For some teams, there is an X-factor.
For Manteno’s baseball team, there is an XX-factor.
Two players who have suffered injuries an missed a chunk of the season are back and adding muscle to the Panthers lineup.
Both Maddox Toepper (back surgery) and Brady Hespen (torn ACL) were able to return to the lineup during the season and both were factors in helping to erase two deficit in a wild 9-7 win over Sandwich on May 30 in the Class 2A Manteno Regional championship.
Down 2-0 in the bottom of the first, the Panthers (24-9) tied the game at 2-2 and Toepper had a hit in the rally.
Down 6-4 in the bottom of the sixth, they rallied for five runs with Hespen contributing a big hit.
“Maddux started for us for three years and was able to come back on May 5 and he has a real nice swing,” Panthers coach Matt Beckner said. “And Brady is a really good kid who is a hockey player who hurt himself playing football. He’s strong and can hit the ball.
“It’s good to have them both back in the lineup.”
Some of the usual stars this season had big games. Tyler Buehler had three runs and three stolen bases ,while Jake Stevens added three hits and drove in four runs.
The Panthers were scheduled to face Wilmington in the Herscher Sectional semifinals.
This is the sixth regional title for the Panthers and second in a row.
Beckner was happy, but not surprised that after Sandwich (19-15-1) scored four in the top of the sixth to gain momentum, the Panthers were able to come back with five runs of their own.
“It’s all about meeting the challenge and they have been doing that all year,” Beckner said. “That’s the type of team we have.”
Beecher softball stunned
Beecher’s softball team had its 41-game winning streak snapped May 29 with a 6-5 loss to Seneca in the Class 2A Pontiac Sectional championship game.
The defending state champions last lost to Lincoln-Way Central, 10-0 on May 13, 2025 and piled up the wins ever since.
The Bobcats (32-1) scored four runs in the top of the seventh to take a 5-4 lead. But Seneca (37-2) rallied for a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning to end the Bobcats season on a heartbreaking note.
Sophomore Grace Wuest and senior Elena Kvasnicka led Beecher with three hits apiece and freshman Karsyn Kasput drove in four runs.
Muskies off to 5-0 start
The Beecher Muskies semipro baseball team swept the South Bend Royals 10-3 and 4-1 on May 31 to move to 5-0 on the season.
The defending National Amateur Baseball Federation World Series champions had home runs and three RBIs each from Andy Gaytan and Marty Coyle in the opener. Brandon DuBois pitched one-run ball over four innings for the win.
Kyle Makatis struck out five over four innings of one-run ball to earn the win in the nightcap.