Category: University of Illinois Baseball

Joe Mercurio off to U of Maine: A case of bad timing?

News came out that last year’s backup catcher, Joe Mercurio has just signed with University of Maine. From Lower Hudson Online: For much of their childhood, Joe Mercurio and Myckie Lugbauer were the best catchers their age in Putnam County. Their skill eventually extended far beyond the county’s borders; as seniors they were two of … Continue reading “Joe Mercurio off to U of Maine: A case of bad timing?”

News came out that last year’s backup catcher, Joe Mercurio has just signed with University of Maine.

From Lower Hudson Online:

For much of their childhood, Joe Mercurio and Myckie Lugbauer were the best catchers their age in Putnam County. Their skill eventually extended far beyond the county’s borders; as seniors they were two of the best players in Section 1 period.

Back then Mercurio and Lugbauer were friendly rivals. Now they are teammates as Mercurio, a Kennedy graduate from Brewster, has signed with the University of Maine, completing a transfer from the University of Illinois.

 

I wonder about Mercurio’s timing. Long time backup catcher Aaron Ifft has graduated and of course, Big Ten Player of the Year and last year’s full-time catcher Lars Davis was snatched up in the First Year Player Draft. From my perspective, he would have had a shot at the #1 spot behind the plate. But Joe had his reasons:

Mercurio said he was promised playing time alongside junior catcher Lars Davis but the rotation never unfolded the way he hoped. Mercurio played in just 11 games (three starts) and Davis, an all-American, won the Big Ten player of the year and was drafted in the third round by Colorado.

“I wanted to go there and get better,” Mercurio said. “I felt I got worse when I got there.”

 

With the record season that Lars Davis was having, I don’t think Mercurio’s mother would have advocated a platoon situation.

Seriously, it’s too bad Joe will be gone. I enjoyed watching him play. In his rare starts, he always seemed to make a difference. I wish him the best at U of Maine.

Illini All-Stars

July is All-Star time not only for the Majors but also for the college leagues. University of Illinois is well represented on a few All-Star teams throughout the country. Scott Shaw and Joe Bonadonna faced off against each other last Wednesday in the Northwoods League All-Star Game. Shaw, who is 3-2 with a 3.46 ERA … Continue reading “Illini All-Stars”

July is All-Star time not only for the Majors but also for the college leagues. University of Illinois is well represented on a few All-Star teams throughout the country.

Scott Shaw and Joe Bonadonna faced off against each other last Wednesday in the Northwoods League All-Star Game. Shaw, who is 3-2 with a 3.46 ERA made the South Division team and Bonadonna with his 31 steals in 38 games, represented the North Division. The North Division won 3-2.

Meanwhile, infielder Dom Altobelli and pitchers Ben Reeser, and Aaron Martin have been selected to the American League All-Star team of the Coastal Plain League. All three play for the Fayetteville Swampdogs.

With similar stats, Reeser and Martin have been simply dominating this summer. Reeser is 5-0 with a 0.94 ERA. Martin, believe it or not, has him beat. He is also 5-0 with a 0.83 ERA. Altobelli is batting .297 with 33 hits and 33 rbis.

The Coastal Plain League All-Star Game is scheduled for July 17.

A Familiar Name

Bonadonna is on pace to break the Northwoods League for steals in a season. He needs 13 more to break the record of 44. Who holds that record??

Former Illini Ryan Rogowski

Saturday night’s all right for ex-Illini Blomquist

Former University of Illinois starting pitcher Brian Blomquist is on a roll. He’s had four straight quality starts for the Southern Illinois Miners culminating in Saturday night’s outing. That night, he pitched a four-hit shutout against the River City Rascals. “It had been a year since I had thrown in a real game before the … Continue reading “Saturday night’s all right for ex-Illini Blomquist”

Former University of Illinois starting pitcher Brian Blomquist is on a roll. He’s had four straight quality starts for the Southern Illinois Miners culminating in Saturday night’s outing. That night, he pitched a four-hit shutout against the River City Rascals.

“It had been a year since I had thrown in a real game before the season started,” Blomquist said, “so I was still trying to get back into shape and get a feel for all of my pitches. Now, I finally think I have it.”

In a related note, I mentioned in a earlier post that Danny Almonte was a teammate of Blomquist’s on the Miners squad. Almonte became famous as a little league pitcher who brought his team to the World Series only to have us find out he was older than he reported.

Well. Almonte was cut from the Miners’ roster after posting a 5.28 ERA in six appearances. Deadspin has the details.

Illini Summer Diamond Notes: Scott Shaw

Scott Shaw pitching during the Big Ten Tournament

Fightingillini.com has starting pitcher Scott Shaw up this week for their regular series of University of Illinois baseball player reporting back from their collegiate leagues.

Shaw is pitching for the Waterloo Bucks in the Northwoods League. He’s doing a good job up there with a 2-2 record with a nifty 3.82 ERA. His victory last night moved the Bucks out of last place.

Keep up the good work, Scott!

Baseball Zealot Radio interviews Andrew Hartwell of Summer Ball

Northwoods League. Coastal Plain League. Central Illinois Collegiate League.

