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IHSA 3A/4A State Playoff Semifinal Recap

June 11, 2022
By: Peter Hamot
Area Scout, Staff Writer

On Friday, June 10th, the IHSA 3A and 4A state semifinal matchups took place at Duly Health and Care Field, home of the Joliet Slammers. Eight teams across both classifications competed for a spot in the state championship game and for an opportunity to hoist up high school baseball’s most coveted prize. 

Our staff was on hand for all four games and you’ll find a recap of Friday’s action in its entirety below.

3A

 Glenwood 2, Washington 1

Glenwood and Washington squared off Friday morning in what ended up being a pitcher’s duel. Runs were at a premium throughout the contest, as both teams combined for only three hits on the day. The Titans of Glenwood eventually came out on top by the score of 2-1 and will now face Nazareth Academy in the 3A State Finals. 

Louisville commit Parker Detmers (2023) turned in exactly what the Titans needed on the mound, tossing a complete game one-hitter while racking up 14 strikeouts. The future Cardinal showed off exceptional command for his fastball, holding 90-91 mph throughout his outing and topping out at 93 mph a couple times. His breaking ball was the separator though, flipping it in at any time with late/sharp 11/5 action, ranging from 73-78 mph. He also flashed a late diving changeup at 82-84 mph, thrown with arm-speed and deception.  

In the top of the fifth inning, Wabash Valley bound catcher Will Plattner (Glenwood, 2022) went on to drive a triple to the right-center gap, driving in Cru Erickson (2024) who walked earlier in the frame and making the score 1-0 at the time. Eli Curtis (2022) would go on to bring in Glenwood’s second run of the game with a ball in play to first, pushing the Titans’ lead to 2-0 at the time.  

Kyler Klings got Washington on the board in the bottom of the fifth to make it 2-1, roping a single to left-field and bringing in Tyler Bishop (2022), who walked earlier in the frame. 

Bradley commit Gus Lucas (2022) got the nod for the Panthers and threw well over his six innings of work; only allowing one earned run on two hits, five walks and six strikeouts.  

Notable Performances:
Parker Detmers (Glenwood): 7IP, 1H, 1ER, 14K, BB
Gus Lucas (Washington): 6IP, 2H, 1ER, 6K, 5BB
Will Plattner (Glenwood): 1-for-4, 3B, RBI

Nazareth 16, Crystal Lake South 3 

Nazareth Academy and Crystal Lake South squared off for the second 3A matchup of the day on Friday morning and saw the Roadrunners win by the score of 16-3. It was an offensive clinic for Naz, as they tallied 14 hits during the contest to advance to the State Finals against Glenwood. 

The Roadrunners broke things open in the top of the third inning, pushing across six runs to extend their lead to 8-0 at the time. Morton College commit Luke Brabham (2022) started things off with a single up the middle to plate one run, making the score 3-0 with the heart of the order still due up. A fielder’s choice from Louisville commit Nick Drtina (2024) plated one more and left men on first and second, followed by a single from David Cox (2024) to load the bases. Fellow Louisville commit Jaden Fauske (2025) then stepped in and delivered a bases-clearing triple, pushing the Roadrunners’ lead to 6-0 at the time. Saint Ambrose commit Sam Wampler (2022) would then follow suit with a single to bring home Fauske, followed by an RBI double from Luca Fiore (2024), making it 8-0 before the third inning was even complete.  

Nazareth was able to push across four more runs in the top of the seventh inning thanks to a bases-loaded walk to Indiana commit Cooper Malamazian (2024), followed by a bases-clearing triple from the aforementioned Luke Brabham.  

Nazareth’s offense was firing on all cylinders throughout the entire game, putting up runs in every single inning except for the first. They got the scoring started in the top of the second with two runs, highlighted by a fielder’s choice from Jaden Fauske and a sacrifice fly from Sam Wampler to get out to an early 2-0 lead. They added on two more in the top of the fourth inning, with Illinois-Chicago commit Lucas Smith (2022) scoring on an error and David Cox notching an RBI double, making it 10-0 at the time. Nazareth would go on to add a run in both the fifth and sixth innings to round out their scoring. 

The Gators of Crystal Lake South would not go down quietly though, as they were able to put up three runs in the bottom of the fourth. A two-out triple from Mark DeCicco (2022), followed by back-to-back walks to Chris Kahle (2022) and Joey Weldon (2023) set up Illinois-Chicago commit Ysen Useni (2022) - who went on to smoke a bases-clearing triple to right-field and bring the score to 10-3 at the time.  

Parkland commit Sebastian Gutierrez (2022) got the nod for the Roadrunners and fired a complete game with two hits, three earned runs, seven strikeouts and five walks to notch the win.  

