Inside baseball

Athlete of the week

Jordan Getzelman

Prairie Ridge, so.

Getzelman was 9 for 11 in his past four games as the Wolves split two games each with Crystal Lake South and McHenry.

The Wolves’ right fielder was 2 for 3 with a run scored in Saturday’s 3-2 loss to South. He was 2 for 2 with a double and an RBI in Prairie Ridge’s 10-7 triumph against South on Monday.

On Tuesday, Getzelman was 2 for 3 with a double and two RBIs as Prairie Ridge defeated McHenry, 5-3. He had a solo home run and was 3 for 3 in Wednesday night’s 7-3 loss to McHenry.

Noteworthy

Welcome back: Harvard junior Cody Melson was not expected to return to baseball this spring, or even this summer for that matter, after a horrific snowmobiling accident Feb. 4, but he is back.

Melson had a double and three RBIs in Harvard’s 11-3 victory against Rockford Christian Life in a play-in game at the IHSA Class 2A Harvard Regional on Monday. The Hornets won again Wednesday behind Collin Nolen’s pitching to advance to the regional championship at 11 a.m. Saturday.

Melson suffered a broken pelvis, cracked ribs, a collapsed lung and a punctured kidney in the accident. He and a friend were snowmobiling near Perkins Road and he did not see an SUV coming because of high snow drifts. Originally, Melson’s prognosis was that he could possibly return for football, but he progressed faster than predicted. He was the Hornets’ starting catcher as a freshman and junior.

Wojciechowski BNC East’s top pitcher: Richmond-Burton junior right-hander Ray Wojciechowski was named as the Big Northern Conference East Division Pitcher of the Year when the All-BNC East team was announced Wednesday.

Wojciechowski was instrumental in helping the Rockets to the BNC East championship. Third baseman Kevin Kurowski, pitcher E.J. Trapino, outfielder-pitcher Matt Malecki and shortstop Ryne Blanton also were unanimous first-team selections. Center fielder C.J. Daniels also was named to the first team, and left fielder Travis Jewell received honorable mention.

Hampshire put catcher-pitcher Tyler Crater, center fielder-pitcher Luke Wians and shortstop Dan Grzywa on the first team. Crater and Wians were unanimous choices.

Harvard had Nolen and first baseman-pitcher Pat Towne on the first team; Nolen was unanimous. Catcher Brian Koester received honorable mention.

Marengo pitcher-infielder Ryan Hoff was a unanimous first-team pick, while pitcher-infielder Brad Seemann received honorable mention.

This week’s

top games

Class 2A

Harvard Regional

Harvard vs. Genoa-Kingston or North Boone, 11 a.m. Saturday, championship

Class 3A

Belvidere Regional

(Seeds in parentheses)
Monday

Game 1: Marengo (5) at Woodstock North (4), 4 p.m.

Wednesday

Game 2: Marian Central (1) vs. Winner Game 1, 4 p.m.

Thursday

Game 3: Belvidere (2) vs. Woodstock (3), 4 p.m.

Saturday, May 28

Game 4: Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3, 10 a.m., championship

Hampshire Regional
Wednesday, May 25

Game 1: Marmion (1) vs. Crystal Lake Central (4), 4:30 p.m.

Thursday

Game 2: Burlington Central (2) vs. Hampshire (3), 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 28

Game 3: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 1 p.m., championship

Richmond-Burton Regional

Wednesday, May 25

Game 1: Richmond-Burton (1) vs. Johnsburg (4), 4 p.m.

Thursday

Game 2: Antioch (2) vs. Wauconda (3), 4 p.m.

Saturday, May 28

Game 3: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 10 a.m., championship

Class 4A

Huntley Regional

Monday

Game 1: Jefferson (5) at Jacobs (4), 4:30 p.m.

Wednesday

Game 2: Huntley (1) vs. Winner Game 1, 4 p.m.

Thursday

Game 3: Dundee-Crown (2) vs. DeKalb (3), 4 p.m.

Saturday, May 28

Game 4: Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3, 11 a.m.

McHenry Regional

Wednesday, May 25

Game 1: McHenry (1) vs. Prairie Ridge (4), 4 p.m.

Thursday

Game 2: Cary-Grove (2) vs. Crystal Lake South (3), 4 p.m.

Saturday, May 28

Game 3: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 11 a.m., championship

– Joe Stevenson

jstevenson@nwherald.com