The 2016 IHSA Class 1A & Class 2A Baseball State Finals return to Dozer Park, home of the St. Louis Cardinals Class A affiliate Peoria Chiefs, in Peoria on Friday and Saturday, June 3-4.

All eights games this weekend will be broadcast live by the NFHS Network on www.IHSA.tv by presenting sponsor Country Financial as IHSA TV veterans Dave Bernhard and Mark Lindo return to call the action.

A brief synopsis and stat leaders on each of this weekend's finalists is provided below:

CLASS 1A
SALT FORM STORM (23-15)
Salt Fork was 3-7 through its first ten games of the season, but Ryan High’s squad is playing its best baseball at the right time. The Storm enter Dozer Park having won 12 of its last 13 games, including outscoring its five postseason opponents by a combined margin of 51-13.
Batting Average: .363, Colton Baird
Runs: 36, Jordan Eakle
RBI: 30, Colton Baird
Home Runs: 3, Brody Marsh
Pitchers (min. 30 inn.): Josh Kimbro (R, 10-2, 74 inn., 52K, 1.99 ERA
Connor Taylor (R, 6-3, 62.2 inn., 110K, 1.23 ERA)
Justin Arnett (L, 3-3, 35.2 inn., 43K, 3.14 ERA)
Trenton Hall (R, 2-4, 34 inn., 45K, 3.91 ERA)

SOMONAUK BOBCATS (23-6)
Somonauk’s first-ever state final trip in baseball comes in Troy Felton’s first season as head coach. The Bobcats boast a dearth of pitching, as three of its regulars have ERA’s of 1.96 or better. Somonauk has allowed just seven runs in five State Series games entering the weekend.
Batting Average: .529, Johnny Johnson
Runs: 42, Nate Wegener
RBI: 47, Johnny Johnson
Home Runs: 2, Johnny Johnson
Pitchers (min. 30 inn.): Johnny Johnson (R, 8-2, 57 inn., 63K, 1.96 ERA)
Nate Wegener (L, 5-2, 43 inn., 55K, 1.79 ERA)

GOREVILLE BLACKCATS (26-6)
The Blackcats are beginning to become state final regulars, as the team makes its third state final trip since 2010 (2nd in 2010, 3rd in 2011). All have come under head coach Shawn Tripp, whose offense has reached double-digit runs 13 times this season and is averaging 11 runs per game in the postseason.
Batting Average: .485, Brodie Lenon
Runs: 42, Jared Vaughn
RBI: 34, Brant Glidewell
Home Runs: 3, Brant Glidewell
Pitchers (min. 30 inn.): Brant Glidewell (R, 6-2, 42.1 inn., 51K, 2.48 ERA)
Zane Schuetz (L, 5-2, 37.2 inn., 29K, 3.53 ERA)
Jared Vaughn (R, 3-0, 33.2 inn., 29K, 0.62 ERA)

OKAWVILLE ROCKETS (19-13-1)
Okawville and head coach Jackie Smith reached the Class 1A state title game a year ago with a sub .500 record, before falling to Cobden in the championship. Five regulars return from last year’s squad, including three of the team’s top five hitters.
Batting Average: .440, Brad Fuhrhop
Runs: 29, Alec Wisneski
RBI: 27, Brad Fuhrhop
Home Runs: 5, Brad Fuhrhop
Pitchers (min. 30 inn.): Brendan Killion (R, 9-2, 85.1 inn., 94K, 3.20 ERA)
Shane Ganz (R, 3-4, 40.1 inn., 47K, 3.64 ERA)
Payten Harre (R, 1-4, 32 inn., 16K, 1.31 ERA)

CLASS 2A
MURPHYSBORO RED DEVILS (21-12)
First-year coach Andrew Winters has the Red Devils back at state for the first time since 1966 and fourth time overall (1951, 1953) after a Super-Sectional win over perennial power Teutopolis in a game that featured memorable sportsmanship. Murphysboro may have the most balanced offense in the tournament, as five different Red Devil players lead six offensive categories that include batting average, runs, RBIs, doubles, triples, and home runs.
Batting Average: .382, Marshall Grammer
Runs: 30, Noah Baird
RBI: 26, Brandon Caldwell
Home Runs: 4, Matt Burke
Pitchers (min. 30 inn.): Braden Miller (R, 9-1, 69.2 inn., 50K, 1.71 ERA)
Brandon Graeff (R, 6-2, 45.1 inn., 29K, 2.01 ERA)
Noah Bird (R, 3-1, 30.2 inn., 16K, 4.34 ERA)

