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Honor Roll:
* Academic All-Big Ten 1999
* George Huff Academic Award 1999
1999:
* Starting third baseman hit a team-leading .393 on the year which
ranked third overall in the Big Ten
* Hit team-leading .398 in Big Ten play
with five doubles and two home runs
* Started the year as a back-up to
second, short and third but moved into the starting lineup on the Spring
Trip and never relinquished starting job
* Moved to second base for the
final six games of the year after starter D.J. Svihlik injured his shoulder
and was reglegated to the DH role
* Reached base safely in final 40
appearances, dating back to pinch-hit single against Florida A&M March 15,
the day before he claimed starting third base job
* Led the team (and
finished fourth in the Big Ten) with 20 stolen bases, including two
three-stolen base outings
* Tied Illinois Field record for stolen bases in
a game with three-stolen base effort against Southern Illinois in home
opener
* Hit over .400 for entire season before slumping at Big Ten
Tournament and falling to .393
* Enjoyed career-high 15-game hitting streak
from April 14 to May 11
* Had 14 multi-hit and three multi-RBI games in
1999
* Best game was 4-for-5 performance in game one against Iowa
* Set or
tied single-game career highs in at bats (6), hits (4), runs (3), doubles
(2), home runs (1), RBI (2) and stolen bases (3) over the season
* Played
for the St. Cloud Riverbats of the Northwoods League over the summer,
earning team MVP honors after making the all-star team and hitting .362
with 35 stolen bases.
1998:
* Infielder saw time at both short and third as a true freshman
* Started Big Ten games against Northwestern (2), Minnesota (2) and Purdue
(1)
* Had three multi-hit games and two of those were three-hit outings
*
Hit .250 (1-4) at the South I Regional
* Twice put balls into play in extra
innings that resulted in errors allowing the winning run to score,
including in the 13th inning against Baylor at the NCAA regional
* Was 4-7
with three runs scored in two games against Minnesota in the regular season
* Played in 39 games and started 12
* Collected first career hit vs. Siena
College
* First start came at Houston at short
* Spent his summer in the
Northwoods League playing for the St. Cloud River Bats, hitting .320
*
League all-star selection at St. Cloud.
HIGH SCHOOL:
* An outstanding athlete, earned 11 letters at Minooka: four in
baseball, three in soccer and basketball and one in golf
* A .450 career
hitter in high school
* Hit .582 with 70 hits his senior year
* Named to
the Suburban Prairie all-conference team in 1996-97, all-area team in '97,
East-West All-Star Team in '97 and selected SPC Player of the Year his
senior year.
PERSONAL:
* Born December 6, 1978
* Parents are Joseph and Suzanne Basak
*
Majoring in business
* A member of the National Honor Society
* Biggest
thrill in sports was hitting a home run to win the regional game against
Joliet Township his sophomore year
* Came to Illinois because it was a
baseball program on the rise
* Chose Illinois over Michigan
* Hobbies
include golf, basketball and soccer.
