Successful seasons have become the norm for the St. Joseph-Ogden High School baseball team.
This spring is no exception.
The Spartans carry a sterling 27-2 record into the final week of the regular season, with the start of postseason play a week away, and SJO has won 19 consecutive games.
Timely hitting and dependable pitching have highlighted a spring to remember for coach Josh Haley’s program. SJO recorded its 20th win of the season following an 11-1 home victory against Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on April 26, the 10th straight season the Spartans have won at least that many games.
And with only three more wins, SJO will have achieved its fifth season of at least 30 victories since 2014.
Here’s a recap of all that has transpired on the field for the Spartans during the last month of play:
May 11
SJO 7, Mt. Zion 2
Senior night ended well for the host Spartans, who led 2-0 after four innings and made it 6-0 with a four-run fourth inning en route to a nonconference win.
Hayden Brazelton was a perfect 3 for 3 with one RBI and one stolen base out of the leadoff spot.
Taylor Voorhees went 2 for 3 with a double and two RBI, while Maddux Carter was 1 for 2 with one RBI and two runs scored. Griffin Roesch also drove in a run.
Avian Gerdes pitched five solid innings to register the win, giving up one run on four hits. He struck out three and walked three. Jack Robertson (one inning, one hit, no runs, two walks, two strikeouts) and Roesch (one inning, two hits, one run, two strikeouts) both threw in relief.
May 7
SJO 11, Tri-Valley 1
Connor Hale threw a two-hit complete game and the Spartans scored six runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to post a nonconference home win that lasted five innings.
Hale only walked one and struck out two in picking up the win on the mound. Voorhees led the way offensively by going 2 for 2 with three RBI. He also walked twice.
Adam Price was 2 for 3 with two RBI and Andrew Beyers was 2 for 4 with two RBI, while Tyler Altenbaumer also drove in two runs. Brazelton was 1 for 2 with two walks, two stolen bases and three runs scored.
SJO 4, Reed-Custer 0
Brazelton was dominant on the mound, striking out 13 in six innings and only allowing two walks. Altenbaumer threw one hitless inning of relief, striking out one, as the duo combined on the first no-hitter thrown by SJO this spring.
The Spartans took a 2-0 lead after the first inning and tacked on single runs in the third and sixth inning.
Price went 3 for 3 with a solo home run to power the Spartans, while Brazelton was 2 for 3 with a double and Coby Miller also drove in two runs.
May 4
SJO 4, Milford 0
Caleb Ochs kept Milford off the scoreboard, scattering seven hits in throwing a complete game shutout for the Spartans in a nonconference road win.
Ochs struck out eight and only walked one batter.
Altenbaumer was 1 for 3 with two RBI as SJO led 2-0 after the first inning before scoring one run apiece in the fifth and sixth innings.
Price was 2 for 3 with one RBI to contribute to the offensive production.
May 2
SJO 8, Monticello 2
A 2-0 deficit before SJO would have its first at-bat did nothing to slow down the Spartans in a home Illini Prairie Conference win.
Luke Landrus was 3 for 4 with a double and two RBI to spark SJO’s offense. Price (1 for 2, two RBI), Beyers (2 for 3, RBI, two stolen bases) and Brazelton (2 for 4, two runs scored, two stolen bases) also came up with key hits for the Spartans, who took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth and increased it to 6-2 by the end of the fifth inning.
Altenbaumer recorded the win on the mound, throwing six innings and allowing three hits. He struck out four and walked two before Roesch threw one inning of shutout relief, giving up one hit and striking out one.
April 28
SJO 16, Charleston 2
A trip to Charleston resulted in a strong offensive showing by the Spartans.
SJO scored four runs in the top of the first inning, two more in the second, four more in the fifth and six more in the fifth to close out a five-inning nonconference win.
Beyers shined for SJO, going 2 for 2 with a double, four RBI and three runs scored. Voorhees went 2 for 3 with three RBI, while Brazelton was 3 for 4 with a double, four runs scored and three stolen bases.
Landrus (2 for 3, RBI, three runs scored), Altenbaumer (1 for 3, two RBI, four runs scored, two stolen bases) and Hale (1 for 4, RBI) also joined in on the fun.
Hale recorded the win, giving up four hits and striking out five in throwing a complete game.
April 27
SJO 8, Westville 2
The Spartans went ahead 3-1 in the top of the third inning and didn’t relinquish their lead during a nonconference road win.
Altenbaumer went 2 for 3 with a triple, three RBI and three runs scored to provide the greatest offensive contribution.
