Video: Cubs' 1st Pitch Thrown by Loyola Chicago's Sister Jean After 104th Birthday
Aug 29, 2023
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 28: Jean Dolores Schmidt, also known as Sister Jean, throws out the first pitch prior to the game between the Chicago Cubs and the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field on August 28, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Sister Jean brought the heat at The Friendly Confines Monday night.
The famous nun from Loyola Chicago turned 104 this August and got a chance to show off at Wrigley Field as she threw the first pitch before the Chicago Cubs matchup against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Sister Jean wound up and fired the ball to Cubs Mascot Clark the Club and it appeared to be a solid strike.
This isn't her first rodeo with throwing out the first pitch at Wrigley as she also celebrated her 103rd birthday in similar fashion.
She came to fame during the 2018 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball tournament as a supporter of the Loyola Chicago basketball team that reached the Final Four.
Video: Loyola Chicago's Sister Jean Celebrates 104th Birthday
Aug 22, 2023
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - SEPTEMBER 18: Dolores Schmidt "Sister Jean" of the Loyola Ramblers men's basketball team poses with a Cubs jersey given to her by manager Joe Maddon before the game between the Chicago Cubs and the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field on September 18, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
Loyola Chicago's last national championship in men's basketball was 60 years ago.
The team's most famous fan surely remembers it well.
That is because Sister Jean was 44 years old in 1963, which is the year the Ramblers won it all. On Monday, she turned 104 years old and had quite the celebration:
— Loyola University Chicago (@LoyolaChicago) August 21, 2023
Sister Jean became a national phenomenon during Loyola's run to the Final Four as a Cinderella story in the 2018 NCAA men's basketball tournament. While cameras consistently showed her in the crowd at the games, she also gave pregame speeches and was seen as an inspirational figure.
She even threw out the first pitch at a Chicago Cubs game at Wrigley Field:
Loyola wasn't just a one-year wonder, as it also reached the Sweet 16 in 2021 and made the Big Dance in 2022 with Sister Jean cheering the team on.
She will surely be ready to go when the 2023-24 season starts as well.
Ohio State Beats Loyola Chicago to Advance to 2nd Round of March Madness
Mar 18, 2022
PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 18: E.J. Liddell #32 of the Ohio State Buckeyes is defended by Ryan Schwieger #13 of the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers in the first half during the first round of the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament held at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 18, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
No. 7 seed Ohio State is moving on to the Round of 32 after a 54-41victory over No. 10 seed Loyola Chicago in the 2022 NCAA men's basketball tournament on Friday.
Ohio State limped into the tournament with seven losses in its last 13 games after starting the season 13-4. The Buckeyes ranked 263rd in the nation in defensive rating (103.9), per Sports Reference.
The Ramblers had won at least two tournament games in each of their last three appearances, dating back to 1985. First-year head coach Drew Valentine led his team to the Missouri Valley Conference tournament title on the strength of a defense that allowed 50.3 points per game during its three wins.
Neither team put their best foot forward in this game. Ohio State was able to do enough on offense to get the win, but it's not one that will likely go on the season highlight reel.
Both teams combined for 41 points in the first half, with the Buckeyes leading by five points.
In the first half, Ohio State and Loyola Chicago combined to
Ohio State started to look better in the second half. It was still a slog for both sides, but E.J. Liddell and Malaki Branham did everything in their power to lift the Buckeyes to a win. They combined for 30 of the team's 54 points.
Braden Norris was the only Ramblers player who had anything going on offense. He had 14 of the 29 points scored by the starting five.
Ryan Schwieger (Loyola): 8 points (3-of-6 FG), 6 rebounds
Buckeyes' Stars Shine in Victory
Coming into the tournament, Liddell felt like the Buckeyes were being underestimated because of how their roster looked down the stretch in the regular season.
#Buckeyes forward E.J. Liddell: "I feel like people forgot how we played when we were fully healthy and locked in and everything. Come tomorrow, you’ll all see a different team."
Both Zed Key and Kyle Young were able to play. Key played sparingly off the bench after playing just seven minutes against Michigan in the Big Ten tournament.
Young returned to the starting lineup after sitting out three games with an illness and a concussion. He had a solid impact with ninepoints and sevenrebounds.
Look, Ohio State is balling and this is still just an 11-point game. Not over yet.
But I thought it was weird that everyone just kind of ignored that Ohio State’s late-season swoon happened basically without both Zed Key and Kyle Young. OSU is a different team with them.
