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Jun. 14—CHAMPAIGN — Standing alone on the brown infield turf at Illinois Field, almost near where St. Joseph-Ogden shortstop Kodey McKinney scooped up a groundball for the first out of Saturday night's Class 2A state championship game, Josh Haley couldn't stop smiling.
Haley experienced quite the range of emotions in the immediate aftermath of watching the SJ-O baseball program he has led for the last 15 seasons deliver the only item missing from an immensely successful tenure.
A state championship.
The Spartans were the last team standing in Class 2A by the time the lights shined brightly onto Illinois Field on Saturday night, with SJ-O cruising past Harvest-Westminster 15-1 in five innings to complete a storybook ending to a storybook season.
"I didn't know what it was going to feel like because we've knocked on the door so many times," Haley said after the 515th victory of a coaching career that began in 2005. "Some of the tears coming to my eyes right now are because of former players and parents of former players. This team did it for them, too. It took a lot of work along the way of guys laying the foundation. To finally feel this moment with this team that's enjoying it is great, but there's a lot of players who have been through this program who should be enjoying it, too."
Staying focused on the present while honoring the past is why the tears mixed in with the smiles and back-slapping hugs Haley received after Saturday night's historic win.
He has mentioned numerous times in the past why the prospect of becoming the SJ-O baseball coach ahead of the 2012 season appealed to him so much. A Hoopeston native, Haley coached the Hoopeston Area baseball program for seven seasons from 2005-11. Experienced more losing than winning, going 93-117 with the Cornjerkers.
But when he sat down to interview for the SJ-O job with late athletic director Dick Duval, former SJ-O principal now SJ-O superintendent Brian Brooks and long-standing SJ-O school board member Les Hovlen, what transpired Saturday night is what they talked about during the interview process.
"This was the vision," Haley said. "When I sat with Les and Dick and Brian, I said, 'I want St. Joe to be recognized as one of the best programs in the state.' That was the vision from the start."
Success has followed Haley nearly every season he's coached the Spartans. After experiencing only one winning season at Hoopeston Area and no IHSA hardware, SJ-O has won at least 21 games every season, collected 11 regional titles, six sectional titles and three super-sectional plaques. Three state trophies can now reside in the SJ-O trophy case, with Saturday night's state championship trophy topping the back-to-back state runner-up finishes in 2016 and 2017.
Haley probably thought the moment he experienced on Saturday night would have happened a decade ago. SJ-O nearly pulled off a state title in 2016, losing 7-6 in eight innings to Reed-Custer in downtown Peoria. The 2017 state championship game was more lopsided, with Teutopolis beating the Spartans 10-2.
"We'll keep our standard and our expectations where they are," a crestfallen Haley told me in the dugout at Dozer Park in downtown Peoria after the 2016 state title game setback. "It'll just be up to the next group to keep carrying that torch."
The torch kept getting past. But SJ-O and Haley had to wait nine years to get back to the state tournament. Had to endure the heartbreak of a 1-0 loss to Tuscola in a 2018 sectional title game. Had to endure the lost season of 2020. Had to endure losing 4-2 to Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin in their postseason opener in 2023 when SJ-O hosted a regional for the first time at Meier Field. Had to endure an 8-3 loss at rival Unity in the 2025 regional championship game.
See, Haley, like most every coach in the state, has more experience delivering season-ending speeches to a group of disappointed players than placing state championship medals around the neck of his players.
But he did the latter on Saturday night, with the Spartans lined up along the third-place line with an adoring community watching every moment.
"It makes it special because the community is here, and we're so close to home," Haley said. "That feeling makes it feel even better. There's so much love and support from everyone. It goes beyond baseball. That feeling feels better because it's just the relationships we have. That's what life is."
Life is also getting the chance to hang a state championship medal around the neck of his son. SJ-O doesn't win a state title without the contributions of Spartans senior catcher Will Haley, who finished 2 for 4 with three RBI on Saturday night.
"I think I broke down twice when he hugged me after their dogpile," Josh said. "It's the end, too, because this is the end of the road for this group, but what a special moment to do this with your kid."
The special moments weren't confined to just what Josh Haley experienced on Saturday night. But for all of his players, coaches and family members, too, who soaked in the scene.
"It means everything," said Mitch Pruemer, SJ-O's pitching coach and long-time assistant with Josh. "I've been doing this 20 years with him, and it may be the only time this ever happens, so you appreciate it even more."
The same sentiment applied from every SJ-O player.
Asher Pruemer, SJ-O's standout pitcher and second baseman who recorded the final out on Saturday night, has known Haley his entire life.
"I've never seen him this happy," Asher said.
Likewise from Branson Pearman, an SJ-O senior outfielder who didn't play much this season but was cherishing the state title with as much joy as any starter.
"We've all been around him for a long time," Pearman said. "This is everything for him. He was in this spot 10 years ago and lost it twice, and that's rough. To finally get what he's been working towards for so long, it's got to be huge for him."
Haley now has a 422-88-2 record coaching SJ-O baseball and is the first coach to guide a Champaign County baseball program to a state title.
"He's just such an amazing coach, and his career is already so legendary," SJ-O center fielder Logan Rosenthal said. "We know that we did this for everybody in our community, but we did it for him especially, too."
His oldest son felt the same way. Will Haley won't get to hear his dad call pitches into his earpiece anymore behind the plate. But he'll always have that feeling of getting the chance to hug him on Illinois Field on Saturday night, celebrating a triumph they both have chased for so long.
"This is so special," Will said. "It's what I've dreamed of since I was a kid. I have no words for it."
