Sports

Wetzel Whets Providence Appetite for Postseason Party

Top-ranked Celtics finish regular season with 30 wins. No. 2 L-Way North poised to ride the pitching arm of Jake Harper.

1. Providence (30-3): Thirty wins, 15 good-weather baseball days? Dan Wetzel went 1-for-3 and had four RBIs in the Celtics’ 6-5 victory over Lockport. Next comes postseason play. Providence will face Oswego or Metea Valley at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Benet Regional. Last week: No. 1.

2. Lincoln-Way North (26-3): Phoenix close the regular season with a 14-4 victory over Shepard. Now, they’ll look to ride the pitching arm of Jake Harper in the Class 4A playoffs. North will face Thornwood or Argo at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Homewood-Flossmoor Regional. Last week: No. 2.

3. Sandburg (21-8): Eagles heating up at just the right time. Mike Malfeo went 3-for-4, including a two-run homer, and scored two runs in an 8-5 victory over Hinsdale South. Then, in the second game of a doubleheader, sophomore Austin Cangelosi clubbed two homers as Sandburg dropped the Hornets 9-3. Cangelosi was playing in his first varsity game. Last week: No. 3.

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4. Rich Central (20-6-1): The Olympians clinched their first conference baseball championship in more than 20 years with a 14-2 victory over Kankakee. Their reward? They’ll face Kankakee again at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday in a Class 3A regional game at Lincoln-Way West. Last week: Unranked.

5. Andrew (23-10): T-Bolts drop an 8-1 decision to Ryan Koziol and Brother Rice, their second straight setback. Now’s the time to right the ship. Andrew will face Chicago Kennedy or T.F. South at 4 p.m. Thursday in regional play on its home turf. Last week: 4.

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Next best (in alphabetical order): Chicago Christian, Lincoln-Way East, Lincoln-Way West, Oak Forest. Oak Lawn.

(Covering the following Patch communities: Chicago Heights, Evergreen Park, Frankfort, Homewood-Flossmoor, Mokena, New Lenox, Oak Forest, Oak Lawn, Orland, Palos, Tinley Park and the neighboring private schools that draw students from those communities).


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