By Drake Skleba
Senior Writer

Back on May 19, 170 schools had dreams of being a member of the Class 2A Final Four at Dozer Park in Peoria on Friday, June 6. After two weeks of fierce competition throughout the state, only four remain. Pleasant Plains returns, after taking home the 2013 Class 2A second-place trophy. The Cardinal, under venerable  head Dave Greer, are hoping for one more win in Peoria than they accomplished in 2013.

Freeburg, from the mighty East-Metro section of St.Louis, are  back in the finals after finishing second in Class single A in  2002 under legendary Midget coach Fred Blumberg. The Midgets also took home the Class A state championship in 1989.

Byron, on the Rock River, set a school record this season with 35 wins under the tutelage of head coach Ray Bielskis.

Westmont, the two-time Interstate 8 North Conference champions, arrive in Peoria with dreams of bringing home another Class 2A State Championship for the I-8 North. 2013 Class 2A State Champion Lisle, which defeated Pleasant Plains for the 2013 title, also resides in the rugged I-8 North. In fact the two schools are just four miles apart, connected by Ogden Avenue (Old Plank Road). The schools annually in all-sports participate in the Old Plank Road Rivalry between the two DuPage County schools.

Semifinal 1

3:00 p.m.

Pleasant Plains (29-11) vs. Freeburg (30-8)

Pleasant Plains - The Cardinals return to Peoria after taking home the 2013 Class 2A second-place trophy back to Sangamon County. A pair of juniors, Mitch Koehler and Chad Weller, anchor the Cardinal pitching staff in 2014. Koehler is 11-2 with a 2.33 ERA to lead the Cardinal staff while Weller is 6-2 with a miniscule 1.33 ERA. Junior Dylan Bee and freshman Cole Greer lead the Plains attack. Bee is hitting .378 with three bombs and 28 RBI while Greer is hitting .360 with 28 RBI. Junior Cole Hamilton leads the Cardinal with a .413 average and has driven home 22 Cardinal runs.

Dave Greer is in in his 25th year at the Sangamo Conference school with a 586-219 record. Back in the Pleasant Plains High School trophy case, a complete set resides, with the Cardinals winning the 2000 Class A state championship, finishing second last year, third in 1995  and fourth in 2004.

Freeburg - The Midgets roll into Peoria from the rugged Metro-East section of St.Louis on the wings of an 11-game winning streak. Senior Nick Young enters this weekend with an unblemished 8-0 record with a 1.42 ERA. Senior Milton Pinkston is 7-2 with a microscopic 0.97 ERA. Pinkston leads the Midget staff with 80 punchouts. Sophomore Keegan Baxmeyer is hitting .412 with four homers and a team-leading 39 RBI. Junior Derrick Rozycke adds a .392 mark with 31 RBI while junior Cody Siebenberger leads the Midgets with a .452 average with 17 RBI. Head Coach Drew Gerke is in his fourth year at the St. Clair County school with a 81-51 record.

Semifinal 2, 5:30 p.m.

Byron (35-5) vs. Westmont (28-7-1)
Byron - The Big Northern Conference West Division champs won more games than any other Byron team in history in 2014. Tiger ace senior Nathan Peterson anchors the Byron staff with a 12-0 record with a 1.23 ERA. Peterson has fanned 95 opposing batters in his 85.1 innings of work on the mound. Senior lefty Dan Lowe is 8-1 with a 1.93 ERA with 81 strikeouts in 65.1 innings pitched. Seniors Jack Fleeger and Ben Reibel lead the Tiger attack. Fleeger is hitting .443 with five bombs and 39 RBI while Reibel checks in at a .372 clip with five bombs and 39 RBI. Byron Head Coach Ray Bielskis is in his seventh year at the Ogle County school with a 156-87 record. The Tigers took home the 1995 Class A second-place trophy back to Ogle County.

Westmont - The Interstate 8 North Champion Sentinels roll into Peoria on a 10-game winning streak and a school record 28 wins in 2014. Junior shortstop Charlie Donovan leads the Sentinels into Dozer Park with a .500 batting average, 50 runs scored, six homers and 47 RBI. Senior Tommy Franczak adds a .407 average with five bombs and a team-leading 49 RBI. On the mound senior Zach Moran is the Sentinel ace with a 7-1 mark with a 1.42 ERA. The Michigan-recruit Charlie Donovan can pitch too. In seven games this year on the mound Donovan is 3-0 with four saves and has yet to allow a run. Head Coach DJ Cocks is in his third season at the DuPage County school with a 58-33-1 record. Westmont did not place in its only State Final appearance in 1989.