Game 41 ► Illinois (26-12, 11-4 Big Ten) at Indiana State (27-13, 10-3 MVC)
April 29, 2009 ► Terre Haute, Ind. ► Sycamore Field (1,500) ► WISU 89.7 FM
Setting The Scene
Winners of seven straight games, Indiana State (27-13, 10-3 MVC) will face off against Illinois (26-12, 11-4 Big Ten) in hopes of extending that streak to eight in a row and improving its home record to 14-2 overall. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST, with left-hander Kevin Mann (0-1) taking the mound for ISU.
The Sycamores took a break from Missouri Valley Conference play last week and made it count, as they picked up four wins including a couple of shutout victories over the weekend against Southern Indiana and Oakland City.
ISU began the week with a 7-4 win over Indiana on Wednesday at Sembower Field in Bloomington, Ind. With the win, the Sycamores swept the regular season series with their in-state rivals. Ryan Strausborger and Brady Shoemaker each hit home runs for ISU in the win and helped Michael Manus (2-1) pick up the win, after he allowed just two runs on four hits while striking out eight in five strong innings of work on the mound.
ISU then returned home to pick up a 16-5 victory over Oakland City at Sycamore Field on Friday night. The Sycamores pounded out 19 hits, including four home runs, to extend its winning streak to five games. ISU starter Eric Valdez (4-2) was strong on the mound, as he allowed just two runs on five hits while striking out five batters in 5.1 innings of work to pick up his second straight win. Shoemaker and Ben Caple each finished the game with three RBI to pace the Sycamore offense.
A trip to historic Bosse Field was up next for the Sycamores, as they headed to Evansville, Ind., to face off against Southern Indiana on Saturday. ISU pounded out 17 hits and ISU starter Jake Petricka shut down the Screaming Eagles lineup to secure a 10-0 shutout and extend ISU's winning streak to six in a row. Petricka (6-1) was dominant on the mound, as he allowed just five hits and tied his career high with seven strikeouts while holding the Eagles scoreless through 7.2 innings. Bronco Lafrenz led the way at the plate for the Sycamores, as he finished 3-for-4 with a run scored and four RBI in the shut-out win.
The Sycamores then put a cap on the non-conference action on Sunday, as a three-run home run off the bat of Brady Shoemaker enforced the mercy rule in a seven-inning 11-0 win for the Sycamores over Oakland City at USI Field in Evansville. ISU starter Joe Rodriguez (5-1) picked up his first career shutout at ISU, after allowing just four hits in the run-shortened seven-inning contest. Rodriguez struck out two and walked one to secure ISU's first complete game shutout of the season.
Illinois has also been on a roll lately, having won seven out of their last 11 games including a sweep last weekend at Penn State. After their weekend sweep over the Nittany Lions, the Illini improved their season record to 26-12 and jumped back into the national rankings at the No. 28 spot in Collegiate Baseball's weekly poll.
About The Coaches
Lindsay Meggs (UCLA ?93) is in his third season as the Sycamore skipper (71-71) in 2009. In his first season, Meggs coached the Sycamores to a 26-26 mark overall and a 7-17 record in the Missouri Valley Conference. Last year, the Sycamores were 18-32 overall and 9-15 in the Valley playing one of the toughest schedules in the country. Meggs took the reigns of the Sycamore baseball program in 2006, coming to ISU after spending 13 seasons as head coach at California State-Chico. While there, he guided the Wildcats to two NCAA Division II National Championships and compiled an overall record of 538-228-4.
Dan Hartleb (Southern Illinois ?89) is in his fourth season as head coach at Illinois (117-93) and 19th season on the Illini coaching staff. Hartleb has guided the Illini to the Big Ten Tournament in all three of his seasons at the helm, giving the Orange and Blue four consecutive postseason appearances and 10 in the last 13 years. During his time with the Illini, Hartleb has been instrumental in recruiting and developing 44 players who have signed minor league contracts, including two in 2008, four in 2007 and seven in 2005, with seven former Illini reaching the major leagues. Hartleb was an assistant coach under Hall of Fame coach Richard “Itch” Jones for 17 years, two at Southern Illinois and 15 at Illinois.
Scouting The Illini
► The University of Illinois is located in Champaign-Urbana, Ill., and has an enrollment of 43,326 students. The Fighting Illini are members of the Big Ten Conference and play their home games at Illinois Field (1,500).
► The Illini finished with an overall record of 31-25 last year and posted a conference mark of 16-15, which was good enough for fourth place in the Big Ten.
