Nazareth senior Jaden Fauske and junior Landon Thome, York senior Josh Fleming, Downers Grove North senior Brady Schallmoser and Glenbard East senior Josh Ziemer were among those named Class 4A All-State by the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association just announced.
Willowbrook graduate Chris Roycroft pitched to Princeton’s Jett Wedekind at Aurora University in 2018 and 2019, both named Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference All-Conference for the Spartans. Five years later, Roycroft broke in with the St. Louis Cardinals.
In a dramatic Class 3A title showdown, Benet's Luke Wildes, just months post-ACL surgery, kept hope alive with a crucial hit. Despite a valiant effort, the Redwings fell to St. Laurence 8-5, marking a historic season finale.
Here are Joe Lewnard's photos from the Class 3A state championship game between Benet and St. Laurence.
Benet Academy sophomore Quinn Rooney isn’t going to finish the baseball season where he started it, the JV team. His two-run triple highlighted a five-run seventh, giving Benet an 11-6 win over Cary-Grove and a berth in Saturday's Class 3A state title game.
Benet senior pitcher Jake Rifenburg is an absolute competitor in whatever he does – even, it turns out, batting practice. He leads a stellar pitching staff that's thrown three playoff shutouts into the program's first-ever state semifinal appearance this weekend.
Benet scored four runs in the first inning, and its starting pitching came through again as the Redwings beat Washington 6-3 in Monday's Class 3A Geneseo Supersectional.
Here are Dominic Di Palermo's photos from the Class 3A Kaneland Sectional final between Benet and St. Francis.
Here are Karen Naess' photos from the Class 4A Lockport Sectional final between Downers Grove North and Waubonsie Valley.