July 26, 2024
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NewsTribune Class 1A/2A baseball and softball sectional preview capsules

St. Bede baseball playing at Wesleyan, St. Bede softball looking to repeat as sectional champs

By Kevin Chlum
St. Bede's Maci Kelly fields a gound ball against Midwest Central during the Class 2A Regional final on Friday, May 17, 2024 at at Abbot Phillip Davy Field.

St. Bede's Maci Kelly fields a gound ball against Midwest Central during the Class 2A Regional final on Friday, May 17, 2024 at at Abbot Phillip Davy Field. (Scott Anderson)

Five NewsTribune area baseball and softball teams will compete in sectionals this week. Here’s a look at all of the sectionals involving area teams.

BASEBALL

Class 1A Illinois Wesleyan University Sectional

Schedule

Wednesday: St. Bede (20-14) vs. Heyworth (16-17), 4 p.m.; Annawan-Wethersfield (18-6-1) vs. Dwight (24-10), 6:30 p.m.

Saturday: Title game, 11 a.m.

Worth noting: The Bruins are playing in their fourth sectional since Bill Booker took over the program in 2015. St. Bede rolled through its regional, beating Princeville 15-0 in the semifinal and AlWood 11-2 in the title game. Heyworth advanced to the sectional with a 10-0 win over Ridgeview. The Hornets played in the IWU Sectional final last year, losing 6-1 to Henry-Senachwine. Annawan-Wethersfield is the only No. 1 seed in the sectional. Dwight is No. 2, St. Bede is No. 3 and Heyworth is No. 4. St. Bede and Dwight are members of the Tri-County Conference. The Bruins and Trojans split their two-game conference series.

Next: The winner advances to the Illinois Wesleyan Supersectional to face the winner of the Arcola Sectional at 11 a.m. Monday.

Class 2A IVC Sectional

Schedule

Wednesday: Rockridge (13-16) vs. Illini West (27-4), 4 p.m.; Hall (20-9) vs. Peoria Notre Dame (19-10), 6:30 p.m.

Saturday: Title game, 2 p.m.

Worth noting: It’s a sectional full of teams that pulled off regional upsets with no No. 1 or No. 2 seeds. Hall is the best seed at No. 3, while Peoria Notre Dame is No. 4, Illini West is No. 5 and Rockridge is No. 8. The Red Devils, who have won eight of their past 10 games, are playing in their fifth sectional in the past six seasons. Last spring, Hall won its second sectional title under coach Tom Keegan and lost to eventual state champion Joliet Catholic in the Geneseo Supersectional. Illini West is playing in its seventh straight sectional.

Next: The winner moves on to the Geneseo Supersectional to play the winner of the Beecher Sectional at 1 p.m. Monday.

Hall pitcher Payton Dye lets go of a pitch to Chillicothe during the Class 2A Regional game on Saturday, May 18, 2024 at Kirby Park in Spring Valley.

Hall pitcher Payton Dye lets go of a pitch to Chillicothe during the Class 2A Regional game on Saturday, May 18, 2024 at Kirby Park in Spring Valley. (Scott Anderson)

SOFTBALL

Class 2A Peoria Notre Dame Sectional

Schedule

Tuesday: St. Bede (22-5-1) vs. Riverdale (19-14), 4:30 p.m.; Rockridge (26-3-1) vs. IVC (19-14), 6 p.m.

Friday: Title game, 5 p.m.

Worth noting: The sectional is loaded with 2023 1A state champion St. Bede and three-time defending 2A state champion Rockridge on a collision course to play in the sectional final. The Rockets beat the Bruins 9-0 on April 20. St. Bede defeated Riverdale, which was a No. 6 seed in its subsectional, 4-3 on May 10 and beat IVC 9-4 on April 19. The Bruins faced stiff competition at the end of the regular season with five games in May against teams that won regionals. St. Bede was 1-3-1 during that stretch.

Next: The winner advances to the East Peoria Supersectional to play the winner of the Herscher Sectional at 11 a.m. Monday.

Class 2A Marengo Sectional

Schedule

Tuesday: Genoa-Kingston (18-11) vs. Richmond-Burton (24-10), 4:30 p.m.

Wednesday: Bureau Valley (17-9) vs. North Boone (25-4), 4:30 p.m.

Friday: Title game, 4:30 p.m.

Worth noting: Bureau Valley pulled off two upsets to reach a sectional for the first time since 2006 as the No. 7 Storm beat No. 2 Morrison and No. 3 Princeton in the Rock Falls Regional. BV isn’t the only team in the sectional that won a regional as an underdog as North Boone is a No. 4 seed, Richmond-Burton is No. 3 and Genoa-Kingston is No. 5. G-K and North Boone are playing in their first sectionals since 2012, while Richmond-Burton is a sectional regular, as the Rockets won their sixth regional title in the past seven seasons.

Next: The winner moves on to the Benedictine University Supersectional to face the winner of the IC Catholic Sectional at 11 a.m. Monday.

Class 1A Williamsfield Sectional

Schedule

Tuesday: Henry-Senachwine vs. AlWood, 4:30 p.m.; Newman vs. West Central, 6 p.m.

Friday: Title game, 6 p.m.

Worth noting: The seeds held up in the Williamsfield Sectional as AlWood and Newman are No. 1 seeds, while Henry and West Central are No. 2. The Mallards won their first regional title since 2006 with a 2-0 win over Annawan-Wethersfield in the Amboy Regional. Although Henry hasn’t been to a sectional in a while, the rest of the teams have. AlWood and West Central are playing in their third straight sectional, while this is Newman’s seventh sectional since coach J.D. Waldschmidt took over in 2014.

Next: The winner advances to the Black Hawk College Supersectional to play the winner of the South Beloit Sectional at 11 a.m. Monday.

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