Newman baseball hopes to break through at state in 3rd straight appearance

The Newman baseball team has played its most successful postseason stretch in program history over the past handful of years.

Five straight sectional titles, six straight regional titles and its first two state trophies in the past two years.

Brendan Tunink, who was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers last summer, played a large role in that success.

But the Comets’ culture and wealth of experience have kept the wins coming this postseason.

Newman is 28-7-1 heading into the state tournament at Illinois Field in Champaign. The Comets face the Teutopolis Wooden Shoes (29-5) in the Class 2A semifinals at 7 p.m. Eureka (34-4) faces Sacred Heart-Griffin (24-8) at 4 p.m. in the other semifinal.

Evan Bushman (9-0) threw a complete game, and Daniel Kelly had a home run and four RBIs in Newman’s 5-1 win over Chicago Hope in the supersectional.

Bushman takes an undefeated record to state for the second straight year. The Comets took fourth last year and third the year before.

Bushman, a junior, hopes another year of experience will help the team break through this year. The Comets have yet to reach the state title game.

“Usually, there’s going to be nerves,” Bushman said. ”I don’t really think we’re going to have that, because we’ve been in these situations. We’ve been here, and I think we’ll be fine down at state, and I think we can go all the way this year."

“He’s been in these big spots before,” Kelly said of Bushman. “It always seems like he’s cool. There’s nothing bothering him.”

Kelly, also an all-state football player and state wrestling qualifier, hopes the team brings more energy to state this time around.

Newman lost 11-1 to Maroa-Forsyth in five innings in last year’s semifinals and 4-0 to Wilmington in the third-place game. Bushman started only the third-place game, and he figures to take the mound Friday as the team’s primary ace.

“Last year we were kind of flat both days,” Kelly said. “[Hopefully we] start a little better like we have these last couple weeks.”

Bushman has a 2.44 ERA, and Garret Matznick leads the team with a 1.11 ERA in relief in addition to his stellar defense at shortstop and ability to create havoc on the basepaths leading off. Matznick also closed the games against Johnsburg, Marengo, Alleman and Erie-Prophetstown this postseason. Michael Morse has a 2.63 ERA in 32 innings pitched, and Drake Cole has a 4.67 ERA in 42 innings pitched. Liam Nicklaus added to the pitching depth with a 1.83 ERA in 23 innings pitched.

Bushman has 66 innings pitched in 12 starts this season.

“He’s a workhorse for us,” Newman coach Kenny Koerner said. “He wants the ball, he goes really deep in the game, and he does a nice job of mixing pitches. He kind of picked up where he was last year. He’s done a really good job.”

Offensively, Ashton Miner leads the team with a .438 batting average and has 38 RBIs. Chase Decker has 46 RBIs, and Matznick leads the team with 48 runs scored and is the top base-stealer.

After returning all but two players from last year’s state run, the Comets have their eyes on the top prize.

“We’re looking to win a state championship this year,” Bushman said.

Teutopolis has been a powerhouse in 2A over the years but is back at state for the first time since winning it all in 2019. It has 10 state trophies and took first four times.

Teutopolis coach Justin Fleener has a 607-156-4 record in 23 years at the helm.