Tag: Illinois baseball

2008 begins for Illinois on Friday night

Go Illinois!

 

     

Game #1

Friday, Feb. 22 3pm

Record: 0-0

vs Sam Houston State

at Edinburgh, TX

 

Tomorrow night, the University of Illinois begin their 2008 season.  They take on Sam Houston State in the first game of the Al Ogletree Classic Tournament in warm Edinburgh, Texas.

Word from the clubhouse is that the guys are ready to play and that they are “excited to get outside and see a different-colored jersey”.  After an off-season of playing each other in scrimmages, I don’t doubt it. 

Game One will see Scott Shaw on the mound for the Illini.  Shaw was 5-5 with 6.42 ERA last year but showed some real stuff when he was on his game. 

Sam Houston will be coming into the game with the same record as the Illini, 0-0.  Here is their rundown. 

Opponent: Sam Houston State
Nickname: Bearkats
Conference: Southland Conference
Location: Huntsville, Texas
Current Record: 0-0
Baseball Program website: Link
Players to watch: Bobby Verbick, Jacob Howard, Keith Stein
Comments: Verbick, Howard and Stein have all been named to the Brooks Wallace Watch list.  Sam Houston is the only team in the state that has three players on the list.  Considering the state is Texas, that says a lot. 

 

No doubt, they look tough.   But it bears repeating that this year no team gets a head start and that helps the northern teams. 

For those of you wanting to follow the game, go to the Fighting Illini web site and you can follow along with Gametracker.  Gametracker had gone through some major enhancements last year and it’s very nice. 

Good luck to the Illini!!

FightingIllini.com preview of the Al Ogletree Classic

Illini Diamond Notes start up again

For those who enjoy reading what’s going on with the Illinois baseball team from an inside point of view, you will be happy to know that the Illini Diamond Notes are beginning again. 

This week, Diamond Notes#1 is written by team manager Michael Schroeder who gives an update on Illinois’ preparations for their first series of 2008 this weekend. 

Go Illini!

Baseball Zealot Radio #39: It’s Spring Training!

After some interviews on Baseball Zealot Radio the past few weeks, regular Todd and I finally get a chance to chat. As always, I’m treated to a bittersweet update of his team, the Pirates. I don’t give him too much crap about his team though… if I do, he’ll ask me which team actually won a World Championship (more than one, actually) in our lifetime.

In episode 39, we cover the latest in baseball news in light of the first week of spring training.

Enjoy!

Time: 45:10

Date Recorded: 2/17/08

Download Episode 39 Listen to the show via iTunes!
Listen to other Baseball Zealot Radio episodes BZR Podcast Feed

10 days and counting: FightingIllini.com reviews the position players

The Illinois baseball season starts a week from Friday in the warm weather of Texas (see University of Illinois baseball schedule here).

FightingIllini.com just did an in-house review of the position players.  No doubt a review of the pitchers will be coming soon.

There will be some changes on the field.  For those paying attention, it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise but it’s worth noting.

Sophomore Brandon Wikoff, who started 54 games at third base in 2007, will move to his natural shortstop position, and junior Joe Bonadonna looks to challenge for a starting spot on the infield after a monster summer season for the Duluth Huskies of the Northwoods League.

You can read the full review at the FightingIllini.com website. 

Update:  Here is their review of the Illini pitchers.

Photos of new turf at Illinois Field

I stopped by Illinois Field to observe the new turf for the first time.  I had the camera with me and took a few photos.  The gates were closed, of course, but I managed to zoom in enough for you to get the idea.

This is a few mounds of Hilltopper Mound & Mound Homeplate Clay waiting to used.

TTI Sports was the firm employed to install the “Field Turf”.

Now, some shots of the field:

First home game for the Illini is April 2!

Check out more photos of the new turf here.

Here is the link for my University of Illinois baseball photo gallery.

Big Ten Hardball reviews Illinois

Zealot friend Brian DeCaussin from the excellent site Big Ten Hardball takes a turn at reviewing the University of Illinois squad. 

He does a quite thorough job.  His take on the Illini?

