The No. 8 Hillcrest Academy Ravens (17-7) are set to make their debut in their first state tournament since 2008 on Monday as they take on the No. 1 Remsen St. Mary’s Hawks (23-1).

The Ravens and the Hawks boast two of the most efficient and accurate pitching staffs in the state, holding the top two spots in terms of walks allowed and both sitting top five in terms of WHIP.

Phoenix Anderson and Seth Ours lead the way on the bump for the Ravens. Anderson holds the team’s best ERA at 0.66 and is coming off a complete-game shutout performance against Pekin in Hillcrest’s substate final. Ours has one of the best WHIPs in the state, sitting third among qualified pitchers at 0.68 thanks in part to two no-hitters.

The Hawks lean on a senior duo of their own on the rubber. Collin Homan has thrown by far the most innings for Remsen St. Mary’s at 47.2, while Landon Waldschmitt has the lowest WHIP at 0.80.

Remsen St. Mary’s has also been one of the most potent offenses in the class throughout the season, entering the state tournament top five in home runs, batting average, OBP, SLG, OPS, and sac flies.

Homan also powers the Hawks offensively, leading the state with eight of the team’s 15 home runs. Behind Homan, eight other qualified Hawks have over a .400 OBP, led by Waldschmitt’s .656.

Hillcrest Head Coach Danny Hershberger described the challenge posed by the Hawks, “You’re going to see some good hitters, they’ve got some guys who have thrown a lot of innings for them and been very successful. You know it’s going to be a tough challenge. There’s a reason they’re ranked where they’re ranked as the one seed at the state tournament, but we’re looking forward to a good challenge against one of the state’s best.”

The Ravens are a patient group at the plate, forcing opponents to throw strikes as they’ve collected 117 walks this season. Senior Liam Schrock provides the most pop at the plate for Hillcrest, launching three home runs this year. Rowan Miller is the team’s most efficient hitter, plating 25 RBIs this year on a .321 average and a .432 OBP.

The sides have never faced each other in the Varsity Bound era.

The Raven State Tournament Pregame Show will begin on all KCII signals, apps and streams at 10:30 a.m., with first pitch scheduled for 11 live from Merchants Park in Carroll.