About the only opponent to slow down St. Joseph-Ogden baseball recently is the weather.
Persistent rain postponed Tuesday’s home showdown with rival Unity, but coach Josh Haley’s program is set to get back in action at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Mt. Zion, another quality nonconference test in a season that’s been full of them.
And the Spartans have passed nearly every test thrown in front of them this spring, compiling an impressive 21-2 record that has featured standout pitching and clutch hitting in nearly every game. SJO is a perfect 8-0 in Illini Prairie Conference play and is set to resume league action at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday at home against Pontiac.
Here’s a look at what’s happened during a busy three-week stretch for the Spartans and what’s up ahead the rest of the regular season:
WHAT’S HAPPENED
SJO 8, Unity 0 (May 17)
Junior Tyler Altenbaumer dazzled on the mound in Tolono, throwing a four-hit shutout and striking out 15 to guide the Spartans in an Illini Prairie win, the 11th shutout compiled by SJO pitching this season.
SJO took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third, added two more runs in the fourth and then tacked on four more in the seventh to keep the Rockets at bay. Junior Coby Miller finished 2 for 4 with two RBI to help lead SJO’s nine-hit output. Juniors Andrew Beyers and Keaton Nolan each added a hit and two RBI, while sophomore Ty Pence (2 for 3), senior Crayton Burnett (1 for 3, RBI) and junior Hayden Brazelton (1 for 2, two runs scored) also contributed.
SJO 11, Salt Fork 0 (May 15)
The Spartans scored at least one run in every inning during the five-inning nonconference home win, supplying plenty of offense for Brazelton and Pence.
The duo combined on a one-hit shutout, with Brazelton starting and going three innings, giving up Salt Fork’s lone hit while striking out six. Pence threw two hitless innings of relief, garnering three strikeouts.
Altenbaumer delivered at the plate, going 2 for 4 with three RBI and a double. Beyers was consistent, going 2 for 2 with two RBI, two runs scored and two stolen bases. Senior Isaiah Immke (1 for 2, two RBI), senior Zach Martinie (1 for 2, RBI) and Pence (1 for 3, two runs scored, RBI) and Burnett (three runs scored, two stolen bases) all had solid games offensively as SJO led 3-0 after the first inning, 7-0 after the second, 8-0 after the third and 11-0 after the fourth.
SJO 2, Bloomington Central Catholic 0 (May 13)
Burnett showed why he will pitch in college at Illinois. The right-hander threw a two-hit shutout, striking out 14, to lift the Spartans to a road Illini Prairie victory.
Burnett gave himself a 1-0 lead with a sacrifice fly after Altenbaumer doubled to lead off the top of the fourth. An RBI groundout in the sixth by Pence gave the Spartans an insurance run and a 2-0 lead.
Altenbaumer’s double and a second-inning single by Miller were the only hits by the Spartans, but they didn’t need much offense with the way Burnett pitched.
SJO 9, Villa Grove/Heritage 2 (May 12)
Martinie was three outs away from throwing a perfect game, but the senior still had an outing to remember in a nonconference win in Broadlands.
Martinie threw a complete game, only giving up three hits and striking out 10.
SJO built its lead by scoring two runs apiece in the third, fourth and fifth innings to go up 6-0 before adding three more in the sixth.
Immke went 2 for 3 with an RBI and two runs scored to pace the Spartans’ 10-hit attack, with Immke hitting one of four doubles on the day by SJO. Nolan (1 for 2, two RBI), Miller (1 for 2, RBI) and Altenbaumer (1 for 3) also doubled. Along with those extra-base hits, Burnett (1 for 3, two RBI) and Martinie (1 for 3, RBI) also drove in runs.
SJO 4, Bloomington Central Catholic 0 (May 11)
Altenbaumer was nearly unhittable for the Spartans, throwing a one-hit shutout and striking out 14 in another dominating performance during an Illini Prairie home win. He didn’t allow a hit until there was one out in the top of the fifth inning.
By that point, SJO already 4-0 after scoring once in the first and three more runs in the second. Immke had the big hit for SJO on the day with a two-run double int he second before Pence added another run with an RBI single later in the inning.
Immke and Beyers each finished 1 for 2 with a run scored, while Pence and Burnett were both 1 for 3.
SJO 8, Rantoul 0 (May 10)
Senior Xander Rieches and junior Avian Gerdes proved SJO has more capable pitchers than just besides Burnett, Altenbaumer and Martinie. Rieches and Gerdes combined on a one-hit shutout during the Illini Prairie home victory.