The good thing for Illinois is that outside of Michigan, the remainder of the conference appears to be very close. The hunch here is the Illini finish in the middle of the pack in 2008. However, if McMurray and Chmielewski explode onto the Big Ten scene, all bets are off.

Read Brian’s full review at Big Ten Hardball.

Photos of Illinois Field’s turf installation

After work today, I thought I’d bop on over to Illinois Field and see how the installation of the Field Turf was going.  My place of work is only a couple blocks away so it’s convenient enough.  So when work was done, I trekked over the cemetery that separates me from Illinois Field.  I was in a hurry since dark approaches so much earlier these days and if I wanted any decent pictures, I wanted some of the sunlight left.

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Well, they are obviously getting some work done.  What was once an outfield now resembles a gravel pit.  There is no grass to be seen anywhere in the park.

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I had been told by University of Illinois team staffers that the field (particularly the outfield) was in pretty bad shape and they’re looking forward to the turf, aka Field Turf ™.

I have some more photos of the turf installation at the Baseball Zealot Photo Gallery.

By the way Cub fans, Wrigley Field is going under its own construction this winter.  Bleed Cubbie Blue has the photos.

Meeting new people, seeing old friends at the Orange and Blue Series

I dropped by the fourth game of the Orange and Blue series after work today.

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I ran into former Illini shortstop Shawn Roof at the game.  I hadn’t seen Roof (shown above with junior Nathan Lawrence) since the Big Ten Tournament last spring so we caught up with each other.  He talked about his summer in the Tigers minor league system which he really enjoyed.  The Lakeland team ended with a slump but the minors are treating him well.

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Billy Barrett started for the Orange team.

If the above photo looks a bit crisper than normal, I have one man to thank.  I showed up to Illinois Field and whipped out my adequate Canon S3 camera and started taking shots.  A man a few feet away was snapping pictures with a much better camera with a huge lens.  He generously offered to let me put my camera card into his camera (which probably cost more than a used car) and take a some photos.

His name is David Milner and it turns out he is the father of Ty Milner, catcher for the Illini.  We soon got talking, mostly about the team, the Cubs and photography.

Thanks David for the use of camera.  If you ever need someone to babysit that Mark II, I’m your man.

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Joey Bonadonna was the third base coach today.  JB is a fun player to watch, always in the game, hustling.  I’m looking for him to have a breakout season next spring.

Speaking of Bonadonna, he’s got another award to add to his mantle.  In addition to his Silver Glove award, the Northwoods League named him the Top Offensive Second Baseman.

I have many more photos at The Baseball Zealot Photo Gallery.

There’s one more chance to see the Illini in action this fall.  Saturday, after the football game the guys will suit up.  So if you are up for some baseball, stop by Illinois Field.

Sunday’s Game 3 of Illini’s Orange and Blue Series

On Sunday, my son and I went to Illinois Field to watch the Illini play Game 3 of their Orange and Blue Series.

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Coach Hartleb (right) takes the field before the game.

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Scott Shaw pitches for the Orange team.  In 2006, Scott was practically unhittable when he was on his game.

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Freshman John Schlichter hit one out on Sunday.  The reward for hitting a homer is the task of retrieving the ball.

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This series is the first chance I’ve had to see freshman catcher Aaron Johnson in action.

I have many more photos here at The Baseball Zealot photo gallery.

Also, the Fighting Illini site has a wrapup from Friday’s game.  There will be two more games next weekend.

Illini’s Orange and Blue Series

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Ben Reeser coming off a lights-out summer, started for the Orange team.

I stopped by the first game of University of Illinois’ Orange and Blue series.  Stop by The Baseball Zealot photo gallery and see the photos I took.

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2B Ryan Hastings takes third on a fly ball.

If you want to see the Illini in action and couldn’t make it today, don’t worry.  There are four more intra-squad games planned.  Here is the full schedule:

Sept 28 – 4pm

Sept 29 – 10am

Sept 30 – 10am

Oct 5 – 4pm

Oct 6 – TBA

By the way, they’ve come out with another Fall Diamond Notes, once again with team manager Michael Schroeder.