Posts Tagged ‘Prep baseball’
Prairie State Profile: Saukees’ Tomhave embraces traditions, bonds born from playing sports
PITTSFIELD, Ill. — Brennan Tomhave is a Saukee through and through. It would be difficult not to be when you grow up sitting on the bench. Tomhave had a front-row seat to one of the best seasons in Pittsfield boys basketball history in 2011, riding the bus and hanging out in the locker room as…
Read MoreHannibal’s Wilson, JWCC signee Schmidt receive honorable mention all-state plaudits
HANNIBAL, Mo. — Kane Wilson’s record-setting season didn’t go unnoticed by prep baseball coaches around the state. The Hannibal junior shortstop was named as an honorable mention infielder on the Missouri Baseball Coaches Association Class 5 all-state team. Wilson established new single-season program records for hits with 45 and and RBIs with 44 while also…
Read MoreRaiders’ Schisler earns all-state plaudits, joined by Saukees’ Allen and Hornets’ Wort
QUINCY — Missouri S&T pitching coach Shane Herschelman made Quincy Notre Dame right-hander Jake Schisler a recruiting priority last year, liking the way Schisler attacked hitters and how his pitches had natural movement. After the spring Schisler had, Miners head coach Todd DeGraffenreid might have to consider using Schisler as a two-way talent. Schisler was…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND welcomes home Class 2A third-place baseball team
QUINCY — Mark McDowell did what he needed to do in order to get the job done. He adjusted. To kick off the pep rally welcoming home the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team following its third-place finish at the Class 2A state tournament, the QND principal planned to begin his opening remarks by playing the…
Read MoreSchuck on a Truck: QND baseball team celebrates its third-place finish at Class 2A state tournament
PEORIA, Ill. — A record-setting season would have been incomplete without a victory on the final day of play. The Quincy Notre Dame baseball team understood that and made certain that happened, beating DePaul College Prep 7-2 in the Class 2A third-place game Saturday at Dozer Park. Winning the third state trophy in program history…
Read MoreTogether until the end: Raiders finish mission to play on season’s final day, bring home Class 2A third-place trophy
PEORIA, Ill. — Tyler Dance shook his head, almost in disbelief. Then he smiled, knowing you have to believe in fate. “No. 5,” Dance said. “It keeps coming up.” In the final game of this historic, record-setting season — one that should land the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team in the school’s Hall of Fame…
Read MoreRaiders’ Dance attacks Rams to finish remarkable season with victory in third-place game
PEORIA, Ill. — Tyler Dance didn’t like it, but he didn’t fret over it. He simply worked through it. That’s what an ace does. Staked to a one-run lead following the top of the first inning of Saturday’s Class 2A third-place game at Dozer Park, the Quincy Notre Dame senior right-hander saw the DePaul College…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND baseball team faces DePaul College Prep in Class 2A third-place game
PEORIA, Ill. — This historic season had a fitting ending. The Quincy Notre Dame baseball team played and won on the final day of the season and came home with a trophy. The Raiders beat DePaul College Prep 7-2 on Saturday to take third place at the Class 2A state tournament at Dozer Park. The…
Read MoreRaiders realize shot at state championship not part of their destiny after semifinal loss
PEORIA, Ill. — The fifth inning provided the Quincy Notre Dame baseball players with hope. The sixth inning gave them angst. The seventh inning brought the stark realization a state championship wasn’t part of their destiny. Trailing defending Class 2A state champion Joliet Catholic by five runs in the fifth inning of Friday’s state semifinal…
Read MoreHilltoppers’ Schlageter best arm Raiders faced this season ‘by far’
PEORIA, Ill. — For one inning, T.J. Schlageter was immaculate. Five other innings, he was unhittable. That’s a scenario the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team hadn’t faced this season. Schlageter, the Joliet Catholic left-hander who has signed with the University of Louisville, handcuffed the Raiders for seven innings Friday night, allowing just three hits in…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND baseball team makes first state final four appearance in nearly two decades
PEORIA, Ill. — Playing in the Class 2A state final four for the first time since 2004, the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team enjoyed the support of a large, vocal crowd Friday night at Dozer Park. It sparked a fifth-inning rally that pulled the Raiders within two runs of defending state champion Joliet Catholic. However,…
Read MoreFor love of the game: Raiders’ year-round passion for baseball leads to unparalleled success
QUINCY — At the most elemental level, it’s a warehouse. The building has been remodeled and retrofitted to be a baseball haven, but the brick exterior, the large, garage-style doors and the location close to the Mississippi River suggest it once was used for storage, construction or manufacturing. The Quincy Notre Dame baseball players embrace…
Read MoreWorking on a chain gang: Raiders use unique home run celebration to inject energy into state championship pursuit
