Local Sports

HS Softball: Seven Run Fourth Inning Propels Monticello Over Argenta-Oreana

In a game heard on WEZC and at dewittdailynews.com, Monticello sent 13 batters to the plate and scored seven runs in the fourth inning to get by Argenta-Oreana 13-6 in non-conference high school girl's softball action Monday at Monticello High School.

 

With the score tied at two in the bottom of the fourth, the rally started with the bottom of the Lady Sages lineup reaching base. Emma Stoerger led off the frame with a walk, Catie Swartz singled through the right side of the infield, Isabella Beery was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Avery Schweitzer singled in two runs from the ninth spot in the lineup to put Monticello up 4-2. 

 

Everything the rest of the inning was station-to-station but five runs later, Monticello led 9-2 with RBIs from Marrissa Miller, Reese Patton, and Lynsee Trybom.

 

Miller was the ServPro of Piatt/DeWitt County Player of the Game, finishing 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles, four runs scored, a stolen base and a run batted in. She reached base four times with a pair of walks in addition to her two doubles.

 

Patton finished 3-for-5 for Monticello. Beery finished 2-for-3 with a pair of runs and Schweitzer was 2-for-4 with a pair of runs for the Lady Sages.

 

Freshman Cassidee Stoeffel picked up the win in circle for Monticello. She also went 2-for-5 with a pair of RBIs at the plate.

 

The Lady Bombers appeared to go up 2-1 in the top of the third inning. Leadoff hitter Abbey Matthews was batting with a runner on first base and nobody out and blasted a home run to left center field. But the runner in front of her missed home plate coming home and Matthews touched home plate before the runner could go back and touch the plate. The runner was called out making Matthews home run a solo home run to tie the score at 1.

 

The Lady Bombers sent nine batters to the plate in the top of the seventh inning but could only scratch across two runs. 

 

Argenta-Oreana was led by Matthews who finished 2-for-4 with a home run and scored two runs. Gracie Manning finished 1-for-4 with an RBI and scored twice, Abby Jackson reached base three times drawing two walks and was hit by pitch. She scored a run. 

 

Brynn Jones was 2-for-4 for the Lady Bombers with a run scored.

 

Argenta-Oreana drops to 0-2 in the early season while Monticello improves to 1-1.

 

Join us on Wednesday, April 12 for our next Lady Sages broadcast on WEZC and dewittdailynews.com when they travel to Clinton for a non-conference road matchup at 4:30 pm. 

HS Softball: Olympia Blanks Clinton

The Olympia High School softball team beat Clinton 11-0 Monday afternoon at Clinton High School in non-conference high school girl's softball action.

 

The Spartans scored four runs in the second and third innings and added three more runs in the fifth inning to win a ten-run rule game in five innings. 

 

Clinton's Kylee Isaac and Heidi Humble recorded the only two hits for the Lady Maroons. 

 

Clinton is 1-1 on the season. The Lady Maroons are at LeRoy this afternoon. 

HS Baseball: Mt. Pulaski Rolls Central A&M

Jackson Fricke and Landon Smith went deep leading Mt. Pulaski to a 16-1, four-inning romp over Central A&M Monday in non-conference high school boy's baseball action from Moweaqua.

 

Fricke added a double and a pair of RBIs. Liam Smith went 2-for-2 with a triple and a two RBIs while Chance Payne was 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles and three RBIs. 

 

Evan Cooper threw three shutout innings, striking out eight and allowed two hits. 

 

Monday's game was the first of the season for the Hilltoppers, making them 1-0 on the young season. They will travel to Nokomis today for a non-conference matchup.

HS Softball: Armstrong Blanks Blue Ridge

The Blue Ridge Lady Knights fell in non-conference high school girl's softball action 8-0 Monday in Farmer City.

 

Ellie Schlieper struck out 12 in seven innings for work for Blue Ridge despite surrendering eight runs. Alexis Wike, Lily Summers and Lily Enger recorded hits for the Lady Knights.

