A number of Joliet area baseball players earned all-conference honors for their play this season.

Class 4A state softball champion Lincoln-Way West highlights the list of area all-conference selections.

The Illinois Coaches Association announced its 2026 ICA All-State teams this week, with 11 Herald-News area softball standouts selected for first-team honors and dozens more for other ICA accolades.

Minooka deepest playoff run since 2012 ends in a heartbreaking 4-2 loss to Naperville Central in the Class 4A Normal Super-sectional on Monday evening.

Minooka's deepest playoff run since 2012 ended on Monday with a 4-2 loss to Naperville Central in the Normal Community Supersectional.

Outside of Lincoln-Way West softball's historic state championship, it was a busy weekend around the Herald-News coverage area. Here are a few of the other top stories in our Weekend Rewind.

Seneca seniors Lexie Buis, Camryn Stecken and Tessa Krull led the Fighting Irish softball team to a runner-up finish at the IHSA Class 2A State Finals at Peoria's Louisville Slugger Sports Complex.

The Seneca softball team battled to the very end but came up just short in a 3-1 loss to Carterville in Saturday's IHSA Class 2A championship on OSF Healthcare Field inside the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria. The Fighting Irish ended the season 39-3.

Seneca and Carterville clash for the 2A softball title Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Peoria. Carterville took the win 3-1 in a tight game.

Some unlikely heroes – and some likely ones too – came through when the Seneca softball team needed it most Thursday in the Fighting Irish’s wild 8-6 Class 2A state semifinal victory over IC Catholic at Peoria’s Louisville Slugger Sports Complex.

Gardner-South Wilmington's softball team dropped a 10-inning thriller 2-1 to Waltonville in Thursday's IHSA Class 1A state semifinals in Peoria before bouncing back with a 10-5 win over Okawville in Friday's third-place game, ending the program's historic season with a win.

Lincoln-Way Central baseball broke out for three runs in the first inning, added four in the second and never looked back in claiming an 8-2 win over Marist to advance to the Class 4A Lincoln-Way Central Sectional title game against Sandburg at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Seneca and IC Catholic play a thrilling game in the 2A softball state semifinal Thursday in Peoria. Seneca took the win 8-6 and will advance to the finals on Saturday.

Wilmington is now a game away from its third straight sectional championship after defeating rival Manteno 6-2 in a Class 2A Herscher Sectional semifinal Wednesday, June 3, 2026.

After quickly falling behind in Wednesday's Class 2A Herscher Sectional semifinal against Manteno, Wilmington quickly responded, anchored by highlight days from seniors Ryan Kettman and Dirks Geiss in a 6-2 win.

After each team snapped a regional title drought this year, both Clifton Central and Gardner-South Wilmington had their seasons come to an end Wednesday in the Class 1A Dwight Sectional semifinals.

The Interstate 8 named three girls soccer MVPs: Kaneland's Erin Doucette, Ottawa's Chloe Carmona and Sycamore's Izzie Segreti. Co-champs Sycamore and Kaneland each had five all-conference selections, Ottawa had three, La Salle-Peru and Morris had two and Rochelle had one.

Sycamore pitcher Bella Jacobs was voted conference MVP by Interstate 8 coaches as the champion Spartans had five first-team selections. Ottawa and Morris had four selections each, Kaneland and La Salle-Peru had two each and Rochelle had one.