QUINCY — Mason Winking’s employee discount probably saved him $3 or $4 on the welded galvanized steel chain he purchased at Farm & Home Supply. Yet, the real value of those 35 gold-painted links is immeasurable. That chain is part of what links the Quincy Notre Dame baseball players so strongly together. It stands for…
Read MoreSchuck on a Truck: QND baseball players celebrate state final four berth with No. 5 in their hearts
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The highs and lows of sports intersected with the tragedy and triumph of life in a 48-hour span for the Quincy Notre Dame baseball players. They found a way to make history through it all. A 13-1 victory over Bloomington Central Catholic in the Class 2A Springfield Super-Sectional at Lincoln Land Community…
Read MoreSchuckman: Tollerton watching over his QND teammates in spirit and soul like a hawk
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The bird took its perch atop the light standard in left-center field in the bottom of the first inning Monday evening, and other than moving from one end of the row of lights to the other, it watched the next three innings of the Class 2A super-sectional baseball game unfold. Little by…
Read MoreHigh fives all around: Raiders use Tollerton’s inspiration to power past Saints and reach Class 2A state final four
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Jake Schisler smiled and shrugged as he uncupped his left hand to reveal the baseball he had hit into the Monday twilight. He couldn’t be certain it was the actual home run ball because someone would have had to dig it out of the trees beyond the left-field fence at Lincoln Land…
Read More‘He threw another gem’: Raiders right-hander Dance delivers by shutting down Saints
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — In the moments after the Quincy Notre Dame baseball players decided they’d play Monday’s Class 2A super-sectional as planned, senior designated hitter Alex Connoyer stood in front of Tyler Dance, leaned in so they were nearly nose-to-nose and delivered a strong message. “Use all the emotion,” Connoyer told his teammate. “Let it…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Memories of Tollerton vivid as QND baseball team beats BCC in super-sectional
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame baseball players decided Sunday morning to play Monday’s Class 2A Springfield Super-Sectional against Bloomington Central Catholic because Tucker Tollerton would have wanted them to play. Tollerton, the senior starting center fielder and No. 2 hole hitter, was killed in a single-vehicle accident Saturday night just outside of Hannibal,…
Read More‘He’s always with us’: Raiders decide to forge forward, play Monday’s super-sectional after tragic death of Tollerton
QUINCY — Jake Schisler walked up to his Quincy Notre Dame baseball teammates gathered in the shade of the trees in front of the school late Sunday morning and posed a question to which he figured he already knew the answer. Should they play Monday? Tucker Tollerton, the Raiders’ No. 2 hitter and starting center…
Read MoreSchuckman: Passion poured into baseball by Raiders’ Tollerton more than good enough to make his impact great
QUINCY — Tucker Tollerton’s final hit wasn’t squared up on the barrel of the bat. It wasn’t laced into one of the outfield gaps where he’d have the chance to run like a gazelle. It wasn’t driven over the fence to display his increasing bat speed and power. He simply tucked it into a spot…
Read MoreMining sectional gold: Schisler tosses complete game, cracks two-run single to push Raiders another step closer to state tourney
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The moment brought about a surge of adrenaline Jake Schisler needed to harness. “I was definitely a little amped up,” he said. One out away from sending the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team to the Class 2A super-sectionals for the first time since 2017, the right-handed Schisler allowed Gillespie’s Tristen Wargo to…
Read MoreErrorless defense continues to give Raiders edge during state championship pursuit
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Jack Linenfelser planted his right foot hard deep in the hole at shortstop and whistled a throw across the diamond, gunning down Gillespie’s Bryan Jubelt for the second out in the third inning of Saturday’s Class 2A Pleasant Plains Sectional championship. Had the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team’s senior shortstop paused to…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND baseball team wins Class 2A sectional championship with shutout
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame baseball team moved another step closer to reaching the state final four for just the third time in program history, beating previously undefeated Gillespie 5-0 to win the Class 2A Pleasant Plains Sectional championship. The Raiders will face Bloomington Central Catholic at 5 p.m. Monday at Lincoln Land…
Read MoreTrout season: Fiery QND right-hander pitches with purpose to lead Raiders into sectional title tilt
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The motivation to finish what he started sent Tyler Dance to the pitcher’s mound in the seventh inning with purpose. An eye-popping fastball accompanied him. The senior right-hander punctuated a two-hit shutout of Shelbyville in the Class 2A Pleasant Plains Sectional semifinals by striking out the Rams’ Kelton Logan on an 88…
Read MoreTigers rally from three-run deficit to end Blue Devils’ season in regional semifinals
