May 01, 2025
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Baseball notebook: State tournament moving, BV coach Ryan Schisler would play on a cow pasture if needed

Class 1A, 2A State tournaments being moved from Peoria to Champaign due to schedule conflict with Peoria Chiefs

By Kevin Hieronymus
Henry-Senachwine players react while scoring a run against Newman during the Class 1A State semifinal game on Friday, June 2, 2023 at Dozer Park in Peoria.

Henry-Senachwine players react while scoring a run against Newman during the Class 1A State semifinal game in 2023 at Dozer Park in Peoria. Due to a schedule conflict by the Peoria Chiefs, this year's 1A-2A state tournaments are being moved to Champaign. (Scott Anderson)

There have been eight baseball teams from the Illinois Valley reach the state tournament at Dozer Park in Peoria since it first held the 1A and 2A finals in 2011.

Should any teams from the Illinois Valley make them this season, they will have a change of venue.

The state tournaments have been thrown a curveball due to conflicts with the Peoria Chiefs’ schedule at Dozer Park on June 6-7. As a result, the IHSA has moved this year’s Class 1A and 2A State Finals from Peoria to the University of Illinois’ field in Champaign, it was announced this morning in an IHSA release.

“Major League Baseball scheduled games at Dozer Park on June 6-7 and the Chiefs didn’t catch the conflict until it was too late,” IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson said in the release. “The Chiefs efforts in working with MLB to remedy the situation ultimately were not successful. We are disappointed because Dozer Park is a wonderful facility, but feel fortunate to have another outstanding facility and host partner in the Fighting Illini athletic department and Experience Champaign-Urbana willing to pinch-hit as hosts.”

Bill Booker, who led his Bruins to a fourth-place state finish in Peoria in 2015, said it doesn’t matter which venue state is at, he’d take his Bruins back anywhere to play.

“It makes no difference to me. I’d play in a cow pasture if it had 90-foot bases and a mound,” Bureau Valley Coach Ryan Schisler said. “I would just love the opportunity.”

Bureau Valley head baseball coach Ryan Schisler applauds his team on Monday, May 1, 2023 at St. Bede Academy.

Ryan Schisler (Scott Anderson)

Hall won the 2A state championship in 2018 at Dozer Park and Ottawa Marquette has made four trips there since 2018, winning titles in 2019 and 2024.

Putnam County (2013) and Henry (2023) have also played at the Peoria venue for state, both placing second.

Prior to playing at Dozer Park, the 1A and 2A State tournaments were held at Silver Cross Field in Joliet in 2010.

Path to state

The path to state for local teams will start the week of May 20 at either the Bureau Valley or Monmouth-Roseville regionals for 2A and the Putnam County, Stark County or Ottawa Marquette regionals in 1A.

St. Bede, Annawan-Wethersfield, Henry-Senachwine and PC are all part of the Class 1A St. Bede Subsectional B along with Galva, Princeville, Midland, Ridgewood and ROWVA-Williamsfield and Stark County.

Marquette will be a regional host in the Class 1A Elgin Harvest Christian Academy Subsectional A

In 2A, Bureau Valley, Hall and Princeton are assigned to the Chillicothe Subsectional A along with IVC, Knoxville, Mercer County and Three Rivers rivals, Kewanee, Mon-Rose, Orion, Sherrard and Rockridge.

Regional assignments and seeds will be announced next week by the IHSA.

Five Tri-County teams ranked by MaxPreps

There are five teams from the Tri-County Conference ranked by MaxPreps in Class 1A baseball, including No. 2 Marquette (17-3) and No. 3 St. Bede (17-4). They are joined by No. 13 Putnam County (15-5), No. 14 Roanoke-Benson/Lowpoint-Washburn (13-8) and No. 17 Dwight (15-8).

Father McGivney Catholic (22-2) of Glen Carbon is ranked No. 1.

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