Orland Park's Jack Brannigan, shown pitching for Marist in a rare high school game at Wrigley Field in 2019, hopes to play in a major league park soon as he was drafted in the third round by Pittsburgh. Photo by Jeff Vorva
Area Sports Roundup: Marist and R-B alums caught up in the draft
By Jeff Vorva
Staff writer
Marist and Riverside-Brookfield baseball fans were likely beaming with pride during this year’s Major League Baseball draft, which concluded July 19.
Both schools had a pair of ex-players drafted.
A look at who went where for the RedHawks and Bulldogs:
— R-B’s Owen Murphy, who wrapped up his senior season this spring, was set to play college ball at Notre Dame, but instead was chosen in the first round (20th overall) by Atlanta (20th overall). He inked a deal with the Braves that includes a $2.56 million signing bonus.
Murphy had a magnificent senior year, hitting .548 with 18 homers and 75 RBI. While it appeared he might try to try to be a two-way player, a la Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani, Murphy will likely stick with pitching. He was 9-0 with an 0.12 ERA and 137 strikeouts this season.
“I want to play professional baseball, so saying goodbye [to Notre Dame] will be hard,” Murphy told reporters after he signed. “But I think I’m going to be able to do it.”
— Former R-B standout Ryan Cermak, a third-year sophomore outfielder at Illinois State, was picked by Tampa Bay in the second round (71st overall) after a spring in which he hit .340 with 19 homers and 43 RBI, and was an all-Missouri Valley Conference defensive first-teamer for the second year in a row.
“It’s a dream come true and a tremendous honor to be drafted,” Cermak said in a news release. “I am grateful for my parents, coaches, trainers and teammates who helped me get to this point.”
— Marist grad Jack Brannigan, an Orland Park native and junior at Notre Dame, was taken in the third round by Pittsburgh (83rd overall) and signed a deal with the Pirates.
For now, the Pirates are willing to let him try to be a two-way player. The third baseman/pitcher hit .291 with 12 homers and 46 RBI for the Fighting Irish, while making 11 appearances on the hill (10 in relief) and picking up two saves and 28 strikeouts in 14 2/3 innings.
“I played the field my whole life and I started taking up pitching a few years ago,” he told reporters in Pittsburgh after he signed. “I just want to help the organization succeed.”
— Marist alum Justin Janas was picked by the Braves in the 12th round (365th overall).
The left-handed hitting sophomore infielder from Illinois hit .361 with six homers and 37 RBI. He also racked up 25 walks and was hit by a pitch 23 times. He hits .391 in 2021 to win the Big Ten batting title.
Newell to Lewis
Mother McAuley basketball coach Keisha Newell — make that former coach — has been named the women’s hoops coach at Lewis University.
Newell had coached the Mighty Macs since 2019 and prior to that was the head women’s coach at Roosevelt University (2015-2019). From 2011-2014 she was an assistant at Loyola.
She takes over for Matt Nelson at the Division II school in Romeoville. Nelson was 16-15 in his lone year at the helm of the Flyers, and said he left to spend more time with his family.
Newell is the 15th coach in Flyers history.
“The tradition of the women’s basketball program is one of excellence both on the court and in the classroom,” Newell said in a news release. “My family and I are excited to be a part of the Flyer family.”
Local News
Community grieves after 16-year-old Argo High student fatally shot
Students and staff at Argo Community High School are mourning the death of Jaydin Bahena, a 16-year-old junior who was killed in an act of violence over the weekend. Bahena, remembered for his vibrant personality and kind heart, was fatally shot in Summit on Nov. 1, leaving the school and community grieving his sudden loss.…
Illinois Philharmonic makes recording debut with Children’s Stories
The Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra, under Music Director Stilian Kirov, debuted its first commercial recording this fall with Children’s Stories, featuring debut recordings of Michael Abels’ Frederick’s Fables and Augusta Read Thomas’ Gwendolyn Brooks Settings. The works draw from children’s author Leo Lionni’s stories and poetry by former U.S. Poet Laureate Gwendolyn Brooks. Narrator Michael Sumuel…
Acorn to Oak studios highlight young artistic talent in Oak Lawn
The organizers of Acorn to Oak Studios in Oak Lawn aim to celebrate all things art. The studio was founded in November 2022, with an initial information event held in the north wing of Pilgrim Faith Church, 9411 S. 51st Ave. The first official session took place on Feb. 5, 2023. Andrea Zumhagen, a co-founder…
Loaf at first sight: Oak Lawn gets its first sourdough spot
The Village of Oak Lawn welcomed its first sourdough bread bakery and cafe last week, and judging by the reception, it couldn’t have come a moment too soon. The grand opening of Ancestral Oven Sourdough Bakery and Cafe, located at 4616 W. 103rd St., took place the morning of Oct. 31. The owners are the…
Lyle School Library Wins Prestigious Kendra Scott Award
Lyle School in Bridgeview received a transformative boost on Oct. 30, with a $2,000 gift certificate from First Book to enhance its collection of multicultural and diverse books, and an additional $1,000 for literacy enrichment from the Kendra Scott Foundation. The initiative, part of the Little Yellow Library program, aims to support Title 1 schools…
IHSA football playoff scoreboard
With records and seedings in parentheses Note: Classes 8A and 7A are seeded 1-32. All other classes are seeded as two 1-16 brackets. First round Class 8A Glenbard East 49, Curie 0 Stevenson 31, Sandburg 14 Marist 42, Glenbrook South 14 Lyons 38, Joliet West 0 Class 7A Fenwick 12, Brother Rice 7 Quincy 49,…