ST. JOSEPH-OGDEN SPARTANS (34-3)
St. Joseph-Ogden has a special class in its midst as proven by a semifinal football run in the fall, an IHSA Class 2A Boys Basketball state championship in the winter, and now with four of those five basketball starters (Brown, Pence, Johnson, Schlter) in its lineup, a chance for a baseball crown this weekend.
Batting Average: .443, Colton Carr
Runs: 42, Ty Brown
RBI: 40, Colton Carr
Home Runs: 3, Ty Brown
Pitchers (min. 30 inn.): Colton Carr (R, 13-0, 77.1 inn., 99K, 0.27 ERA)
Dalton Parker (R, 10-1, 71 inn., 145K, 0.20 ERA)
Colton Hale (R, 3-1, 31 inn., 39K, 2.71 ERA).

REED-CUSTER COMETS (27-5)
Legendary head coach Larry Cougill is approaching 800 career victories (786) in his 38th season. Cougill led the Comets to a state championship in 1985 and had a return state final trip in 2007. Reed-Custer has won 16 of its last 17, and was tested throughout the year, winning seven games by two runs or less.
Batting Average: .407, Travis Schoonover
Runs: 46, Travis Schoonover
RBI: 24, Jordan Walden
Home Runs: 6, Travis Schoonover
Pitchers (min. 30 inn.): Jordan Walden (R, 6-4, 49.2 inn., 58K, 2.26 ERA)
Eddie Wilkins (R, 6-0, 45.1 inn., 62K, 1.24 ERA)

ROCKFORD LUTHERAN CRUSADERS (26-5)
Head coach Neal Bertram (435 career wins) guides Rockford Lutheran to its first state final appearance in his 31st year at the helm of the program. The Crusaders have offensive depth with seven regulars in the lineup hitting .308 or better, while the team has averaged nearly 10 runs per game during its current 11-game win streak.
Batting Average: .384, Brady West
Runs: 29, Justin Mercer
RBI: 41, Brady West
Home Runs: 9, Brady West
Pitchers (min. 30 inn.): Johnny Sanchez (R, 7-0, 50.2 inn., 72K, 1.66 ERA)
Justin Mercer (L, 6-0, 50 inn., 63K, 1.40 ERA)
Grant Bliss (R, 6-0, 31.1 inn., 22K, 1.12 ERA)

TOURNAMENT HISTORY
77th annual State Series
9th year of 4-Class Series
6th year at Dozer Park


SITE
Dozer Park (Peoria)
Directions


WEATHER
Updates/delays posted on Twitter at @IHSAWeather


SCHEDULE
Friday, June 3
Class 1A Semifinals
10:00 a.m.
Salt Fork vs. Somonauk

12:00 p.m.
Goreville vs. Okawville

Class 2A Semifinals
3:00 p.m.
Murphysboro vs. St. Joseph-Ogden

5:00 p.m.
Reed-Custer vs. Rockford Lutheran

Saturday, June 4
Class 1A Finals
9:00 a.m. - Third-Place
11:30 p.m. - Championship

Class 2A Finals
3:00 p.m. - Third-Place
5:30 p.m. - Championship


TICKETS
$6 per day


WATCH
All games available live on www.IHSA.tv


LISTEN
WSPY 107.1 FM (Plano)
Online Broadcast
Somonauk games

WDAN 1490 AM (Danville)
Online Broadcast
Salt Fork games

WHCO 1230 AM (Sparta)
Online Broadcast
Okawville games

WNSV 104.7 FM (Nashville)
Online Broadcast
Okawville games

WPXN 104.9 FM (Paxton)
Online Broadcast
St. Joseph-Ogden games

WCSJ 103.1 FM (Morris)
Reed-Custer games


RESULTS & BOX SCORES
IHSA Baseball Page


SOCIAL MEDIA
#IHSA on Twitter
Twitter - @IHSAstate

Twitter Weather Updates

Instagram - @IHSA_IL

Facebook.com/IHSA.IL

Classic IHSA YouTube Video


OFFICIAL STATE FINAL
Gear from Minerva

Photos from VIP

Balls from Wilson

Souvenir Program


STUDENT SAFETY
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HISTORY & RECORDS
2016 1A State Series

2016 2A State Series

Record Book & Past Champions