 

Blue Ridge falls to 0-2 on the season. They host Decatur St. Teresa this afternoon.

Bulls Outlast Sixers in Double Overtime

Zach LaVine scored 26 points, DeMar DeRozan had 25 and the Chicago Bulls defeated Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers 109-105 in double overtime Monday night to snap their eight-game winning streak.

 

Nikola Vucevic added 21 points and 12 rebounds for the Bulls, who have won three games in a row and five of six. Chicago is jostling for the final playoff spot in the East.

 

Embiid had 37 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks before fouling out with 3:54 left in the second overtime. It was the 10th straight game in which he has scored at least 30 points.

 

The teams meet again in the second game of a home-and-home on Wednesday night in Chicago.

 

Philadelphia could’ve clinched a playoff spot with a victory, but the 76ers struggled once Embiid left the court after a foul on LaVine.

 

Tyrese Maxey hit an elbow jumper and Tobias Harris followed with a baseline jumper to put the 76ers ahead 105-101 with 2:36 left in the second OT. But those were the last points Philadelphia scored, with Embiid only able to watch from the bench.

 

Maxey, who finished with 17 points, air-balled a pair of 3-point attempts and misfired on a drive. The 76ers still were down by just two late, but Derrick Jones Jr. blocked James Harden’s jumper and Harris missed on a chance. Coby White got the rebound and made two free throws with six seconds to play to clinch it.

 

The 76ers had a chance to win in regulation, but Maxey’s 3 at the buzzer was off the mark.

 

Chicago could’ve ended it after the first overtime, but DeRozan’s 3 at the buzzer went off the heel of the rim.

 

Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball had surgery for a cartilage transplant in his left knee.

 

Ball is out indefinitely after a third surgery on the knee in a little more than a year.

 

Ball hasn’t played in more than a year and Chicago ruled him out for the season last month. The 25-year-old former No. 2 overall draft pick averaged 13 points and 5.4 rebounds in 35 games with the Bulls in 2021-22.

 

Alex Caruso (left foot) did not play. Caruso left in the second quarter of a 113-99 win over the Heat on Saturday night.

Avalanche Blank Blackhawks

Alexandar Georgiev made 27 saves and Denis Malgin had two goals and an assist, helping the surging Colorado Avalanche beat the Chicago Blackhawks 5-0 on Monday night.

 

Mikko Rantanen got his 47th goal and an assist as the Avs posted their sixth consecutive win. Logan O’Connor and Kurtis MacDermid also scored.

 

Georgiev’s fifth shutout of the season and No. 13 for his career lifted Colorado (41-22-6) into a tie with idle Minnesota for second place in the Central Division with 88 points, one behind Dallas. The Avalanche have played one less game than the Wild and Stars.

 

Alex Stalock stopped 27 shots for Chicago, which has dropped two straight.

 

The Blackhawks are at the Washington Capitals on Thursday night.

Packers Resign Ford, Ballentine

The Green Bay Packers have re-signed safety Rudy Ford and cornerback Corey Ballentine.

 

Both signings were announced Monday. Terms weren’t disclosed.

 

Ford joined the Packers just before the start of the 2022 season and made a career-high six starts while playing all 17 games. He had 40 tackles and a career-high three interceptions along with a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Ford also had four special teams tackles.

 

The 28-year-old Ford previously played for Arizona (2017-18), Philadelphia (2019-20) and Jacksonville (2021).

 

Ballentine joined the Packers practice squad last September and was promoted to the active roster in November. He played eight games for the Packers and had one tackle on defense and four more on special teams.

 

Ballentine, who turns 27 on April 13, also has played for the Giants (2019-20), Jets (2020) and Detroit (2021).

Arkansas holds off Illinois 73-63 with big defensive effort

Ricky Council IV scored 18 points and Arkansas survived some anxious moments in the second half against an Illinois team that wouldn't go away, holding on to beat the Illini 73-63 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday.

 

Devo Davis had 16 points for the eighth-seeded Razorbacks, who used relentless defense and rebounding to build big leads but couldn't get comfortable until the final minute.