The junior forward is averaging 19.0points per game over the past three games.
Malaki Branham remains the most efficient scorer on the Buckeyes roster. The freshman went 5-of-7from the field.
One thing that wasn't working for Ohio State was three-point shooting. The team missed all nine of its three-point attempts in the first half and only went 1-of-15 behind the arc in the win.
The most notable difference between the Buckeyes on Friday and during their late-season swoon was on the defensive end. They were fantastic at staying in front of the ball and helping when Loyola Chicago tried to attack the basket.
Anyway, that was the best half Ohio State has played on defense in at least a month. Contested almost everything. Got a bit lucky with a couple of open shots not falling, but that was great.
If this is the kind of defensive effort Chris Holtmann can expect from his team on a nightly basis, they have all of the pieces in place to win multiple tournament games.
It's going to be hard for any team in the tournament to sink as low as Loyola Chicago's offense did against Ohio State.
While the Buckeyes certainly deserve credit for showing more effort on the defensive end of the court than they have in weeks, the Ramblers did a lot to hurt themselves.
They made just threeof 10free-throw attempts and shot 27.3percent from the field overall. There was nowhere on the floor they could find success putting the ball in the basket.
The Ramblers ranked 31st in the nation in offensive rating (110.5), per Sports-Reference.com.
Norris was the one Loyola Chicago player who was making anything. The junior guard was the only player on the team who broke double-digits in scoring. He made four of the team's eight three-pointers in the loss.
The Ramblers had an 11-8 advantage in offensive rebounds and had nine steals, but would routinely struggle to turn those extra chances into points. This is a game that they will look back on with frustration at all the opportunities they missed.
Despite the difficult ending to the season, the 2021-22 campaign was a success on the whole. Their 25 wins were tied for the sixth-most in school history.
What's Next?
Ohio State will play the Delaware-Villanova winner in the Round of 32 on Sunday.
This article will be
updated shortly to provide more information on this game.
Loyola Chicago Leaving MVC, Joining Atlantic 10 Starting in 2022-23 Season
Nov 16, 2021
FILE- In this Nov. 27, 2018, file photo, Loyola of Chicago's Sister Jean shows off the NCAA Final Four ring she received before an NCAA college basketball game between Loyola of Chicago and Nevada in Chicago. (AP Photo/Matt Marton, File)
Loyola of Chicago became the latest university to shift its conference allegiances Tuesday, announcing it plans to leave the Missouri Valley Conference for the Atlantic 10 beginning in 2022-23.
Loyola President Jo Ann Rooney issued a statement about the decision:
I am excited to announce that Loyola University Chicago will be joining the Atlantic 10 Conference beginning in the 2022-23 academic year. The A-10 is widely regarded as one of the top leagues in the country for its success in competition and in the classroom. This move will continue to grow our visibility at a national level, while at the same time placing us in a league with three other Jesuit institutions. We are confident this is a move that positions Loyola for even greater success, both athletically and academically, in the future.
Loyola has emerged as one of the best mid-major men's basketball programs in the country in recent seasons. The Ramblers reached the Final Four in 2018 and the Sweet 16 last season under Porter Moser, who left the program for Oklahoma in April.
New head coach Drew Valentine has Loyola off to a 2-0 start this season.
Oklahoma and Texas kicked off the recent trend of realignment, announcing plans to leave the Big 12 for the SEC in 2025. The Big 12 then added BYU, UCF, Cincinnati and Houston, which led to the American Athletic Conference landing Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, North Texas, Rice, UAB and UTSA, all of which came from Conference USA.
C-USA rebounded by picking up Liberty, New Mexico State, Sam Houston and Jacksonville State. It also lost Marshall, Old Dominion and Southern Miss to the Sun Belt.
Nearly all of these moves were centered around football; Loyola's move is basketball-centric. The Atlantic 10 has not sponsored football since 2006.
Loyola's departure was the latest blow for to the Missouri Valley Conference, long a mid-major staple that has been weakening over the last decade. Creighton departed for the Big East in 2013, and Wichita State departed for the AAC in 2017.
The MVC has seemingly become a stepping stone for programs to turn themselves into mid-major powers before finding greener pastures elsewhere.
Sister Jean: 'I'll Be Jumping Around' If Loyola-Chicago Reaches 2021 Final Four
Mar 25, 2021
Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt watches Loyola Chicago play Illinois during the first half of a men's college basketball game in the second round of the NCAA tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Sunday, March 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
The players won't be the only ones jumping if Loyola-Chicago advances to the Final Four in the 2021 NCAA men's tournament.