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. — The Edwardsville baseball team started this postseason how it ended last season. Winning in comeback fashion. The defending Class 4A state champion faced a 3-0 deficit to Quincy High School before coming from behind for a 6-4 victory in the Class 4A Edwardsville Regional semifinals on Wednesday at Tom Pile Field. “Everyone’s…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Raiders win 30th straight game by beating Rams in sectional semifinals
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame baseball team won its 30th consecutive game Wednesday, beating Shelbyville 2-0 in the semifinals of the Class 2A Pleasant Plains Sectional at Lincoln Land Community College’s Claude Kracik Field. The Raiders (33-1) will face Gillespie (32-0) at 11 a.m. Saturday in the sectional title game. Muddy River Sports…
Read MoreRaiders’ resiliency put to test in regional title game, Kindhart’s sac fly helps knock off Saukees
QUINCY — Each time the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team seemed poised for a big inning Saturday, something went haywire. Pittsfield right-hander Brennan Tomhave played a role in that. The Raiders’ overaggressiveness did, too. It finally took a simple approach in consecutive at-bats to generate enough offense to survive and advance. After the Raiders loaded…
Read MoreEyler, Central give Routt seven-inning tussle in Class 1A regional championship game
MENDON, Ill. — Carter Eyler’s high school baseball career is now history, and even though it ended with a loss, there was ample reason for the Central senior to hold his head high. And he did. Eyler, a lanky 6-foot-2 right-hander, held heavily favored and top-seeded Jacksonville Routt at bay for the large majority of…
Read MoreLike Schis and like that: QND right-hander refuses to give in, strikes out 13 in regional title victory
QUINCY — Given the lead for a second time in Saturday’s Class 2A regional championship game, Quincy Notre Dame right-hander Jake Schisler vowed he was not giving it up. “I think those might have been my exact words,” Schisler said. He had no plans to do it alone either. “I said to myself that I…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND baseball team survives regional title tussle with Pittsfield
QUINCY — Another chapter to the Quincy Notre Dame-Pittsfield rivalry was written Saturday as the Raiders survived the Saukees’ upset bid to win the Class 2A QND Regional championship with a 2-1 victory at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield. QND’s Jake Schisler outdueled Pittsfield’s Brennan Tomhave, striking out 13 and setting down the side in…
Read MoreAdapt and overcome: Raiders’ Dance responds to one big swing by shutting down Cardinals in complete-game regional semifinal victory
QUINCY — Tyler Dance threw 34 innings during the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team’s regular season without allowing a home run. One inning and 18 pitches into the postseason, that changed. Pleasant Plains’ Zach Ponce led off the top of the second inning by driving a two-ball, two-strike curveball to left field for a home…
Read MoreMotivated Saukees ride Allen’s bulldogged pitching into regional title game
QUINCY — The Pittsfield baseball players didn’t understand it, nor did they appreciate it. A year ago, toting a 21-5 regular-season record, the Saukees were the No. 4 seed in their sub-sectional. This season, with a 25-4 regular-season record, they were relegated to being the No. 5 seed heading to the Class 2A Quincy Notre…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND, Pittsfield to renew longstanding rivalry in regional title game
QUINCY — A West Central Illinois rivalry gets a postseason chapter added to it Saturday. The Quincy Notre Dame and Pittsfield baseball teams advanced to the championship game of the Class 2A QND Regional by winning Wednesday’s semifinals and will square off at 11 a.m. Saturday in the title game at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial…
Read MoreSchuckman: Sharing Mother’s Day with their sons and love of game makes baseball moms unique
QUINCY — Where Mother’s Day is positioned on the calendar makes sense. The beauty of spring and the breath of fresh air May brings plays hand-in-hand with the love and nurturing we receive from our mothers. Florists love it, too, because moms love receiving fresh bouquets as much as love giving them. Yet, the one…
Read MoreRaiders rally on record-setting day to end regular season with confidence boost and victory
QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame baseball team figured out there’s an immediate need for a sense of urgency with the postseason on the horizon. Another deficit, a lengthy weather delay and a senior-led pep talk brought that into focus. The Raiders stared down history Saturday in the regular-season finale against Jacksonville Routt at Ferd…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND baseball team heads into postseason following another comeback victory
QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame baseball team is proving it can overcome adversity. That’s a trait that could come in very handy in the postseason. In Saturday’s final game of the regular season, the Raiders erased a three-run deficit by scoring four times in the bottom of the fifth inning and beating Jacksonville Routt…
Read MoreWilson leads quartet of Hannibal baseball players who earn all-conference honors
