St. Xavier needed to win five games to take the CCAC title. SXU photo
Baseball and Softball Wrap | Saint Xavier baseball and softball headed to national tourneys
By Jeff Vorva
Staff writer
The Saint Xavier baseball team began the season in early February by losing its first five games.
The Cougars, however, finished the regular season 5-0 and are heading to the national tournament.
Saint Xavier roller-coastered through the regular season and dug themselves a hole in the double-elimination Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament and, throughout all of that, still came out conference champions.
After splitting their first two games of the tournament, the Cougars (31-25) won five straight to claim the title and the right to play in the Opening Round of the NAIA Baseball World Series. The first win during that streak was a 9-6 triumph over Trinity Christian.
SXU picked up the No. 5 seed in the five-team Georgia Gwinnett bracket for the NAIA Opening Round Tournament and was scheduled to play fourth-seeded Midway University (27-22) on May 15 at the Grizzly Baseball Complex in Lawrenceville, Georgia.
To get to this point, sophomore Nico Saldias struck out 11 hitters in a 7-1 victory over Indiana-South Bend on May 9 at Duly Health and Care Field in Joliet.
It’s just the second CCAC Tournament championship for the Cougars, the first one coming in 2016.
The Cougars scored five runs in the top of the first to give Saldias (5-4) all the run support he would need.
Sophomore outfielder Kevin Dowling, a Mount Carmel graduate, was 3-for-5 with two runs while Evergreen Park alum Declan Smyth had two RBI and scored twice.
To get to the final game, the Cougars needed Mann to be the man. They played two games on May 8, with Heath Mann winning both games in relief as they beat Roosevelt, 7-4, and South Bend, 4-2.
Mann, a freshman from Ohio, pitched 3 2/3 innings of relief in both games and improved his record to 3-1. He didn’t allow a baserunner in either appearance and struck out eight total hitters.
Smyth was 2-for-4 with two runs scored, a double and an RBI in the first win.
Patrick Hayes, who played at Brother Rice and Moraine Valley, had two hits, an RBI, a run and a stolen base in the second game.
Headed for the Falls
The Saint Xavier softball team was scheduled to play in a four-team double-elimination tournament in the opening round of the NAIA Softball World Series in Klamath Falls, Oregon.
The Cougars (34-12) drew the fourth seed and was scheduled to play top-seeded Oregon Tech on May 15. Tech headed into the tournament ranked No. 1 in the nation in the final NAIA coaches poll.
Northwestern (Iowa) and Embry-Riddle (Arizona) are the other two teams in Klamath Falls. The winner goes to the World Series tournament scheduled to begin May 25 in Columbus, Georgia.
Baseball seeds sowed
Several area high school teams picked up high seeds in the IHSA baseball sectionals.
At the 17-team Class 4A Sectional, Lyons picked up the top seed while St. Rita was seeded third, Brother Rice fourth and Mount Carmel fifth.
The Class 3A Marist Sectional is a powerhouse as defending champion Nazareth drew the No. 1 seed with St. Laurence second and Marist fourth.
At Brooks, De La Salle nabbed the second seed.
In Class 2A, Chicago Christian drew the sub-sectional B top seed at the Joliet Catholic Academy Sectional.
Class 2A regionals were scheduled to start May 15 and Class 3A and 4A are scheduled to begin on May 22.
Softball seeds sowed
The area softball scene is also well represented with high postseason seeds.
At the Class 4A Marist Sectional, the hosts drew the top seed, Riverside-Brookfield is third and Mother McAuley fifth.
In the Class 3A Nazareth Sectional, St. Laurence is the top seed, Evergreen Park is second, Richards third, Nazareth fourth and De La Salle fifth.
Class 3A and 4A regionals are slated to begin May 22.
