Class 1A State Semifinals Preview

Tomorrow, Friday, June 1, the class 1A and 2A State semifinals will begin. The 1A semifinals’ first game will take place at 10:00 a.m. between Ottawa (Marquette) and Aurora Christian at Dozer Park in Peoria. The second 1A semifinal will take place once game one is finalized, at approximately 12:00 p.m., between Valmeyer and Goreville.

The third-place game is scheduled for 9:00 a.m.on Saturday and the title game will follow it, beginning roughly at 11:00 a.m.  

You can visit IHSA’s official tournament page for more information.

Class 1A State Semifinal One – Friday, 10 a.m.

Ottawa Marquette (30-2) vs Aurora Christian (31-2)  

Marquette Catholic (Ottawa): The Crusaders came out of the gates flying this spring with a 16-game win streak. They suffered their first defeat in late April to Roanoke-Benson and actually lost their next game to Sandwich, too. Those two losses represent the only two smudges on their resume. After that Sandwich loss, they’ve ripped off 14 consecutive wins and counting and had been cruising in the playoffs until their one-run victory, 10-9, over Okaw Valley.

During Todd Hopkins’ 21-year tenure as this program’s head coach, he’s been to Peoria just one time, Marquette’s only ever appearance, back in 1999, where they finished fourth. This comes as a surprise considering this program as won at least 25 games in seven straight seasons.

Regardless of the past, Marquette is back.

This time around they’re led by Bryce Foster, who’s been the team’s biggest contributor on both offense and on the mound. In 45 innings this spring, Foster has allowed just two earned runs, good for a miniscule ERA of 0.31, and has struck out 71 batters. At the plate, Foster is hitting .371 and leads the team with three homers, 16 doubles, and 48 RBIs.

He’s backed up in the rotation by John Thompson, who’s pitched 41.1 innings this spring and has kept up an ERA of 1.86. And in the order, Logan Komater leads the team with a .475 batting average and has driven in 39. Nate Melvin is also hitting above .400 (.411) and has scored a team-high 48 runs.

Facing another 30-win, two-loss team on Friday should make for an excellent game between two teams with limited State tournament experience.

Aurora Christian: The Eagles started their spring 1-1, meaning they’ve gone 30-1 since, enjoying a 16-game win streak currently, same as their Friday opponents Marquette Catholic. Another similarity drawn with their opponents tomorrow is their lack of State playoff expertise. Head coach Andy Zorger has helped steer his program to its first-ever State berth this spring, in their first and only 30-win campaign no less.

Aurora Christian has gotten this far because of a dangerous offense that’s produced five 20-run games this season, including three straight back at the end of last month and the start of May. They were quieted in their Super-Sectional against Forreston, but that’s where Jake Kuntzendorf comes in.

He’s been this team’s ace all spring and has been especially good lately. On the year, Kuntzendorf has thrown 64.1 innings and has struck out 98 batters while maintaining an ERA of 1.85 all as a sophomore. He was one of their best bats at the plate this season, too, hitting .458 with a team-high three homers and 34 RBIs. Because of how potent this offense has been for an entire spring, there is no single best hitter, there’s several. Sam Tickel, a junior, is leading the team with a .544 batting average and 51 RBIs to go along with 12 doubles, seven triples, and two homers. M.J. Stavola, another junior outfielder, is certainly doing his part with a .476 average and 13 doubles.

This team is young and playing with nothing to lose. They know that the same core here that’s helped produced a mega season will be back again next year, too.

Class 1A State Semifinal Two – Friday, noon

Goreville (25-3) vs Valmeyer (30-9)

Goreville Blackcats: Make that three straight State playoff trips for head coach Shawn Tripp and his Goreville squad. After a State title victory in 2016, they finished in third place last season, and key seniors like LHP Brodie Lenon will have one more shot at glory before they graduate.

Lenon, a Murray State commit, made 10 starts for Goreville this spring and managed an ERA of 1.36 and struck out 69 batters in 36 innings. He’s been dependable all season long for the Blackcats and will continue to be their go-to arm. And if it isn’t Lenon on the bump at State, it’ll probably be Peyton Geyman. Geyman’s been the workhouse, actually, for this Goreville staff. The senior righty pitched 41.1 innings and has an ERA just a touch below Lenon’s, at 1.35.

Though, Lenon’s pulled more than his weight on offense. He leads the team with his .460 batting average, seven home runs, and 38 RBIs. Junior Logan Verble and senior Chance Duringer have both been excellent in their supporting roles in the lineup. Both have tallied 29 RBIs this spring, are hitting above .420, and have launched five homers.

There might not be a hotter team in the state, either. The Blackcats are in the midst of a 21-game win streak and haven’t had any real close calls in these playoffs, so far. They’ve allowed just nine runs and have scored 58. They’re poised to go the distance, but they’ll have to make it through a battle-tested Valmeyer team first.

Valmeyer Pirates: The Pirates have had the unique opportunity of playing some tough 3A and 4A opposition this spring, giving them some valuable experience headed into the State tournament. They endured narrow defeats to a talented teams like Triad and Normal U-High and even faced the Power 25’s No. 1-ranked O’Fallon in their host tournament back in early May. They lost that game 13-3, but they’ve proven time and time again that they can play with the best teams in the state and it’s helped them get this far.

Valmeyer is the school with the smallest enrollment remaining the State playoffs. And yet, it’s fair to say they’ve cruised their way to the tournament. They’ve allowed just three runs so far in the playoffs and have scored 48 of their own.

This is head coach Greg Reinhardt’s seventh season in the program and he was responsible for taking the Pirates to their first-ever State trip just last spring, when they finished as runners-up to Peoria Heights.

This year, the squad seems prepared to take home the top prize.

It’s their pitching staff that’s become their trademark. Philip Reinhardt leads the team with 60.1 innings pitched and has struck out 75 batters over that span, keeping up a tiny 1.39 ERA, too. The lefty is doing this as just a sophomore, so it’s clear his future is bright. He’s also leading the team offensively with a .444 average and has driven in 34 runs this season, the second-best mark on the team.

This team has no true No. 2 because the rest of the arms that take the mound following Reinhardt are fully capable of being aces themselves. Michael Chism has a team-low 1.26 ERA and Cole Juelfs’ is 1.98. Juelfs is also hitting a team-high .385 with 14 doubles.

It’s a team full of role players and any one of them could pop up to help this team to a State title, so don’t be surprised if that happens.

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