HANNIBAL, Mo. — A record-setting regular season landed Hannibal junior shortstop Kane Wilson and three teammates on the All-North Central Missouri Conference baseball team. Wilson established new single-season program records for hits and RBIs and takes a .400 average into the postseason. He is joined on the All-NCMC team by freshman first baseman Cooper Scott,…
Read MoreBunch punctuates Blue Devils’ rally with walk-off single in victory over Hornets
QUINCY — The Quincy High School baseball team was the one putting together a late-inning rally this time. Blake Bunch singled with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh Thursday as Blue Devils walked off with a 3-2 victory over Brown County at the QHS field. The Blue Devils lost twice earlier in…
Read MoreMustang rally: Unity scores final three runs, Allen hits home run in victory over QHS
MENDON, Ill. — With postseason play beginning next week, the Unity baseball team sent a message to those in the Class 1A Brown County Sectional complex on Wednesday. Don’t count the Mustangs out. Quincy High School learned that lesson. Unity scored twice in the bottom of the fifth inning to take the lead and Sawyer…
Read MoreCentral celebrates Senior Night by sweeping baseball, softball games
CAMP POINT, Ill. — Senior Night turned into quite the affair for the Central baseball and softball teams. The Panthers punctuated a 10-1 victory over Triopia on the baseball diamond by bookending the game with four-run innings in the first and sixth, while on the softball field, the Panthers made a pair of third-inning runs…
Read MoreRaiders rally once again to win, set up shot at history in regular-season finale against Rockets
MACOMB, Ill. — For the third straight game, the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team trailed heading to the fifth inning or later. Yet again, the Raiders rallied. This time, though, they did so against an NCAA Division I arm. QND tagged Macomb’s Jack Duncan, who has signed with Western Illinois University, for two runs in…
Read MoreTucked away: Heroics in both ends of seventh inning allow QND baseball team to survive, sweep season series from QHS
QUINCY — For Tucker Tollerton, the choice was an easy one. When asked which was more rewarding Monday evening — his game-winning hit in the top of the seventh inning or a game-saving relief performance in the bottom of the frame — Tollerton’s response was immediate. Well, almost immediate. First, there was a huge smile.…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND baseball team rallies in seventh inning to earn sweep of QHS
QUINCY — Trailing by two runs heading to the seventh inning, the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team scored three times with two outs to rally for a 4-3 victory over Quincy High School at the QHS field and sweep in this season’s city series. Photographer Samantha Carmean captured some of the action for this photo…
Read MoreCall it a comeback: Linenfelser’s grand slam caps Raiders’ rally against Tigers, completes sweep
QUINCY — A day that began with thunder and lightning ended with the biggest bang imaginable. A historic winning streak remains intact thanks to that. Facing its second-largest deficit of the season and trailing for only the third time all season, the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team managed to end an exhausting week by erasing…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND baseball team wins twice in Spring Slam to run win streak to 24 straight
QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame baseball team showcased more than this ability to hit Saturday. The Raiders showed some wherewithal to overcome anything. After a nearly two-hour weather delay, the Raiders beat Hannibal 12-5 and then rallied from a seven-run deficit to knock off Macon 12-10 at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield. Muddy River…
Read MoreOnce Raiders’ offense gets rolling, stockpile of runs usually follows
QUINCY — The way Herman Boone described his football team’s offense in “Remember the Titans” is an apt way to describe the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team’s offense. “It’s like Novocaine,” Boone said. “Just give it time, it always works.” In the case of the Raiders, just let them see enough pitches and they’ll always…
Read MoreAgainst the wind: Gusty conditions cannot deter Raiders from powering up against Blue Devils
QUINCY — The strength of the wind blowing in from center field Tuesday afternoon had every hitter in the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team’s lineup thinking singles over home runs. “I was just focusing on hitting liners up the middle,” QND right fielder Colin Kurk said. It seemed like the right approach. “That overall makes…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND baseball team hits three homers in crosstown battle with QHS
QUINCY — The first of two meetings between the Quincy High School and Quincy Notre Dame baseball teams in a seven-day span featured surprising power, incredible patience and lopsided outcome rarely seen in this series. The Raiders hit three home runs, capitalized on seven walks and rolled to a 16-1, four-inning victory Tuesday at Ferd…
Read MoreA Wink and a knock: Raiders celebrate Senior Day with enjoyable effort in shutout of Hornets