Rieches started and went five innings, striking out seven while only giving up two walks and a fifth-inning single. Gerdes pitched two hitless innings of relief, striking out one.
Immke shined at the plate, going 3 for 4 with two doubles, three RBI and three runs scored. Nolan also chipped in by going 1 for 3 with two RBI and SJO was patient at the plate, compiling eight walks. Rieches walked three times, stole two bases and scored two runs, while Miller scored two runs on two walks. Altenbaumer and Burnett each drove in a run without the benefit of a hit as well.
SJO 2, Paxton-Buckley-Loda 1 (May 8)
A nonconference pitcher’s duel ended with the host Spartans winning in walk-off fashion.
With the score tied at 1 entering the bottom of the seventh, Rieches led off with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Immke. After Brazelton was hit by a pitch and Altenbaumer walked to load the bases, Burnett delivered the game-winning RBI with a one-out single to right field.
Burnett finished 2 for 4 on the afternoon to go along with a double, while Altenbaumer was 2 for 3 with a walk. Rieches (1 for 2, RBI) also contributed.
Martinie got the win, throwing 1 2/3 innings of one-hit relief and striking out one. Brazelton started and went 5 1/3 innings, giving up one run on four hits, walking five and striking out 11.
SJO 10, St. Teresa 0 (May 8)
Burnett threw a five-inning no-hitter, facing one batter over the minimum in a nonconference home win.
The right-hander recorded nearly all of his outs via strikeouts, finishing with 12 in the game. The only two St. Teresa hitters to reach base happened in the fourth inning off an SJO error and a hit batsmen by Burnett. Burnett retired the first nine hitters he faced, with eight on strikeouts.
Altenbaumer starred on offense for SJO, going 4 for 4 with three doubles, three RBI, three runs scored and two stolen bases. Burnett added the other hit for SJO and also drove in a run, while Beyers had two walks, an RBI and a run scored.
SJO 8, Rantoul 7 (May 6)
In a back-and-forth Illini Prairie game throughout, the Spartans rallied to earn the road win after trailing 7-3 after four innings.
Brazelton (2 for 3, RBI) and Immke (2 for 4, RBI) each had multi-hit games for SJO, which also saw Beyers (1 for 2), Miller (1 for 3) and Martinie (1 for 4) also drive in runs.
Pence (three walks) and Burnett also scored two runs.
Gerdes picked up the win in relief, throwing three shutout innings of one-hit ball. He struck out three and walked one. Sophomore Connor Hale started for SJO and lasted 2 1/3 innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on four hits. He struck out five and walked one. Junior Griffin Roesch also pitched, going 1 2/3 innings and giving up four runs on three hits. He walked three and struck out one.
Maroa-Forsyth 6, SJO 5 (May 5)
The lead changed hands five times, with the visiting Trojans scoring two runs in the top of the seventh to send SJO to a nonconference home loss.
Pence sustained the loss on the mound, throwing an inning of relief and giving up two runs on three hits. That overshadowed a strong day at the plate for Pence, who went 3 for 4 with two RBI.
Rieches started and went five innings for the Spartans, giving up four runs on three hits. He struck out seven and walked one before yielding to Martinie, who threw one inning of shutout relief, giving up a hit and a walk but striking out three.
Martinie (2 for 4, two RB) also contributed at the plate in a game that saw Maroa-Forsyth lead 1-0 after two innings, SJO lead 3-1 after three innings, Maroa-Forsyth lead 4-3 after five innings and SJO lead 5-4 after six innings.
SJO 11, St. Thomas More 2 (May 4)
The Spartans jumped on the host Sabers early, scoring six runs in the top of the first inning during an eventual Illini Prairie win in Champaign.
Burnett (2 for 3, two runs scored), Miller (1 for 2, three runs scored, RBI) and Nolan (1 for 2, two RBI) each doubled for the Spartans. Beyers (2 for 5, RBI) and Immke (1 for 3, two RBI) also contributed.
Altenbaumer picked up the win after throwing five innings and giving up two runs on three hits. He struck out seven and walked one. Pence gave up one hit in two innings of spotless relief.
SJO 6, St. Thomas More 0 (May 3)
Burnett recorded a three-hit shutout, striking out nine in an Illini Prairie home win for SJO.
The game was scoreless through three innings before SJO took a 1-0 lead after the fourth, increased it to 2-0 after the fifth and put the game out of reach with a four-run sixth inning.
