MARION –  The Marion Wildcats make it to the Elite Eight as they defeated Springfield Southeast 56-51.  Justin Saddoris led the Wildcats with 13, Terell Henderson and Jadon Lacy added 10.

Marion Coach Gus Gillespe told Scott Mees of the Southern Illinoisan,  “It wasn’t one of our better performances, but maybe you give Southeast credit for the way they do things defensively. The part of the game I’d like to get back was the first quarter. I should have gotten us out of our defense earlier.”

LINK FROM SCOTT MEES OF THE SOUTHERN ILLINOISAN 

http://thesouthern.com/sports/high-school/basketball/boys/boys-basketball-marion-falls-in-super-sectional-to-springfield-southeast/article_b98da75d-7e69-537d-8640-000230fdd87d.html

LINK FROM BILL WELT OF THE SPRINGFIELD JOURNAL-REGISTER 

http://www.sj-r.com/sports/20180313/southeast-punches-ticket-to-state-for-first-time-in-school-history

By John Lock – siusalukis.com

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS (8-8) at ARKANSAS STATE (7-5)

Southern Illinois travels to Arkansas State for a mid-week game on Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.

PITCHING PROBABLES

SIU LHP Brad Harrison (3-0, 1.23 ERA, 22.0 IP)
ASU RHP Nate Alberius (2-0, 1.77 ERA, 20.1 IP)

AROUND THE HORN

• Southern Illinois travels to Arkansas State for a 6 p.m. game against the Red Wolves.
• The Salukis lead the all-time series with Arkansas State, 48–25. The teams split last season; SIU won a pen game in Jonesboro last year, 4-2, and Arkansas State won an extra-inning game in Carbondale, 4-3, in 10 innings.
• Arkansas State was ranked No. 30 nationally last week in the NCBWA poll.
• SIU takes a five-game winning streak into the game, tied for the 11th longest active winning streak in the country. It’s the longest active streak in the MVC.
• Southern has also won three-straight road games, which is also tied for the 11th longest active road winning streak in the country and longest in the MVC.
• Starting pitcher Brad Harrison comes into the game with an active 18-inning scoreless streak. He has earned MVC Pitcher of the Week in each of the last two weeks.
o Feb. 27: pitched a complete-game 2-hit shutout at Belmont, striking out 11 and walking one. He retired the final 17 batters of the game.
o March 6: Eight innings, 1 hit, 13 strikeouts, 0 walks at SEMO. The ball only left the infield one time, a third inning fly out.
• SIU has a chance to extend its winning streak to six games.
o SIU’s last six-game winning streak was May 17-24, 2012 (final 3 regular season games and first 3 MVC Tournament games)
o SIU’s last six-game winning streak during the regular season came March 27-April 6, 2010.
o This is SIU’s fourth five-game winning streak in the last three years (2 in 2016; 1 in 2017).
• Alex Lyon is the reigning MVC Player of the Week. Lyon hit .625 with two doubles, a triple, four stolen bases at 10 RBIs last week.
• Three of the top four hitters in the MVC are Salukis. Lyon leads the league (.446), Connor Kopach is second (.433) and Logan Blackfan is third (.400). Lyon and Blackfan are also the co-leaders in the MVC in RBIs (21).
• Kopach ranks in the top-5 nationally in three different categories. Kopach leads the nation in stolen bases (13), and ranks fifth in both runs (23) and hits (29).
• SIU has already eclipsed last year’s mid-week win total. In 2017, SIU went 3-10 in mid-week games. This year, the Salukis are 4-0.
• The Salukis were picked fourth in the preseason MVC poll of head coaches. Starting pitcher Michael Baird, closer Ryan Netemeyer, and shortstop Connor Kopach were all named preseason All-MVC.
• SIU has led the MVC in double plays turned in four of the last five years.

MVC LEADERS

• Alex Lyon in batting average (.446)
• Lyon in slugging % (.714)
• Lyon and Logan Blackfan in RBIs (21)
• Connor Kopach in runs (23)
• Kopach in hits (29)
• Lyon and Kopach in doubles (7)
• Kopach in triples (2)
• Blackfan in home runs (5)
• Blackfan in total bases (43)
• Lyon in sacrifice flies (3)
• Kopach in stolen bases (13)
• Brad Harrison in ERA (1.23)
• Harrison in opposing batting average (.095)
• Harrison in wins (3)
• Harrison in fewest hits (7) and runs (3) allowed
• Team in triples (5)
• Team in walks drawn (77)
• Team in sac flies (13)
• Team in stolen bases (43)
• Team in opposing batting average (.240)

