University of Illinois Baseball | The Baseball Zealot

Illinois meets up with SIU Tuesday

Next Game:

	Game #20	Tues 4/1 6pm
Record: 12-7	vs Southern Illinois University	at Rent One Park, Marion, IL

Tuesday, the Illini have a road game at Southern Illinois. More precisely, the game will be at Rent One Park in Marion, IL. Rent One is the home of minor league team, the Southern Illinois Miners.

Coach Hartleb has some history with SIU. He came from there before landing here. A catcher there, he sported a .305 batting average. He went on to coach at SIU before finding greener grass at the UI.

The Illini are 12-7 and 3-1 in the Big Ten. That’s good for second place in the conference in the young Big Ten season.

Don’t forget, Wednesday is the official home opener against St Louis at Illinois Field. I’ll be there.

Opponent:	Southern Illinois University
Nickname:	Salukis
Conference:	Missouri Valley Conference
Head Coach:	Dan Callahan (14th year)
Hometown:	Carbondale, IL
Current Record:	13-10
Baseball Program website:	Link
Players to watch:	OF Bret Maugeri is currently on a 10-game hit streak, hitting .346. Tyler Lairson leads the team with a .362 average.
Team Fact:	Illinois Head Coach Dan Hartleb is an alum of SIU and played catcher for their baseball team.

Illinois Gets a DH split today against MSU

Tom Tompkins has a short report from Lansing.

Your guys broke our hearts in the 1st game with those 4 runs in the final inning. It was fairly cold and windy, and we had a lengthy rain delay between games. We got great pitching from two freshman and a winning hit by Eric Roof in the second.

Illinois seems capable of having a memorable season. Good luck the rest of the way.

TT

When I’m presented with a possible four game weekend sweep, I get greedy. Still, with today’s split, Illinois goes 3-1 over MSU for the weekend and that is GREAT.

I’ll be honest… looking at the predictions and the pre-season reviews at the beginning of 2008, I was wondering if this just might be a rebuilding year for Illinois. Considering that they have won 9 of their last 11 games, they just may be for real in 2008.

Congrats to the team for a well-played series. It was a comeback game in Game 1 today. Down 3-1, the Illini came back to score four runs in the top of the last inning to win the game. Keyed by a double by Craig Lutes and singles by Daniel Webb, Mike Giller, Brandon Wikoff and a walk by Kyle Hudson, that was all they needed to put Game 1 in the books, winning 5-3. Scott Shaw pitched a complete game allowing just 2 earned runs.

The Illini came back from a 1-0 deficit in Game 2 but unfortunately, that wasn’t the end of the story. Jonathan Roof scored an unearned run in the 5th inning to tie the game and in the 8th, his brother Eric Roof drove home Kyle Day on a single.

Illinois’ Aaron Martin had his scoreless inning streak broken at the outset when MSU scored in the first but he didn’t pitch badly. He allowed 2 ER in 7 IP. His summer league teammate Ben Reeser came in to pitch the last 2/3 innings and allowed a hit and a walk. Final Score: MSU 3 Illinois 2

Up next: The “official” home opener on April 2 against St Louis. Wear your Orange and Blue and get out there!!

Former Illini Davis joins Asheville Tourists

Former Illinois catcher Lars Davis has been assigned to the roster of Class A Asheville Tourists.

Davis, who was the Big Ten Player of the Year in 2007 with the Illini, will join Asheville, which a farm team of the Colorado Rockies. They are managed by Joe Mikulik.

By the way, if Mikulik’s name sounds familiar, this is why.

Good luck, Lars!

Illini Sweep doubleheader in Lansing

Yes, there was baseball in Lansing today. There weather cooperated and the University of Illinois have swept Michigan State in today’s doubleheader. Because nothing beats being there, here’s the report from Tom Tompkins who is attending the games this weekend. Once again, thanks to Tom T. for his “eyewitness” reports.

