Beacon-News’ three things to know

1. Yorkville is back on top. After breaking a 25-year drought between conference championships last season, the Foxes didn’t have to wait long for their next title. Yorkville clinched the Northern Illinois Big 12 East title once again with Monday’s 3-1 win over Morris. Yorkville earned the seventh seed at the Class 4A Oswego Sectional.

2. A tough break. Geneva’s star sophomore shortstop, Nick Derr, received bad news last week when he was diagnosed with a broken finger, which will end his season. Derr, who committed to Florida State before ever playing a high school game, had been one of the area’s top players. He left last Tuesday’s 5-4, eight-inning loss at Batavia after getting injured on a play in the field. Geneva garnered the fifth seed in the Class 4A Schaumburg Sectional.

3. A first for Batavia. The Bulldogs had never earned a No. 1 sectional seed — until this year, that is. But even after the seeds and pairings came out last week, Batavia continues to roll. Monday’s 10-1 win by the Bulldogs over Kaneland at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark was the team’s 15th straight. “Batavia is very deserving of the [top] seed,” Geneva coach Matt Hahn said. “I told (Batavia coach Matt Holm) the other day, in 14 years of coaching at Geneva, this is the best team I think they’ve had.”