Hornets’ Blakeley, Raiders’ Miller pick up all-state accolades from IHSBCA

QUINCY — It’s only fitting the final two area baseball teams left standing in the Land of Lincoln were honored with spots on the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association all-state teams.

Brown County senior center fielder/pitcher Gabe Blakeley and Quincy Notre Dame junior first baseman/pitcher Dalton Miller were named to the Class 1A and 2A teams, respectively.

The IHSBCA names one all-state team in each class.

Blakeley led the Hornets to a second-place finish at the Class 1A state tournament and the first state trophy in any sport in program history. The right-hander allowed one run is 6 ⅓ innings in a 2-1 victory over Ottawa Marquette in the state semifinals with seven strikeouts and one walk.

The victory was his 10th of the season, setting the Brown County single-season record. He finished with a 10-2 mark, a 2.72 ERA, 89 strikeouts and 17 walks in 64 ⅓ innings.

Blakeley hit .421 with 13 doubles, three home runs and 45 RBIs as the Hornets finished with a 28-5 record.

Miller powered the Raiders to a 32-3 record, a Class 2A regional championship and a spot in the sectional championship game. He hit a team-leading .432 with a .739 slugging percentage, eight home runs and 10 doubles. Miller drove in 58 runs and scored 43 runs.

A hard-throwing right-hander who served as the Raiders’ closer, Miller had five saves in five opportunities while throwing six innings with seven strikeouts and one walk. He helped the Raiders finish 32-3.