HOOTS 7, BEES 5: A Frustrating Week In Shattered Pieces

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

The rally that disappeared in the shattered remains of Dalton Miller’s bat capped a frustrating week for the Burlington Bees.

The 7-5 loss to the O’Fallon Hoots in Saturday’s Prospect League game at Community Field was the third consecutive for the Bees, who lost four of their six games this week.

“I don’t know,” Bees manager Owen Oreskovich said. “It seems like we can’t finish things right now. We can’t get key hits when we need them when we have runners in scoring position.

“We’re playing losing baseball right now and that needs the change immediately.”

The Bees (4-7) had six hits and drew seven walks, but that big hit was elusive all night, especially in the ninth inning when they loaded the bases with nobody out.

Hoots manager Jeff Wetzler went with reliever Owen Nesslage to start the ninth inning, but Nesslage walked Lucas Krebs and then gave up a single to Troy Peltz. Wetzler then brought in Mason Burke, and he walked Austin Mallee to load the bases.

That was it for Burke, and in came Noah Jones, who got a 3-0 count on Miller before throwing back-to-back strikes. Miller then broke his bat connecting on Jones’ next pitch, with the ball dribbling toward Jones. Jones dodged the pieces of the bat, including the helicoptering barrel, and threw home, starting a 1-2-3 double play. Jones then struck out Adam Kudronowicz to end the game.

Kudronowicz at least went down swinging — the Bees were called out on strikes six times.

“That was very aggravating,” Oreskovich said. “And I’m not happy with anything we’re doing right now. That has to change.”

Bees second baseman Austin Mallee slides into third base on his second-inning triple. (Photo by Steve Cirinna)

The Bees got a lead to open the game, when Miller grounded out to second base in the second inning to bring in Mallee, who had led off the inning with a triple.

Aiden Terronez (0-1), making his first start for the Bees after pitching for Illinois-Chicago in the NCAA Tournament last weekend, retired the minimum without a hit throughout the first three innings, then gave up four runs — although only two were earned — in the fourth inning.

The Bees got a run back in the sixth and had runners on second and third with one out, but Gage Handzel and Johnnie Ankenbruck struck out to end the inning.

“Struck out twice earlier in the game with guys on second and third with one out,” Oreskovich said. “That can’t happen.”

O’Fallon (5-5) scored two runs in the seventh inning when Jaylan Patterson issued back-to-back walks with the bases loaded.

The Bees scored three runs in the eighth inning after loading the bases with nobody out. Handzel’s single brought in a run, then Ankenbruck hit a ball off O’Fallon pitcher Zach Taylor that first baseman John Connors fielded for an out as another run scored. Juan Fernandez’s sacrifice fly brought in the third run.

Jake Collier (2-0) was the winning pitcher.

Top photo: Dalton Miller breaks his bat to start a double play in the eighth inning. (Photo by Steve Cirinna)

HOOTS 8, BEES 5: Plenty of Flaws In Home Loss

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

It was a night for the Burlington Bees when even the mini-comeback in the late innings lacked noise.

The Bees had just three hits in an 8-5 loss to the O’Fallon Hoots in Friday’s Prospect League at Community Field. The lack of offense, combined with pitching struggles, was enough to aggravate manager Owen Oreskovich.

“We’ve just got to be better, plain and simple,” Oreskovich said. “Especially early in the game. That, if I’m being honest, was the most unenjoyable thing to watch.”

The Bees (4-6) were down 4-0 after the first two innings, and 7-0 after five.

“We’ve got to learn how to get zeros in the first inning,” Oreskovich said. “We haven’t been able to do that in probably every game we’ve lost. And that gets you off on the wrong foot.”

The Bees have given up first-inning runs in five of their six losses, and gave up two runs in the first inning of this one. When O’Fallon (4-6) added two more runs in the second inning, the hole had gotten deeper.”

“You’re down four after two innings, and it’s hard to get anything going,” Oreskovich said. “Plain and simple, we’ve got to be competitive.”

O’Fallon starter Drew Politte (1-0) threw six shutout innings. The Bees’ first nine outs came on grounders, and they had only one runner reach third base in those six innings.