QUINCY — With the way their class schedule works, a majority of the seniors on the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team typically hit the field for practice shortly after 1:30 p.m., giving them the opportunity to squeeze every ounce of enjoyment from every day together. “This is their time,” QND coach Rich Polak said. So…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND baseball team celebrates Senior Day with all 10 seniors in lineup
QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame baseball team did more than recognize its 10 seniors prior to Monday’s game against Brown County at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield. The Raiders saw those seniors and their moms dance. The senior moms choreographed a dance, which they did on the turf infield following the introduction of the…
Read MoreHammers time: QHS sophomore hits walk-off grand slam, drives in nine runs in WB6 sweep
QUINCY — Trailing by 10 runs heading to the bottom of the third inning Saturday, the Quincy High School baseball team systematically started a comeback. The rally ended in grand fashion. The Blue Devils scored six runs in the third inning, twice more in the sixth and two more times in the seventh to send…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QHS baseball team scores 30 runs in sweeping Sterling in WB6 doubleheader
QUINCY — The Quincy High School baseball team ended the first half of Saturday’s Western Big 6 Conference doubleheader with Sterling in four innings. The Blue Devils made up for it in the nightcap, needing nine innings to walk off with a 14-10 victory and the sweep. Photographer Samantha Carmean captured these images from the…
Read MoreWelcome back: Raiders’ energetic, clean effort coincides with first home game in three weeks
QUINCY — There aren’t many places that make Tyler Dance feel as comfortable and confident as he does pitching at Ferd Niemann Jr. Ballfield. “That mound is one of my favorites,” the Quincy Notre Dame senior right-hander said. He hadn’t pitched from that mound since the QND baseball team beat Hannibal on April 5. Five…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND baseball team returns home to face Central in WCC diamond duel
QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame baseball team returned to Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield on Friday after being on the road for 10 games over 20 days. The Raiders won all 10 of those games, and Friday, they scored a 12-0, five-inning victory over Camp Point Central to push their winning streak to 17…
Read MoreRaiders ready to come home after winning 10 consecutive road games
KAHOKA, Mo. — The long road home is finally over, and the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team has no blemishes to show from its travels. The Raiders capped a string of 10 consecutive road games with Tuesday’s 12-1 victory over Clark County in which they put together a pair of five-run innings and received another…
Read MoreRaiders rally to take kick out of upstart Mustangs and run winning streak to 15 straight
MENDON, Ill. — The Unity baseball team put Quincy Notre Dame in an unfamiliar spot. The Raiders trailed by two runs through three innings Monday. An offense that has pushed QND into this week’s Prep Baseball Report top 25 state poll wouldn’t let the deficit linger. The Raiders scored three times in the fourth inning,…
Read MoreBaker’s dozen: QND baseball team runs win streak to 13 straight with WCC victory at Payson
PAYSON, Ill. — It’s not only the top of the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team’s lineup that can inflict pain on opposing defenses. The bottom half of the order is feisty as well. Saturday, in a West Central Conference matchup, the final five batters combined for eight hits, three doubles and nine RBIs in a…
Read MoreHighs and Lowe: Blue Devils finish week on four-game win streak, climb back to .500 mark
QUINCY — The reality of where the week began made Blake Bunch sigh. “Monday,” he said, “we were four games under .500.” It’s not how the Quincy High School baseball team’s week ended. The Blue Devils went on the road and scored midweek victories at New Berlin and Macomb and finished off a perfect five-day…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QHS baseball team sweeps WB6 doubleheader from Alleman
QUINCY — An aggressive approach on the base paths and the willingness to be patient at the plate enabled the Quincy High School baseball team to sweep a Western Big 6 Conference doubleheader from Rock Island Alleman on Friday, winning 14-4 and 10-0 at QU Stadium. The Blue Devils have won four consecutive games to…
Read MorePatience at plate allows Raiders to keep good times rolling offensively
CARTHAGE, Ill. — As potent as the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team’s lineup is, the Raiders must also show a little bit of patience. Friday, with the wind gusting in from center field and taking away the opportunity to drive the ball deep, the Raiders relied on their ability to work counts, move runners and…
Read MoreDance hurls one-hit shutout as Raiders blast another potential postseason foe
BEARDSTOWN, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame baseball team delivered a strong message to a potential regional opponent Thursday afternoon. The Raiders are ready to Dance. Behind a one-hit shutout by right-hander Tyler Dance and a dominant effort from the top of the batting order, the Raiders rolled to a 13-0, five-inning victory over Beardstown…
Read MoreRaiders, Chargers open Tiger Showcase with victories, will go head-to-head Saturday