1A/2A FIRST TEAM

Owen Landwehr	Annawan	Senior
Andrew Morrissey	Winnebago	Senior
Trevor Voss	Payson-Seymour	Senior
Jacob Donaldson	Ridgeview	Senior
Calvin Fisher	Monticello	Senior
Jake Wolfe	Aurora Christian	Senior
Lamar Lillard	Momence	Senior
Markese Jacobs	Chicago Uplift	Junior
Jake Parr	Anna-Jonesboro	Senior
Grant Jausel	Pinckneyville	Senior
Braden Webb	Goreville	Senior
Dannie Smith	Orr	Senior
Raikwon Drake	Orr	Senior
George Conditt	Corliss	Senior
Ty Mosley	Orr	Senior

1A/2A SECOND TEAM

Joe Thursby	Niles (Northridge Prep)	Senior
Will Wolfe	Aurora Christian	Sophomore
Fred Cleveland	Leo	Junior
Chase Adams	Orr	Senior
Kyle Ottens	Milledgeville	Senior
Ty Waller	Winnebago	Senior
Bryce Barnes	Gibson City -Melvin Sibly	Junior
Isaiah Bond	Decatur St. Teresa	Senior
Jack Gilmore	Bloomington Central Cath.	Senior
Toraze Dobbs	Chicago Uplift	Senior
JC Moll	Pinckneyville	Senior
Isaiah Saulsberry	Harrisburg	Senior
Dylan Patrick	Newark	Senior
Jack Halverson	Peotone	Senior
Levi Scheuermann	Deek Mack	Junior

1A/2A THIRD TEAM

Devon House	Sterling Newman	Sophomore
Jonah Hopper	North Greene	Senior
Benji Eaker	Aurburn	Senior
Ben Buresh	Annawan	Senior
Jordan Brooks	St. Joe Ogden	Senior
Justin Myers	Ridgeview	Senior
James Morris	BCC	Senior
Lamarius Lillard	Monmence	Junior
Prentiss Alexander	Michele Clark	Senior
Damarius Taylor	Cairo	Senior
Malcolm Miller	Shelbyville	Senior
Alex Deters	St. Anthony	Senior
Hunter Ottensmier	Trenton Wesclin	Senior
Brayden Stipp	Mt. Carmel	Senior
Austyn Ellison	BCC	Senior
Terrell Walker	Peoria Quest	Senior
Luke Richards	Casey-Westfield	Junior
Logan Dothey	West Hancock	Senior
Neal Scheurmann	Dee Mack	Senior
Devin Yocum	Bushnell-Prairie	Senior
Luke Hensler	Oakwville	Senior

1A/2A FOURTH TEAM

Luke Stokowski	Monticello	Senior
Anwone Lampkin	Chicago Wells	Senior
Carter Sabol	Nokomis	Sophomore
Layne Boyer	East Dubuque	Junior
Connor Heaton	Central A & M	Sophomore
Ryan Radloff	Dieterich	Senior
Tanner Sussebach	Brown County	Senior
Taaj Davis	Aurora Christian	Sophomore
Zach Thompson	Triopia	Junior
Justin Myers	Ridgeview	Senior
Tate Eller	Heyworth	Senior
Austin Rager	Mt. Carmel	Junior
Braden Attebury	Eldorado	Senior
Eric Kremer	Teutopolis	Senior
Javion May	Hope Academy	Senior
Mitchell Stevenson	Altamont	Senior
Blake Castonguay	Watseka	Junior
Ryland Holt	Gibson-City	Junior
Bryson Bultman	Nashville	Junior
Walker Sandschafer	Robinson	Senior
Joel Niermann	Pleasant Plains	Sophomore

