big ten tournament | The Baseball Zealot

Manson, Bonadonna key win in tourney

That is a smile of a proud father. Russell Bonadonna (above) is holding the homerun ball hit by his son, Joe during Wednesday’s action at the Big Ten Tournament. Bonadonna’s homer proved to be the game-winner in the win against Ohio State in the first round of the tournament. Illinois won 3-2.

Tied 2-2, Bonadonna hit a solo homer to left in the seventh inning off of Buckeye reliever Dean Wolosiansky. The score stood and Illinois won.

Kevin Manson: CG, 0 ER

But I can’t write any more without talking about Kevin Manson. Why? He simply dominated the Buckeyes today. He began the game by striking out the first two Buckeyes. Then he got better. No earned runs, only 4 hits, no walks. Manson rose to the occasion.

In some ways, it was a typical Illinois game. We outhit them 11 to 4 but won 3-2.

Steal #40

Kyle Hudson walked in the first inning and you knew what was coming next. Steal #40. That steal tied Shawn Roof for the single season team record. Hud later scored on a sac fly.

Illinois also scored when Brandon Wikoff doubled in the 3rd inning and Daniel Webb singled to drive him home.

Tomorrow, Illinois face #1 seed Michigan in a night game.

I’ve created a separate album in the photo gallery for the Big Ten Tournament. You can access it here. I will have separate sub-albums for each game.

Penn State defeated Indiana 6-1 in the second game of the day. If anyone is interested, I took photos of that game, too.

Finally, this week I’ll be doing daily updates on the Tournament on Brian Foley’s The College Baseball Blog. Thanks to Brian for the opportunity.

My final thoughts on the Big Ten Tournament

Shawn Roof and me

Let me first say I had a fantastic time. This was my second Big Ten Tournament and the first time I’ve traveled to see the Illini baseball team play.

Every Illinois fan wishes they could have won the tournament but all things considered, I thought they played well. They were able to defeat a tough Iowa team in the first round and stay around for that much longer (hey, longer than #1 seed Michigan).

It was good to finally meet Brian DeCaussin in person. He and I have been in contact all year via email and phone. I’ve already said enough good things about his web site Big Ten Hardball so I won’t belabor the point. Just check it out.

It was definitely a highlight to meet so many parents of the Illini players. I was honored when some of them knew of The Baseball Zealot and enjoy the postings and pictures. Lars Davis’ mom says that between Big Ten Hardball and The Baseball Zealot, it’s the only way she gets news about her son because, “Lars doesn’t tell me anything.”

Well, he doesn’t tell me anything either but I try to get some good pictures of him in action when I can.

All in all, it was good to be around good baseball. The one thing I like about college baseball is the intimacy of the ballparks. I don’t see a game from the nosebleed section. Rather, I can see it from up close and I can hear it. Sometimes I can even smell it. Note: The Ohio State Buckeyes wore their unwashed jerseys on Sunday, perhaps for luck. I’m sure I could have smelled it then.

Anyway, I’m sold. When the Illini make the tournament in 2008, I’ll be there.

By the way, thanks to Shawn for taking the time to pose in the picture with me. It was 20 minutes after their loss and they were all headed out on the bus. I’m sure he had other things to do and other things (like the loss) on his mind but he took the time. It meant a lot.

Ohio State Buckeyes champion of Big Ten Tournament

Some years, the Big Ten tournament champion is determined by Saturday night. In this strange year of one tough team in the loser’s bracket plus dealing with Mother Nature rearing her ugly head, three teams were still in the mix on Sunday morning.

Unfortunately, I was on my way home on the train. Thanks to Brian DeCaussin from Big Ten Hardball who phoned me while I was headed home with the results.

Picking up where we left off Saturday, Minnesota and Penn State continued their suspended game from the afternoon before. Minnesota had just given up the lead before the suspension was called and PSU had the advantage 3-2. The Golden Gophers came ready to play and tied the game in the ninth. Two innings later, they scored the winning run on a rbi double by Jeremy Chlan.

Chlan pinch hit in the ninth and sacrificed the tying run to second and stayed in the game, by the way. Funny how those things, work out.

Minnesota wins 4-3

That eliminated Penn State. I’m sure there were a lot of fervent PSU fans out there who were probably very heartbroken. And I got to give the Penn State team a lot of credit. They had a lot of heart losing their very first game then coming this far.

That said, Minnesota and Ohio State had a championship game to play. Ohio State was playing for the Tournament title and Minnesota was simply playing for the right to play Ohio State again.

By this time, there was another rain delay. Once they got started, it was 2:25. Ohio State had better win or they be playing till midnight.

Actually, that was exactly what happened. All the fears (on both sides) of depleted pitching were for naught as Cory Luebke came on for the Buckeyes and pitched brilliantly allowing only 2 runs in 7 innings.

If it were any other day, Gary Perinar’s performance would be pretty good, too. He allowed 3 runs on 7 innings. But dang if that one extra run made the difference.