“He threw the ball over the plate, and we just hit it,” Oreskovich said. “And we didn’t hit it very well. A couple of guys did, but their middle infield made a couple of plays, and we didn’t get anything clicking or going.”

The Bees then got into O’Fallon’s bullpen and started scoring, but still couldn’t hit. They scored four runs in the seventh inning of five walks and two hit batters. The lone run in the eighth inning came on a walk and two errors.

T.J. Hauser (0-2) was the losing pitcher.

The two teams play a 6:30 p.m. game Saturday.

Photo: Bees shortstop Juan Fernandez flips the ball to second baseman Tate Slagle for a force out to end the third inning. (Photo by Steve Cirinna)

BEES 10, LUMBERKINGS 4: Reinartz Learns To Adjust In The Middle Of The Lineup

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Tanner Reinartz is getting his first full lesson in the difference between wood bats and metal bats.

Reinartz, playing for the Burlington Bees in the Prospect League this summer after a big first season of college baseball, has struggled a bit with the adjustment.

Wednesday’s 10-4 win over the Clinton LumberKings might have been the breakout game for the right fielder from Rochester, Indiana.

Reinartz had two hits and drove in four runs hitting in the No. 3 spot in the Bees’ lineup.

“It was great,” Reinartz said of his night. “I’ve been struggling at the plate. I’ve been getting a lot of cage work, tee work. It paid off tonight.”

Reinartz hit 15 home runs and drove in 60 runs this season at Huntington University, an NAIA school in Indiana. He hit .338 with a 1.210 OPS.

But Reinartz came into this game hitting .207 with the Bees. It’s his first season in a wood-bat league, although he said he did play in a couple of wood-bat tournaments before.

“The swing weight is completely different from an aluminum bat, and the barrel’s a lot smaller,” Reinartz said. “Your misses are misses. With an aluminum bat, you can end-cap a ball and it leaves the yard, but with a wood bat it’s a single.”

“It was good to see him have a game like this,” Bees manager Owen Oreskovich said. “I know he can hit the ball, I’ve seen him do it in (batting practice), that’s why I’ve got him hitting where he’s at.”

The Bees (4-4) struck early against the LumberKings (3-5). Leadoff hitter Foti Rigopoulos singled on the first pitch of the first inning, then Juan Fernandez followed with a double. Reinartz then singled to drive in both runners.

Bees right fielder Tanner Reinartz hits his second two-run single of the game. (Steve Cirinna Photography)

Reinartz then had a two-run single as part of the Bees’ seven-run fifth inning, a heavy-traffic inning that Oreskovich said shows the balance of Burlington’s lineup.

“We’ve got a lot of guys who had good at-bats,” he said.

Fernandez drove in two runs. Lucas Krebs drove in two runs hitting out of the fifth spot in the lineup.

Oreskovich got another good pitching night. Starter Riley Fuller allowed just one earned run in four innings. Ty Mikkelsen (1-0) allowed one run in two innings. Jaylan Patterson threw two shutout innings, then Jake Weissenberger pitched a scoreless ninth.

Nick Hartje (0-1) was the losing pitcher.

The Bees are now 3-0 at home, settling into their season after a five-game road trip to the eastern part of the league.

“It’s just a desire to win, come out with these boys every day and grind,” Reinartz said. “I’ve known these guys for a week, and they’re like brothers to me.”

UP NEXT: The Bees play at Quincy on Thursday night before returning home for games Friday and Saturday against the O’Fallon Hoots.

Photo: Bees manager Owen Oreskovich (left) talks to Tanner Reinartz at third base during the seven-run fifth inning in Wednesday’s game. (Steve Cirinna Photography)

BEES 8, LUMBERKINGS 7: Back Home, And Bonded

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

It was one of those anything-that-could-go-wrong-did road trips for the Burlington Bees.

It may have set the tone for the rest of the Prospect League season.

The Bees were back at Community Field for Tuesday’s Kids’ Day afternoon game against the Clinton LumberKings, and after a challenge from manager Owen Oreskovich responded with an 8-7 come-from-behind win.