Under a cloudless blue sky and 40 degree temperatures Illinois jumped off to a top of the first 3-0 lead, and built it up to 9-1 through the end of the 6th. It reminded this Spartan fan of last nights basketball game. Fall hopelessly behind in the first half, and then battle back to a least make it respectable.

Kevin Manson pitched well, holding MSU in check with his fast ball consistently in the 87-89 mph range. It was not until he left at the end of the 6th that the Spartans were able to mount a four run inning to reach what turned out to be the final of 9-5.

Illinois played an error less and impressive game, in front of what looked to be about 30 orange and navy blue clad Illinois rooters. The players I picked out as “ballplayers” were Kyle Hudson (speed and power), Dominic Altobelli (solid contact every time), Ryan Hastings (has the “look”), and Chris Montgomery (tough out).

Jonathan and Eric Roof were fun to watch. Definitely “old school”, get your uniform dirty, show your socks to the knees, hustling, love the game, ball players. Jonathan is a fixture at short, and Eric caught game one.

We came back home to warm up and get a quick dinner, and will try to get back for to check on game 2.

Fun to be watching baseball again.

Tom

Game 1 Final Score Illinois 9 Michigan State 5

Man, I wish I was there. Indeed, the players that Tom T. acknowledged in his note seem to be the big guys from a look at the box score. Hudson was 2 for 4 with 3 runs and 2 stolen bases. That gives him 11 SBs so far this season, by the way. Altobelli was 3 for 4 with a double, 2 rbis and run. Catcher Montgomery was 3 for 5 with 2 rbis.

Starter Kevin Manson seemed to have a solid start (3 ER in 6 IP) but looked to have control problems with 5 walks. Lee Zerrusen who has been pretty untouchable up until now, got lit for 2 runs but Ben Reeser did his magic allowing just one hit in 2 2/3 innings.

Game 2 Final Score Illinois 2 Michigan State 0

No doubt, the hero of Game 2 was starting pitcher Mike Stankiewicz. Stanky pitched a 4-hit shutout. On top of that, he didn’t allow any walks.

It was goose eggs for both teams until the fifth inning (this was the seven-inning game). Illinois’ first run came when Nick Stockwell scored on a Joe Bonadonna single. The next inning, Dom Altobelli scored on a Chris Montgomery fielder’s choice. Those two runs would be the only runs Illinois would need winning 2-0.

There is a Sunday double header left against MSU. Good luck, Illini!!

An MSU fan reports in

Lately, I’ve been corresponding with Tom Tompkins who is a retired educator from Lansing, Michigan. He’s a big MSU baseball fan and says he may send in periodic reports on the team. Much thanks, Tom! In lieu of the big Illinois-MSU series this weekend, here is his first update. -tbz

Good to hear from you. Spring just will not arrive up here. We got more snow last night, and this afternoon’s game has been postponed. They are going to try to get all 4 games in with doubleheaders both Saturday and Sunday. The games are being played in Oldsmobile Park, Lansing’s minor league stadium, so they can take advantage of the superior tarps, and ground crew. The weather does look better for tomorrow.

Michigan State lost all the games last weekend due to snow. We walked by the field, and the players had built large (7 or 8 foot) snowmen at each of their 9 positions. We got a big kick out of it.

Jonathon Roof is off to a great start, hitting in the .320’s, and is second on the team in average, rbi’s and total bases. Chris Roberts from Oshkosh, Wisconsin is my favorite player on the team, a gifted athlete with a great deal of potential. I believe he was on the All Big Ten Freshman team last year.

I have hopes of seeing some baseball this weekend.

Opening Day Monday. What a great time of year!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tom

Big Ten season starts this weekend for Illini

Wikoff and Altobelli at the ready against Indiana State

Next Game:

	Game #16	~~Fri 3/28 2:05~~ Sat 3/29 12:05 DH Sun 3/30 12:05 DH
Record: 9-6	vs Michigan State University	at Oldsmobile Park, Lansing, MI

Note: Before I get started, Illini fans should know that Friday’s game at Oldsmobile Park has been postponed due to snow. They will play a doubleheader on Sunday to make up for this.

