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Illini Make Noise in Summer Leagues
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Jake Toohey was named to the Northwoods League South Division All-Star team after collecting 13 saves in 17 appearances.
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July 12, 2006
Just past the halfway mark in most collegiate summer leagues, Fighting Illini athletes are winning awards and leading teams to great starts. Closer Jake Toohey (Chicago, Ill.) earned a spot on the Northwoods League South Division All-Star team with 13 saves in 17 appearances, shortstop Shawn Roof (Paducah, Ky.) used his .378 on-base percentage to grab a spot on the Coastal Plain League American All-Star team, and newcomer Daniel Webb, an outfielder, made the Great Lakes League All-Star team.
Toohey helped lead the Rochester Honkers to a 24-10 record in the season's first half, the NWL's best mark by three games, and a berth in the playoffs as the first-half champion. Meanwhile, Shawn Roof, Dominic Altobelli, Aaron Martin and Ryan Snowden have led the Fayetteville SwampDogs to a first-half championship in the Coastal Plain League's South Division after posting an 18-6 record. Starting pitcher Tanner Roark and pitcher Blake Hopkins helped the Danville Dans to the best record in the CICL at the All-Star Break, with a 17-10 mark.
In Fayetteville, Altobelli leads the Illini offensive players with the SwampDogs with a .254 average, but Roof is right behind with a .248 mark while starting all but one game. Despite his seemingly low average, Roof leads the team with 23 runs, 12-of-15 steals, 14 walks and eight HBP. His .378 on-base percentage is third among Fayetteville players who have at least 50 at bats. Snowden has had a rough first half, hitting .111 in 22 games, and Altobelli has registered 67 at bats in 23 games.
Martin has heated up lately, giving up one run on eight hits and three walks while striking out 11 in 14 innings of work over two starts. He was superb in a 3-0 win on July 7, throwing eight shutout innings while giving up two hits and a walk with six strikeouts while facing two batters more than the minimum. He currently has a 3-1 record with a 2.77 ERA and is allowing opponents to hit .202 in 26 innings.
Toohey currently is 1-0 with a 2.12 ERA and 13 saves in 17 innings of work. He has allowed five runs - four earned - on 12 hits and six walks while striking out a team-high 29 and holding opposing hitters to a meager .200 average.
In other NWL action, starting pitcher Scott Shaw has had a number of strong outings, including a complete-game four-hitter on June 4 and an 11-strikeout outing on June 10. He currently has a 2-2 record with a 3.57 ERA in six starts for Waterloo. Second baseman Ryan Hastings has struggled at the plate, but has the fewest strikeouts of any Waterloo player with more than 40 at bats.
In his fourth season with the Madison Mallards, third baseman Mike Rohde is also scuffling a bit, hitting .207, but leads the team with three homers and is second with 20 walks and five steals. Rohde earned the NWL Player of the Night award on June 8 after he went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI.
Duluth is the other Illini hotbed over the summer, with utility man Joe Bonadonna and catcher Lars Davis playing for the Huskies. Bonadonna has cooled off a bit of late, hitting .250, but he leads the team with eight steals, and his 13 runs and 13 RBI both rank third on the team. Davis has had a harder time finding his stride on a team carrying three catchers, hitting .212.
Starting pitcher Ben Reeser began the season with Duluth but recently joined the Twin City Stars of the CICL, where he has thrown two perfect innings of relief. Roark and Hopkins have been somewhat inconsistent for Danville, as Roark won the CICL Pitcher of the Week on July 2 after pitching a scoreless 9 1/3 innings in three appearances, but currently is 1-3 with a 9.85 ERA in 28 1/3 innings. Hopkins has been slightly better, holding an 0-1 mark with a 4.50 ERA in 20 innings.
Finally, the Illini have two student-athletes in the Great Lakes League in pitcher Luke Obukowicz and newcomer Webb, an outfielder. Webb currently leads the Delaware Cows in hitting with a .345 average, 10 runs, seven doubles and 10 walks. Obukowicz has had a few strong outings, currently holding an 0-2 record with a 3.76 ERA in 26 1/3 innings.
These Fighting Illini student-athletes continue the summer season through August, with the Northwoods League championship series the final league to finish on Aug. 19. Classes begin on Aug. 23 on the Urbana-Champaign campus.