Area sports roundup: Red Stars fall to eighth seed, will face Orlando
The Chicago Red Stars are heading into the NWSL playoffs with a three-game losing streak and will face the regular season’s best team. The eighth-seeded Red Stars visit top-seeded Orlando at 7 p.m. Friday in the quarterfinals. The Red Stars had a 1-1 draw at Orland on March 29 and lost 1-0 in Bridgeview on…
Bridgeview jewelry heist suspects still at large, FBI offers $15,000 reward
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and the FBI are seeking the public’s help in apprehending masked men involved in four jewelry store robberies across three states, including two incidents in Bridgeview. Last week, the FBI released surveillance footage from the robberies in Bridgeview and Dearborn, Michigan. A reward of up to $15,000 is being offered…
Postseason roundup: McAuley wins 44th straight volleyball regional
The streak is up to 44. Mother McAuley won another regional championship in girls volleyball on Oct. 31 and that brings its total up to 44 straight regional or district championships after a 25-12, 25-14 victory over Stagg to win the Class 4A Stagg Regional in Palos Hills. Excluding the 2020 COVID-19 season, the Mighty…
Jack Elliott, Mount Carmel cruise in Class 7A opener
Before a Class 7A opener in Machesney Park on Nov. 1, Mount Carmel and Harlem had never played each other. The Huskies are likely fine with not seeing the Caravan again anytime soon, as the Caravan rolled to a 56-14 victory. Playing only in the first half, Mount Carmel quarterback Jack Elliott completed 11 of…
Neighbors
Jury deadlocks, mistrial declared in case of ex-AT&T boss accused of bribing Madigan
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – A federal judge on Thursday declared a mistrial after a jury deadlocked in their deliberations over whether former AT&T Illinois President Paul La Schiazza bribed longtime Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan via a no-work contract for the speaker’s political ally. After nearly 15 hours of deliberation…
High court: Smell of burnt cannabis is not cause for warrantless vehicle search
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com Law enforcement officers in Illinois cannot rely on the smell of burnt cannabis alone to justify searching a vehicle without a warrant, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled on Thursday. The decision was unanimous, though Justice Lisa Holder White did not take part in it. Writing for the court,…
State wraps up case in challenge to assault weapons ban
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com EAST ST. LOUIS – A federal judge invoked images from the 1917 race riots in East St. Louis, Illinois, on Thursday at the end of a trial in a case challenging the constitutionality of the state’s ban on assault-style weapons and large-capacity magazines. Judge Steven McGlynn, who has…
Gun expert says assault weapons ban ‘describes the most popular firearms I’m involved with’
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com EAST ST. LOUIS – A firearms expert testified Wednesday that the weapons restricted under Illinois’ assault weapons ban include many of the most common firearms that American consumers use for self-defense. Steven Randall Watt, a combat veteran and retired law enforcement officer who now owns a private firearms…
Case of former AT&T boss accused of bribing Madigan heads to jury
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – On Valentine’s Day in 2017, then-AT&T Illinois President Paul La Schiazza got some good news: After years of trying to push for legislation in Springfield that would save the company hundreds of millions of dollars annually, powerful Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan had agreed to a…
State Supreme Court hears arguments in Jussie Smollett’s effort to overturn conviction
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in actor Jussie Smollett’s appeal to overturn his conviction on disorderly conduct charges for falsifying a hate crime. Smollett, who was an actor on the TV show “Empire,” was improperly charged with the same crime twice, his legal team…
Testimony continues in 2nd Amendment challenge to Illinois’ assault weapons ban
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com EAST ST. LOUIS – An engineer who spent decades designing weapons for one of the world’s leading gun manufacturers testified Tuesday that the assault-style weapons now banned in Illinois are intended only for civilian use and cannot be easily converted into military-grade firearms. James Ronkainen, a former engineer…
Contractor’s unsecured databases exposed sensitive voter data in over a dozen Illinois counties
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com Around 4.6 million records associated with Illinoisans in over a dozen counties – including voting records, registrations and death certificates – were temporarily available on the open internet, according to a security researcher who identified the vulnerability in July. The documents were available through an unsecured cloud storage…
Prosecutors rest case against former AT&T Illinois boss accused of bribing Madigan
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – After years of pushing in Springfield, AT&T Illinois’ executive team was thrilled when the Illinois General Assembly in 2017 passed legislation that would get the company out from under expensive obligations to maintain its aging copper landline wires in Illinois. “Game over. We win,” AT&T Illinois…
Trial begins in challenge to assault weapons ban
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com EAST ST. LOUIS – The owner of a gun store testified Monday that Illinois’ ban on the sale of assault-style weapons and large capacity magazines has had a significant impact on his business and prevented his customers from buying items they would normally use for self-defense, hunting, target…