Daniels | Area baseball teams get ready for the bright lights

May 24—The only way for the St. Thomas More baseball team to finish with a winning record this spring is to win a state championship.

Which is possible. Really.

No Champaign County program has ever won an elusive state title since the IHSA first held a state tournament in 1940. And if the Sabers can pull off that historic feat this season, what a story coach Mike Alves' team will have to tell.

STM (12-15) will try to keep its recent winning ways intact at 7 p.m. Wednesday when it hosts Armstrong-Potomac (13-11) in a Class 1A sectional semifinal game at STM's home ballpark in north Champaign.

"To be in that game is what you work for all year," STM senior Cooper Hannagan said. "Through the ups and downs of the year have created a brotherhood where we're confident enough to be in that game together and play our best."

Playing in the Illini Prairie Conference, a 10-team league that is full of 2A programs except for STM, certainly seems to benefit the Sabers. Plus the fact the STM offense has woken up in May after the Sabers arrived at the start of the month with a paltry 6-12 record.

Senior Ryan Hendrickson (.431 average, 11 RBI) and junior Jimmy Henderson (.304 average, nine RBI) are the only STM regulars batting above .300 on the season.

But in the past three weeks, Hannagan, Henderson, Hendrickson, sophomore Andrew Tay, junior Wilson Kirby and senior Dalton Carmien are all hitting better than .300 as STM has gone 6-3 this month, which included a 5-2 win against top seed Mt. Pulaski this past Saturday in a regional title game in Argenta.

Not that the Sabers are a finished product, either. But they're getting there with each passing game it seems.

"We're still trying to figure out the lineup because we haven't had guys around because of injuries," Alves said. "I used two different No. 2 hole hitters in our first two regional games. Normally, you figure that kind of thing out about the middle of April."

Senior Matt DeLorenzo has proven to be a revelation on the mound in May for the Sabers, picking up two wins and striking out 24 in 16 2/3 innings pitched.

"DeLorenzo is a shutdown pitcher when he's on, and he's never really been a pitcher," Alves said. "But he competes on every pitch and battles."

STM will get the chance to not only vie for its second straight 1A sectional title this week, but do so on its home field.

"There's just something about being on your home field for such a huge game that gives it a different feel," Carmien said.

DeLorenzo echoed the sentiment.

"It's what you dream of as a kid to have a moment to shine knowing that your community is behind you and supporting you," he said.

Milford (15-11-1) and St. Teresa (27-6) meet at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday in the first sectional semifinal game, with the winners playing at 10 a.m. Saturday in the sectional title game.

All for a chance to continue playing in the last week of the season. Dozer Park in downtown Peoria, the site of the 1A state tournament, may have seemed like a reach at times this season for STM. But not now.

"We can't let the big moment get to us too much," STM senior Daniel Suits said. "We just need to keep playing our game just like we have been the last few weeks."

Round II for Sabers-Trojans

Standing in the way of STM trying to reach Saturday's sectional championship game? Armstrong-Potomac.

The two teams met last year at this stage of the postseason, with STM earning a 6-1 victory in a game played at Spalding Park in Champaign.

A-P has won consecutive regional championships for the first time in more than two decades. Prior to this recent run, the Trojans rattled off six consecutive regional championships from 1998 to 2003, culminating in the 2001 team — led by Joey Frerichs and Ryan Bird — placing third in Class A under the old two-class system.

"To build a program, it's all about culture," said Wade Rogers, A-P's coach and an A-P graduate who played multiple sports for the Trojans. "The upperclassmen set the tone to the younger guys, and you hope the young guys carry it forward when they become the upperclassmen."

Rogers has several key upperclassmen to count on this season.

Even if senior Gavin Parkerson hasn't pitched all spring while recovering from an elbow injury, the future Parkland College player is still contributing with his bat. Parkerson carries a .347 average, a team-high four home runs, 17 RBI and 25 stolen bases into Wednesday night's game at STM.

