The Highland Bulldogs will represent the south at the IHSA 3a State Baseball Tournament at Duly Health & Care Field in Joliet this weekend. After knocking off Mahomet Seymour in Monday’s Super Sectional at Millikin University, the Bulldogs improved to 32-6-1 on the season. Bulldogs coach Joel Hawkins is in his 32nd year with the school, and has compiled 727 wins in that time. He also helped the Bulldogs to their only state championships in the school’s history in 2008 and 2015. Highland is led at the plate by Jake Ottensmeier hitting .397 on the season with 49 runs scored. They have a 2 headed monster on the mound in aces Chase Knebel and Trento Clemons. Knebel is 11-0 in 12 starts this season with a 0.31 ERA allowing just 3 earned runs in 68 innings. Clemons is 7-3 with a 1.72 ERA with just 15 earned runs allowed in his 11 games.
Highland will play at 1pm in the 2nd 3a semifinal against 30-9 Lemont out of the South Suburban Conference. They are led at the plate by Jacob Parr who is hitting .415 in 36 games this season. Max Michalak is also over .400 hitting .402. Coach Brian Storako is in his 11th season at Lemont winning state titles back in 2014 and 2016.
The first semifinal will be Friday morning at 10:00 a.m. with Morris and Crystal Lake Central. Morris is 29-3 on the year out of the Interstate Eight. Jack Wheeler leads the offensive attack hitting .414 and Cody DelFavero is hitting .378 with a team high 4 home runs. DelFavero also is dominant on the mound going 12-0 this season with an ERA of 1.38 and 83 ks. Brett Bounds is also great with an 8-0 record and 60k’s in 55 innings. His ERA is 1.15. Coach Todd Kein is in his 20th season for Morris, who hasn’t been to the state finals since 1995 when they won it all. They were also 2nd in 93.
Morris takes on the Central Tigers who are 20-14 on the season out of the Fox Valley Conference. Cal Aldridge is in just his 2nd year in the dugout for Central who has reeled off 11 straight wins after a stretch that saw them lose 7 of 9 in the middle of the season. Crystal Lake made the trip to state in 2003 losing in their only game, before returning in 2008 finishing 4th.