 

Terrence Shannon Jr., held scoreless the first 16 minutes, finished with 20 points to lead the Illini (20-13). 

 

Anthony Black intercepted Coleman Hawkins' cross-court pass and Council missed the fast-break dunk when he would have been better served to lay it in. 

 

Council atoned for his missed dunk with a layup to end a 4-minute, 13-second scoring drought, and his two free throws with 1:18 left put the Razorbacks up 68-57.

 

Arkansas led by as many as 14 points in the first half and went to the locker room ahead 36-26 following a scrambling play under the basket where Kamani Johnson battled three Illinois players for a loose ball.

 

Arkansas' defense was on point from the outset, holding the Illini to 28% shooting in the first half and 38.5% for the game. The Hogs scored 19 points off Illinois' 17 turnovers.

Stalock's 35 saves lead Blackhawks over Predators 2-1

Alex Stalock made 35 saves to lead the Chicago Blackhawks over the Nashville Predators 2-1 on Thursday night.

 

Lukas Reichel and Joey Anderson scored for Chicago.

 

Roman Josi scored late and Juuse Saros stopped 19 shots for Nashville.

 

Reichel was credited with the game’s first goal with 47 seconds remaining in the opening period.

 

The Blackhawks entered the Nashville zone on a 2-on-1 break. On the left side, Reichel’s pass attempt was blocked by the stick of sliding Predators defenseman Dante Fabbro. The puck deflected off Fabbro’s stick and on net. Saros stopped it, but Fabbro’s momentum caused him to crash into Saros and knock both the goaltender and the puck into the net in the process.

 

Stalock denied Matt Duchene on a penalty shot at 13:40 of the second period. Duchene fumbled the puck and did not get much on a wrist shot that was easily turned aside by Stalock.

 

The penalty shot was awarded when Stalock was whistled for throwing his stick as Nashville’s Rasmus Asplund stickhandled behind the Chicago net.

 

Stalock’s best save of the game came at 11:15 of the first, when he denied Philip Tomasino on a breakaway. Tomasino tried to snap a wrist shot between Stalock’s pads, but the goaltender was able to squeeze them together just in time.

 

Anderson added an insurance goal at 8:01 of the third off an assist from Boris Katchouk, who has four points in his last two games.

 

Josi spoiled Stalock’s shutout bid with 24.5 seconds remaining and Saros pulled for an extra skater.

HS Baseball: Maroons Defeat Hornets

The Clinton Maroons came back from an 0-1 deficit to defeat the Heyworth Hornets 10-5 in the season opener for both teams Wednesday afternoon.

 

Mason Walker got the win pitching 4 1/3 innings allowing 3 runs (2 earned) on no hits while striking out 11 and walking 4. Walker led the Maroons at bat going 3-4 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI. Braden Thayer was 3 for 4 with a double.

 

Brady Wicklander took the loss for Heyworth pitching 3 1/3 innings allowing 3 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits while striking out 2 and giving up 2 walks.

 

Clinton improves to 1-0 while Heyworth drops to 0-1. The Maroons travel to Lexington Friday to take on the Minutemen.

HS Baseball: Monticello Topples Villa Grove

In a game heard on WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com, the top of the Monticello lineup flexed its muscle Wednesday afternoon, leading the Sages to a route of Villa Grove, 11-1 in five-innings from Monticello High School. 

 

Jacob Trusner was a home run shy of the cycle and Biniam Leinhart had two triples to lead Monticello offensively. 

 

Trusner and Leinhart headline a first five of the Sages lineup that were instrumental in guiding Monticello to an elite appearance last year.

 

Leinhart scored three runs, Trusner scored three runs and drove in two runs while Colton Vance and Logan Chupp each had two RBIs apiece. 

 

In his first start of the season, senior Jack Buckalew was sharp, striking out seven in two scoreless innings. He had a strikeout but a passed ball allowed the his only baserunner to reach.

 

Junior Luke Teschke struggled with his command in an inning of work. He struck out three and walked three.