BEARDSTOWN, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame baseball team didn’t record a hit until the fifth batter of the first inning Friday against Carrollton in the opening game of the Beardstown Tiger Showcase and had only two hits in the inning thereafter. The Raiders still scored 12 runs in the frame. Capitalizing on walks, hit…
Read MorePirates outlast Blue Devils as Hoskins drives in winning run in bottom of 10th inning
HANNIBAL, Mo. — No one wanted to go home, not until every last opportunity to score had been exhausted. That explains why the Hannibal baseball team’s 15-14 victory over Quincy High School at Veterans Field on Wednesday took 10 innings and 3 hours, 45 minutes to complete. Ultimately, a ground ball by Pirates freshman Tre…
Read MoreRaiders rack up hits in six-inning victory over Saukees
PITTSFIELD, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame baseball team just keeps hitting. The Raiders collected 12 hits, scored in four of the six innings played Wednesday and rolled to a 14-4 victory over Pittsfield. The Raiders have scored 10 or more runs in eight of their 12 games this season and have collected 10 or…
Read MoreMaroons continue WB6 diamond dominance, beat Blue Devils to remain unbeaten in league play
QUINCY — Craig Schimmel is no physician, but his diagnosis was spot on. “We had about a five-minute stretch that was uncharacteristic for us,” the Moline baseball coach said. “We looked like we were brain dead out there.” Yes, the bottom of the third inning proved to be a bit testy for the Maroons, but…
Read MoreKurk’s first career home run is grandiose as Raiders open lengthy road trip with shutout
RUSHVILLE, Ill. — Colin Kurk’s home-run trot got interrupted. The No. 9 hitter in the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team’s lineup, Kurk cracked what everyone believed to be a grand slam to left-center field in the top of the fifth inning Monday against Rushville-Industry. However, he pulled up rounding second as one umpire called it…
Read MoreSaukees capitalize on new life in seventh, score three times to upend Blue Devils
QUINCY — An overturned call gave the Pittsfield baseball team new life, and the Saukees took advantage of it. With the game tied and two outs in the top of the seventh inning, Pittsfield’s Justin Pennock was called out at first base after hitting a ground ball to Quincy High School shortstop Blake Bunch. However,…
Read MorePower-packed punch: Tollerton’s opposite-field home run ignites Raiders’ response to early deficit in victory over Titans
QUINCY — No one associated with the Quincy Notre Dame baseball program realized the left-handed hitting Tucker Tollerton had enough pop in his bat to drive a ball over Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield’s high fence in left field. Not even Tollerton himself. “I didn’t think I had that much power the opposite way,” he…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND exacts measure of revenge with victory over Chatham Glenwood
QUINCY — A six-run loss to Chatham Glenwood last April was one of only three setbacks the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team suffered last season. That didn’t sit well with the Raiders. Saturday, a five-run first inning propelled the Raiders to a 9-5 victory over the Titans at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield. “We had…
Read More‘I had a job to do’: Miller focuses on taming Hannibal’s hitters, not missed opportunity while pushing QND to one-run victory
QUINCY — Bob Seger sang it a half-century ago, but the words remain meaningful today. In fact, Dalton Miller carried their theme to the mound with him in the top of the seventh inning Wednesday. Turn the page. Leading Hannibal by a run in the bottom of the sixth inning at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND, Hannibal baseball teams square off in one-run game
QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame baseball team’s 4-3 victory over Hannibal on Wednesday at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield proved neither is going to be an easy out in the postseason, not when solid pitching and opportunistic play offensively are at the core. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman captured the action from Wednesday’s…
Read MoreSixth-inning rally, seventh-inning drama ends in victory for QHS baseball team
QUINCY — A seven-run outburst in the sixth inning allowed the Quincy High School baseball team to survive a tumultuous seventh inning and earn an 11-8 victory over Granite CIty on Wednesday at the QHS field. The Blue Devils (4-3) have won three of their last four games to climb above the .500 mark. Quincy…
Read MoreJWCC Prairie State Profile: Eagles’ Deege plays vital role in helping younger teammates grow
LIBERTY, Ill. — Landon Deege understands the reality the Liberty baseball team is facing. “We’re young, but we’re growing,” the senior said. With that comes the ups and downs of inexperience. The Eagles have won one game to date — a 1-0 victory over Illini West in which Jackson Sims struck out eight over five…
Read MoreRaiders find success can be blowing in the wind with another offensive outburst
QUINCY — Put on a pitch limit Saturday, Quincy Notre Dame right-hander Tyler Dance knew he needed to be efficient and aggressive. Being backed by a born-to-hit lineup made that easy. Dance threw three scoreless innings, his teammates collected 17 hits and the QND baseball team capped a run-filled week with a 19-0, four-inning victory…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND baseball team muscles up in windy conditions to dispatch Jacksonville