This weekend, barring anymore bad weather, will be Illinois’ first Big Ten encounter. They will be taking on the Spartans of Michigan State at Oldsmobile Park. Minor league aficionados will know that is the home of the Lansing Lugnuts who are the farm team of Toronto Blue Jays.

The Spartans who are obviously having their own battles with the weather like Illinois, are 7-9 for 2008. Illinois is on a roll winning six of their last seven games. A Big Ten matchup may be more of challenge especially on the road but I have a feeling they are up for it.

MSU Looking for Revenge?

The Spartans may be looking for some payback. The last time these two teams faced each other both teams was the last series of 2007 and both teams were fighting for Big Ten tournament qualification.

MSU had it wrapped up in the last game, with a 7-0 lead with two outs in the 5th. What happened next was probably the best comeback I’ve ever witnessed. It started with a Nick Stockwell homerun over the left field fence and was later bolstered by two homeruns by Lars Davis.

End result: Illinois came back to win that game 8-7 and went on to the Big Ten Tournament and Spartans went home. You can read my account on the whole thing here (plus see some photos). It’s one of those games I know I will never forget. I’m sure neither will the Spartans.

Here’s the rundown on MSU.

Opponent:	Michigan State University
Nickname:	Spartans
Conference:	Big Ten
Head Coach:	David Grewe (3rd year)
Hometown:	Lansing, MI
Current Record:	7-9
Baseball Program website:	Link
Players to watch:	MSU’s big hitter is Kyle Day who leads the team with a .323 average and 15 rbis. Jonathan Roof (Shawn’s brother), who plays both catcher and outfield, is hitting .303 with 8 rbis and 9 runs.
Team Fact:	MSU has four players who have pitched AND had at least one at-bat. That gives them some flexibility.

On a related matter, the local paper, the Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette had a nice feature article on Illinois CF Kyle Hudson. It was mostly highlighting his move from the 9th spot in the order last year to leadoff this year and how he has responded so well to it. Hudson’s current batting average?? .456.

Illini Crush Sycamores 15-4

Ryan Hastings slides in to score (Photo credit: Dylan Nelshoppen)

Once again, the Illini offense was on its game. For the second time in three days (and third time this season), they scored fifteen runs. Final score Illinois 15 Indiana State 4

By the time I got there in the fifth inning, the Illini were already ahead 10-0, already sealing the fate of the game it would seem. Starter Aaron Martin had been pulled after pitching four scoreless innings and extending his consecutive scoreless innings streak to fourteen.

DH Daniel Webb went 2 for 3 today

Very similar to last year’s team, the players of this year’s squad seem to take turns being the hero. Today, it was freshman Casey McMurray who had his first four hit game going 4 for 5 with a double and 3 runs and a rbi. Joe Bonadonna cashed in 4 rbis with a 2 for 4 performance.

More photos at the Baseball Zealot Photo Gallery

Next up… Michigan State at East Lansing.

Illini Game re-scheduled for Illinois Field today

Next Game:

	Game #15	Wed Mar 26, 3:30 pm CST
Record: 8-6	vs Indiana State University	at Illinois Field, Champaign, IL

The weather has been playing havoc with the Illini’s schedule. Yesterday’s game against Indiana State was canceled so they are going to re-schedule for this afternoon at 3:30pm. The good news is that they will be playing here at Illinois Field.

Indiana State has managed to get a few more games in and have even played a few conference matchups. They are in the Missouri Valley Conference along with Southern Illinois, Coach Hartleb’s alma mater.

I’ll be there after work. It should be a little warmer than Monday.

See you at the ballpark!