Brazelton was 2 for 4 with a triple, one RB and two runs scored, while Price (1 for 3, RBI), Voorhees (1 for 4, RBI) and Landrus (1 for 3, two runs scored, two stolen bases) also chipped in.
Brazelton started and lasted five innings, giving up six hits and one run. He struck out nine and walked one.
Roesch threw two innings of relief, allowing one run on one hit. He struck out two.
April 26
SJO 11, GCMS 1
Big innings keyed the five-inning nonconference home win for SJO.
The Spartans scored three runs in the bottom of the first to go ahead 3-1 before scoring seven runs in the fourth to break the game open and lead 10-1.
Voorhees hit three doubles, finishing 3 for 3, and drove in a run.
Price was also perfect at the plate, going 2 for 2 with a double and four RBI.
Landrus (2 for 3, two RBI, two runs scored), Brazelton (2 for 3, RBI, two runs scored) and Altenbaumer (1 for 3, two RBI, two runs scored) also contributed significantly.
All this was more than enough offense for Ochs, who threw all five innings. He only allowed four hits and struck out four.
April 23
SJO 17, Chillicothe IVC 7
The Spartans scored at least one run in every inning of a six-inning victory to sweep the Grey Ghosts at home, with SJO ending the home game early thanks to a seven-run sixth inning.
Landrus powered the SJO offense by going 4 for 5 with five RBI and three runs scored. He added a double.
Altenbaumer and Price both went 3 for 5 with two RBI, with Price hitting two doubles. Brazelton (2 for 3, three RBI, three runs scored, two stolen bases) and Roesch (2 for 5, RBI, two runs scored) were also instrumental in the 18-hit output by the Spartans.
Gerdes started and went two innings, giving up four runs on three hits. He struck out one and walked three. Robertson pitched four innings in relief to record the win, giving up three runs on three hits. He struck out seven and walked four.
SJO 11, Chillicothe IVC 1
The first game of the home doubleheader against the Grey Ghosts counted as an Illini Prairie game, and SJO wasted little time taking a 3-0 lead after the first inning.
The Spartans tacked on three more runs in the second, four more in the fifth and one more in the sixth to end the game after six innings.
Altenbaumer led the way at the plate, going 3 for 3 with three RBI and two runs scored. He came up a triple shy of hitting for the cycle, connecting on a single, double and home run.
Landrus reached base in all four of his plate appearances, going 2 for 2 with two RBI and three runs scored. He also walked twice. Price (2 for 4, two RBI) Brazelton (2 for 4, RBI), Hale (1 for 3, two RBI) and Roesch (1 for 3, RBI) also chipped in.
Altenbaumer threw all six innings, scattering seven hits. He struck out 11 and walked one.
April 21
SJO 7, Pontiac 1
The Spartans scored three runs in the bottom of the third inning and relied on quality pitching from Brazelton and Roesch to procure the Illini Prairie home win.
Brazelton started and went five innings, giving up four hits and one unearned run. He struck out seven and walked two.
Roesch threw two innings of no-hit relief, walking one and striking out one.
Voorheen went 2 for 3 with two RBI and Landrus was 2 for 4 with two RBI to spark the Spartans offensively. Hale (1 for 2, RBI, two runs scored), Altenbaumer (1 for 4, RBI) and Price (2 for 4) also contributed.
April 19
SJO 10, Oakwood 2
The Spartans trailed 1-0 after one inning, but quickly took a 3-1 lead in the top of the second inning that was expanded to 8-2 after three innings.
The bottom of the lineup delivered when SJO needed it in this nonconfrerence road win, with Hale going 3 for 3 with a double and two RBI, while Voorhees was 2 for 3 with a double, four RBI and three runs scored.
Beyers (2 for 4, two runs scored), Brazelton (3 for 5), Landrus (1 for 5, two RBI) and Altenbaumer (1 for 4, RBI) were also key.
Ochs and Hale combined to keep Oakwood off balance. Ochs started and went four innings, giving up two runs on four hits. He struck out six and walked two. Hale was nearly unhittable during his three innings of shutout work, giving up two hits and striking out seven.
April 18
SJO 14, Prairie Central 0
The Spartans put together a dominant display to earn a six-inning Illini Prairie road win.
Leading 1-0 after one inning, the Spartans tacked on three runs in the third, two runs in the fourth, three more runs in the fifth and five in the sixth to cruise by the Hawks.
Brazelton was unstoppable out of the leadoff spot, going 4 for 4 with two home runs, a double, five RBI and four runs scored. He walked in his other plate appearance to reach base five times.
