Top 10 Stories Of 2017: No. 10 Inaugural Metro East Kickoff Classic
December 18, 2017
Over the next few weeks, in addition to highlighting the Top 10 Player Profiles of 2017, we will also highlight the Top 10 Stories in Illinois High School Baseball during the 2017 calendar year.
Today, we’ll take a look at No. 10 Inaugural Metro East Kickoff Classic.
The inaugural Metro East Kickoff Classic, the brainchild of Jason Portz, the Head Baseball coach at O’Fallon HS, took place from March 16 - March 18th (Thursday-Saturday). The three-day event, which is a true kickoff to the spring season, featured 21 total teams, 19 from Illinois. Games were played at three locations in the St. Louis Metro East area; Edwardsville HS, O’Fallon HS and GCS Ballpark in Sauget, IL and featured some of the top teams and prospects from around the state.
Five of the 19 teams from Illinois were ranked in the Preseason Top 25; No. 2 Plainfield South, No. 9 O’Fallon, No. 8 Chatham-Glenwood, No. 14 Edwardsville and No. 22 Oak Forest. Edwardsville went on to finish runner-up in Class 4A and ended the season 33-8.
Below is a look at our preview of the event as well as our game recaps, scout notes and post event All-Kickoff Classic Team:
One of the highlights of the event came in the feature game on Thursday night as No. 8 Chatham-Glenwood vs. No. 9 O’Fallon kicked things off with a bang at Grizzlie Stadium in Sauget, IL. Both teams had their ace on the mound and the anticipated pitchers duel played out with a plethora of pro scouts in attendance.
Reid Detmers (3.18.17)
IL: @othsBaseball and @GTbaseball2014 scoreless after 1. Detmers strikes out the side 90-91. Juenger up to 90
— PBR Illinois (@PBRIllinois) March 17, 2017
The pro scouting community got a ton of bang for their buck that weekend. Along with LHP Reid Detmers (Chatham-Glenwood, 2017) and RHP Hayden Juenger (O'Fallon, 2018), the stands were packed to see senior prospects such as RHP Austin Marozas (Plainfield South, 2017), LHP Antonio Saldana (Joliet Catholic, 2017) and several others also in attendance.
IL: No. 1 2017 @Marozas26 is ready. Lets kickoff Day 2 with @Bodinephil vs. @mtzionbaseball 1:00 at GCS Stadium pic.twitter.com/08VZjqG3w2
— PBR Illinois (@PBRIllinois) March 17, 2017
All told there were 39 games played in the Kickoff Classic, Normal West, Niles Notre Dame, O’Fallon and Plainfield South all finished their weekend 2-1, while Normal West allowed the fewest runs among 2-1 teams.
The Kickoff Classic is set to expand in 2018. The event, which is adding a day, will take March 14-18 and two new schools, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville and St. Louis University will host games.
TOP 10 STORIES OF 2017
+ No. 10 - Inaugural Metro East Kickoff Classic