Minnesota came back to tie the game after the Buckeyes scored two in the first. It wasn’t till the eighth when the Gophers put together a rally consisting of two singles and a double. The Buckeyes didn’t sit quietly. With two on, pinch hitter Michael Arp hit a double that broought both runners home.

Buckeyes win 4-2.

Ohio State win the Big Ten Tournament!

Sports Columnist enjoying the Tournament

During today’s Penn State-Minnesota game at the Big Ten baseball tournament, I saw someone who looked very familiar. I nudged Brian from Big Ten Hardball, who was sitting next to me and said, “Isn’t that Jon Saraceno from USA Today? It sure looks like him.”

We discussed it and decided that no, it couldn’t be. USA Today wouldn’t be sending someone as big as Saraceno to cover something like the Big Ten Tournament. So I dismissed it.

Later we found out that indeed, it was him. He was there to watch his son who plays on the Penn State baseball team. So I decided to go over and talk to him.

I’m glad I did. He seemed like a really friendly guy. His son is the backup catcher on the Nittany Lions and he pointed him out. He noticed my Illini hat and noted that his wife was a University of Illinois grad,

A few jokes about USA Today not sending him to cover the tournament and then I asked if I could take his picture. He graciously said yes.

Thanks, Jon!

The Big Ten Tournament with no Illini: It’s just not as fun

Well, with the Illini gone, I decided to stick around and watch some ball ANYWAY.

Penn State who lost their very first game against the Buckeyes, have played with heart and have hung on, winning against Iowa, Michigan and yes, Illinois. Minnesota, on the other hand, have just come off a tough loss against the Buckeyes last night.

Big Ten officials and the managers decide to postpone game one half hour

Mother Nature seemed bound and determine to have something to say about the game, though The game was delayed for a half hour because it was sprinkling a little. The game got on (it was still raining) by 4:00.

Penn State scored first in the 3rd inning

It didn’t seem to be a high scoring affair. PSU tallied a run in the 3rd on a double and a hit. The Golden Gophers came back with two in the 4th with 3 hits and help from a PSU error. In the 7th, a walk and 3 singles, scored two for the Nittany Lions putting them up 3-2.

All this while, the rain kept coming. It was really only heavy sprinkle but by the bottom of the 7th, they delayed the game. I decided that was enough for me and I went back to the hotel.

Looking at Gametracker, it still shows the same score as when I left. I’m not sure what they decided to do yet. Remember, they were SUPPOSED to play another game tonight. The winner of this game was to play Ohio State. Given the weather, I doubt that’s going to happen.

I wonder what would have happened if they had started on time. The delay didn’t seem to serve any purpose other than push the game back. Maybe they could have gotten a few more innings in.

Penn State catcher Joe Blackburn

On a side note, I was lucky to meet the parents of Joe Blackburn. They seem like really nice people. Blackburn, a senior catcher for PSU, batted .366 in 52 games and has a helluva ‘do.

Update: From the Big Ten Tournament web page, it looks like the game was suspended to be continued tomorrow as is the Ohio State vs. Game 9 winner game.

Sunday, May 27
Game 9 — Penn State 3, Minnesota 2 (suspended in 7th) 10 a.m. Gametracker

Game 10 — #6 Ohio State vs. Game 9 winner, 12:05 p.m. Gametracker
Game 11 (if necessary) — Game 10 winner vs. Game 10 loser, 30 minutes following the finish of Game 10

It will be a very busy day on Sunday indeed.

Oh, I almost forgot.. here are some photos I took today.

Penn State rally in 8th ends Illini’s season

The Penn State Nittany Lions had just come off a 10th inning victory off Michigan. One half hour later they played Illinois for another elimination game. That’s the thing about losing your first game in the Big Ten Tournament… every game you play, you’re playing for your tournament life.

Scott Shaw allowed only 3 hits in 7 IP

Scott Shaw was the starting pitcher for Illinois. When Shaw is on his game, he’s a pretty dang good pitcher. And quite honestly, he looked really good Friday. He was fooling hitters and more importantly, keeping them off the basepaths (3 hits and 1 BB in 7 IP).

High fives all around as Lars Davis scores in the 6th inning

Penn State drew first blood in the second scoring a run on a Mike Deese single. It was goose eggs for both teams till the fifth when the Illini put together hits by Brandon Wikoff, Lars Davis, Daniel Webb, and Ryan Hastings. That pushed a pair across, giving the good guys the lead.

In the 8th, all hell broke loose. Shaw who until this time was still going strong, led the inning off with a walk. A throwing error put runners on first and second with no outs. Coach Hartleb then made the call to Jake Toohey.

RF Nick Stockwell under the telling scoreboard

Four hits and one more error later, Penn State had scored 5 runs and put the score at 6-2, the final score.

Penn State’s Matt Ogrodnik who pitched a nearly perfect 3 2/3 innings (just one hit) got the win. Scott Shaw (2 ER in 7 IP and 5 K) who in my opinion pitched quite well, got the loss.

Said Coach Hartleb after the game:

“This is a tough way to end the season, but we have a lot to build on. The older guys on this team have put us in a very favorable position for the coming years, and I really like the young players we have on this team. Our top three starting pitchers have a chance to be very, very good next year.”