"I'll be jumping around, literally, not figuratively, I'll be jumping around as much as they are," Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt said, per Adam Rittenberg of ESPN. "It will just be a great thrill if they get to the Final Four again, or even go up a couple steps more. I will hardly believe that it happened. Last time, I thought to myself, 'I will never see anything like this again.'"
The 101-year-old team chaplain was in attendance for the Ramblers' first-round victory over Georgia Tech and second-round stunner over top-seeded Illinois.
She certainly knows what championship basketball looks like considering she saw the Ramblers take home the 1963 national championship.
"I waited since 1963, because I saw that game too," she said. "If we got this, it would be perfect. They're working toward it, and I believe they still can do it. One never knows what's going to happen in a basketball game on the floor that night."
If Sister Jean really is jumping around after a Final Four run this year, the basketball won't be the only appointment viewing.
Cinderella No More: Loyola-Chicago Is a Final Four Threat Once Again
Mar 21, 2021
Loyola of Chicago players celebrate after beating Illinois in a college basketball game in the second round of the NCAA tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis Sunday, March 21, 2021. Loyola upset Illinois 71-58. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
The 2020-21 Loyola of Chicago Ramblers had no business being a No. 8 seed.
Within moments of the final buzzer sounding on a dominant 71-58 victory over No. 1 seed Illinois, the word "Cinderella" had already been uttered multiple times by announcers and studio analysts alike.
But this time around, the glass slipper simply doesn't fit.
The Ramblers went 21-4 during the regular season, steamrolling their way through the Missouri Valley Conference and winning their three conference tournament games by a combined 50 points to secure an automatic bid.
The most recent AP poll, released on March 15, shows Loyola-Chicago at No. 17 ahead of the likes of Villanova, Creighton, Purdue, Texas Tech, Colorado, BYU, USC and Virginia Tech.
All of those teams were seeded higher than the Ramblers—some by as many as four seed lines.
Simple math says the No. 17 team in the nation should be a No. 5 seed in the NCAA tournament, and while the selection committee does not adhere to the AP poll by any means, a disparity of three seed lines is still a bit of a head-scratcher.
The KenPom rankings paint an even clearer picture of just how good this Ramblers team has been.
They rank No. 7 overall, behind only Gonzaga, Michigan, Houston, Baylor, Illinois and Iowa, and lay claim to the No. 1 ranking in adjusted defensive efficiency.
That pesky defense was on full display Sunday.
The Illini turned the ball over 17 times, six of which came from All-American guard Ayo Dosunmu, and they never found any sort of rhythm aside from a solid two-minute stretch to close out the first half. The 58 points scored by Illinois were its lowest point total of the season.
Meanwhile, with a patient half-court attack and the versatility of big man Cameron Krutwig, the Ramblers put on a clinic on the offensive end.
They shot 51 percent from the floor, a mark exceeded by only three teams against the Illini defense this season, and they found easy basket after easy basket late in the shot clock.
It all starts with Krutwig.
Cameron Krutwig
The Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year and a holdover from the 2018 Final Four team when he started as a true freshman, he filled up the box score with 19 points, 12 rebounds and five assists. Beyond the counting stats, his ability to play on the perimeter and run the offense pulled Kofi Cockburn out of the paint, opening things up underneath offensively.
And while the 6'9" senior center was the focal point Sunday, this is far from a one-dimensional attack.
Senior guard Lucas Williamson averages a modest 8.6 points per game, but he dropped a season-high 21 on 8-of-13 shooting against Georgia Tech in their opening-round win. The MVC Defensive Player of the Year is another holdover from the 2018 squad.
Guards Braden Norris (8.4 PPG, 52 3PT, 40.9 3PT%) and Keith Clemons (38 3PT, 45.8 3PT%) are both knockdown shooters from the outside, and Norris leads the team with 3.1 assists per game as the starting point guard.
Even when Krutwig needs a breather, the team can turn to 6'10" freshman Jacob Hutson, who has played his way into the rotation as the season has progressed. He tallied five points, two rebounds and one block in seven minutes of action Sunday.
There is no future lottery pick or 5-star recruit on this roster.
It's just a deep, talented, fundamentally sound team that has fully bought into the philosophy of head coach Porter Moser. They executed a well-crafted game plan to a T on Sunday to send a really good Illinois team packing in lopsided fashion.
So save the Cinderella talk for teams like North Texas and Oral Roberts.