1A/2A SPECIAL MENTION TEAM

Tyson Magee	Cumberland	Senior
Nick Cohorst	Newton	Senior
Adam Levitt	St. Anthony	Senior
Lee Hardiek	Teutopolis	Senior
Callaway Campton	Dieterich	Senior
Vince Lenzi	Elmwood	Senior
Nathan Wozniak	G.S. Wilmington	Junior
Tyler Siever	Carlyle	Senior
Colton Schutt	Yorkville Christian	Junior
Travis Black	Carmi	Senior
Jayzale O’Neal	Wayne City	Junior
Trenton Brown	Flora	Senior
Dawson Yates	Pinckneyville	Sophomore
Joe Gustafson	Warrensburg	Junior
Charles Neal	Webber	Senior
Jackson Porter	Illini West	Senior
Jack Snook	Ottawa Marquette	Junior
Dawson Yates	Pinckneyville	Sophomore
Brant Vanaman	Spring Valley Hall	Senior
Jacob Thompson	Milford	Senior
Andrew Barnett	R.I. Alleman	Senior
Travis Williams	Sterling Newman	Senior
Hunter Scherman	East Dubuque	Junior
Trenton Brown	Flora	Senior
Zach Pringle	Havanna	Senior
Darian Drake	Brown County	Senior
Karson Huels	Waterloo Gibault	Junior
Jarius Ingram	Warrensburg	Junior
Brendan Conroy	Northridge Prep	Junior
Luke Yoder	BCC	Senior
Jeremy Durdan	Flangan-Cornell	Junior
Johnny Dawson	Monticello	Senior
Ezra Schaal	Dec LSA	Senior
Blaize Cobb-Griffin	Salt Fork	Senior
Daniel Alston	Judah Christian	Senior
Nolan Govig	Indian Creek	Senior
Ben Versluys	Elgin Westminster	Senior
Grant Primer	Deerfield	Senior
Brandon Orange	Timothy Christian	Senior
Brent McKnight	Morgan Park Academy	Senior
Javari McClendon	Hope Academy	Senior
Jacob Thompson	Milford	Senior
Malik Marshell	Rockford Christian	Senior
DaChaun Anderson	Leo	Junior
AJ Franklin	Elgin St. Edwards	Senior
Cam Scott	Illini Bluffs	Junior
Blake McKay	Woodlawn	Sophomore
Travis Williams	Sterling Newman	Senior

 

PEORIA –  All State Center 6′ 9″ Andrew Morrisey was better than advertised, as he led Bago with 29 points and 16 boards as they defeated Pinckneyville 67-63, in the Class 2A semi-finals in Carver Arena tonight.

Dawson Yates led the Panthers with 16 points, J.C. Moll added 14, and Tanner Sphilmann added 11 for Pinckneyville in the losing effort.

The Panthers will face football powerhouse Bloomington Central Catholic in the third place game at 5:30 tomorrow.  Central was defeated by Chicago Orr 60-49 in the other semi final game.

The Championship game between Winnebago and Orr will be at 7:15 tomorrow night.

LINK FROM JACK BULLOCK OF A BASELINE VIEW 

http://abaselineview.com/abvpinckneyvillewinnebago.html

LINK FROM SCOTT MEES OF THE SOUTHERN ILLINOISAN 

http://thesouthern.com/sports/high-school/basketball/boys/boys-basketball-pinckneyville-s-comeback-falls-just-short-to-winnebago/article_d7a1a3a6-f3ae-507a-b383-a5145c02477b.html#tracking-source=home-breaking

LINK FROM STAN MORRIS OF THE PEORIA JOURNAL-STAR 

http://www.pjstar.com/sports/20180309/class-2a-semifinal-winnebago-survives-pinckneyville-late-push-to-advance-to-title

 

 

 

 

PEORIA –  In a battle of two Southern Illinois teams this afternoon, the Okawville Rockets punched their ticket to the state championship game by defeating Goreville 48-33 in the Class 1A State Tournament.

Payton Harre led the Rockets with 16 points and Luke Hensler had 12 points and 15 boards on the contest.

Cole Tosh and Braden Webb had eight points each for the Blackcats.

The Rockets will face Annawan at 1:00 p.m. tomorrow for the state Championship, who were 59-44 winners over Sterling Newman Central Catholic this afternoon in the other semi-final game.

Goreville faces Central Catholic tomorrow at 11:15 a.m. for third place.

LINK FROM JACK BULLOCK OF A BASELINE VIEW 

http://abaselineview.com/abvgorevilleokawville.html

LINK FROM SCOTT MEES OF THE SOUTHERN ILLINOISAN 

http://thesouthern.com/sports/high-school/basketball/boys/boys-basketball-goreville-falls-to-okawville-in-state-semifinal/article_d98d4dc0-1c78-5ae5-991b-9c4c24af7960.html#tracking-source=home-top-story

LINK FROM JOHN KOMOSA OF THE PEORIA JOURNAL-STAR

http://www.pjstar.com/sports/20180309/okawville-advances-to-class-1a-state-title-game-with-win-over-goreville

CENTRALIA  –Don’t look now, but here come the East St. Louis Flyers.