Land of Lincoln brings bragging rights home after largest margin of victory in all-star game history

HANNIBAL, Mo. — Illinois emphatically kept bragging rights over Missouri in Saturday’s 11th Missouri vs. Illinois All-Star Game.

The all-star baseball players from the Prairie State registered the largest margin of victory in the 11-year history of the game, beating the Show Me State 15-1 at the Veterans Sports Complex. Illinois led 1-0 before busting the game open with a six-run fourth inning and a four-run fifth.

Here are some takeaways from the all-star festivities in America’s Hometown.

Six Illinois pitchers combine on no-hitter

Tanner Riddell started it, and Stephen Sparks put the exclamation point on it.

Riddell, a right-hander from Beardstown, set down the first nine batters of the game before giving way to Rushville-Industry’s Macon Kessler, who retired the next six hitters before surrendering a leadoff walk to Highland’s Johnathon Hager leading off the sixth inning. Kessler promptly struck out Louisiana’s Brendan Hughes before inducing a 6-4-3 double play off the the bat of Mark Twain’s Brayden Moss to end the inning.

“I was just trying to get in there and throw strikes early,” Riddell said. “I didn’t really feel my curveball today, but I was really feeling my fastball and was able to locate it.”

After Riddell exited, he was not worried one bit about jinxing the no-hitter.

“I was actually the one letting everybody know,” Riddell said. “I was telling everybody that we still had it going.”

Riddell’s teammates did not let him down. Payson Seymour’s Connorr Howell retired the first two batters of the seventh before walking two and hitting two to bring in Missouri’s only run. Howell struck out Palmyra’s Cade Lehman to end the inning.

Augusta Southeastern’s Griffen Tippey walked two batters in the eighth but struck out the other three batters he faced. Illinois coach Rich Polak had planned on letting Tippey pitch the final two innings, but that long eighth prompted Polak to shift gears. He brought in Pittsfield’s Clayton Reinhardt to get the first two outs of the ninth before turning to Illini West’s Stephen Sparks to put the finishing touches on the no-no.

Sparks made just one pitching appearance for the Chargers all season, but something caught Polak’s eye during a practice leading up to the all-star game.

“I was watching the guys throw bullpens, and he was playing catch with someone in the outfield,” Polak said. “He dropped down and threw a submarine pitch, and I was like, ‘What is that?’ He goes, ‘Oh, I’ve got that. I’m like that.’ He was asking me, ‘Am I going to be able to throw? Am I going to be able to throw?’ Fortunately the game got to where it was at.”

Sparks used his sidewinding delivery to strike out Monroe City’s Dylan Ross and cap Illinois’ no-hit effort.

Sparks added a little extra flair to his celebration, channeling his favorite basketball player.

“I like LeBron, and I just did the LeBron celebration,” Sparks said.

Sparks then joined the mob of his teammates near the dugout and shouted, “No-hitter!”

“That was awesome,” Sparks said.

Dryden’s return culminates in all-star start, MVP honors

Hannibal’s Colton Dryden feared that his season may be over, but that did not stop him from busting his tail to come back before season’s end.

In the jamboree on March 14, Dryden tore multiple ligaments in his knee, sidelining Dryden for a considerable period of time.

“The first guy that I went to said I wouldn’t play another game until college,” Dryden said.

Dryden proved his doctor wrong, not only returning before season’s end, but feeling well enough to throw the first pitches of Saturday’s all-star game.

“I’m grateful to be out here playing again because I didn’t know for sure if I’d be back out here or not this year,” Dryden said. “The body felt great. It’s almost back to 100 percent.”

Dryden made the most of his opportunity. He held Illinois to one run before exiting the game after the third inning, a frame in which he struck out Shawn Watkins Jr. and induced a ground out off the bat of Nick Johnson after Illinois got runners to first and second with one out. Dryden’s efforts were enough to earn the MVP award on the Missouri side.

