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Baseball
Solid Veterans, Talented Youth Battle for Infield, Outfield Spots
Feb. 16, 2009
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Illinois returns a strong, experienced core in the field, including senior third baseman Dominic Altobelli, junior shortstop Brandon Wikoff, senior second baseman/center fielder Joe Bonadonna, junior catcher Aaron Johnson, senior outfielder Nick Stockwell, junior outfielder Craig Lutes and sophomore outfielder Casey McMurray, and adds to it a very athletic and talented crop of rookie position players. Wikoff and Bonadonna return after being named to the All-Big Ten second team in 2008 and being one of the best defensive middle infield combinations in the Midwest. Altobelli is completely recovered from a shoulder injury that forced him out of 13 games near the end of last season and should be a pillar at third base and in the middle of the batting order, and Johnson continues to improve after hitting .306 and throwing out over 40 percent of would-be base-stealers in 2008, his first year of collegiate baseball. McMurray is coming off a season that earned him Louisville Slugger Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-America honors, while Stockwell and Lutes are two of the best defensive outfielders in the Big Ten and are more than capable at the plate.
Infield "We should have one of the premier left sides of the infield in the conference in Altobelli and Wikoff," Hartleb said. "Bonadonna gives us depth in different areas because he can play any infield or outfield position. And Pete Cappetta also adds athleticism and a good bat." In addition, either junior Mike Giller or sophomores Matt Dittman or Cappetta could figure into the mix at first base. "At first base, we'll have some options," Hartleb said. "Dittman has improved tremendously, Cappetta could move over to give us a very athletic first baseman, and Giller could give us some strong offensive production as well." Who's Not: Ryan Hastings, who played first base in 2008 after spending his first three seasons at second, graduated after hitting .346 with 38 RBIs, 46 runs and 10 doubles.
Who's New: Freshmen Josh Parr and Bill Charvat join the Illini infield in 2009 and Parr could see playing time at third base, second base or his natural shortstop position.
Outfield Who's Back: Left fielder Casey McMurray, a 2008 Freshman All-American, leads a talented, veteran group of Illini outfielders returning for the 2009 campaign. McMurray hit .331 with a team high-tying 12 doubles and 24 RBIs last season. Senior Nick Stockwell and junior Craig Lutes also return and can play any of the outfield positions. Stockwell hit .299 while starting 25 games and Lutes hit .245 with a .362 on-base percentage and 30 starts. Redshirt-freshman Daniel Parker also could contribute as a corner outfielder. Who's Not: Kyle Hudson, a fourth-round selection by the Baltimore Orioles in the 2008 MLB First-Year Player Draft, is gone after leading the team with a .398 average, 61 runs scored, a .498 on-base percentage and a school record-tying 40 steals in 2008. Who's New: Freshman Willie Argo joins the Fighting Illini after one of the most storied athletic careers in Iowa high school history. Argo was drafted by Arizona in the 49th round of the 2008 MLB Draft after being named an Elite All-State outfielder and an All-State football player three consecutive years, placing third at both the 2007 and 2008 Iowa state wrestling meets and anchoring sprint relays that finished in the top three at the Iowa state track meet. Doug Schumacher also starts his career with the Illini after being named honorable mention All-State by the Chicago Tribune in 2007 and leading Brother Rice H.S. to a fourth-place finish at the 2007 IHSA Class AA state tournament. "In the outfield, we have good depth and a number of players with very good speed who will be very good defenders," Hartleb said. "We're returning three outfielders who logged a lot of innings the past two seasons in McMurray, Lutes and Stockwell. Bonadonna and Cappetta also can give us depth in the outfield and Argo should also be able to help us early in his career."
Schedule "Our pre-conference schedule will prepare us for the rigors of conference play," Hartleb said. "We'll be playing very solid teams throughout the early trips, which will force us to play well in all three phases in order for us to win games." Following an abbreviated Spring Trip to the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational in Winter Haven, Fla., the Illini open the Big Ten season at home against Michigan State and Indiana on consecutive weekends. This year, the conference series changes to three-game sets comprised entirely of nine-inning games, a move that will allow Big Ten teams to improve their RPI rankings by playing more quality non-conference opponents throughout the season. "The three-game Big Ten series will affect the way we handle the pitching staff most of all," Hartleb said. "Obviously, we'll be in the position to move a strong arm that we would normally use as a starter into the bullpen. I think you'll see some lower-scoring games throughout the conference and I also believe it will help us as a conference to be more competitive in the non-conference games." The other major change for the 2009 season is that the Big Ten Tournament will be held at Huntington Park in Columbus, Ohio, rather than at the home of the regular season champion. Huntington Park is home to the Columbus Clippers, the triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. "The move to a neutral-site tournament is the third part of the Big Ten baseball coaches' proposition to improve the league's national standing and perception, along with the institution of the Big East/Big Ten Challenge and the three-game conference series," Hartleb said. "These three steps will make for a very interesting season and I think they are all very positive steps that the Big Ten schools have taken." |