Local News
What’s old is new again with protests
Spread the love. By Ray Hanania . It has been 56 years since the student anti-war protests against the Vietnam War at universities around the country that began before the Democratic Convention in Chicago in August 1968. The brutality against protesters then was later called a “police riot” by a national commission. The student anti-war…
Saint Xavier men’s volleyball finishes historic season in nation’s top 4
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent The Saint Xavier men’s volleyball team made history by advancing to the semifinals of the NAIA Men’s Volleyball National Championship. But the Cougars fell to eventual national champion Georgetown (Kentucky), 25-21, 25-23, 22-25, 21-25, 15-10, on May 3 at Alliant Energy PowerHouse in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Although there was…
St. Francis first baseman Nate Maliska earns conference POW honors
Spread the loveBy Mike Walsh Correspondent The University of St. Francis sophomore first baseman Nate Maliska was chosen the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference’s Player of the Week in baseball for April 7. In helping the Saints to four wins that week, Maliska went 9-for-15 (.600) with eight RBI and seven runs scored. The St. Laurence…
Baseball | Marist claws way back to .500
Spread the loveBy Xavier Sanchez Correspondent This season has thus far not been what Marist had expected, but the RedHawks came into this week at .500. Marist was 2-8 after 10 games this season, with three of those first eight losses coming via shutout. But the RedHawks turned things around with a stretch of eight…
Red Stars fall to Spirit for third loss in past four matches
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent After enjoying one of their best starts in franchise history, the Chicago Red Stars have slid to the middle of the NWSL standings, with the latest setback being a 4-2 loss to Washington at SeatGeek Stadium. The Stars (3-3-1) entered this week having dropped three of their past four…
Red Stars take aim at NWSL attendance record with Wrigley game
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent The Chicago Red Stars are thinking big when it comes to their upcoming game at Wrigley Field. The team is taking aim at the NWSL record for single-game attendance when it hosts Bay FC at the historic home of the Chicago Cubs on June 8. The record is held…
IHSA announces boys volleyball postseason assignments
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Last year, the area sent a pair of boys volleyball teams to state as Lyons finished runner-up to champion Glenbard South and Brother Rice lost in the quarterfinals. This year, both could face each other in the sectional finals. The Lions picked up the second seed and the Crusaders…
Badminton players from Reavis and Lyons going to state
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Reavis singles player Dania Amjad finished third in the Bolingbrook Sectional on May 2 to qualify for the IHSA state tournament. The Lyons doubles team of Simone Brown and Mia Graziano finished fourth in the York Sectional to qualify for state. The state finals are May 10-11 at DeKalb…
Brother Rice, Sandburg sending boats to bass fishing state tourney
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Brother Rice is sending two boats to the IHSA state bass fishing tournament. The Crusaders had first- and third-place finishes at the Des Plaines River Big Basin Marina Sectional on May 2. Sandwiched in between the Brother Rice boats was a group from Sandburg in second place. The Crusaders’…
Neighbors
House gives OK to new state agency focused on early childhood programs
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House gave final passage Thursday to a bill establishing a new cabinet-level state agency whose mission will be to provide a kind of one-stop shop for services focusing on early childhood development and education. By the time it’s fully operational in 2026, the new…
ANALYSIS: ‘Significant enough’ opposition to Pritzker’s revenue plan leads to call for cuts
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com When Gov. JB Pritzker proposed his budget for the upcoming fiscal year in February, he sought authority from lawmakers to raise more than $1 billion in revenue through various changes to the state tax code. Among other things, he sought to raise $526 million through extending an expiring…
State officials offer last goodbye to former Thompson Center as renovations begin
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO — State officials kicked off the private renovation of the building which once served as the state government’s Chicago headquarters. The James R. Thompson Center, as it was known under state ownership, was sold in 2022 to a development firm that is renovating the building for its…
Public officials seek greater oversight of prescription drug middlemen
By DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois draju@capitolnewsillinois.com As state lawmakers hold hearings targeting the role of pharmacy benefit managers – an influential arm in how the health insurance industry prices prescription drugs – multiple state agencies are considering how to better regulate the industry. Often referred to as pharmaceutical “middlemen,” PBMs act as third-party intermediaries…
Thousands of youths at risk of losing access to after-school programs
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Advocates for community-based after-school programs say as many as 40,000 youths statewide could lose access to tutoring services, recreation and other extracurricular activities this summer unless Illinois lawmakers approve an infusion of funds to keep them going. “The time is now for legislators to act to…
Lawsuit alleges sexual abuse was rampant in state-run juvenile detention centers
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com Rampant sexual abuse occurred unchecked for decades at Illinois’ juvenile detention centers, a new lawsuit filed on behalf of 95 former detainees alleges, citing hundreds of incidents over more than two decades. The plaintiffs were boys between 12 and 17 years old when the alleged abuse occurred and…
House GOP advances 2 human trafficking victim protection bills as others remain in limbo
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com After Illinois received another failing grade from a national advocacy group, state House Republicans have introduced legislation aimed at further protecting victims and prosecuting perpetrators of human trafficking. Shared Hope International, an advocacy organization that works to prevent sex trafficking, said in its 2023 Illinois report card that…
Remembering Lee Milner
NEWS TEAM Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com On Wednesday, April 17, the Springfield, Illinois Capitol and journalism communities lost a devoted friend and advocate when Lee Milner passed away. As Dean Olsen wrote in his piece in the Illinois Times earlier this month, “Readers of Illinois Times often have seen Milner’s work as a freelance photojournalist. But…
Former state trooper who caused fatal crash halts effort to get driving privileges restored
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com The former Illinois State Trooper who pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter of two sisters in 2007 has abandoned his efforts to have a hearing into the restoration of his driving privileges – for now. Matt Mitchell, 45, requested at least two delays in the hearing after he failed…
Flooding is Illinois’ Most Threatening Natural Disaster. Are We Prepared?
by Meredith Newman, Illinois Answers Project April 16, 2024 This story was originally published by the Illinois Answers Project. The electricity in Mary Buchanan’s home in West Garfield Park was not working – again. The outage lasted four days, starting just after a crew dug up her front lawn to install a check valve in…