This time, CLS vs. PR really means something
The baseball game between Crystal Lake South and Prairie Ridge on April 18 didn't hold much meaning.
Thursday's rematch means everything.
Prairie Ridge (27-8) won an 8-7 decision over visiting Crystal Lake South (14-14) in an eight-inning, Fox Valley Conference crossover game last month.
That contest served as a final tuneup for each team before divisional play began, and both coaches were still fiddling with their lineups.
That won't be the case when the District 155 rivals, separated by just six miles, travel 50 miles west to Rockford Guilford for a Class 4A sectional semifinal on Thursday at 4:30 p.m.
"It's always a big rivalry and it's always cool to play someone local," PR senior pitcher Michael Heesch said. "I know a couple of guys on their team, so it's going to be fun.
"It's going to be competitive, it's going to be intense and it's going to be (full) out the entire game, no doubt about that. No one's going to quit."
The winner advances to face the winner of today's semifinal between Rockton Hononegah (21-7) and Rockford Auburn (16-15) for the sectional title on Saturday at 11 a.m.
Auburn won its first regional title in 22 years. Hononegah won its second straight regional title and the fourth in school history. Neither NIC-10 program has ever won a baseball sectional.
Prairie Ridge is also seeking its first sectional title. The Wolves have won 20 of their last 22 games and went 15-0 to win the Fox Division of the FVC, using a mix of good hitting, strong fielding and talented starting pitching.
First-year Prairie Ridge coach David Haskins has dual aces at his disposal in seniors Michael Heesch and T.J. Swank.
Swank, a side-arming right hander committed to Coastal Carolina, is 9-1 with a 1.68 ERA. Heesch, a lefty, is 8-1 with a 2.15 ERA.
Haskins said Tuesday he won't decide on a pitcher for the CL South game until after he scouts today's Auburn-Hononegah semifinal. He'll then determine what rotation best benefits PR's chances.
Swank said regardless of who pitches against the Gators, it will take more than just the man on the mound to advance the Wolves to the sectional title game.
"It's going to have to be the whole team helping us with hitting and with defense along with good pitching," Swank said. "We're going to need to be a full package. We're going to need everybody to help us get where we want to go."
The Gators averaged 6.7 runs per game during the regular season and upped that a notch in winning the Dundee-Crown regional. CL South scored 13 runs to eliminate top-seeded Cary-Grove and beat Jacobs 7-1 for the program's second regional title overall and first since the finishing fourth in the state in 1993.
Sean Wilson homered in both games to lead the offensive attack.
"We hit the ball well in the regional," first-year Gators coach Brian Bogda said. "If we continue to hit and get good pitching, we'll be OK. Our defense had been solid all year.
"Our seniors are excited to get another chance to play PR. We led that entire game and I know they feel it's nice to get a second chance."