My first memory of Pete Cappetta was during a particularly one-sided loss against Penn State in 2008, his freshman year. Cappetta was our backup shortstop back then and wasn’t getting a lot of playing time yet. While Illinois lost that game 16-5, Cappetta’s three-run homerun in the seventh inning (seen right as he high-fives the batboy) was the one highlight of the game. I still remember to this day how a scrappy freshmen gave the otherwise down-hearted Illini faithful a reason to cheer. .
Of course, Cappetta has really developed since his first season. Illini fans know of his reputation of being a a player who could play just about any position. He is versatile and can play the outfield and all infield positions. Who knows? Give him the opportunity, he’ll probably try catcher too.
In 2009, Cappetta began to show that he could hit, too. He is probably the most underrated offensive threat on the Illini team. Batting .384 (tops on the Illini), Pete has been known to really come through in the clutch.
And to top it off, I can vouch that Pete Cappetta is one of nicest guys on the team. Maybe that doesn’t win games but that counts for something in my book.
So without any further ado, here are 8 Questions for Pete Cappetta and his answers.
Illinois Baseball Report: Pete, you had a breakthrough year in 2009. The year before (in 2008) you were a backup shortstop. Then last year, you led the team in hitting with a .384 batting average. Not only that, you didn’t make an error in the field all season. I know this question sounds cliche but what contributed to your success last year?
Pete Cappetta: I put in a lot of hard work going into the year and it paid off. I have some of the best coaches here at U of I that prepared me very well for last season, and they continue to do the same for this upcoming season. I have to say they contributed a lot to my success last season.
IBR: You are getting a reputation of being a player who can play almost any position in the field. I’m sure Coach Hartleb probably appreciates a quality like that. Are you going to continue to be an uber-utility player this year or are you going to settle down to one position in 2010?
PC: I really don’t know where Coach Hartleb has me penciled in right now, but I am definitely excited for the opportunity to play anywhere. One of my main strengths is my versatility and I just want to help the team wherever possible.
IBR: What was the most exciting moment for you personally during the 2009 season? You certainly have a few choices between the exciting LSU series, the opening comeback win against Ohio State not to mention the whole Big Ten Tournament experience.
PC: The LSU series was the most exciting moment for me as a player and I think our team as a whole. We really showed a lot of people that our program is on the rise and I hope we take the momentum from last year into this year.
IBR: The Illini are going to open up at home against Bradley on February 20th. Really?? Dang, that’s going to be cold.
PC: To be honest, we practiced outside for almost a week prior to our first tournament last year, so we will definitely be prepared for the first game no matter what the forecast looks like.
IBR: The Illini coaching staff has brought a solid core of freshman and transfers to the team last fall. It looks like some of them will play a big part in Illinois’ 2010 season. From your standpoint, are they ready?
PC: I am really excited about this freshman class. They are good ballplayers who all have the potential to be starters on this year’s team. There is a lot of versatility among them, and I have a feeling a number of them will contribute right away.
IBR: Do you see a repeat performance from last year’s 16-8 conference record? Do you guys look ahead to postseason games like the Tournament (or even the Regionals) or do you, as they say, take one game at a time?
PC: Every year we go in with the mindset that we will contend for a Big Ten championship. The best approach in doing that is to take it one game at a time. Once we get ahead of ourselves, that’s when bad things can happen.
IBR: The schedule says that you guys are going to play the University of Missouri at Busch Stadium in April. Are players excited? What about the Cardinal fans on the team? They gotta be ecstatic.
PC: We are all very excited about the Busch Stadium game. It’s going to be a great atmosphere to play in. There are quite a few Cardinals fans on the team, especially Lee Zerrusen. I don’t think he has gone a day without talking about the game. I feel bad that Brandon Wikoff is going to miss it, though. He is a huge Cardinals fan, and I’m sure he would have loved to suit up for that game!
IBR: Finally, tell everyone one thing we don’t already don’t know about Pete Cappetta.
PC: Being from Chicago and being a huge football fan, you would assume I love the Chicago Bears. But I am about the biggest Green Bay Packers fan there is. I was speechless for about two days after the Packers lost in the playoffs this year. But with Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay, things are looking very bright for the future. They are the youngest team in the league and I’m expecting big things from them in the next few years.
I would like to thank Pete Cappetta for taking the time during his busy schedule and doing this for us. Good luck to him and the rest of the Illini!