Edwardsville To Go Against Normal Community West In Sectional Final With State Super-Sectional Berth On The Line
BLOOMINGTON – The Edwardsville baseball team will face a very good test on Saturday morning when the Tigers, who are 33-5, take on Normal Community West in the IHSA Class 4A Bloomington sectional final at Illinois Wesleyan University, Game time, originally set for 11 a.m., has been moved up an hour to 10 a.m.
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The Tigers, who are 33-5 going into the contest, are currently on a six-game winning streak and have won 14 of their last 16 games. Edwardsville defeated Quincy 11-1 and host Alton 8-1 in last week’s regional, and shut out Belleville West 4-0 on Wednesday in the sectional semifinal.
The Wildcats, currently 30-6, got to the sectional final by winning over Minooka 8-3, and Pekin 8-5 to take their own regional, then defeating Moline 6-5 in 11 innings on a game-winning double by Cole Hernandez.
One of Edwardsville’s biggest strengths is the depth of its pitching staff, and coach Tim Funkhouser had a number of options he can use. In the semifinal against West, Matthew Boyer, 10-1 on the season, scattered five hits and struck out eight in getting the shutout over the Maroons, and in the regional final win over Alton, Boyer gave up two hits and struck out six in five innings it getting the win over the Redbirds.
Grant Schaefer, 6-1 on the season with a 1.31 earned-run average, Dawson Taylor, 4-1 with a 1.94 ERA, and Jonathon Yancik, 1-1 with a 2.04 ERA, are available for Edwardsville, while both Will Range and Collin Salter can come out of the bullpen.
Hayden Moore, hitting .408, Blake Burris, with a .309 average, Drake Westcott, currently hitting .370, are a potent top of the batting order for the Tigers, while Joe Copeland, hitting .432, Josh Ohl, with a .375 average, and Joe Toscano, currently hitting .313, provide plenty of punch to the Tigers lineup.
Normal West has many good hitters in their lineup, and it starts with Alec McGinnis, with a .389 average, Hernandez, who is hitting .375, Brandon Roth, with a .386 batting average, both Austin Collinson and Ethan Barnett, who are both hitting .333, and Brennan Diedreich, with a .320 average. All will be formidable for Edwardsville.
The pitching is also very good for the Wildcats, with Roth having a 1.31 ERA and a record of 5-0 to lead the way. Will Kafer is 3-0 with a 1.67 ERA, and Evan Walgren is also 3-0, with a 3.26 ERA. Collinson is 5-1 with a 2.74 ERA.
The winner will play in the super-sectional at Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, going up against the Lockport sectional winner, either Chicago Marist or New Lenox Providence Catholic, on Monday in a game that starts at 6 p.m. The state finals will be held next weekend at Route 66 Stadium in Joliet.
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