► Illinois is coming off a big weekend series win over Penn State. The Illini picked up a 9-2 victory at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park on Sunday to completed the sweep, after winning a 7-3 decision on Friday and a 9-2 decision on Saturday. It was Illinois' first sweep in a Big Ten road series since 2000.
► After their weekend sweep over Penn State, the Illini improved their season record to 26-12 and upped their Big Ten Conference record to 11-4. That helped the Illini jump back into the national rankings, earning the No. 28 spot in Collegiate Baseball's weekly poll.
► Illinois freshman designated hitter Willie Argo was named the Big Ten Player of the Week by the conference office on Monday. Argo hit .667 (8-for-12) with three home runs, a 1.667 slugging percentage, an on-base-plus-slugging (OPS) of 2.359, eight RBIs and six runs to lead Illinois to a three-game Big Ten sweep at Penn State and move into a first-place tie with Ohio State.
► Illinois will get a heavy dose of Missouri Valley Conference baseball this week, with a game at home on Tuesday on Southern Illinois and Wednesday's game against Indiana State at Sycamore Field. The Illini are currently 1-1 against teams from the Valley this season, with an 11-1 win over Bradley on April 7 and a 9-6 loss to Southern Illinois on April 15.
Hoosier State Supremacy
With a win on Wednesday at Sembower Field against in-state rival Indiana and three wins over the weekend against Oakland City and Southern Indiana, the Sycamores improved to 7-0 against teams from the Hoosier State this season. Indiana State defeated Indiana by a score of 11-2 on March 3 at home and also defeated Division I foes Butler (23-3) and Ball State (14-6) in games at Sycamore Field. However, it would be premature to give the Sycamores the state title at this point in the season as they still have a big Missouri Valley Conference series at home against Evansville May 8-10.
They're Going Streaking
Indiana State currently leads all teams in the Missouri Valley Conference with a .315 team batting average, thanks to some very consistent hitters. ISU currently has four players with hitting streaks of at least six games, led by Luke Fieser's current 15-game streak after already posting a 12-game streak earlier this season. Fieser's 15-game string ties for the team's longest of the season with Ryan Strausborger. Tyler Graham and Brady Shoemaker are currently on seven-game streaks and Nick Ciolli rounds out the group with a six-game hitting streak for the Sycamores.
Shoemaker Named Valley Player Of The Week
The Indiana State baseball team is in the midst of a Missouri Valley Conference title hunt and a seven-game winning streak, thanks to some strong numbers from senior outfielder Brady Shoemaker. Shoemaker slugged the Sycamores to four wins last week and for that performance, he was named the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week on Monday by the league office. Shoemaker put together one of the best stretches of his career last week, as he hit .500 (8-for-16) with four home runs, seven runs scored and 11 RBI in four wins for the Sycamores. The Brazil, Ind., native hit a home run in four straight games, accounted for 21 total bases and posted a slugging percentage of 1.313.
Call Him Mr. Consistent
A consistent approach at the plate this season for Luke Fieser has turned him into one of the best hitters on the Sycamores roster and in the Missouri Valley Conference. The ISU third baseman is second on the team and in the conference with a .388 average (52-for-134) in 39 starts, thanks in part to a couple of long hitting streaks. The Woodinville, Wash., native posted a 12-game hitting streak earlier in the season and currently has a 15-game streak going. Overall, Fieser has hit safely in 31 of his last 33 games and has collected 14 multi-hit games.
Home, Sweet Home
After playing the majority of their games on the road last season, the Sycamores have made the most of their home schedule this season. ISU has posted a 13-2 record in 15 games at Sycamores Field and are hitting .345 as a team with 18 home runs and 147 runs scored. In contrast, ISU's opponents are hitting just .290 with eight home runs and 72 runs scored in Terre Haute. The Sycamores' only two losses at home were to Valley foe Creighton in back-to-back losses on March 20-21.
Those Are Some Impressive Numbers
Indiana State was one of the better offensive teams in the Missouri Valley Conference last season, but their numbers this season are threatening to top last year's by a large margin. With 11 games remaining in the regular season, the Sycamores have posted a .315 batting average, scored 324 runs and collected 457 hits. Last season, ISU finished with a team average of .287, while scoring 244 runs and collecting 504 hits. The Sycamores have already topped their home run total from last season, 36, with an even 40 in 2009.
Make It Nine In A Row
With a 5-3 come-from-behind victory in the eighth inning over Southern Illinois on April 18 at Sycamore Field, Indiana State secured its third straight series sweep over a Missouri Valley Conference opponent for the first time since the league went to the three-game series format prior to the 2005 season. ISU's nine consecutive wins in conference play is its longest streak since 1985, when the Sycamores won 12 straight games in Valley play and finished the season 57-22 overall.