The Bees (3-4) trailed 6-0 going into the bottom of the sixth inning, then scored five runs in that inning before adding three runs in the seventh.

Burlington went 1-4 on a road trip that took them to Ohio, Pennsylvania, and then a stop for one game in Normal, Illinois. The number of things that went wrong are too numerous to mention, but it was enough to bond a team in its first week together.

“One of the things I learned was we got a lot closer,” Oreskovich said. “Our dugout acts like a team that’s been together a lot longer than a week and a half. Today I learned if you challenge them a little bit, they can take it, which is really good. Sometimes you don’t see that in the summer.”

That challenge came after a three-run third inning in which Clinton (3-4) scored all of its runs without a hit, and a three-run fifth in which the Lumberkings sent nine batters to the plate.

“I kind of got into them a little bit in the dugout,” Oreskovich said. “Kind of challenged their toughness a little bit. Wanted to see more out of them. I thought we needed to be a little tougher. It took an inning for that to come into effect.”

The Bees’ sixth inning started with back-to-back singles from Troy Peltz and Lucas Krebs. Milo Kelley loaded the bases when he was hit by a pitch with one out. Adam Kudronowicz followed with a single to drive in Peltz.

“They really looked like they got locked in there,” Oreskovich said of how his team responded to his challenge. “They played tough and hard the rest of the game. Troy’s (hit) fell, and then Krebs’ (hit) fell. I think we needed to see that. We didn’t get much of that the last two games (of the road trip).”

Foti Rigopoulos was hit by a pitch to bring in the second run. Juan Fernandez followed with a two-run single and Tanner Reinartz followed with an RBI single, and the Bees trailed 6-5.

Kudronowicz’s one-out double in the seventh inning tied the game, then Kole Sonnenberg drove in two runs with a single to give the Bees an 8-6 lead.

Clinton got a run back in the ninth on Jackson Mishler’s solo home run to left field, but Bees reliever Jake Weissenberger retired the next three hitters to secure the win and pick up his first save of the season.

Quentin Holmes (1-0) was the winning pitcher after throwing 2 ⅓ shutout innings. Connor Diiulio (0-1) took the loss.

The two teams play again at Community Field in Wednesday’s 6:30 p.m. game.

Photo: Burlington’s Troy Peltz steals second base in the fourth inning of Tuesday’s game at Community Field. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

BEES 9, CORNBELTERS 3: The Introduction, And Now The Road Trip

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

It was quite the introduction.

Now comes the getting-to-know-you part of the season for the Burlington Bees.

The Bees opened the Prospect League season on Tuesday night with a 9-3 win over the Normal CornBelters at Community Field.

It’s going to be a while before they’re home again, though. The bus leaves at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday for a five-day road trip to Springfield, Ohio, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and then a one-game stop on the way home to play at Normal on Sunday.

Five games, 1,468 miles.

“They’re going to get to know each other,” Bees manager Owen Oreskovich said. “And I’m going to get to see them, see what they can do. We’re going to be spending pretty much every hour together, so we’re going to get to know each other.”

“It’s going to be important for us to get bonded, to feel each other out,” said first baseman Kila Teixeira, one of three players returning from last season’s team. “Getting to know each other’s names, so we can communicate better on the field. So I think it’s going to be really good for us.”

The Bees made a statement early, scoring four runs in the first inning, then were backed by a procession of five pitchers who kept the CornBelters from mounting an offensive challenge.

“It was good to see some guys, see what they’re capable of,” Oreskovich said. “The pitchers did a good job. We struck out a lot (13 times), but some of these guys haven’t had a lot of at-bats this season, so we have to work the kinks out.”

Teixeira had the big hit in the first inning. A hit batter and three walks led to Burlington’s first run in the inning, then with the bases loaded and two outs Teixeira knocked everyone in with a single that was then misplayed by Normal center fielder Dylan Coty.

Teixeira, who hit .314 with the Bees last season, had just 11 at-bats this season at Hawaii Pacific.

“I’ve been waiting for an opportunity the entire season to play,” he said. “It just felt amazing to get that hit. I couldn’t have asked for anything better.”

