Opening day on hold, here's what 3 Spartans had to say

April 24, 2019 - St. Joseph, IL - Jaden Miller watches a flyball sail overhead during SJO's road game at St. Thomas More in 2019. This year's prep sports season, including SJO baseball, is in danger of being completely canceled due to the Coronavirus spreading throughout the United States. As one of the top baseball programs in the state, Miller and the Spartans were looking forward to making another run deep into the IHSA postseason championships. (Photo: PhotoNews/Clark Brooks)

In a little over an hour from now in past years, the St. Joseph-Ogden baseball team would be out on the field going through their warm-up routine preparing to take on their first team of the season. SJO players and coaches have the program looking up for another historic season including that coveted trip to state.

The rising threat of the pandemic Coronavirus, at least for the moment, has put SJO's season opener and thousands of other high school spring sports team's around the country on hold. The matchup at home against Heritage was canceled.

The Sentinel contacted three SJO seniors via Twitter to get their reaction on not being able to play today. Asking that they express what was going through their minds in three sentences or less, their honest, heartfelt responses are no doubt echoed by thousands of high school athletes around the country right now.

"It’s difficult for me to wrap my mind around the current situation as a whole, with everything changing rapidly and the whole aspect of not knowing. Having my senior season potentially stripped from me is hard to accept, and I’m not entirely sure how I’ll end up accepting it. I’m trying to remain optimistic and keep the big picture in mind."

~ Drew Coursey, Senior

"I am very emotional and saddened by this outbreak. This SJO team was the one to go all the way, but I am still hopeful for a chance to take the field one last time. "

~ Sam Wesley, Senior

"Well it’s hard to put into words what I’m feeling. It’s sort of like an emptiness because I had high hopes for the team. We were looking really really good this year and I’m just hoping it’s not wasted. We will be ready to go if and when we get the chance too."

~ Joey Acton, Senior

Five games you won't want miss on the 2020 SJO Softball Schedule

Hopefully, in 21 days time, the St. Joseph-Ogden girls softball team will back on the field.

When the spring sports season finally returns, seniors Zoey Witruk, Hannah Dukeman, Lindsey Aden and IHSA record-holding slugger Bailey Dowling will be a all-star foundation in head coach Larry Sparks' third campaign at the Spartan helm.

Hannah Dukeman takes a swing at a Rantoul pitch during the Spartans home game in 2019. With the threat of Coronavirus infecting much of the US population, high school sports around the nation has been put on hold. (PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

SJO finished the 2019 season with at 22-10 record logging three regular season shutouts in 2019 including a 4-0 win over Illinois Valley Central, besting Maroa-Forsyth 9-0 and booking a 17-0 victory over another conference rival, St. Thomas More.

As the #2 seed in last year's postseason run, the Spartans gobbled up bases in the quest for a trip to the 2019 state tournament blanking of Illini Prairie Conference foe Monticello 11-0. SJO beat the Sages earlier in regular season play, 13-1.

The Spartans then put the kabash on Maroa-Forsyth's season by way of 5-1 victory win for the regional title. Then came a heartbreaking loss and unexpected halt to their own season after a 4-2 sectional semifinal loss to Olympia.

This season's schedule is brutal, but should have the St. Joseph-Ogden softball team ready for a deep postseason run yet again if the IHSA reinstates the season.

The likelihood unfortunately looking more and more like a long shot after the CDC released a recommendation yesterday limiting mass gatherings for an eight week period. If the state's public health department follows that guideline, that could very well push the season's official start to May 15. With a mandatory 10-day practice period before the first game can be played, that puts the first possible pitch around the 25th of May, just 11 days before the first scheduled state semifinal game at Eastside Centre in East Peoria.

That said, if Illinois spring sports gets the go-ahead as currently planned, there are five regular season contests you don't want to miss. Each should test both players and coach staff.

It will be worth the road trip to Villa Grove, if it can be snuck in on April 7, and to Unity to watch SJO overcome the Rockets on their new turfed softball field.

You won't want to miss the April 16 home game against Bloomington Central Catholic and it would be sinful to skip out on watching what could be an intense rivalry showdown against Olympia at home on May 4.

2020 St. Joseph-Ogden Softball Schedule

Date	Opponent	Home Away	Time
16 March	Mahomet-Seymour High School	H	4:30
17 March	Normal West High School	A	4:30
21 March	TBA @ Casey Westfield (round robin)	A	TBA
23 March	GCMS High School	H	4:30
24 March	Westville High School	H	4:30
25 March	St. Thomas More High School	H	4:30
28 March	Illinois Valley Central High School	H	12:00
1 April	Bismarck-Henning-Rossville-Alvin High School	A	4:30
4 April	Rantoul Invite (DH)	A	TBA
6 April	Maroa-Forsyth High School	A	4:30
7 April	Villa Grove High School @ Richman Park	A	4:30
8 April	Heyworth High School	H	4:30
11 April	Tri-Valley High School	H	10:00
13 April	Rantoul High School	A	4:30
15 April	Bishop McNamara High School	H	4:30
16 April	Bloomington Central Catholic High School	H	4:30
17 April	Mattoon High School (DH)	A	4:30
18 April	Herscher High School	H	10:00 AM
20 April	Unity High School	A	4:30
21 April	Mattoon High School	A	4:30
22 April	Mt. Zion High School	A	5:00
23 April	Pontiac High School	H	4:30
25 April	Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond High School (DH)	H	10:00 AM
27 April	Prairie Central High School	A	4:30
4 May	Olympia High School	H	4:30
6 May	Fisher High School	H	4:30
7 May	Monticello High School	A	4:30
9 May	SJO Softball Triangular (DH)	H	10:00 AM/2:00 PM
11 May	Tuscola High School	A	4:30
12 May	Danville High School	H	4:30
14 May	Clinton High School	A	4:30
15-16 May	Galesburg Tourney (Alexis Fieldhouse: 3 games)	A	TBA
18 May	Charleston High School	A	4:30
19-22 May	IHSA Regionals	A	TBA
23 May	IHSA Regional Championship	A	TBA

2020 JV Softball Schedule

Date	Opponent	Home Away	Time
16 March	Mahomet-Seymour High School @ St. Joseph Community Park	H	4:30
17 March	Normal West High School	A	4:30
23 March	GCMS High School	H	6:00
24 March	Westville High School	H	6:00
26 March	Urbana High School	H	4:30
28 March	Illinois Valley Central High School	H	2:00
1 April	Champaign Centennial High School	H	4:30
6 April	Maroa-Forsyth High School	A	6:00
9 April	OPEN DATE	H	TBA
11 April	Tri-Valley High School	H	12:00
13 April	Rantoul High School	A	4:30
15 April	Bishop McNamara High School	A	5:00
16 April	Bloomington Central Catholic High School	H	6:00
18 April	Herscher High School (DH)	H	12:00
20 April	Unity High School	A	6:00
21 April	Mattoon High School	H	4:30
22 April	Mt. Zion High School	A	5:00
23 April	Pontiac High School	H	6:00
24 April	Champaign Central High School	A	4:30
27 April	Prairie Central High School	A	6:00
4 May	Olympia High School	H	6:00
5 May	Champaign Central High School @ St. Joseph Community Park	H	4:30
6 May	Fisher High School	H	6:00
7 May	Monticello High School	A	6:00
8 May	TBA @ St. Joseph Community Park	H	4:30
11 May	Tuscola High School	A	6:00
14 May	Clinton High School	A	6:00
18 May	Charleston High School	A	6:00