AREA TEAMS GO SOUTH FOR SECTIONALS: BERNIE MAY FACE ORAN WITHOUT BEST PLAYER

As if Oran's pitching and a state-wide reputation weren't enough to make a player's knees buckle ...

Actually, Bernie pitcher Mike Johnson's knee didn't give in intimidation. It twisted during celebration.

The status on Bernie's best hitter and pitcher is in doubt for today's 4 p.m. Class 1A sectional game in Malden after the .500 hitter re-aggravated a knee injury last Thursday in celebration of the team's district championship.

Bernie coach Morris Karnes said he expects Johnson to play, though he was "really limping" Tuesday and couldn't run.

Johnson is 5-2 with a 3.80 earned run average. He has also hit eight home runs this year.

The loss of Johnson would be a major blow to the Mules (12-10), considering they would likely have to play their best game of the season to knock off last year's state runners-up.

Oran enters the game with a 19-5 record and will send hard-throwing Dustin Glastetter (9-2, 1.70 ERA) to the mound.

"I saw them play Advance," Karnes said. "They're obviously a talented team. We'll have to pitch well to play with them."

Oran coach Mitch Wood said he liked the way his team was playing entering today's game, but hopes his team breaks out of a hitting slide after playing some grueling games over the last few weeks.

In the district championship, Oran beat Advance ace Garrett Broshuis just 2-1. The Eagles played Notre Dame -- the Class 2A, District 2 champions -- to extra innings and beat Kelly, the No. 1 seed in that district earlier.

"We're definitely playing well right now," Wood said. "We'll have to pick up our hitting a bit. If we do that, with the way our pitching is right now, we'll be in good shape.

"We'll just have to continue to play good baseball. We're not doing exactly what we need to do, but enough to get by. A state championship is definitely our next goal."

And Wood feels that playing such tough teams down the stretch has prepared his team.

"There's no doubt that our schedule helps us out," Wood said. "We've had good success against all those teams. We've seen all their good pitching and we probably won't see pitching that good again."

While the Eagles have state experience, Oran lost several members from last year's team which went to Columbia.

"We've only got four or five starters back," Wood said. "We lost our ace pitcher and our leading hitter, our center fielder, our catcher and our second baseman. But I think you have to count experience (as an advantage) with both of our pitchers (Glastetter and Dustin Dannenmueller) pitching at state last year. They've both been there before."

If Oran wins today, it will host a quarterfinal game Saturday against the winner of the Eminence-Van Buren sectional.