 

Buckalew's sharp start to the season earned him the ServPro of Piatt/DeWitt County Player of the Game. 

 

The Sages are 1-0 on the season and head to Carbondale for four games in two days on its annual spring break trip this weekend. 

 

Hear Monticello girl's softball on Monday when they host Argenta-Oreana and then boy's baseball on Thursday when they host Oakwood. Each game is a 4:30 pm first pitch and can be heard on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com. 

Harper, Mabee Shut Down Western Illinois in Illinois State's 6-1 Home-Opening Win

Freshman Thomas Harper and fourth-year Cameron Mabee recorded 26 outs before allowing a run in Illinois State's 6-1 win over Western Illinois to open the Redbirds' home slate.

 

Harper recorded his first career win after throwing 5.2 innings with six strikeouts while Mabee tallied his first save of the season after throwing 3.1 innings and allowing one run.

 

The Redbirds (6-8 overall), despite scoring six runs, had just one run-scoring hit as fourth-year junior Greg Nichols doubled home a run in the 8th inning.

 

Western Illinois drops to 3-13.

Illini Drop Home Opener in Extras to Indiana State

Illinois baseball (7-6) fell in their home opener in extra innings, 7-3, to Indiana State (8-8) at Illinois Field.

 

The ballgame was sent to extras when Illinois scored three times in the bottom of the seventh. Brody Harding and Danny Doligale set the table with walks, with Harding scoring on a double from Branden Comia. Cam McDonald followed with a two-run single to tie the game. Drake Westcott followed with a single of his own, but Indiana State was able to retire the next three batters to get out of the inning.

 

The visitors had led since the fourth inning, scoring three times in the frame to take the 3-0 lead. After an RBI-groundout by the Sycamores opened the scoring, the inning was extended on an error, leading to two unearned runs.

 

Jake Swartz took the mound to start the game for the Illini, and the freshman allowed just two runs, one earned, in 3.1 innings of work, scattering five hits and striking out four.

 

After the three-run fourth, Logan Tabeling, John Lundgren, TJ Constertina and Jack Wenninger combined to toss five scoreless innings, allowing three hits and whiffing three.

Illinois, Arkansas: Two Very Similar Teams

An 8/9 matchup to likely face top-seeded Kansas happens today in Des Moines, Iowa when Illinois meets up with Arkansas in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.

 

IlliniHQ beat writer Bob Asmussen says Illinois and Arkansas are very similar teams in they have a great deal of talent but have been very inconsistent this year.

 

 

Illinois had a disappointing finish to the regular season as the Illini let some winnable games slip through and an early exit in the NCAA tournament. Asmussen says it was a missed opportunity to build momentum.

 

 

Illinois and Arkansas battle it out today in the opening round of the NCAA tournament at 3:30 pm. The winner likely gets Kansas. 

Clinton Baseball Set to Open Season at Heyworth

The Clinton Maroons will open the 2023 spring baseball season this afternoon at Heyworth High School and in his final season, Coach John Hickman really likes the group of young men he will lead this year.

 

The veteran coach indicates this is one of the deepest rosters he's had in some time. He points out though, it's a young group of players that don't know his system.

 

 

Coach Hickman believes this edition of the Clinton Maroons is really going to surprise some teams. He really likes his pitching this year with four solid arms he feels he can turn to.

 

 

Coach Hickman is excited about what he's seeing from his players when they are taking batting practice, noting an increase in pop this year.

 

 

In his last year at the reigns of the Clinton baseball program, Coach Hickman is trying to focus too much on that. He really likes this group of young men and looks forward to coaching them this year.

 

 

Last year, defense was a big problem for Clinton. Coach Hickman says one thing about this team is they are able to move players around with kids that offer a great deal of versatility.

 

Hear Maroons baseball action throughout the season on WHOW and its many online platforms. Check out the baseball schedule today at dewittdailynews.com. 

