Baseball Playoff Primer: Providence Moves to Sectional Championship vs. DGS

The Sox and Cubs might not be worth the price of admission this season, but there's a lot of good ball being played in the south suburbs.

If you want to make it out and support one of the New Lenox high school baseball teams when playoffs begin this week, see below for all the information you need.

For our Softball Playoff Primer, click .

SECTIONALS:

Sectional Schedule: All games played at the Class 4A Neuqua Valley Sectional, 2360 95th St. in Naperville.

Wednesday, June 1

• Game 1: 5. defeats 1. , 6-4.

Thursday, June 2

• Game 2.: 2. defeats 3. , 5-2. Brandon Magallones was the winning pitcher.

Saturday, June 4

• Game 3, 10 a.m.: 2. Providence Catholic vs. 5.

Analysis: We won't get a dream matchup between No. 1-ranked Providence Catholic and No. 4 Plainfield North after Plainfield was upset Wednesday by Downers Grove South, 6-4, behind the arm of ace Nick Burdi. But with the Celtics' win on Thursday, they'll get a chance to move on to Super-Sectionals on Saturday.

Road to State: The winner of this sectional will take on a team that comes out of a down-state sectional that features Belleville East, Moline, Normal Community West and the winner of Edwardsville and Granite City, who play Monday. Not to have a Chicagoland bias, but the Neuqua Valley Sectional winner will advance in this super-sectional and make a trip to State.

Go to the Illinois High School Association website for a full list of teams and their playoff matchups, as well as the Class 4A bracket.

REGIONALS RECAP:

Regional schedule: All games, except game 1, played at the Class 4A Benet Academy Regional, 2200 Maple Ave. in Lisle.

Monday, May 23

• Game 1: 15. Metea Valley defeats 19. , 11-7
• Game 2: 9. Benet Academy defeats 23. Joliet Central, 15-4

Friday, May 27 (postponed from Thursday)

• Game 3 at 4:30 pm: 2. Providence Catholic defeats 15. Metea Valley, 6-1

Saturday, May 28

• Game 4: 9. Benet Academy defeats 7. , 12-0 (5 innings)

• Game 5.: 2. Providence Catholic defeats 9. Benet Academy, 3-0

Regional schedule: All games played at the Class 3A Lincoln-Way West Regional, 21701 Gougar Road in New Lenox.

Friday, May 27 (postponed from Thursday)

• Game 1 at 4 pm: 4. Rich Central defeats 13. Kankakee Sr., 2-0

• Game 2 at 6:30 pm: 5. defeats 12. Morgan Park, 2-1

Saturday, May 28

• Game 3 at 10 am: 4. Rich Central defeats 5. Lincoln-Way West, 7-5

Regional schedule: First-round games played at lower seeded team's field. After that, games are at the Class 4A Lockport Township Regional, 1333 E. 7th St. in Lockport.

Monday, May 23

• Game 1: 14. Waubonsie Valley defeats 20. , 11-3

• Game 2: 22. defeats 11. Lincoln-Way Central, 9-4.
  

Wednesday, May 25

• Game 3: 3. Neuqua Valley defeats 14. Waubonsie Valley, 11-3

Thursday, May 26

• Game 4: 6. Lockport Township defeats 22. Plainfield Central, 4-2

Saturday, May 28

• Game 5: 3. Neuqua Valley defeats 6. Lockport Township, 7-3