“He’s been in this league, and he’s seen the pitching and knows what to expect,” Oreskovich said. “So that’s awesome he could get the big hit for us.”

Kolt Kurzman, batting ninth in the Bees’ lineup, drove in two runs with a third-inning single that gave Burlington a 6-0 lead.

Normal scored two runs in the fourth inning, then the Bees extended their lead to 7-2 in the sixth inning when Troy Peltz’s single scored Tanner Reinartz.

Burlington got its final two runs in the eighth on bases-loaded walks to Teixeira and Lucas Krebs.

Bees starting pitcher Tate Slagle threw two shutout innings. (John Lovretta photo)

Oreskovich used five pitchers. Starter Tate Slagle and relievers Mitchell Cox, Kyle Prebil and Zach Troxel each pitched two innings, then Quentin Holmes pitched the ninth.

Now the Bees hit the road.

“It’s definitely a little different than last year,” Teixeira said of the team. “A lot of different guys, a lot of different cultures. It’s great to get to know them, and it will be great to get to know them better on this trip.”

Top photo: Kila Teixeira clears the bases with a first-inning single. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

After Bees’ 2025 Playoff Run, Oreskovich Wants To See Winning Continue

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

The body language was what Burlington Bees manager Owen Oreskovich wanted to see in his first team meeting on Sunday.

“They seemed excited yesterday about everything,” Oreskovich said. “When we were talking about winning, I saw a bunch of head nods. We’ve got a bunch of guys from winning programs, and that’s  going to be a main focus with this group.”

The Bees open the Prospect League season with Tuesday’s 6:30 p.m. game against the Normal CornBelters at Community Field. It’s the sixth season for the franchise in the college summer league, but it’s the first time the Bees are opening the season coming off a playoff appearance the season before.

Burlington went 33-21 last season. They went 21-7 in the second half to win the Northwest Division, then lost to the Clinton LumberKings in the first round of the playoffs.

That run was just fuel for Oreskovich, who enters his fifth season as the Bees’ manager.

“That meant a lot, especially to this town,” Oreskovich said. “It meant a lot to me, but to give back to this town and to these fans who support us, it meant the world. All of those guys on that team mean a lot to me. They’re still brothers, they still send each other messages in the group chat. It’s really cool.”

Oreskovich said his time with the Bees has been an education — his college baseball job is hitting coach at Mount Mercy University.

“I’ve learned a lot here — I don’t really know where to start,” he said. “How to take care of people is one thing. How to manage a team is another. But really building a culture is something I’ve learned, and that has happened here. That happened last summer. It was kind of like the first summer where we’ve had that.

“The culture I would want is a family-like culture, where guys are going to work hard every single day they come in, but also have that want and will to win. That’s exactly what that team had last year, and I’m going to work the hardest to build that here this year as well.”

Oreskovich has put together a 40-player roster — “I had a lot more than 40 interested,” he said, laughing — although some players have still not finished their spring college seasons and will arrive in the next couple of weeks.

“Hopefully all of these guys want to be here all summer,” Oreskovich said. “I know some guys have some commitments in the second half. When I get guys in the summer, I expect them to come here, play hard, and I’m going to give them a good time.”

It is mostly a new team. Only three players from last season — pitcher Mitchell Cox, infielder Kila Teixeira and outfielder Jace Figuereo — are currently on the roster.

“Having a couple of guys from last year come back, that means a lot,” Oreskovich said. “A bunch of those guys we had last year were older. But I’m excited about this group. It is a little younger group — we have a couple of juniors. They might have to learn a little bit. But we have guys from winning programs, and that matters. They know how to go about their business, and I expect the same thing out of them.”

Oreskovich hadn’t decided on an Opening Day starting pitcher as of Monday afternoon, but he has a deep pitching staff of 22 players.

“That’s the earliest thing I focus on,” Oreskovich said of how he put together this roster. “Sometimes that’s hard with coaches not wanting to place pitchers (with summer league teams) early on in the year. But that’s kind of the main thing I focus on right away. That was something I did last year, that maybe I wanted more pitchers than the average team would have. But it matters if you have six starters — those guys are throwing once every six days, seven days. Keeping them fresh is something I care about, too. It’s really nice to have that many guys.”