Wisconsin Rolls Bradley in NIT

Steven Crowl scored a career-high 36 points and Wisconsin cruised to an 81-62 victory over Bradley on Tuesday night in the first round of the NIT.

 

Crowl buried 12 of 16 shots from the floor, including 5 of 7 from 3-point range, and all seven of his free throws for the second-seeded Badgers, who advance to play No. 3 seed Liberty in the second round. Crowl, a junior, topped his previous high by 11 points. He also grabbed nine rebounds. Max Klesmit totaled 16 points and three steals, while Connor Essegian was 9 of 9 at the foul line and scored 14.

 

Rienk Mast scored 14 points to lead the Braves (25-10). Zek Montgomery added 12 points.

 

Crowl scored 19 points in the first half to guide the Badgers to 40-35 lead at halftime. Crowl scored 17 in the second half and Klesmit added 13 to help Wisconsin pull away.

Bears Make Bevvy of Moves on First Day of Free Agency

The Chicago Bears made two big additions at linebacker, agreeing to contracts with Buffalo Bills two-time Pro Bowler Tremaine Edmunds and former Philadelphia Eagle T.J. Edwards.

 

Edmunds’ deal is worth $72 million over four years with $50 million guaranteed. Edwards is due $19.5 million over three years, with $12 million guaranteed.

 

The Bears also added to their offensive line, agreeing to a three-year, $30 million contract with Tennessee guard Nate Davis.

 

Edmunds gives the Bears the playmaking outside linebacker they’ve been seeking since they dealt Roquan Smith to Baltimore prior to last season’s trade deadline. Chicago made that move after an impasse in contract negotiations.

 

Edwards had a breakout year for a dominant defense in 2022 that helped lead the Eagles to the Super Bowl. He led the team with a personal-best 159 tackles from his middle linebacker position and set career highs with 10 tackles for loss and seven passes defended. In the Super Bowl loss to Kansas City, he had six tackles and a pass defended.

 

Davis, a third-round pick out of Charlotte by Tennessee in 2019, has started 54 games. He ended last season on injured reserve because of an ankle injury.

 

The Bears have added help on the defensive line, agreeing to a deal with former Tennessee Titans defensive end DeMarcus Walker.

 

Walker tweeted that he has an agreement in place with Chicago.

 

Former Seattle Seahawks running back Travis Homer agreed to a two-year deal with Chicago worth as much as $4.5 million, agent Spencer Cannold said Tuesday night.

 

The Bears announced a two-year contract extension with fullback Khari Blasingame through the 2025 season and a one-year extension with long-snapper Patrick Scales on Tuesday. Offensive lineman Dieter Eiselen — an exclusive rights free agent — signed a one-year deal.

 

Walker is coming off his best year, with a career-high seven sacks in his lone season with the Titans. He played for Denver from 2017 to 2020 and Houston in 2021.

 

The Bears sorely needed help on the defensive line after finishing with a league-worst 20 sacks, their lowest total since the 2003 team had 18. A safety — Jaquan Brisker — led them with four sacks, and no lineman had more than three.

 

Homer has run for 453 yards and one touchdown in four seasons with Seattle. The Seahawks drafted him in the sixth round in 2019.

 

Blasingame played in 16 games and helped block for a ground attack that led the league with a franchise-record 3,014 yards rushing. 

 

The Bears set a franchise record for losses while finishing with a league-worst 3-14 record. They had one of the worst defenses in the NFL and, on offense, they had big issues in the passing game. But they’ve made some big moves since the end of the season.

 

The Bears agreed Friday to trade the No. 1 overall pick in the draft to Carolina, two people familiar with the deal said. Chicago addressed a big need for a playmaker to help quarterback Justin Fields by acquiring star receiver D.J. Moore from the Panthers along with the No. 9 and No. 61 overall picks in 2023, a first-rounder in 2024 and a second-rounder in 2025.

 

Chicago also hired Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren as team president and purchased a 326-acre plot of land in suburban Arlington Heights that the organization has been sizing up for a new enclosed stadium.

