It's rivalry week in Elgin

Consider this rivalry week for Elgin's varsity baseball teams.

The city's two big schools meet on the diamond today and Tuesday as Elgin and Larkin renew their long-standing rivalry.

The attention then shifts to the smaller schools as St. Edward travels to play Westminster Christian on Thursday in an intriguing matchup between a pair of local programs on the rise.

As is the case in virtually every sport, the Royals and Maroons always tend to bring out the best in one another on the baseball field.

Of the past 16 meetings between the schools, 14 have been decided by three runs or less. So if recent history is any precedent, expect a good game today at Larkin and Tuesday at Elgin. First pitch is slated for 4:30 both days.

"It's definitely something to look forward to early on," Elgin coach Dave Foerster said. "Hopefully it will give us a boost going into the rest of the conference season."

The Royals have enjoyed the upper hand in the series lately, winning seven of the past nine meetings. However, the teams split their two games last season, with the Maroons claiming one of their five wins in 2008 in the final game of the series.

Elgin (0-5, 0-2 Upstate Eight Conference) will likely send senior Tom Roth to the mound today and senior Casey Knaak to the hill Tuesday. Luc Geier is slated to start today for Larkin (5-7, 1-1), with Justin Kalusa expected to start Tuesday.

The rivalry between St. Edward and Westminster Christian might not be as storied as the one between Elgin and Larkin, but the Green Wave and Warriors have certainly gone through some twists and turns over the past few seasons.

As recently as five years ago St. Edward would have been considered a heavy favorite against Westminster. The tables recently turned as the Wave struggled through three straight losing seasons while the Warriors gained respect all around the state by notching back-to-back 25-win seasons, including a trip to the State Finals in 2007.

Westminster (7-3) remains competitive despite losing a number of key contributors to graduation last year, which is a sign of the strength of the program built by Warriors coach Jeff Moeller and his assistants. Senior Brandon Siewert headlines a team loaded with young talent ready to carry on the school's budding tradition.

Now there are signs that the Green Wave is catching up.

Fourth-year coach Gene Belmonte has St. Edward (6-5) in position to contend in the Suburban Catholic Conference and for the first time in several years the Wave's varsity roster is made up of all seniors and juniors. The key to the team's success is its trio of senior starting pitchers: Riley Coleman, Mike Kondrath and Jim Fraczek.

"I'm feeling really good about our pitching and how confident they are up there on the mound," St. Edward catcher Julian Ramirez said. "That really goes a long way and I just have to try to help them any way I can."

The Warriors won both meetings between the teams last year and have won five of seven over the past three seasons. Keeping that upper hand won't be easy this time around, though