Minor League Baseball: Lis gets added title as Slammers hitting coach

Starting his seventh season in pro baseball, Joliet Slammers designated hitter Erik Lis has built a reputation as a dangerous middle-of-the-order hitter. But as the Slammers prepare to defend their Frontier League crown, Lis won’t just be doing damage solely on the field. Joliet announced …

Boys Track and Field Sectional: Providence makes impressive statement

Regardless of class or division, Providence would be force at any sectional.

In their first meet at 2A since the inception of the three-class system, the Catholic League champion Celtics used a methodical all-around performance Thursday to win the Lincoln-Way West Sectional.

Providence finished with …

Boys Track and Field Sectional: Minooka goes distance for title

Minooka, which cracked the top 10 at the Class 3A boys meet in 2011, joined standout teams Plainfield North, Plainfield South and Joliet West at the Naperville North Sectional on Thursday night to chase spots in next week’s state finals. The defending state champion in …

Boys State Water Polo: Lockport reaches semifinals

Lockport already had made history by advancing to state water polo for the first time. Now the Porters are bringing home some hardware. Dan Oldendorf scored two huge goals in the final three minutes Thursday and Lockport upset host Stevenson 9-6 in a state quarterfinal …

Baseball: Joliet West earns share of SouthWest Suburban Blue title

Matt Koran had three hits and two RBI and Jake Herron struck out 13 in leading Joliet West to an 8-1 victory over Bolingbrook, thus giving the Tigers a share of the SouthWest Suburban Blue championship.

Softball: Lemont bows to Oak Forest

A share of the South Suburban Blue title was on the line Thursday when Lemont took a 1-0 lead over host Oak Forest on a fourth-inning home run by Alexis Valone.

Bengals pitcher Emily Larsen stood in the circle, stoic. She got another ball from …

High School/Local College Sports Roundup for May 18, 2012

Baseball No. 2 Plainfield North 7, Romeoville 5: Kurt Palandech recorded two hits and two RBI for visiting Plainfield North (30-3, 19-2) in the eight-inning Southwest Prairie game. Josh Krueger’s two RBI led Romeoville (23-10). No. 8 Lockport 13, Joliet Central 5: Austin Mastela (3-for-4, …

College baseball: Joliet Junior College counting on offense in NJCAA tourney

Looking at parts of the box score of Joliet Junior College’s Sunday baseball game, you might assume the Wolves were on the losing end. But, as is often the case in baseball, the numbers fail to tell the whole story. The Wolves had 15 hits …

Maciulis: Brockett, Hoster celebrations on tap

The late Mark Brockett and Lemont resident Lloyd Hoster Jr. are two people who touched outdoors columnist Bob Maciulis through the years. They are proof that heroes rarely seek the spotlight, preferring to deflect any adulation to someone else.

Minor League Baseball: Joliet Slammers set to defend title

When he was younger and playing on travel teams, Trevor Willis got on Silver Cross Field a few times with his teammates for special events. Now the Lockport graduate is going to be playing there. “I grew up watching these guys when they were the …

Boys Volleyball: Lincoln-Way East overruns Lincoln-Way West

Never has a conference title been so disappointing.

Lincoln-Way East was forced to share the SouthWest Suburban Red title last season after a loss to Lincoln-Way Central in both teams’ regular-season finale.

Wrapping up the 2012 regular season Wednesday, the Griffins made sure they were …

Goss: Slammers offer quality team in second year

The Joliet Slammers may be stronger than they were a year ago, when they won the Frontier League championship in the first year of existence. Of course, as manager Bart Zeller said, every team in the league believes they are better, and things will be even more difficult for the Slammers now that expectations have been raised.

Girls Soccer: Lincoln-Way East blanks Reavis

The pass Jessica Bicek made to Stacy Sons for the first goal in host Lincoln-Way East’s 3-0 Class 3A regional semifinal victory Wednesday over Reavis was a mirror image of the one she made when the two teams met last week.

It worked then, too. …

Girls Soccer: Plainfield North zips past Oswego

Two goals in each half enabled Plainfield North to dispatch Oswego 4-0 in Wednesday’s Class 3A Metea Valley Regional. The victory boosted the Tigers (18-3-2) into Friday’s regional title contest against Metea Valley. Plainfield North hopes to produce an encore to an earlier 4-0 win …

High School Sports Roundup for May 17, 2012

Boys Volleyball Lockport 25-16-25, Joliet West 22-25-20: Visiting Lockport (2-7 in conference) prevailed in the SouthWest Suburban Blue. Brian Edwards was among the standouts for Joliet West (1-10 in conference) with 11 kills and seven blocks. Baseball No. 1 Providence 10, No. 10 Joliet West …