Blackhawks Double Up Bruins

Taylor Raddysh scored three goals and the Chicago Blackhawks beat Boston 6-3 on Tuesday night, handing the NHL-leading Bruins a second straight regulation loss for the first time this season.

 

Raddysh's first career hat trick gave him 20 goals for the season and six in his last four games. Chicago ended a three-game slide (0-2-1).

 

Boris Katchouk scored a tiebreaking goal at 6:59 of the third period and added two assists for his first three-point game.

 

Joey Anderson had a goal and an assist, and MacKenzie Entwistle also scored for Chicago, which entered tied for last place in the Western Conference.

 

Never mind that Boston came in with a whopping 55 more points than the Blackhawks.

 

Hampus Lindholm had a goal and an assist after missing the Bruins' game at Detroit on Sunday with a swollen foot. Trent Frederic and Pavel Zacha also scored for Boston.

 

Bruins top scorer David Pastrnak missed on a penalty shot with 1:24 left.

 

The Bruins entered with a league-best 105 points. They became the fastest team in NHL history to reach 50 wins in a season by beating the Red Wings 3-2 in Boston on Saturday. But the Bruins lost 5-3 at Detroit on Sunday and are 1-3-0 in their last four on the heels of a 10-game winning streak that propelled them to a big lead in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference.

 

Blackhawks goalie Petr Mrazek re-aggravated a groin injury that has bothered him the past two seasons and was replaced by Alex Stalock at 8:48 of the second period.

 

Mrazek, who stopped all 16 shots he faced, skated to the dressing room abruptly after dropping to the ice to make a couple of close-in saves on Frederic to keep Chicago ahead 1-0. About a minute earlier, Dmitry Orlov’s slap shot struck Mrazek in the mask.

 

Stalock stopped 23 of 26 shots in relief.

 

Linus Ullmark made 23 saves for Boston.

 

The Blackhawks are at Nashville on Thursday to start a five-game trip.

Young Lincoln Railers Baseball Team Aiming to Turn Some Heads

A young Lincoln Railers baseball team will look to turn some heads this season.

 

Coach Auggie Casson is very excited about this young group. A small group of seniors this year will pave the way for a solid young crop of players to make a statement.

 

 

According to Coach Casson, a big group of juniors will have to step up this season and he indicates it's a very versatile group. 

 

 

Coach Casson is excited about this team's defense. He likes the outfield speed that has and likes his team's chances if their pitchers can throw strikes.

 

 

Coach Casson feels his lineup will be as good as it's been. He's been impressed early with the way his players are swinging the bats. He also hopes his pitchers' early tendency to keep the ball in the strike zone will bode well for the season.

 

 

Lincoln High School added turf to its baseball and softball complex and gets to take advantage of that for the first time this year. Coach Casson praises this group's desire to be outside even if conditions are not ideal. He notes it takes a really bad weather day to keep this group inside. 

HS Girl's Softball: Healthy Lady Maroons Ready for New Season; Game Today Moved To Friday

After an injury-riddled 2022 spring softball season, the Clinton Lady Maroons are healthy and poised to take a step forward this spring.

 

The season is tentatively scheduled to open today and this week. Coach Andrea Rhoades is looking forward to having Ashley Armstrong back healthy in circle.

 

 

The Lady Maroons were very young in 2023 and have four seniors on this year's team to pair with some girl's that got a lot of great experience last year.

 

 

The Lady Maroons are scheduled to open the season this afternoon at Clinton High School at 4:30 pm hosting Decatur Eisenhower. Hear today's action, weather depending, on WHOW and its many online platforms.

 

*** Today's game has been rescheduled to Friday afternoon.  WHOW will carry Friday's game on all platforms. ***

HS Baseball: Monticello Dialed in After Last Year's Elite 8 Run

Last year was a magical sports season for the Monticello Sages boy's sports programs and it was capped off by an incredible run to the Springfield Supersectional where the Sages were knocked off by Maroa-Forsyth.

 

That run has this year's boy's baseball program dialed in, hungry to make it back to the elite 8 and then some. Coach Chris Jones says he can see it in the way his seven returners are approaching the first few weeks of practice.