QUINCY — Blustery conditions at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield didn’t alter the Quincy Notre Dame baseball players’ approach at the bat. The Raiders simply keep on swinging. QND collected 17 hits, including five for extra bases, in a 19-0 whitewashing of Jacksonville on Saturday. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman captured the action for…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QHS baseball, softball teams play side-by-side with home games
QUINCY — The Quincy High School baseball team finally got the chance to play at home Thursday, while the QHS softball team dove into Western Big 6 Conference play in its own backyard. The baseball team improved to 2-2 with a 15-0 victory over Palmyra featuring Evan Sohn and Joe Schroeder setting the stage at…
Read More‘I knew I had to prove myself’: Kenning owns strike zone, Raiders bounce back with complete effort
QUINCY — Taking the mound one night after four pitchers combined to walk seven batters and uncork five wild pitches in the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team’s first loss of the season, Evan Kenning knew what he was up against. “The pressure was kind of on to throw strikes,” he said. “I knew I had…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND baseball team bounces back with victory over Palmyra at The Ferd
QUINCY — Humbled by Monday’s loss to Hersey, the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team responded with Evan Kenning striking out 10 batters over five innings and Brady Kindhart and Alex Connoyer each hitting a home run in Tuesday’s 10-2 victory over Palmyra at The Ferd. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman put together this photo…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QHS baseball team suffers loss at Belleville West
BELLEVILLE, Ill. — The Quincy High School baseball team made strides. One week after suffering a 9-0 loss to Belleville West, the Blue Devils squared off with the Maroons again Wednesday afternoon and suffered a 5-2 loss after allowing four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Quincy led 2-1 going to the bottom…
Read MoreStupavsky, Raiders get charge out of opening season with first-inning outburst
QUINCY — As much as he felt like he barreled the ball and put a legitimate charge into it, Michael Stupavsky could tell where it was headed. Foul territory. “After I hit that one, I wanted that back,” the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team’s senior catcher said of the ball he hit in the first…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND baseball team opens season with victory over Illini West
QUINCY — A seven-run outburst in the bottom of the first inning, three-plus innings of relief from a sophomore right-hander making his varsity debut and the first victory for new Quincy Notre Dame baseball coach Rich Polak made Tuesday’s game against Illini West complete. The Raiders won 8-3 at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield, and…
Read MoreChampionship aspirations: Depth, talent, know-how give QND baseball players confidence they can chase state title
QUINCY — Dalton Miller admits the luxury of experience and camaraderie enjoyed by the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team can get taken for granted. “We’ve been playing together for so long it’s a security I’ve become numb to almost,” the senior first baseman said. “Sometimes I can’t say I appreciate the security of my teammates…
Read MoreTough start defensively as QHS baseball team falls in season opener on road
BELLEVILLE, Ill. — Struggles defensively put the Quincy High School baseball team in a precarious position Wednesday. The Blue Devils committed eight errors, leading to nine unearned runs, as they dropped their season opener 9-0 to Belleville West. The Maroons managed just five hits, but three came in the pivotal fourth inning when two errors…
Read MoreWith baseball in his blood, Polak brings passion to new role as QND’s skipper
QUINCy — Rich Polak was where you’d expect him to be on a wintry Thursday night. Throwing pitches and teaching swing mechanics. “Baseball is my life,” he said. It’s his livelihood and his passion, too. So for the owner of Complete Game Training Academy, coaching the game comes naturally. His fit as the new Quincy…
Read More‘You don’t get that time back’: Oden resigns as QND baseball coach to put family first
QUINCY — Before Ryan Oden left his house Thursday morning for a meeting with the Quincy Notre Dame baseball players, his wife, Deb, wanted to know he was comfortable with his decision to resign as the Raiders head coach. “She asked, ‘Are you sure?’” Oden said. “And I told her I am.” With his son…
Read MoreSchuckman: Return of prep all-star game showcases everything great about baseball
HANNIBAL, Mo. — It started with a selfie and ended with a shower. Everything happening in between helped ensure Saturday night’s eighth installment of the Missouri vs. Illinois All-Star Game — the first since 2019 — became a full-tilt celebration of high school baseball. From bunts to bad hops, knee-bending curveballs to wild throws, and…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Missouri beats Illinois 7-4 in all-star baseball game at Clemens Field
