The weather forecast looks promising, but West Aurora coach Randy Hayslett will have his fingers crossed as his team’s sixth annual Fox Valley Tournament approaches this weekend.
The Blackhawks are scheduled to play host to seven area teams Friday and Saturday at the Fox Valley Park District’s Stuart Sports Complex on Jericho Road. Joining them are Kaneland, Batavia, Burlington Central, Yorkville, Metea Valley, Oswego and Rosary.
Each team is guaranteed three games, just don’t etch it in stone. Mother Nature hasn’t always been kind to the event in its short history.
“We were completely rained out two years ago and last year, Friday’s games were washed out and we played a shortened schedule on Saturday,” Hayslett said.
Games are at 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. Friday and resume at 1 p.m. Saturday to accommodate ACT testing in the morning. The championship game should start at about 5:30 p.m. Saturday.
Hayslett’s team enters a hectic week leading up to the tournament with a 5-4-1 record after what her termed “quite a week last week.”
Slugger Cara Jimenez highlighted Friday’s 4-3 win over St. Charles North with her second home run of the season and Corey McCreedy added a two-run double to back sophomore pitcher Hannah Beatus.
“Earlier in the week we tied Geneva 3-3 through 10 innings in a game that had to be postponed and we lost 2-1 to St. Charles East 2-1 in 12 innings,” Hayslett said.
Beatus struck out 17 against St. Charles East and West Aurora hitters struck out only four times but weren’t able to get the key hit.
A doubleheader loss Saturday to Bolingbrook included a 10-0 decision in the opener against Western Illinois recruit Megan Lotarski. All 10 runs were unearned.
“This week we play Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and then have the tournament,” Hayslett said. “We could have six games in five days and it’s possible we’ll get our first 16 games in without having a rainout. I can’t imagine that’s happened in quite a while.”
He’s expecting more big hits from Jimenez and McCreedy (seven RBIs), with leadoff hitter Taylor Podschweit (team-high .436 average and 6 doubles) setting the table.
Bulldog barrage
Coming off Friday’s 12-6 win over Neuqua Valley, Batavia has a busy week ahead. The Bulldogs rearranged the schedule, moving Friday’s Upstate Eight crossover game at South Elgin to Monday to take part in the tourney.
Batavia (4-3) could play seven games in six days.
“We’re starting to come around and a couple key kids we were missing who were gone during spring break will be back, so we should be at full strength soon,” Bulldogs coach Lupe Castellanos said.
Senior first baseman Natalie Offutt is in her third year on varsity. The Cornell College (Mount Vernon, Iowa) recruit is leading the team with a .400 batting average has seven RBIs. Christina Karius has nine RBIs.
Bucknell-bound leadoff hitter Ryanne Rokos broke out vs. Neuqua with a 3-for-3 effort that featured a home run, triple and five RBIs.
“She started a little slow but I expect to see more games like that out of her,” Castellanos said. “She sets the table.
“We’ve been doing better at the plate, going deeper into the count and hitting line drives and down on the ball.”
Long layoff
In contrast to West Aurora, first-year coach Megan Tracy and Rosary have only played three times so far. The Royals had an 11-day layoff scheduled that included last week’s spring break, but entered Monday’s action against Aurora Christian not having played since March 31.
Rosary also is busy this week with games Tuesday (at Aurora Central Catholic), Wednesday (home vs. St. Francis) and Thursday (home vs. Glenbard South) before the weekend tourney.
It has given Tracy and her team time to practice.
“We needed to work on fundamental things like relays and not making unnecessary throws and trying to get at least one out instead of trying to get three outs on one play,” she said.
Twitter: @RickArmstrong28