Opponent:	Indiana State University
Nickname:	Sycamores
Conference:	Missouri Valley Conference
Head Coach:	Lindsay Meggs (1st year)
Hometown:	Terre Haute, IN
Current Record:	5-12 (1-2 conf)
Baseball Program website:	Link
Players to watch:	CF Chris Schmidt has been hot, hitting .382 for the season. He went 5-6 on Saturday leading the Sycamores against Southern Illinois.
Team Fact:	Coach Meggs comes from California State-Chico. He led them to two D-2 National Championships with an overall record of 538-228-4.

Illini clip the Eagles’ wings 15-5

It was a chilly day for baseball but when the sun came out, it wasn’t so bad. The wind blew straight out to center. We were even treated to a smattering of snowflakes in the fifth inning which didn’t amount to anything.

Nonetheless, it was baseball and it was here in Urbana. Judson University made the trip from Elgin, Illinois to help make up some gameage that was lost due to weather (for both teams it turns out).

Craig Lutes celebrates with teammates after hitting a homer in the fourth

Illinois had no trouble scoring on their new home turf. They scored at least two runs each in the first four innings. All told, they managed 20 hits for the game. By the fifth inning, when it was 11-2, Coach Hartleb brought in the reserves so it was a good chance to see the whole team in action.

Kyle Hudson hustles toward third

Kyle Hudson who has been on fire, went 3 for 5 with 2 runs and 2 rbis. That raises his batting average to .490! Joe Bonadonna hit his first triple of the year and contributed 3 rbis for the game. Maybe it’s me but I don’t think that will be his last triple of the season.

RF Craig Lutes hit the only homerun of the game, his second of the year. That was a two-run shot in the fourth. That shot was deep and long going over the centerfield wall. For the game, he was 3 for 4 with 4 rbis.

Starter Mike Stankiewicz

With the big hit-fest going on, we can’t ignore the solid job that Mike Stankiewicz did off the mound. Stanky allowed two runs in 5 innings. He gave up 6 hits but only one walks. Lee Zerrusen came in and pitched two scoreless innings in relief.

Boy, you gotta feel for Eagles’ starter Kyle Kobernus. Eleven runs in four innings. And 100 pitches.

Well, for a home opener it was definitely a way to get off to a good start. it would have been nice to have more people in the stands but between the last minute scheduling, the 3pm game time, and the chilly weather, we probably couldn’t expect too much.

The win puts Illinois at 8-6 and in third place behind Ohio State and Michigan.

By the way… the Tuesday game with Indiana State has been postponed due to weather. They are attempting to re-schedule the game.

There are more photos at the Baseball Zealot Photo Gallery. Check them out!

Makeup game forces last minute home opener for Illini

Next Game:

	Game #14	Mon Mar 24, 3 pm CST
Record: 7-6	vs Judson University	at Illinois Field, Champaign, IL

Those of you looking forward to attending the University of Illinois home opener, be ready to change your plans. Because of multiple cancellations because of weather, the Illini have scheduled a midweek home game on Monday at 3pm. This game will be the first of the year for the team.

The team they will be facing is the Judson University Eagles out of Elgin. Two things you need to know out of the batter’s box about Judson. One, Illinois has never played them before and two, they are 1-10 so far this season.

If I know the Illini baseball program, they aren’t going to become over-confident about that 1-10 record. They tend to take every team seriously. I think it was last year when Judson’s conference-mates, Robert Morris gave them a run for their money before they closed the book on them.

Assuming I can get away from work early, I’ll see you at the ballpark.

Finally, here are the details on Judson University:

Opponent:	Judson University
Nickname:	Eagles
Conference:	Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference
Head Coach:	Rich Benjamin (1st year)
Location:	Elgin, IL
Current Record:	1-10
Baseball Program website:	Link
Players to watch:	Freshman OF Oscar DePablos, who hails from Caracas, Venezuela, leads the team with a .324 batting average. In addition, he’s played every game this year.
Team Fact:	This is the first time in history that Illinois will face Judson though they have faced conference mates Robert Morris and St Xavier in past years.

Assuming I can get away from work early, I’ll see you at the ballpark.

Go Illini!!