Altenbaumer (1 for 2, two RBI), Burnett (1 for 2, RBI) and Martinie (1 for 3, RBI) each came up with clutch hits when the Spartans needed them. Pence finished with three stolen bases and Brazelton added two stolen bases as SJO swiped eight bases in the win.
SJO 17, Monticello 9 (May 1)
The Spartans tied a season-high for runs scored in the Illini Prairie road win.
Monticello led 5-2 after two innings, but SJO came through with five runs in the third, four runs in the fourth and four more runs in the fifth to take a convincing 15-8 lead.
Miller was perfect at the plate, going 3 for 3 with a home run, two doubles, four runs scored and four RBI. Altenbaumer finished 2 for 5 with a triple and five RBI, while Beyers (3 for 5, three RBI) and Martinie (2 for 5, three RBI) each came through with timely hits. Beyers, Brazelton and Immke each stole two bases.
Martinie picked up the win in relief, throwing four innings. He allowed four runs on seven hits, while striking out three and walking. Brazelton made the start, lasting three innings and giving up five runs (two earned) on four hits. He walked five and struck out five.
Mahomet-Seymour 5, SJO 2 (April 30)
The Spartans never led in the home nonconference game, suffering their first loss of the season in the process.
SJO only managed four hits, with Burnett (2 for 4, RBI) leading the way. Pence (1 for 4, RBI) also chipped in.
Gerdes started and took the loss, giving up two runs (both unearned) on two hits in three innings. He walked three and struck out three. Rieches threw the final four innings, giving up three runs on six hits while striking out three and walking three.
M-S led 1-0 after the first inning, 2-1 after the third inning and 4-1 after the fourth in fending off SJO.
SJO 3, Charleston 0 (April 29)
Altenbaumer and Martinie combined on a no-hitter, delivering the Spartans an impressive nonconference home win.
Altenbaumer threw six innings, striking out 11 and walking two. Martinie earned the save with a perfect seventh, striking out one. Charleston only had four base-runners the entire game.
Brazelton and Beyers each drove in a run for SJO, with Nolan and Altenbaumer each collecting a hit and scoring a run as the Spartans went ahead for good with a two-run third inning.
SJO 14, Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley 0 (April 27)
The visiting Spartans put the finishing touches on the nonconference win with a seven-run seventh inning.
Burnett was stingy per usual on the mound, throwing a two-hit shutout and striking out 17. He helped himself out in the batter’s box by going 3 for 4 with a home run and two RBI. Altenbaumer (2 for 3, three RBI, two stolen bases), Beyers (2 for 3, two runs scored, two RBI) and Miller (1 for 3, two runs scored, three RBI) all had vital roles in the comfortable win.
SJO 10, Teutopolis 7 (April 23)
SJO proved more than worthy in its first significant test of the season. In a rematch of the 2017 Class 2A state championship game between the two programs, the visiting Spartans enjoyed a fun trip back to St. Joseph with a come-from-behind nonconference win in extra innings.
SJO trailed 5-2 after three innings, but tied the game at 5 in the fourth. Teutopolis, however, took a 7-6 lead into the top of the seventh.
But Beyers singled to lead off the seventh, advanced to third on a double by Martinie and was there when Nolan was walked to load the bases. The Wooden Shoes, however, got the next two outs before Beyers tied the game by scoring on a passed ball.
In the top of the eighth, a one-out double by Burnett gave SJO an 8-7 lead and then Nolan added a two-run double to provide some insurance runs and a 10-7 lead.
SJO collected 14 hits, with Brazelton shining after going 5 for 5 with a double, a triple and three RBI out of the leadoff spot. Burnett (3 for 5, two RBI), Immke (2 for 4, RBI), Nolan (1 for 4, two RBI) and Beyers (1 for 4, two runs scored, RBI) all contributed.
Pence earned the win in relief, not allowing a run in three innings. He yielded one hit and struck out four.
Martinie started, going three innings and allowing five runs on seven hits despite seven strikeouts. Rieches threw two innings of relief, giving up two unearned runs on two hits and striking out one.
WHAT’S AHEAD
After Thursday’s game against Pontiac, the Spartans are scheduled to host nonconference foe Westville at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. SJO will take the weekend off before resuming play at 4:30 p.m. next Monday at Pontiac and at 4:30 p.m. next Tuesday at Prairie Central. SJO ends the regular season with four games from May 27 through June 1, starting at 4:30 p.m. on May 27 with a home game against Prairie Central, followed by a 4:30 p.m. home game on May 28 against Olympia, a 4:30 p.m. home game on May 31 against Chillicothe IVC and a 4:30 p.m. game on June 1 at Chillicothe IVC.
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