Evola named Player of Year at Webster
Ottawa High graduate Evan Evola was named the Player of the Year and the Newcomer of the Year by the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference after a freshman season at NCAA Division III Webster University that included a .446 batting average with eight home runs and 47 runs batted in.
Evola — also a First Team All-SLIAC selectee — is only the fourth player in conference history to win both awards in the same season.
Byers heading to Super-Regionals
The Quincy University Hawks baseball team — including Streator High graduate Joe Byers — advanced the NCAA Division II Super-Regionals with a 9-7 victory over Davenport.
Byers, coming back this season from an injury, has pitched 1 1/3 innings for Quincy, not allowing a run and striking out three.
Gayan’s ERA 2.90 for Kentucky
Ottawa High graduate Sloan Gayan appeared in the circle Sunday during the University of Kentucky’s three-game series with Virginia Tech, pitching 2 1/3 innings with three runs allowed on three hits in a 9-2 Wildcats defeat.
For the season, the Division I hurler has pitched 41 innings and built a 4-3 record and 2.90 earned-run average, striking out a dozen.
Telford, Heartland make World Series
The Heartland College baseball team won the Region-24 Tournament and advanced to the NJCAA Division II World Series, topping Lincoln Land 4-2 over the weekend.
Streator High graduate Mason Telford has pitched 13 2/3 innings for the Hawks, carrying a 3.95 earned-run average with a dozen strikeouts.
Heartland is currently 45-8 and scheduled to open World Series play Thursday in Danville.
Herzog earns conference honors
Ottawa High graduate Jared Herzog was selected Second Team All-Conference by the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference for his season with the NCAA Division III Rockford University Regents.
The pitcher — who was the NACC Freshman of the Year last season — carried a 3.52 earned-run average and 3-4 record while leading the conference in strikeouts with 87.
Tkach all-conference for Stevens Point
Marquette graduate Makenna Tkach earned an Honorable Mention spot on the All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Softball Team for the 2022 season. It’s her second straight season earning All-WIAC honors for her contributions to the NCAA Division III University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point softball team.
Tkach pitched 105 innings for UW-Stevens Point, carrying a 3.73 earned-run average and 8-6 record with 80 struck out. She also batted .296 with 10 RBIs.
Streator Youth Baseball highlights
In Major League — Vactor bested the Screaming Eagles 18-8, led by home runs from Beckett Stevens and Owen Fryman. Vactor also defeated Casa Jalisco 10-4, led by the pitching of Paxson Thorp, Kolton Muntz and Westin Marin plus Grant Wissen’s inside-the-park home run. The Screaming Eagles beat Casa Jalisco 17-4, leaders included Trace Campbell and Maddox Magana on the mound, Sebastian Flores in the field and Casa’s Bentley Missel at the plate.
In Minor League — Luckey Logistics won 3-2 over Streator Collision, led by the hitting and pitching of Liam Doty (two hits, RBI) and Joey Studnicki and defense of Christian Handzo, with Collision seeing Brooks McCloskey pitching and singling twice.
In Instructional League — Feken Trucking won 12-10 over Hatzer and Son. Ethan Angelico had two hits and Cash Clift an RBI in the game.