The Regular Season- 14 wins & 13 losses
The 1987 Silver Streaks baseball team made it to the Elite 8. This was Galesburg’s first trip to State in baseball since 1973. Galesburg HS started baseball in 1946 and during the next 41 years, the Streaks made it to State five times- 1946, 1956, 1962, 1966, and 1972.
For most of the 1987 season, the idea of going to State did seem like a realistic goal. The Streaks started out the season at 7-2, but then went on a 7 game losing streak. When the Streaks sat with a 7-9 record, few would have seen a State run as being likely. Coinciding with the 7 game losing streak was the loss of first baseman, Guy Goodman to a wrist injury.
With a healthy lineup, the Streaks went 8-3 to finish the regular season. The improvement could be credited to a healthy lineup, as well as a young team developing by the end of the season.
The 1987 Streaks had only two seniors, DH Scott Bower and utility players, Mark Junk. Most of the season, the Streaks had a lineup that included two sophomores (SS-Jeremy Kleine and LF-Lance Aten), six juniors (P/CF Corny Stanley .359, RF Mark Probst .321, C Toby Davis .304, 3B Jamie Taylor .299, 2B Bret Bruington .275, CF Kelly Healey, 1B Guy Goodman .407), and one senior (DH Scott Bower .291).
Galesburg Regional- Outscore Opponents 21-9
Galesburg hosted the Regional with the seeding- 1 UTHS, 2 Galesburg, 3 Moline, 4 Geneseo, 5- Rock Island, 6- Alleman.
Galesburg beat Alleman in the semis after Alleman upset Geneseo. Rock Island upset both Moline and UTHS to advance to the championship. Galesburg defeated Rock Island in the championship.
In the semi-finals behind Corny Stanley’s one-hit pitching, Galesburg jumped to a 9-0 lead. Hoping to be able to use Stanley again, two days later in the championship, Coach Bruington took Stanley out. Against the relief pitching, Alleman stormed back and put the lead runs on the bases before the Streaks relievers ended the rally. The Streaks won a nail biter 9-7.
To get the win, Stanley threw 61 pitches. The Streaks were led at the plate by Jamie Taylor with two hits and Toby Davis with three hits.
In the Championship game on Monday, Stanley again started the game. An 8-run third allowed Galesburg to coast to a 12-2 win over Rocky. Stanley went all 6 innnings, giving up one hit, striking out 9, and walking 5. He got the last 11 batters out in order.
At the plate Galesburg was led by Jamie Taylor’s three hits, and two hits by Stanley, Bower, and Bruington.
Limestone Sectional- With No Limestone
East Peoria upset highly ranked Limestone in the Regional. Limestone featured future MLB HOFer, Jim Thome. The matchups were Galesburg (16-13) vs East Peoria (25-8), and Woodruff (26-11) vs Streator (17-14).
East Peoria featured two pitching aces. Eric Guenther (Sr, 10-3, 1.20ERA) and Scott Haughman (So, 8-1).
Galesburg opened play with Stanley on the mound. He was 9-1 with 1.91ERA. Corny threw a three hitter with 6 K’s. In this game, Bru did not pull him out, even when up 9 runs. In three tourney starts, Stanley had now gone 17 innings, giving up 1 earned run and only 4 hits.
At the plate the Streaks took advantage of 5 unearned runs, and a two run homer by Jamie Taylor.
The championship game matched Galesburg vs Woodruff. Coach Bruington started Kelly Healey on the mound. Healey was 2-3 on the season after having some early season issues with his rotator cuff.
The Streaks were without shortstop Jeremy Kleine who had 5 stitches on his throwing hand after being cut by a hit ball in the first game of the Sectional. Mark Junk handled the shortstop position for the game.
Galesburg wasted no time as Corny Stanley led off with a home run. It was his 7th of the season which set a school record, passing Jim Sundberg (1968) and Jami Isaacson (1985). Guy Goodman later hit a 2-run homer as the Streaks ran away with a 9-2 win. Healey gave up only two unearned runs.
Winning the Sectional, meant the Streaks were headed to State for the first time in 14 years and only the 6th time in school history. When Coach Bruington was asked what the plan would be, he replied, “Oh, I’ll probably go fishing for a couple days and we’ll do a little hitting and a little running.”
Streaks at State vs Belleville East
In the four games of the Regional and the Sectional, the Streaks had both hit and pitched. Galesburg outscored the four opponents 39-11 and batted .342. During the season, the Streaks had batted .285.
Jamie Taylor was a sizzling .688 on 11 for 16 hitting. Corny Stanley hit .500 with 7 for 14. Scott Bowden was at .467, Toby Davis at .400, and Guy Goodman at .409.
Against Belleville East in the Elite 8 game, the Streaks jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first. It started with a Stanley lead off hit, followed by a 2-run home run by Taylor. Goodman walked, stole second, stole third, and scored on a bad throw to third.
The day was not to be Corny Stanley’s or the Silver Streaks. Despite a Guy Goodman homer in the fifth, the Streaks lost 14-5. Goodman’s homer was his 7th of the year (despite missing three weeks), and tied the school record for HR’s.
After the game, Stanley felt that the umpire had squeezed the plate which made it hard for him to get his curve over.
Coach Bruington summed up things, “If you would have asked me before the season if we were going to go to the State Tournament, I would have said,’Yeah in 1988.’”
He went onto say, “It’s going to help them (the players) prepare for the next year and I certainly know they want another shot at it.”
Bru was certainly right in his assessment.
1987 IHSA State Tourney Program
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