The progression of the franchise extended to the postseason in 2025. Oreskovich would like to have a deeper run.

“We’re going to have fun, but we’re going to go about our business and work hard and win baseball games,” he said. “I haven’t met too many people in the world who like losing, and I sure as heck do not.”

Photo: Burlington Bees manager Owen Oreskovich (right) celebrates a home run with Cole Yearsley last season. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

Bees’ 2026 Roster Full Of Newcomers

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

The Opening Day roster for the 2026 Burlington Bees has a few familiar names from past teams.

But the bulk of the roster, up to 39 players as of Monday, is made up of newcomers to the Prospect League team.

Three players — pitcher Mitchell Cox (0-0, 4.76 ERA), infielder Kila Teixeira (.314, 18 RBIs) and outfielder Jace Figuereo (.356, 11 RBIs) — return from last season’s team that went 33-21 and advanced to the playoffs.

Nine players are from NCAA Division I programs.

The Bees open the season May 26 at home against the Normal CornBelters.

A breakdown of the roster. Statistics are through Monday.

PITCHERS (21)

Will Baumhardt (McHenry County) — 1-0 with a 7.59 ERA

Norm Cherrett (Randolph-Macon) — 1-1 with a 3.30 ERA

*-Mitchell Cox (Bethany Lutheran) — 0-0 with a 1.35 ERA

Jack Cozzi (McHenry County) — 0-0 with a 4.76 ERA.

Riley Fuller (Evangel) — 3-4 with a 6.15 ERA, making 12 starts. Struck out 55 in 60 innings 

Patrick Geary (Mesa CC) — 1-2 with a 5.23 ERA, making six starts. Struck out 30 in 41 ⅓ innings.

T.J. Hauser (Coastal Alabama) — 5-3 with a 5.40 ERA, making 12 starts. Struck out 48 in 56 ⅔ innings

Quentin Holmes (Bethany Lutheran) — 1-0 with a 4.22 ERA

Talon Jennings (Olney Central) — 3-3 with an 8.82 ERA. Struck out 40 in 33 ⅔ innings.

Kade LaCoste (LSU-Eunice) — 6-2 with 4.66 ERA. Made seven starts.

Bryce Loker (South Dakota State) — Incoming freshman

Ty Mikkelsen (Iowa) — 0-0 with a 16.20 ERA in nine appearances.

Jaylan Patterson (Hawaii Pacific) — Pitched in one game this season, did not record an out.

Kyle Prebil (McHenry County) — 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA

Ramzy Rodriguez (Mesa CC) — 1-2 with an 8.16 ERA. Made four starts.

Edwin Sanchez (Coppin State) — 0-0 with a 15.63 ERA in six appearances.

Spencer Spinks (Triton) — 0-2 with a 14.66 ERA in six appearances.

Aiden Terronez (Illinois-Chicago) — 1-1 with a 6.45 ERA. Struck out 34 in 22 ⅓ innings.

Owen Thomson (Oakland) — 2-0 with a 6.52 ERA. 

Zach Troxel (Indiana Wesleyan) — 2-2 with a 7.34 ERA

Quinn Wilfong (Florida State-Jacksonville) — 2-2 with a 10.89 ERA

CATCHERS (3)

Johnnie Ankenbruck (Huntington) — Hit .063 in 30 games.

P.J. Hamel (McHenry County) — Hit .352 with 18 home runs and 53 RBIs

Milo Kelley (Iowa) — Did not play this season.

INFIELDERS (7)

Rowen Bergeron (LSU-Eunice) — Hit .217 with 2 home runs and 6 RBIs

Juan Fernandez (SCC) — Hit .295 with 5 home runs

Gage Handzel (Winthrop) — Hit .143 in 20 games

Dalton Jones (Olney Central) — Hit .205 in 16 games, with 2 home runs and 14 RBIS

Lucas Krebs (Illinois) — Did not play this season

Dalton Miller (Georgia Gwinnett) — Hit .320 in 29 games

*-Kila Teixeira (Hawaii Pacific) — .091 in seven games.