"It was definitely a gut punch knowing we would go this season without GP on the mound," Rogers said. "He is such a strong presence on the mound and makes winning games a little easier when he's up there. But this group didn't make excuses and found ways to win quite a few games."

Junior Kollin Asbury and senior Lane Morgan have shouldered the brunt of the pitching responsibilities for the Trojans, with Asbury compiling a 5-2 record and a 1.26 earned run average to go with 84 strikeouts and 21 walks. Morgan is 4-3 with a 2.85 ERA and 47 strikeouts.

"Kollin and Lane have pitched really well this season and helped ease the blow of not having Gavin to throw," Rogers said. "Gavin did have surgery to clean up his elbow, but he did not need full blown Tommy John surgery. He has been on a throwing program all season and recently has thrown bullpen sessions of 90 pitches. He is making a full recovery, and Parkland will be getting a great pitcher when he returns to the mound."

Along with Parkerson, Morgan (.371, 19 RBI), Asbury (.349, one home run, 20 RBI) and junior Nathan Rogers (.319, 11 RBI) are the other steady bats in the Trojans' lineup.

A lineup that hopes to keep its season going past Wednesday night in its postseason rematch with STM.

"The boys, being the competitors that they are, were very excited to see STM for that rematch," Wade Rogers said. "I believe we are very similar teams and it should be a fun one."

Comets aim to keep roll going

Travis Tiernan was honest in his assessment of how he pitched this past Saturday.

"I felt like I could have done better," the Oakwood senior right-hander said after throwing a complete game in the Comets' 5-4 win against Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin that helped Oakwood win a Class 2A regional title, "but I didn't care how bad I did as long as we got the win."

Tiernan and the Comets have done a bunch of winning this spring. Oakwood (26-6-1) carries a nine-game win streak into its 2A sectional semifinal game against Bloomington Central Catholic (15-10) at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Workman Family Baseball Field on the Millikin University campus in Decatur.

Tiernan has played an integral role in the Comets' success, producing a sparkling 11-0 record and a minuscule 0.42 ERA while striking out 81 and only walking 13 in 67 innings pitched. He's also hitting .313 with two home runs and 25 RBI, manning either first base or third base when he's not on the mound.

Add in the dynamic talents of senior center fielder/pitcher Dalton Hobick, and it's clear why the Comets are confident heading into their first sectional game since 2017.

"My team and I can't wait for Wednesday night to get started under the lights," said Hobick, whose team-high .427 average also includes one home run, 37 RBI, 16 doubles and 37 stolen bases. "It'll be a great opportunity for us. We're going to give it all we've got and hopefully keep making history."

Hobick, who shined in football and basketball earlier this school year, also has a vital role on the mound for Oakwood, with the right-hander going 6-1 and carrying a 1.21 ERA. He's struck out 67 and walked 27 in 46 1/3 innings. Oakwood coach Ryan McFarland has relied on the arms of Hobick and Tiernan to great lengths this season and will look to do so again this week.

"This is the first time I can ever remember where those two started on regular rotations without a rainout during the season," McFarland said. "Travis stayed on a Monday rotation. Hobick's first start was on a Friday and he stayed on a Friday rotation."

The fact both pitchers were able to have a consistent routine is not lost on their coach.

"We just turned them loose in their starts and said, 'Go as deep as you can. You're not going to touch a baseball for a couple days afterward, and your next start isn't for another week,'" McFarland said. "They both responded to the challenge."

It's helped lead Oakwood to this spot in the season. And led to a strong Oakwood cheering section this past Saturday at Meier Field in St. Joseph. McFarland and Co. expect the same type of fanfare to accompany the team in Decatur.

"This community always supports baseball. Maybe not early in the season when it's cold and miserable at Oakwood Park," McFarland said with a grin, "but once it starts to warm up and it gets to the postseason, this community has always been this way where they show up for baseball games, and we always appreciate when they do. They'll show up and all be there on Wednesday night."