“I prepped for it for about a week and a half because I haven’t been pitching much this summer, but everything felt good,” Dryden said. “I’m just happy to be back out here.”

Ian Hatton, Dryden’s coach at Hannibal and the head coach for Missouri on Saturday, was just as thrilled to see Dryden back to nearly full strength.

“I’m proud of him,” Hatton said. “When the season was going on, just to get him back, was a big thing for our team, especially from a leadership perspective. To see his growth as he came back from injury and over the summer, I’m glad he was able to get this opportunity. He threw really well for us.”

Wiewel takes home Illinois MVP honors

Abram Wiewel picked up right where he left off.

The Quincy Notre Dame graduate and John Wood Community College signee, who hit .467 with 12 home runs and 40 RBIs last spring, went 3 for 4 with a single, double, triple and four RBIs to earn the second Most Valuable Player award for a QND player in this game. Wiewel joins Luke Frieden, who won the award in 2015.

Wiewel surrendered his spot in the lineup to Tippey in the seventh, and he humbly answered the question of whether or not he would have liked a chance to swing for the fences and hit for the cycle.

“I already had four at-bats,” Wiewel said. “There was no point in going up there and getting another at-bat. Everybody else deserves to get their at-bats. There’s no need to be selfish in a game that means nothing really besides bragging rights.”

Wiewel’s triple in the fourth provided the first two of five two-out runs for Illinois that extended its lead to 7-0.

“That was a big momentum shifter,” Wiewel said. “That just broke the door wide open. We rode that momentum out the rest of the game.”

Asbury’s running catch is defensive highlight

If it had not been for Hannibal’s Konnor Asbury laying out across the right field line and robbing Wiewel of extra bases, Wiewel may have had a perfect day at the plate.

Leading off the top of the third, Wiewel sent a pitch from Dryden tailing away from Asbury, Missouri’s starting right fielder. Asbury went into a full sprint, lunged to make the catch and went into a headlong dive, losing his hat and sunglasses in the process.

“I was shifted over in the gap because he pulled the ball the previous at-bat,” Asbury said. “I saw it up, and I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t know if I’m going to get this.’ I started running and then laid out. I kind of blacked out in the moment, so I’m not remembering it fully, but I remember getting up and throwing it and having a good time.”

Dryden appreciated his former Hannibal teammate’s effort.

“I know whenever a righty hits it down the right field line, it’s got a bunch of tail on it, so I know that play was not easy, and he covered a lot of ground,” Dryden said.

All-star event is celebration for coaches

Ian Hatton was not the only member of his family celebrating a momentous occasion on Saturday. On the same day he coached in his second Missouri vs. Illinois All-Star Game, his wife, Whitney, celebrated her birthday.

“I made sure I asked her before to make sure it was OK,” Hatton said. “We had some time with family last night and earlier today.” 

Hatton sang his wife’s praises.

“She’s what I’d call a coach’s wife,” he said. “She’s always there to support, and I love her for that.”

While the result on the field was far from satisfactory for Hatton and his players from Northeast Missouri, he soaked up every moment.

“It’s an honor, and it’s so humbling to be able to coach in this type of game,” Hatton said. “We didn’t come out with the win, but to get an opportunity to coach baseball for a week in the summer with some of the best talent in northeast Missouri and come out and have fun and honor these kids, that’s what it’s all about. I really love getting that opportunity.”

In the other dugout, QND and Illinois coach Rich Polak was also coaching in his second all-star game, but his first as a head coach.

“(As an assistant), I wasn’t as worried about getting all the guys in and getting them their at-bats,” Polak said. “It’s a lot of plates spinning at one time. You want to make sure everybody gets a fair shot, but it’s a cool experience.”

Polak accomplished his goal of getting every player multiple at-bats and a chance to play the field.

“We spread the wealth around pretty well for these guys,” Polak said. “It was an awesome experience for me.”