For the record, this is the farthest the Illini have gone in the Big Ten Tournament since 2001.

Some photos I took before and during the game are here. Not so much after.

Penn St chases away rainy day Blues

Rather than sit under the overhang, this guy decided to wear the rain slicker

In my last post yesterday, I mentioned that I noticed a few drops falling from the Ann Arbor sky. Well, that turned into a steady sprinkle that lasted for a couple hours.

That didn’t stop the first game of the scheduled tournament game, Michigan versus Penn State. Michigan who had just lost to Ohio State the night before, was fighting to stay in the tournament. So was Penn State but they were coming off a win against Iowa.

Cory Wine had a big day at the plate

Penn State struck early with two runs in the first but the Wolverines tied it up in the fourth. In the fifth, Cory Wine hit his second triple of the tournament driving home 2 runs. Another Penn State run in the sixth made it 5-2. It was zeroes till the ninth and Penn State seemed to have it wrapped up.

But in the ninth, 4 hits and an error by Michigan against PSU’s top closer, Drew O’Neil, and scored 3 runs to knot the game up 5-5.

With two outs in the tenth, Cory Wine (the coach’s son, by the way) stepped to the plate again. He hit a solo shot to right to break the tie. O’Neil came back in the bottom of the 10th and retired Michigan with little problem.

Penn State defeats Michigan 6-5.

Photos I took of the game here

Davis, Webb, Roark, Roof get recognition from Big Ten

Four University of Illinois players were named to All-Big Ten teams on Tuesday,

Lars Davis and Tanner Roark

Catcher Lars Davis was named first-team All Big Ten. That was a no-brainer given that he was also Big Ten Player of the Year. I wrote a little about his accomplishments a couple days ago. It does bear mentioning that catchers are a strength in the Big Ten which makes the choice all the more meaningful.

Starting pitcher Tanner Roark was chosen second-team All Big Ten. A sophomore, Roark really came through for the Illini, especially in the second half. He was 6-1 in conference competition, leading the Big Ten in wins. Overall he was 7-2 with 35 strikeouts (also leading the Big Ten).

It was nice to have Roark start off the weekend knowing we would most likely start off on the right foot.

Daniel Webb

Daniel Webb was awarded third team All Big Ten as Designated Hitter. He batted .333 with a .403 OBP and 34 rbis. He played in all but 2 games for the Illini.

Shawn Roof

Finally, Shawn Roof was chosen as the Illini’s Honoree for the Big Ten Sportsmanship award. The 10 recipients are now candidates for the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.

Congrats to everyone!

More sights and observations from the Big Ten Tournament

Thanks to Brian DeCaussin from Big Ten Hardball for taking this photo of me in front of the field at Ray Fisher stadium at the University of Michigan. The stadium is great and the staff here have been very friendly and helpful. Special thanks goes to the lady in the Big Ten Conference T-shirt booth who looked out for me and yelled for me when they finally got the XXL shirts in.

As you can see, the wind on Thursday was sometimes fierce. At times, it would play havoc with fly balls (I saw at least two “easy” fly balls misplayed because the wind took a hold of it). And a couple hits that I thought were goners were pushed back in flyouts.

While watching the Iowa-Penn State game, a couple Minnesota coaches came and sat near us. Brian DeCaussin, who knows everything about Big Ten baseball, told me they were a couple of the assistant coaches.

Remember guys, no spitting in the stands.

I did a double take when I saw a Wisconsin shirt at Ray Fisher stadium. Not that Wisconsin didn’t make the tournament, the Badgers don’t even have a baseball team. I think he was with the Illini crowd though. His son had an Illini cap.

It’s 11:00am and I just stepped outside the cafe (thank you, Artisan Bistro… my wireless crapped out at my hotel and you came through) and I felt a few drops.

Up till now, it’s been fantastic weather if you don’t mind the heat. The breeze does help though unless you’re an outfielder or power hitter (see above). Bit of Big Ten tournament trivia from my program. Minnesota was declared champion in 1993 with a 2-0 record when the last games were rained out. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen here.

Go Illini!

The Big Ten Tournament says goodbye to Iowa

Thursday, Penn State defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes 5-3 kicking them out of the tournament.

Iowa had a 3-0 in the 4th inning. As I walked by Ray, an Iowa fan Brian DeCaussin introduced me to, I said something like, “Iowa’s doin’ all right.”. Without a beat, he said, “Just wait, I’ve seen too many Iowa games to get comfortable with this kind of lead.”

The Penn State rally scores three to tie in the 4th inning

Just two minutes later, Penn State had scored two runs on a Cory Wine triple. Two more minutes later, they scored another. Penn State scored two more in the 7th to take the lead for good.

Sorry, Ray.

Dusty Napoleon

By the way, Iowa’s firstbaseman is junior Dusty Napoleon. Central Illinois folks might recognize Napoleon because he played for the Danville Dans. An added bonus… he also plays catcher.

Photos I took of Penn State-Iowa game here