By Drake Skleba

In the 2012 IHSA State Baseball Tournament this spring it was not beneficial to be a high-seed in its respective sectional complex. Numerous No. 1 seeds fell victim in the early rounds of the tournament to lower-seeded schools.

The trend continues this summer in the Phil Lawler/IHSBCA Summer State Tournamnet Classic. Only St. Laurence and Jacobs survived as No. 1 seeds to advance to the Final 4 semifinals of the eight respective regionals, being played Wednesday.

St. Laurence, which outlasted Brother Rice 10-8 at Viking Field in Burbank, on Tuesday, will meet its old friends from St. Rita, in the first semifinal of the Richards Regional at 11 today. On May 18 in a Steven M. Bajenski Memorial Tournament semifinal in Crestwood, St. Rita rallied past St. Laurence 6-5. The score has been forgotten but the brawl between the two teams on the field in the bottom of the sixth has not been.

St. Rita destroyed Reavis on Tuesday 17-5, to set up the very interesting semifinal matchup. Yours truly will be in Oak Lawn for the Catholic Blue rivals game.

Oak Forest (9-3) rallied past Catholic Blue power Mount Carmel 11-10 to advance to the second semifinal at Richards. The Bengals will meet 1 Marist (8-5-1)-who slipped past regional host Richards 8-7.

Jacobs (24-1) soared past South Elgin 6-2 at Lake Park on Tuesday. The top-seeded Golden Eagles will meet Rolling Meadows, a 6-5 winner over St. Viator, at noon in the first semifinal at Lake Park.

The hosts from Lake Park will meet Huntley in semifinal 2 at 3 in Roselle. LakePark blasted Schaumburg 11-0 and Huntley defeated Prospect 5-3.

Defending IHSBCA/Lawler Classic State Champion Lincoln-Way North hammered Plainfleid North 14-5 and Joliet Catholic Academy blanked Bradley-Bourbonnais 9-0 to set up a semifinal 2 at Lockport at 2 today. Yours truly will make the trek to Lockport from Oak Lawn after Laurence and Rita battle.

In the other semifinal at 11:30, Andrew will meet Southwest Suburban rival Joliet West. Andrew outlasted Lincoln-Way East 13-11 at Ed Flink Field in Lockport Tuesday night. Joliet West, behind Tiger ace RHP Jake Herron, dispatched Lincoln-Way Central 7-2.

At Fenwick, No. 1 seed Nazareth was ambushed by Maine West 3-1.  Defending Class 4A state champion Oak Park-River Forest outslugged St. Patrick 9-7 and will meet Maine West in semifinal 1 at 2.

Class 4A state runner-up Lyons Township blanked York 5-0 behind a four-hit shutout from Lion ace LHP Keith Lehmann. Lehmann struck out eight as the Lions defeated Duke ace RHP River Pitlock.

St. Joseph will meet LT at 4:30 after the Chargers slid past Glenbard West 8-7.

At Palatine- 2:00 Niles West-Glenbrook North winner vs. Maine South

 4:30-New Trier vs. Fremd

At Libertyville 1:00 Grayslake Central vs. Wauconda

4:00  Carmel vs. McHenry

At Glenbard South 2:00 Aurora Central Catholic vs. Montini

    4:30 Glenbard East vs. Wheaton Warrenville South

At St. Charles East 3:00 St. Charles East vs. Kaneland

                                 5:30 Crystal Lake South Cary-Grove