This Loyola-Chicago squad is a bona fide Final Four threat, and it has been since before the NCAA tournament ever began.
Sister Jean Cleared to Travel to Loyola-Chicago's 1st-Round NCAA Tournament Game
Mar 16, 2021
Loyola's Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt answers questions during a news conference for the Final Four NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 30, 2018, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
When Loyola-Chicago opens the 2021 NCAA men's tournament on Friday, Sister Jean will be in the stands offering support for her team.
Per Shannon Ryan of the Chicago Tribune, the school confirmed on Tuesday that Sister Jean will travel to Indianapolis for the tournament:
Loyola confirms Sister Jean is ready to cut down some nets. The 101-year-old team chaplain and sports icon is headed to Indy for the NCAA Tournament. pic.twitter.com/T7IYmh38Y0
Sister Jean became a breakout star three years ago when the Ramblers advanced to the Final Four. The 101-year-old has worked as the chaplain for the school's basketball team since 1994.
She gave the school permission to use her name and likeness on merchandise in the wake of that tournament run. Her bobbleheads were being sold on eBay for as much as $650.
The Ramblers earned a No. 8 seed in the Midwest Region, their best tournament seeding since the 1984-85 season (No. 4). They will play ACC champion Georgia Tech in the Round of 64 on Friday at 4 p.m. ET.
Loyola Chicago Men's Basketball Chaplain Sister Jean Celebrates 100th Birthday
Aug 21, 2019
FILE- In this Nov. 27, 2018, file photo, Loyola of Chicago's Sister Jean shows off the NCAA Final Four ring she received before an NCAA college basketball game between Loyola of Chicago and Nevada in Chicago. (AP Photo/Matt Marton, File)
The chaplain for Loyola Chicago's men's basketball team, Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, turned 100 on Wednesday.
Sister Jean, a fixture at Loyola basketball games, turns 100 today.
Her secret to a long life?
"I eat well and sleep well. And hopefully I pray well."
Her joy and passion for the Loyola Ramblers during their run to the Final Four remains one of the best stories in March Madness history. https://t.co/eDUySocNGk
What’s the secret to longevity? Biggest surprise over her 100 years? Expectations for Loyola Chicago this season?@TheAndyKatz discusses it all with the @RamblersMBB chaplain just before she becomes a centenarian! #SisterJean100 🎂 pic.twitter.com/B4UYG86pnc
HAPPY 100TH BIRTHDAY SISTER JEAN!! No one has more energy, passion and love than you! You truly are the heart and soul of the #Ramblers! We love you! #SisterJean100 ❤️💯🎂 pic.twitter.com/1czJsFcbhp
She became famous during Loyola Chicago's improbable run in the 2018 NCAA tournament, when the Ramblers reached the Final Four. Her birthday is being honored in a number of ways, from "a Lego likeness of her that will be on display at the Legoland Discovery Center through October, when it will be moved to the Ramblers' Gentile Arena," per ESPN, to an exhibit at the Loyola Museum of Art.
Loyola Chicago is also raising $100,000 for an athletic endowment in her honor, according to Shannon Ryan of the Chicago Tribune. But Sister Jean is hoping her legacy goes beyond that.
"The legacy I want is that I helped people and I was not afraid to give my time to people and teach them to be positive about what happens and that they can do good for other people," she told Ryan. "And being willing to take a risk. People might say, 'Why didn't I do that?' Well, just go ahead and try it—as long as it doesn't hurt anybody."
Sister Jean Will Be Given 'Extended Break' After Loyola's Cinderella Run Ends
Apr 1, 2018
Loyola's Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt answers questions during a news conference for the Final Four NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 30, 2018, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt became a national celebrity as the team chaplain for the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers during their Cinderella run to the Final Four in the 2018 NCAA men's basketball tournament, but she is taking a step out of the spotlight after Saturday's loss.
"She's done for a while," Ryan Haley, assistant director of athletic communications for Loyola-Chicago, said, per Josh Peter of USA Today. "We're going to give her a little bit of an extended break from everything ... and let her kind of catch her breath."
Sister Jean is 98 years old, but that didn't stop her from attending all of Loyola-Chicago's tournament games and becoming a highlight of many of the television broadcasts.
Peter noted "dozens of reporters crammed into a room for a specially scheduled interview session with Sister Jean" on Friday during media sessions for the Final Four.
While Saturday's 69-57 loss to Michigan didn't end the way Sister Jean would have wanted, Loyola-Chicago became the darlings of the tournament by emerging from the South Regional as a No. 11 seed.