Notable Performances:
David Cox (Nazareth): 4-for-4, 2 2B, RBI, 3R
Luke Brabham (Nazareth): 2-for-5, 3B, 4RBI
Luca Fiore (Nazareth): 2-for-3, 2B, RBI, R
Sam Wampler (Nazareth): 2-for-3, 2RBI
Jaden Fauske (Nazareth): 1-for-3, 4RBI, R
Cooper Malamazian (Nazareth): 1-for-3, 2RBI, 2R, 2BB
Ysen Useni (Crystal Lake South): 1-for-2, 3B, 3RBI
Mark DeCicco (Crystal Lake South): 1-for-2, 3B, R
Sebastian Gutierrez (Nazareth): 7IP, 2H, 3ER, 7K, 5BB

4A

Edwardsville 7, Brother Rice 4

In a heavy-weight battle between Edwardsville and Brother Rice, it was Edwardsville who came out on top by the score of 7-4. A late offensive charge from the Tigers proved to be the difference, as they came back from a three-run deficit to advance to the 4A State Finals. 

Edwardsville found themselves down 3-0 entering the bottom of the third inning. Indiana State commit Riley Iffrig started the scoring with a single to the right side to make it 3-1, scoring St. Charles CC commit Grant Huebner (2022), who walked earlier in the frame. A bases-loaded hit-by-pitch and a sac-fly from Cole Hardy (2022) notched the game at three runs. With two outs and Montez West standing on third, the uncommitted junior took off down the line, stealing home and giving the Tigers the lead by the score of 4-3. 

In the bottom of the fourth, the Tigers were looking to add some insurance to their slim lead, and that's exactly what they did. Cole Funkhouser (2023) led off the frame with a walk, followed by a single from Gannon Burns (2022), putting men on first and second with no one out. Grant Huebner would then step in and drive a ball deep to center for a triple, driving in both Funkhouser and Burns to push the Tigers’ lead to 6-3 at the time. Uncommitted senior Spencer Stearns would go on to bring Huebner home with a sac fly to right, extending their lead to 7-3 after four innings of play. 

Brother Rice got out to an early 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning. Louisville commit Zion Rose barreled up a ball to center to plate Purdue commit Amir Gray (2023), who singled earlier in the frame - as well as Bryce Nevils (2023) who reached with a double. 

The Crusaders were able to push across a run in both the third and the sixth innings to bring the score to 7-4, but that's all their offense would be able to put together. 

Alec Marchetto (2024) came out of the ‘pen for the Tigers and notched the three inning save to help send the Tigers to the 4A State Finals. 

Notable Performances:
Amir Gray (Brother Rice): 2-for-4, 2B, RBI, 2R
Grant Huebner (Edwardsville): 1-for-3, 3B, 2RBI, 2R
Zion Rose (Brother Rice): 2-for-3, 2RBI
Spencer Stearns (Edwardsville): 1-for-3, 2B, RBI
Cade Hardy (Edwardsville): 1-for-2, 2B, RBI
Riley Iffrig (Edwardsville): 1-for-3, RBI, R

Mundelein 12, McHenry 0

There was no shortage of offense in the nightcap at Joliet, as the Mustangs of Mundelein took down the Warriors of McHenry by the score of 12-0. 

The Mustangs had their offense rolling in the back half of the contest, particularly the seventh inning; pushing across six runs to take complete control of the game. After an error brought in Christian Seminaro (2023), Daniel Connelly (2023) stepped in and singled to right to bring home Wisconsin Eau-Claire commit Connor Weik (2022) to make it 8-0 - followed by a steal of home by Chris Callas (2023) to push the lead to 9-0. Michael Farina would then go on to double to left, scoring Lucas Ganan (2023) and making it 10-0, followed by an RBI double from Illinois State commit Daniel Pacella (2022). Pacella would go on to score the final run of the game thanks to a defensive miscue, heading to the bottom half of the seventh with a 12-0 lead. 

In the top of the fifth inning, Seminaro added an RBI to his tally by ripping a single to left, plating Eastern Illinois commit Drew Wellington (2022) who doubled earlier in the frame. A bases-loaded walk followed by a single from the aforementioned Weik extended the Mustangs’ lead to 6-0 at the time. 

The game remained scoreless until the top of the third inning, that was until Wellington laid down a sacrifice bunt to bring home Connelly, who reached via an error. Pacella followed up with an RBI single to center, bringing in Michael Farina (2023) and making it 2-0 at the time. 

Bennett Musser (2023) got the nod for the Mustangs and was nails throughout his entire outing, tossing a complete game shutout with only one hit allowed, four strikeouts and three walks.

Lleyton Grubich (2023) toed the rubber for the Warriors and despite receiving the loss, was still impressive. The southpaw fired five innings with only one earned run, seven hits, nine strikeouts and one walk. 

Notable Performances:
Bennett Musser (Mundelein): 7IP, 1H, 0ER, 4K, 3BB
Daniel Pacella (Mundelein): 2-for-4, 2B, 2RBI, 2R, BB
Michael Farina (Mundelein): 2-for-3, 3B, RBI, 2R
Connor Weik (Mundelein): 2-for-4, 2RBI, R
Christian Seminaro (Mundelein): 2-for-4, RBI, 2R
Drew Wellington (Mundelein): 1-for-4, 2B, RBI, R
Lleyton Grubich (McHenry): 5IP, 7H, 1ER, 9K, BB

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