HANNIBAL, Mo. — Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent Saturday night at Clemens Field as the eighth Missouri vs. Illinois All-Star baseball game unfolded. Here is a gallery of the images he collected both on the field and in the stands:
Read MoreReturn of Missouri vs. Illinois All-Star Game comes with bevy of talent from both sides of Mississippi
HANNIBAL, Mo. — Like nearly every other big event during the summer of 2020, the Missouri vs. Illinois All-Star baseball game fell victim to a global pandemic. But Kevin and Aaron Peters, the Monroe City father-son duo who are the braintrust and the legs behind this event, never lost faith the game could return in…
Read MoreHornets’ 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…
Read MoreCrim: Hornets’ season to remember caps school year filled with success from start to finish
It was nearly the perfect ending to a magical high school sports season. Brown County was the sixth team in the Muddy River Sports area to play for a state championship during the 2021-22 school year when it took the field Saturday against Louisville North Clay in the Illinois Class 1A baseball state finals in…
Read More‘We hit them right at ’em’: Hornets see state title aspirations snuffed out by Cardinals’ defense
PEORIA, Ill. — These weren’t Texas leaguers, nubbers or Punch-and-Judy pokes coming off the bats of the Brown County baseball players. “There weren’t a lot of balls hit soft,” first baseman Mason Henry said. “Every ball was hit on the screws.” Too often, though, they were within the reach of the Louisville North Clay outfielders.…
Read MoreSchuckman: Support of Brown County community helps Hornets see journey and legacy matter more than final outcome
PEORIA, Ill. — Disappointment lingered, but only for so long. By the time the Brown County baseball players cleaned up their dugout and made their way to the grassy berm in the right-field corner, the green-clad wave of Hornets fans who had invaded Dozer Park on Saturday were ready to fete their conquering heroes. The…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Brown County baseball team takes second at Class 1A state tournament
PEORIA, Ill. — The traffic along Highway 24 between Peoria and Mount Sterling was steady late Saturday afternoon. After all, most of Mount Sterling made the trek to River City in order to watch the Brown County baseball team play for the Class 1A state championship. Although the Hornets lost 12-4 to Louisville North Clay…
Read MoreSchuck on a Truck: Brown County baseball team celebrates memorable season
MOUNT STERLING, Ill. — The Brown County baseball team reached historic heights during the 2022 season. The Hornets went 28-5, setting the program’s single-season record for victories. They won the first sectional title in program history and became the first team in any sport at Brown County to reach a state final four. After finishing…
Read MoreChampionship dreams: Hornets wriggle out of seventh-inning jam, win state semifinal
PEORIA, Ill. — The tension gripping the Brown County baseball team’s dugout and its legion of fans in the stands apparently wasn’t being felt by those on the field. “I was calm the entire time,” shortstop Colby Wort said. “I had my whole belief in our pitchers and our fielders.” Hornets center fielder Gabe Blakeley’s…
Read MoreHornets finish off Blakeley’s record-setting victory with faith, belief in each other
PEORIA, Ill. — After a bunt single loaded the bases with one out in the top of the seventh inning, Ottawa Marquette freshman center fielder Julian Alexander thought the Crusaders had put Brown County in a precarious spot. He even told Hornets shortstop Colby Wort so. “I thought it was pretty funny,” Wort said. “He’s…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Brown County beats Ottawa Marquette in Class 1A baseball state semifinals
PEORIA, Ill. — The Brown County baseball team snared the lead in the first inning, extended it in the third inning and never relinquished it in beating Ottawa Marquette 2-1 in the Class 1A state semifinals Friday at Dozer Park. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman captured the atmosphere and action on and off the…
Read MoreSchuck on a Truck: Brown County baseball coach Jared Hoots talks historic postseason run
MOUNT STERLING, Ill. — The Brown County baseball team will be making the program’s first appearance in the state final four Friday when it faces Ottawa Marquette at 10 a.m. at Peoria’s Dozer Park in the Class 1A state semifinals. Hornets coach Jared Hoots sat down with Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman for an…
Read MoreBrown County pours heart and soul into supporting its state-bound baseball team
MOUNT STERLING, Ill. — A slow drive down Main Street on Wednesday night — the way the posted speed limit intends it — allowed onlookers and gawkers to witness what community spirit truly is. Outside Hagel 1891, a modern American cuisine restaurant located next to Dorothy’s Market in the historic Hagel building, had green and…
Read MoreNo interfering with history: Hornets snuff out Hawks’ seventh-inning threat to reach state finals for first time ever
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Everyone in the Brown County baseball team’s dugout and those on the field could see Carrollton’s Grant Pohlman looming in the on-deck circle and casting a rather sizable shadow over the Claude Kracik Field grass. “We knew he was coming up and we knew what he had done to us,” Hornets catcher…
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