Mokena Junior High School’s Baseball Team finished their season with a second place state trophy at this past weekend’s IESA State Baseball Tournament. This is the best finish of any Mokena baseball team in school history! “Our team had to push and preserve through all the struggles and ended in a great finish,” player Jayson Weaver commented about the season.
"I am very proud of the young men on this team. The 8 returning players led the way with their work ethic at practice and some new additions made us even stronger. There were many exciting highlights this season including winning the conference tournament championship. But perhaps the best part about this team was their togetherness and their competitive drive. It was a great season and one we will remember for a long time,” shared Coach James Schmidt.
At the state tournament, the team won their first game Friday night 5 to 3 against Channahon despite being down by one run with two outs in the last inning. The Meteors hit two doubles and a home run to take the lead and then held down the rest of the inning in the field for the win.
The Meteors saw their second state tournament win Saturday afternoon against Edwardsville-Lincoln. The game was called early in the sixth inning due to the score of 13 to 3. This win sent the team to the championship game later in the day.
Despite their hard work and efforts in the championship game, the Mokena Meteors lost to Bloomington Evans with a final score of 4 to 7. The team received individual second place medals and a large trophy to bring back to the school during the awards ceremony after the game.
Player Griffin Cunningham stated, “We played as a team all seven innings in every game, it was a great season.”
The team finished their season with 13 wins and 5 losses including multiple championship titles.
Assistant Principal and Athletic Director, Kiki Panos, shared, “We are so proud of our boys! What an incredible season for our baseball team! The Meteors brought home Des Plaines Valley Conference Baseball Tournament, Regional, and Sectional Championships, and finished as State Runner-Up, an achievement that reflects their talent, dedication, and teamwork. A huge shoutout to Coach Schmidt, whose leadership and guidance played a vital role in the team's success. His hard work and commitment to these young athletes truly paid off. Congratulations to the entire team for an unforgettable season. Way to go, Meteors!”
“What a great year we had with this team. We battled every game and played our tails off. I don’t know where we would be without our coach, Coach Schmidt. Coach always encouraged us and believed we were the best team out there. We didn’t just play for ourselves, but for him as well,” added player Caden Gabalewicz about the team and coach.