Scoring Runs At Will
With 324 runs scored this season (8.1 runs per game), the Sycamores have had no problems scoring runs in 2009. ISU has scored 10 or more runs 14 times during the season, including a 16-5 victory against in-state foe Oakland City last Friday, a 10-0 shutout of Southern Indiana at Bosse Field on Saturday and an 11-0 mercy rule win over Oakland City on Sunday in Evansville. Last season, the Sycamores averaged 6.9 runs per contest on way to an 18-32 overall record.
Potent Is An Understatement
The Indiana State offense has been labeled as being potent by many media members, however potent may be too light of an adjective to describe the Sycamores ability at the plate. ISU currently leads all teams in the Missouri Valley Conference in batting average (.315), slugging percentage (.471), on base percentage (.408), runs scored (324), hits (46), runs batted in (291) and total bases (683). In addition, the Sycamores rank second in doubles (85), walks (178) and home runs (40).
Let's Play Two
Most teams dread the idea of playing a doubleheader, but Indiana State has come to love double dips this season as the Sycamores are 8-0 in doubleheader action this season. ISU started early in the year with a two wins on Saturday in its season-opening series at the Citadel (February 21) and has since posted a 6-0 record in doubleheader action in league play with wins against Northern Iowa (April 4), Bradley (April 11) and Southern Illinois (April 18) in consecutive weekends. In addition, if you figure in ISU's wins over Mount St. Mary's and St. Bonaventure on February 28 at the Palm Beach Classic, ISU is 10-0 when playing two games in a day this season.
A Dramatic Win Keeps The Streak Alive
Heading into Saturday's doubleheader against Southern Illinois at Sycamore Field, ISU had won seven straight games in Valley play and had swept its last two conference opponents. After a 10-5 win in game one, that streak went to eight games but the streak was in serious jeopardy in game two as the Sycamores trailed 3-1 in the eighth inning. However, ISU loaded the bases against SIU reliever Nathan Forer for senior catcher Bronco Lafrenz, who launched a ball over the left field wall for his first grand slam of the season and his team-leading seventh home run of the year to give ISU a 5-3 advantage and an eventual sweep over the Salukis.
Petricka Shuts Down The Braves
Sophomore Jake Petricka was stellar on the mound in game two of Saturday's doubleheader against Bradley. The right hander from Fariboult, Minn., picked up his fourth win of the season by giving up just one run on three hits while striking out three in eight innings of work against the Braves. The win was Petricka's second in a row in Valley play, tied him for the team lead in wins and helped the Sycamores to their second-straight series sweep over a Valley opponent.
J-Rod Picks Up Third Straight Valley Win
ISU starter Joe Rodriguez struggled in the first two innings and gave up four earned runs to Bradley in the series finale between the two squads. However, the left-hander regained his composure and allowed just three hits over the next five-plus innings to pick up his fourth win on the season. In all, Rodriguez pitched 7.1 innings and gave up four runs on seven hits while striking out four to move to 3-0 in three starts in Valley play.
Handling The Bat With Ease
Junior second baseman Ryan Strausborger set the table for the Sycamores at the top of the lineup against Northern Iowa, as the ISU leadoff man hit .571 (8-for-14) with a triple and five runs scored in a three-game sweep over the Panthers. The Osceola, Ind., native also added a walk and accounted for 10 total bases while finished 3-for-3 in stolen base attempts. Most of that damage was done in Saturday's doubleheader sweep over the Panthers, when he finished 6-for-10 with four runs scored and three stolen bases.
Get Out Your Brooms
Weekend sweeps on the road in Missouri Valley Conference play are hard to come by for any team and before the team's weekend sweep at UNI, it had been a while since the Sycamores achieved that feat. The last time ISU picked up a conference road sweep was in 2005, when the Sycamores picked up three wins at Missouri State from April 22-24. The sweep for ISU was its first since last season, when the team won its last three games of the year in a weekend sweep over Illinois State. With sweep over Bradley and Southern Illinois at home, the Sycamores have now extended their streak to three-straight series sweeps.
What Can't He Do?
Senior Brady Shoemaker continued to be a threat in the middle of the lineup for the Sycamores, as he hit .455 (5-for-11) with a double, triple, home run and four RBI in a weekend sweep over at UNI. Shoemaker also scored seven runs, was walked five times, stole two bases and accounted for 11 total bases on way to a .625 on-base percentage against the Panthers.
