Sangamon Sun

Illinois College Esports team faced a defeat against Michigan State in the winners' semifinals of the MEC playoffs, losing 0-2. The first game ended in a competitive battle with a 0-2 score, while the second game saw Michigan State securing an 0-8 victory.

In the initial game, Lucas Schultz made a strong start by claiming two stocks from Zammo's Little Mac. Devin Ussery followed by taking the final stock but was soon eliminated by Pikz's Pyra/Mythra. Jake Petrovich contributed by adding two more stocks before being eliminated, and Noah Horsman couldn't make further inroads. Julian Luaders narrowed the gap by defeating Pikz, completing a three-stock against Ha1o's Falco, and overcoming Cal's Pokémon Trainer before exchanging final stocks with J3T's Meta Knight.

The second game proved more challenging. Schultz, Ussery, and Luaders only managed to secure two stocks against Cal's Pokémon Trainer, who made an impressive run through Illinois College's lineup. Horsman and Petrovich managed to pick up stocks late in the game, but the lead Michigan State established was insurmountable.

Despite this loss, Illinois College advanced to the final four because Campbellsville University withdrew from the competition due to scheduling conflicts. The Illinois College team, known as the Blueboys, will compete against Cornell College on April 12 at 10:00 AM in the Bruner Center, vying for a place in the MEC Championship LAN.