanee Regional softball action, No. 7 Bureau Valley (12-11) will host No. 8 Mendota (9-11) while No. 11 Hall (1-19) will play at No. 5 Kewanee (18-8).

Princeton (16-5) looks for revenge on No. 6 Riverdale, which beat the Tigresses 6-1 in last year’s semifinals, on Wednesday in the Class 2A Rockridge Regional. Their winner has a probable date against defending state champ Rockridge (28-0) in Friday’s finals.

Three Rivers East champ St. Bede (17-3, the No. 1 seed in the sub-sectional and ranked No. 4 in Class 1A, awaits the winner of today’s No. 8 Amboy and No. 7 Henry play-in game on Tuesday in its own regional.

Girls soccer

No. 4 Princeton won its second straight Class 1A girls regional soccer championship Friday night and will face No. 1 Rockford Christian at 5 p.m. Tuesday in the Hinckley Sectional. The Tigresses edged the Royals 4-3 to win the sectional crown at Oregon last year.

Both won big in their own regional championships.

The Tigresses (16-7) bombed Genoa-Kingston 6-0 to win their own regional while host Rockford Christian (15-1) downed Winnebago 6-1.

The Princeton-Rockford winner advances to Friday’s sectional finals between Wednesday’s winner between No. 1 Rock Island Alleman (15-2-1) and No. 2 Byron (17-3-1).