Strong Arming The Competition
The Sycamores have been getting the job done at the plate all season with their .311 team batting average. However, it was a trio of strong pitching performances at UNI that made the difference for the Sycamores. All three Sycamore starters earned wins against the Panthers and the ISU pitching staff allowed just eight runs in the three-game weekend sweep. Junior Eric Valdez kicked off the series with a 12-strikeout performance in Friday's 9-3 victory, while sophomore Jake Petricka allowed just two runs in game a 13-4 win in game one on Saturday. Junior Joe Rodriguez guaranteed the weekend sweep with a dominating 1-run effort in 8.1 innings in game two on Saturday to secure the team's first road sweep since 2005..
Multi-Homer Game For Shoemaker
The wind was blowing out at Sycamore Field, but Brady Shoemaker's two home runs hit would have cleared the fences no matter how much wind there was against Ball State. The senior slugger from Brazil, Ind., hit two home runs against the Cardinals and finished the game with four RBI to lead the way for the Sycamores. It was Shoemaker's second multi-home run game in his two-year career at ISU, with the other coming against Illinois State on May 17 at Sycamore Field when he launched three home runs and accounted for 10 RBI against the Redbirds in the season finale.
The Launching Pad
Sycamore Field turned into a launching pad, as the Sycamores hit a season-high four home runs against Ball State. Senior Brady Shoemaker led the way with two home runs and four RBI against the Cardinals, while senior Brian Jett hit his team-leading fifth long ball of the season as well. Junior Tyler Graham also got into the act, as he hit the first home run of his career in an Indiana State uniform to cap off the power display in the victory for the Sycamores.
Rodriguez Becomes The Stopper
ISU starter Joe Rodriguez stepped up when his team needed him the most and picked up a win on Sunday against Creighton to help the Sycamores avoid a series sweep. The Middletown, N.Y., native allowed just three earned runs and scattered nine hits in seven inning of work to pick up his second win of the season for the Sycamores and earn a win for his team in the series finale.
Lafrenz Goes Deep ... Again
Coming off a week where he hit three home runs and drove in seven runs on way to being named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week, catcher Bronco Lafrenz picked up right where he left off in last Friday's Valley season opener against the Creighton Bluejays. With the Sycamores trailing by three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, Lafrenz came up with two runners on base and hit a long fly ball to right field that continued to carry in the wind over wall for a three-run home run. It was Lafrenz's team-leading fifth of the season and his fifth in six games.
Is That Score Right?
One look at the scoreboard at Sycamore Field in the team's win over Butler and one might wonder if their eyes were playing tricks on them. One look would show a 12 put on the board in the bottom of the first inning and by the end of the game the score read 23-3. The 12 runs in the first inning, the 23 runs on the day and the 24 hits were all game highs for ISU this season. However, the 23 runs surrendered to the Sycamores were not a season high for Butler, as the Bulldogs had previously given up 24 runs to UNLV earlier in the year.
Make It A Dozen
The Sycamores have been scoring nearly nine runs a game during the season but they eclipsed that mark against Butler in just the first inning. ISU exploded for 12 runs on 10 hits in the bottom of the first against the Bulldogs to put the game out of reach early. Brady Shoemaker, Tyler Graham, and Luke Fieser all picked up RBI singles to start the inning before Pascual Del Real struck the big blow with a three-run triple to make the score 6-0 at the time. Joe Meggs then picked up a RBI on a single up the middle that scored Del Real from third and Shoemaker later tacked on two more RBI with another single to make the score 11-0. Fieser capped off the hitting barrage with a RBI single to left field with two outs in the inning.
Everybody Chips In
Every member of the ISU starting lineup chipped in with at least one hit in the team's 23-3 rout over Butler. Third baseman Luke Fieser led the way with four hits, while Joe Meggs, Ryan Strausborger and Brady Shoemaker each added three hits each for the Sycamores. The feat was in jeopardy until the eighth inning as Brian Jett headed into his at bat 0-for-5 to that point. However, Jett launched a two-run home run over the right field wall to pick up his first hit of the game and his fourth home run of the season.
Lucky 13 For Valdez
Junior starter Eric Valdez dominated St. Bonaventure at the Palm Beach Classic on way to picking up his first win in a Sycamore uniform. The right-hander from Kearny, N.J., threw seven innings and gave up just one walk and three hits while striking out 13 St. Bonaventure hitters. He also induced six ground ball outs in the win for the Sycamores as he helped them improve to 7-1 on the season at the time.