I’ve written about about these leagues and others like them. They’re all college summer leagues and they serve a very important purpose in developing college baseball players.

In this episode of Baseball Zealot Radio, I interview Andrew Hartwell who, as far as I know, has the only website devoted exclusively to college summer leagues. It’s called Summer Ball and if you’re a fan of college baseball, you should check it out. During our interview, Andrew talks about what purpose college summer leagues serve and how these leagues operate.

Direct Link to the show

Listen via iTunes

Baseball Zealot Radio website

 

Os-Kee-Wow-wow hardball news

Turns out Ben Reeser and Aaron Martin aren’t the only Illini doing well this summer. Take a look at Joey Bonadonna who is spending his dog days playing for the Duluth Huskies in the Northwoods League. Bonadonna has already broken the team single season record for stolen bases. He did it in style by stealing … Continue reading “Os-Kee-Wow-wow hardball news”

Turns out Ben Reeser and Aaron Martin aren’t the only Illini doing well this summer. Take a look at Joey Bonadonna who is spending his dog days playing for the Duluth Huskies in the Northwoods League.

Bonadonna has already broken the team single season record for stolen bases. He did it in style by stealing nineteen bases in his first nineteen games. Primarily, a left fielder for the Illini in 2007, he is the starting second baseman for the Huskies. He currently has 21 thefts and leads the league.

Word from fightingillini.com is that Bonadonna will be featured on Northwoods Baseball Weekly show on ESPNU at 6:30 p.m. (Central Time) on Thursday, June 28.

In Frontier League action, former University of Illinois pitcher Brian Blomquist got his first professional win Sunday. The Southern has the details. Blomquist pitched six strong innings as his Southern Illinois Miners won 13-3 over Slippery Rock.

Reeser, Martin mowing ’em down in the Coastal Plain League

Brian from Big Ten Hardball pointed out to me that University of Illinois’ Ben Reeser is putting up some good numbers for the Fayetteville Swampdogs in the Coastal Plain League. He’s 3-0 with a 0.36 ERA in 25 1/3 innings. He’s leading the CPL in ERA. Swampdog teammate and Illini Aaron Martin is doing great … Continue reading “Reeser, Martin mowing ’em down in the Coastal Plain League”

Brian from Big Ten Hardball pointed out to me that University of Illinois’ Ben Reeser is putting up some good numbers for the Fayetteville Swampdogs in the Coastal Plain League. He’s 3-0 with a 0.36 ERA in 25 1/3 innings. He’s leading the CPL in ERA.

Swampdog teammate and Illini Aaron Martin is doing great too. He’s 3-0 with a 1.27 ERA.

Between the two of them, they are helping the Swampdogs to an 18-4 record, good for first place in the South Division in the CPL.

Keeping up with the Illini

The Illini who are playing in college summer leagues have been busy typing away for the fightingillini.com’s Summer Diamond Notes. A few days ago, Mike Stankewicz checked in from the Crystal Lake Cardinals and just today, Nick Stockwell writes from the Lombard Orioles. Both are in the Chicago Suburban League. I don’t know if the … Continue reading “Keeping up with the Illini”

The Illini who are playing in college summer leagues have been busy typing away for the fightingillini.com’s Summer Diamond Notes. A few days ago, Mike Stankewicz checked in from the Crystal Lake Cardinals and just today, Nick Stockwell writes from the Lombard Orioles. Both are in the Chicago Suburban League. I don’t know if the Illini baseball
program plans for these Summer Diamond Notes to keep up at this pace but I think it’s a great idea.

Oh, in case anyone is interested, here is Lars Davis’ profile on Purple Row, a Colorado Rockies blog.

Finally, I notice that former Illini Chris Basak has gotten in a couple games for the Yanks. No at-bats yet, though.

Followup: Shawn Roof, the Illini shortstop who was drafted in the 33rd round by the Tigers is now on the roster of their Rookie League affiliate, the Gulf Coast League Tigers in Lakeland, Florida.

Lars Davis is now on the Tri-City Dust Devils located in Pasco, Washington.

Here’s Fighting Illini.com’s writeup on Roof and Davis making it to pro ball.

Illini Davis, Roof signed within a week

Within a week of the First-Year Player draft, both Illini players who have been drafted have already signed contracts with their respective teams. According to the Denver Post, the Colorado Rockies signed 27 of the draft picks including catcher Lars Davis who they called an “intriguing catcher from Illinois”. And from what I read in … Continue reading “Illini Davis, Roof signed within a week”

Within a week of the First-Year Player draft, both Illini players who have been drafted have already signed contracts with their respective teams.

According to the Denver Post, the Colorado Rockies signed 27 of the draft picks including catcher Lars Davis who they called an “intriguing catcher from Illinois”.

And from what I read in the local News-Gazette, shortstop Shawn Roof has signed a contract with the Detroit Tigers.

As far as Casey Crosby, the top pitcher who had originally committed to the University of Illinois and was drafted by the Tigers, they still working on an agreemnt. Says Crosby in the Elburn Herald, “They said that they have every intention of signing me.”