But Brazelton wasn’t the only offensive force for the Spartans. Landrus was 2 for 4 with a double and three RBI and Roesch was 2 for 4 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored. Price (2 for 4), Miller (1 for 3, RBI), Voorhees (1 for 4, RBI), Altenbaumer (1 for 5, RBI) and Hale (1 for 2, three runs scored) provided plenty of offensive protection as well.
Not that Altenbaumer needed much. The right-hander was on his game, throwing a six-inning shutout. He only allowed two hits, did not walk a batter and struck out nine.
April 15
SJO 4, Centennial 1
With the game tied at 1 after three innings, a sacrifice fly by Roesch in the top of the fourth gave SJO a 2-1 lead and the Spartans never trailed again during a road nonconference win.
SJO added insurance runs in the sixth and seventh inning.
Beyers went 2 for 3, while Altenbaumer was 1 for 3 with an RBI and two runs scored. Along with Roesch and Altenbaumer, Miller also drove in a run.
Brazelton was effective on the mound for SJO, throwing a complete game five-hitter. He only walked one and struck out 13.
April 14
SJO 24, Paxton-Buckley-Loda 2
SJO rattled off 18 hits, scored nine runs in the bottom of the first inning and then produced a whopping 15 runs in the second inning to cruise to a four-inning Illini Prairie home win.
Brazelton led the way, going 4 for 4 with two home runs, two doubles, six RBI and four runs scored out of the leadoff spot for the Spartans.
Price was impressive, too, going 3 for 3 with three doubles, four RBI and three runs scored. Miller also delivered a three-run home run, while Roesch (2 for 3, two RBI, two runs scored), Voorhees (2 for 2, RBI, two runs scored), Beyers (2 for 3, RBI), Hale (1 for 1, RBI, two runs scored) and Robertson (1 for 2, two RBI) all joined the hit parade for the Spartans.
April 11
SJO 5, Olympia 1
SJO never trailed in a road Illini Prairie win, taking a 1-0 lead after one inning, a 2-1 lead after three innings and a 4-1 lead after six innings.
Brazelton was 2 for 3 with one RBI and one stolen base, while Beyers (1 for 3) and Landrus also drove in runs. Miller didn’t record a hit, but he walked twice and scored two runs.
Ochs threw all seven innings for SJO, giving up five hits and one run. He struck out eight and walked three.
April 9
SJO 9, Williamsville 3
Trailing 1-0 after two innings, SJO put up five runs in the top of the third inning and didn’t let up en route to a nonconference win.
Miller powered the offense, going 2 for 4 with a home run, a double and three RBI. Altenbaumer went 2 for 3 with a double, one RBI and two runs scored. Brazelton (1 for 3, triple, RBI, two runs scored), Landrus (1 for 3, RBI) and Roesch (1 for 4, double, RBI) also had timely hits.
Brazelton and three relievers combined to limit Williamsville to six hits. Brazelton recorded the win, starting and going four innings. He gave up five hits and two runs (one earned) while striking out eight and walking four.
Roesch (one inning, one run, one hit, two strikeouts, one walk), Robertson (one inning, no hits, one strikeout, three walks) and Price (one inning, no hits, one strikeout, two walks) also chipped in.
SJO 7, Tremont 2
The Spartans started their day in Williamsville and kept the Turks stymied for most of their nonconference win, with SJO leading 5-0 after three innings.
Altenbaumer went 1 for 4 with a double and two RBI, while Beyers also drove in two runs. Hale (2 for 3), Price (1 for 4, RBI) and Brazleton (1 for 2, double, two runs scored, two walks, two stolen bases) also contributed.
Altenbaumer threw a complete game, only allowing four hits and two runs. He did not walk a batter and struck out nine.
April 7
SJO 28, Rantoul 0
The Spartans’ 19-game win streak started with this rout of Rantoul in an Illini Prairie road game that lasted four innings.
SJO staked itself to a 9-0 lead after one inning, increased it to 19-0 after two innings and then scored four runs in the third before punctuating the victory with five runs in the fourth.
Robertson and Voorhees each hit a home run, with Robertson going 1 for 2 with three RBI and Voorhees finishing 1 for 1 with four RBI and two runs scored.
Carter (3 for 5, four RBI), Altenbaumer (2 for 2, two RBI, two runs scored), Austin Cotter (2 for 2, RBI), Brazelton (2 for 3, three RBI, three runs scored), Price (1 for 2, two RBI, two runs scored), Miller (1 for 1, two RBI), Landrus (1 for 3, RBI, two runs scored) and Roesch (1 for 2, RBI, two runs scored) all joined in on the season-high scoring total.
Ochs and Robertson combined to throw a one-hitter, with each pitcher going two innings. Ochs struck out three and Robertson struck out five.
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