OUTFIELDERS (4)

*-Jace Figuereo (Quincy) — Hit .410 in 45 games

Troy Peltz (Iowa Western) — Hit. 240 in 22 games.

Tanner Reinartz (Huntington) — Hit .338 with 15 home runs and 60 RBIs

Matthew Simmons (Wabash Valley) — Hit. .286 in six games

UTILITY (4)

Adam Kudronowicz (Iowa Western) — Hit .308 in 19 games

Kolton Kurzman (Mount Mercy) — Hit .176 in 13 games

Foti Rigopoulos (Illinois) — Did not play this season

Tate Slagle (Iowa) — Played in 17 games.

Photo: Outfielder Jace Figuereo is one of three returning players to the Burlington Bees this season. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

Four Bees Honored As Western Conference All-Stars

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Four Burlington Bees were honored on the Prospect League’s Western Conference All-Star Team on Tuesday.

First baseman Mason Schwalbach, shortstop Kooper Schulte, outfielder Cole Yearsley and pitcher Kael Clarkson were named to the 20-player team.

Yearsley was the league’s top hitter with a .416 average. He scored 37 runs and drove in 28, finishing with a 1.116 OPS.

Schulte was sixth in the league in hitting with a .341 average. He scored 53 runs, the third most in the league this season, drove in 48 runs, and had a .943 OPS.

Schwalbach hit .392, with 31 hits and 20 RBIs.

Clarkson was 3-2 in eight starts with a 2.75 earned run average. He allowed 33 hits in 36 innings, striking out 29 while walking 12.

LUMBERKINGS 3, BEES 2: A Season Of Success Comes To An End

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

The Burlington Bees needed last-out heroics to extend their season.

But the Clinton LumberKings had the last answer.

Jalen Martinez’s infield single in the 10th inning scored Drew Phillips with the winning run in the LumberKings’ 3-2 win over the Bees in Friday’s Prospect League Northwest Division championship game at Clinton.

The Bees, who had won the second-half title to clinch the first playoff appearance since joining the league in 2021, had tied the game with two outs in the ninth inning when Owen Nowak singled to center field to score Jace Figuereo and Kooper Schulte.

The Bees couldn’t score in the top of the 10th inning. They had runners on first and third with two outs, but Schulte’s fly ball to left field ended the inning.

Phillips, who started on second base in the bottom of the 10th inning under the league’s extra-inning rule, advanced to third on Braeden Sunken’s wild pitch with one out. The Bees brought the infield in to try to cut down the runner at the plate, but Martinez was able to get the hit to win the game.

Clinton scored both of its runs in the second inning. Cougar Cook’s double scored Martinez, then Cook scored on James Hackett’s single.

Bees starter Kael Clarkson pitched five innings. Mitchell Cox, Zach Leuschen and Sunken held the LumberKings scoreless over the next three innings to give Burington a chance in the top of the ninth.

The Bees went 33-22 this season, including the 21-7 record in the second half, both franchise highs in the Prospect League.

BEES 12, DOGGY PADDLERS 2: Now, On To The Postseason

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

The Burlington Bees finally get to experience the postseason in the Prospect League.

The Bees won on the road against the Quincy Doggy Padders 12-2 on Thursday night, clinching the second-half Northwest Division title.

The Bees (33-21) went 21-7 in the second half, winning the division title by 1 1/2 games over the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp, who lost to the Clinton LumberKings 7-4 on Thursday.

Burlington will play at Clinton in the divisional championship game at 6:30 p.m. Friday.

The Bees, who needed to win or Illinois Valley to lose to clinch the division, led 3-2 after two innings, then pounded the Doggy Paddlers with a six-run eighth inning before adding three runs in the ninth.

Cole Yearsley’s grand slam was the big blow in the eighth inning. It was one of two Bees’ home runs in the game — Corey Boyette hit a solo home run for Burlington’s first run.

Jake Miller went 4-for-4 to lead the Bees. Owen Nowak had three hits. Yearsley and Boyette each had two.

Blake Gaskey was the winning pitcher, striking out eight over seven innings while allowing two runs.