Tough postseason road for Burlington Central
Burlington Central's baseball team is the hottest thing going but to advance in the postseason, the Rockets will need to win a tough Class 3A regional that includes two Fox Valley Conference Fox Division rivals as well as BC's longtime rival.
The Rockets, 26-1 and winners of 21 straight, have been assigned to the Hampshire regional where they are the top seed but certainly not an automatic winner.
Central, which advanced to a sectional final last year before losing to Oswego, will open regional play May 26 against the winner of a play-in game between the host Whip-Purs and Kaneland. Then, if it reaches the regional final, the Rockets will face the winner of the other semifinal between FVC and city rivals Prairie Ridge and Crystal Lake Central.
The Hampshire regional winner then advances to the DeKalb sectional to meet the Oswego regional winner on June 3. The host Panthers are the top seed at their own regional. The other regional winners advancing to DeKalb will come from Belvidere North, where the host is the top seed, and Sterling, where DeKalb is the No. 1 seed.
The DeKalb sectional winner then moves on to the supersectional at Augustana College in Rock Island to meet the East Peoria sectional champ.
In Class 4A, Larkin will host a sectional with regional winners coming from Cary-Grove, Dundee-Crown, Jacobs and Machesney Park Harlem.
Cary-Grove is the top seed in its own regional and will open the postseason against the winner of a play-in game between Rolling Meadows and Conant. McHenry is the No. 2 seed and Hoffman Estates No. 3.
At Dundee-Crown, South Elgin is the top seed and will play one semifinal against the winner of a play-in game between Dundee-Crown and Elgin. Streamwood is the No. 2 seed and Schaumburg No. 3.
In the Jacobs regional, Huntley is the top seed and will meet the winner of a play-in game between Rockford Jefferson and Larkin in one semi, with Crystal Lake South facing Jacobs in the other semifinal.
At Larkin, the Harlem regional winner will meet the Jacobs regional champ and the winners from Dundee-Crown and Cary-Grove meet in the other semifinal.
The Larkin sectional champ then moves on to the supersectional at RiverHawks Stadium in Rockford to meet the sectional winner from St. Charles East.
St. Charles North, Wheaton North, Willowbrook and Geneva are the top seeds at St. Charles East.
Bartlett is the No. 14 seed at St. Charles East and is assigned to the Willowbrook regional. The Hawks host No. 19 Glenbard East in a play-in game with the winner facing Willowbrook in one semifinal.