 

 

Illinois State commit and junior Luke Teschke as well as Jack Buckalew highlight the top two arms for the Sages this spring. After that, Coach Chris Jones says it will be a strength in numbers for his pitching.

 

 

While the two arms at the top of the rotation will make the Sages very tough, Coach Jones says don't sleep on his team's offense. First baseman Jacob Trusner returns this year. Biniam Lienhart returns at the top of the order and several other players are swinging the bats well in the early going of spring practice.

 

 

Monticello travels to LeRoy this afternoon to open the season at 4:30 pm.

 

Hear weekly broadcasts of Monticello baseball again this season on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com starting on Wednesday at 4:30 pm when the Sages host Villa Grove at Monticello High School.

HS Softball: Monticello Softball to Lean on Young Players This Year

The Monticello girl's softball team will be a very young group coming into the 2023 spring softball season.

 

It has Coach Lauren Richardson very excited about the future as these are a lot of player she has coached at the junior high level and understand what kind of culture she wants at in the high school program.

 

 

According to Coach Richardson, the young players will be leaned on this year. Last year's team was very young and will still be a rather young team this spring.

 

 

Asking Coach Richardson what her favorite part of this team is and she feels the grit they bring to the game each day is something that will help them throughout the season.

 

 

The Sages open the season this afternoon hosting LeRoy at Monticello High School. Weather permitting, hear the action on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com. 

Illinois Draws 8-Seed, Takes on Arkansas Thursday

The bracket is officially set for the 2023 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.

 

The Fighting Illini (20-12) earned an at-large bid, the program's third consecutive bid under head coach Brad Underwood, as the No. 9 seed in the West region and will open their NCAA Tournament run against No. 8 seed Arkansas (20-13) in the first round on Thursday at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa. Game time is set for 3:30 p.m. CT and will be televised on TBS. 

 

Illinois is making its 33rd overall NCAA Tournament appearance, owning an all-time NCAA Tournament record of 42-33. 

Late Restart Benefits William Byron Again

It was a strange bit of déjà vu at Phoenix Raceway, as William Byron won his second straight Cup race by beating out his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson in overtime on Sunday.

 

His No. 24 Chevrolet got a great start in overtime with two laps left, and just like he did a week earlier at Las Vegas, he overtook Larson for the win. He also had to hold off Ryan Blaney, who finished second in his Penske Ford, while Tyler Reddick was third in the No. 45 Toyota for 23XI Racing.

 

Byron’s victory also denied Kevin Harvick his 10th win at Phoenix. Harvick’s Stewart-Haas No. 4 Ford passed Larson for the lead with 44 laps remaining, taking advantage of the long run under green-flag conditions that favored his car all afternoon.

 

But a yellow flag with 10 laps remaining dashed Harvick’s hopes.

 

Several drivers changed just two tires on the ensuing pit stop, but Harvick took four, falling back to seventh place for the restart with three laps left. He finished fifth.

 

Larson finished fourth, capping a frustrating finish.

 

All four Hendrick cars were inside the top 10. Alex Bowman was ninth while Josh Berry — filling in for the injured Chase Elliott — was 10th.

 

The three-race West Coast swing is over. NASCAR moves to Atlanta Motor Speedway next weekend.

Illinois, Illinois State Have Sunday Baseball Contests Canceled

Sunday's Illinois baseball game against Coastal Carolina was canceled due to impending inclement weather and travel plans.

 

The game will not be rescheduled.

 

The Fighting Illini will be back in action on Tuesday when they host Indiana State at Illinois Field in the 2023 home opener. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. CT.

 

The Illinois State baseball team's series finale at Nebraska has been canceled due to cold temperatures expected in Lincoln.

 

Game time "feels like" temperatures were expected to be in the low 20s. Nebraska won the first two game of the series 8-3 and 12-0.

 

Illinois State is scheduled to open its home slate with a series against Eastern Illinois on Friday. 

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