The vision Josh Haley considered nearly 15 years ago is now the reality. SJ-O baseball is a state champion.
And no one can ever take that away.
Continue reading...
Haley experienced quite the range of emotions in the immediate aftermath of watching the SJ-O baseball program he has led for the last 15 seasons deliver the only item missing from an immensely successful tenure.
A state championship.
The Spartans were the last team standing in Class 2A by the time the lights shined brightly onto Illinois Field on Saturday night, with SJ-O cruising past Harvest-Westminster 15-1 in five innings to complete a storybook ending to a storybook season.
"I didn't know what it was going to feel like because we've knocked on the door so many times," Haley said after the 515th victory of a coaching career that began in 2005. "Some of the tears coming to my eyes right now are because of former players and parents of former players. This team did it for them, too. It took a lot of work along the way of guys laying the foundation. To finally feel this moment with this team that's enjoying it is great, but there's a lot of players who have been through this program who should be enjoying it, too."
Staying focused on the present while honoring the past is why the tears mixed in with the smiles and back-slapping hugs Haley received after Saturday night's historic win.
He has mentioned numerous times in the past why the prospect of becoming the SJ-O baseball coach ahead of the 2012 season appealed to him so much. A Hoopeston native, Haley coached the Hoopeston Area baseball program for seven seasons from 2005-11. Experienced more losing than winning, going 93-117 with the Cornjerkers.
But when he sat down to interview for the SJ-O job with late athletic director Dick Duval, former SJ-O principal now SJ-O superintendent Brian Brooks and long-standing SJ-O school board member Les Hovlen, what transpired Saturday night is what they talked about during the interview process.
"This was the vision," Haley said. "When I sat with Les and Dick and Brian, I said, 'I want St. Joe to be recognized as one of the best programs in the state.' That was the vision from the start."
Success has followed Haley nearly every season he's coached the Spartans. After experiencing only one winning season at Hoopeston Area and no IHSA hardware, SJ-O has won at least 21 games every season, collected 11 regional titles, six sectional titles and three super-sectional plaques. Three state trophies can now reside in the SJ-O trophy case, with Saturday night's state championship trophy topping the back-to-back state runner-up finishes in 2016 and 2017.
Haley probably thought the moment he experienced on Saturday night would have happened a decade ago. SJ-O nearly pulled off a state title in 2016, losing 7-6 in eight innings to Reed-Custer in downtown Peoria. The 2017 state championship game was more lopsided, with Teutopolis beating the Spartans 10-2.
"We'll keep our standard and our expectations where they are," a crestfallen Haley told me in the dugout at Dozer Park in downtown Peoria after the 2016 state title game setback. "It'll just be up to the next group to keep carrying that torch."
The torch kept getting past. But SJ-O and Haley had to wait nine years to get back to the state tournament. Had to endure the heartbreak of a 1-0 loss to Tuscola in a 2018 sectional title game. Had to endure the lost season of 2020. Had to endure losing 4-2 to Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin in their postseason opener in 2023 when SJ-O hosted a regional for the first time at Meier Field. Had to endure an 8-3 loss at rival Unity in the 2025 regional championship game.
See, Haley, like most every coach in the state, has more experience delivering season-ending speeches to a group of disappointed players than placing state championship medals around the neck of his players.
But he did the latter on Saturday night, with the Spartans lined up along the third-place line with an adoring community watching every moment.
"It makes it special because the community is here, and we're so close to home," Haley said. "That feeling makes it feel even better. There's so much love and support from everyone. It goes beyond baseball. That feeling feels better because it's just the relationships we have. That's what life is."
Life is also getting the chance to hang a state championship medal around the neck of his son. SJ-O doesn't win a state title without the contributions of Spartans senior catcher Will Haley, who finished 2 for 4 with three RBI on Saturday night.
"I think I broke down twice when he hugged me after their dogpile," Josh said. "It's the end, too, because this is the end of the road for this group, but what a special moment to do this with your kid."
The special moments weren't confined to just what Josh Haley experienced on Saturday night. But for all of his players, coaches and family members, too, who soaked in the scene.
"It means everything," said Mitch Pruemer, SJ-O's pitching coach and long-time assistant with Josh. "I've been doing this 20 years with him, and it may be the only time this ever happens, so you appreciate it even more."
The same sentiment applied from every SJ-O player.
Asher Pruemer, SJ-O's standout pitcher and second baseman who recorded the final out on Saturday night, has known Haley his entire life.
"I've never seen him this happy," Asher said.
Likewise from Branson Pearman, an SJ-O senior outfielder who didn't play much this season but was cherishing the state title with as much joy as any starter.
"We've all been around him for a long time," Pearman said. "This is everything for him. He was in this spot 10 years ago and lost it twice, and that's rough. To finally get what he's been working towards for so long, it's got to be huge for him."
Haley now has a 422-88-2 record coaching SJ-O baseball and is the first coach to guide a Champaign County baseball program to a state title.
"He's just such an amazing coach, and his career is already so legendary," SJ-O center fielder Logan Rosenthal said. "We know that we did this for everybody in our community, but we did it for him especially, too."
His oldest son felt the same way. Will Haley won't get to hear his dad call pitches into his earpiece anymore behind the plate. But he'll always have that feeling of getting the chance to hug him on Illinois Field on Saturday night, celebrating a triumph they both have chased for so long.
"This is so special," Will said. "It's what I've dreamed of since I was a kid. I have no words for it."
The vision Josh Haley considered nearly 15 years ago is now the reality. SJ-O baseball is a state champion.
And no one can ever take that away.
Continue reading...
