Sports treats:
• Major League Baseball opening day, Thursday, April 1. Will it be a full season of games following last season’s delayed start and abbreviated season? It would be great. Hope springs eternal: Can both Chicago teams be successful this season? Injuries may be factors.
• Minor League baseball will start May 2 for Class A and Class AA this year, rather than early April. The Kane County Cougars are in their 30th season and are not a part of organized baseball. They are independent for the first year and will begin May 18 as part of the American Association.
• Week two of high school football has been completed and this year it means the season is one-third over. With no postseason planned because of COVID-19 all teams must play with a greater sense of urgency. In the football coaches poll, Glenbard West is No. 5 in 8A and Naperville Central No 8, Hinsdale Central No 10, Bolingbrook No. 11, Minooka No. 13, and Huntley No. 14. We have wealth of good teams.
• Batavia is No. 1 in 7A with Nazareth Academy No. 3, Wheaton Warrenville South No. 4, St. Charles North No. 5, Willowbrook No. 6, DeKalb No. 8, Wheaton North No. 10. In the other six classes, Kaneland is No. 11 in 6A, Joliet Catholic No. 4 and Montini No. 8 in 5A, St. Francis No. 2 and IC Catholic No. 5 in 4A, St. Edward No. 9 in 2A and Aurora Christian No. 12 in 1A.
• In spite of a lack of great success of our State schools in the men’s and women’s college Division I basketball tournaments it has been enjoyable, competitive, and interesting. The Big Ten Conference failed to earn a berth in the Final Four in both men’s and women’s. Elite Eight scores in men’s: Gonzaga, 85, USC, 66; UCLA 51, Michigan 49; Baylor 81, Arkansas, 72; Houston 67, Oregon State, 61. In women’s: UConn 69, Baylor, 67; Arizona, 66, Indiana, 53; South Carolina, 62, Texas, 34; Stanford 78, Louisville, 63.