It’s Spring Break next week. While most students here will be going on vacation and having fun, the Illini baseball team will be heading to West Haven, Florida, what used to be the spring training home of the Cleveland Indians. West Haven’s Chain of Lakes will be put to good use next week as Illinois will play five teams (one of them twice).
Six games in seven days.
Let’s take a look at Illinois’ opponents for their Spring Break Trip. Here are all five:
Bucknell Bison |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 18, 2010 | 2 pm ct | |||
| Chain of Lakes Stadium | Winter Haven, Fla | |||
| Program website link | Record | 8-7 | ||
| Head Coach: | Gene Depew | Key player: | Ben Yoder | |
Yoder is hitting at a .431 clip and leads the Bison in runs and rbis.
After a rough start to the season, the Bucknell Bison have won eight of their last eleven games including winning streaks of four and three. They do it with their offense as they’ve scored 137 runs in this early season.
Akron Zips |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 19, 2010 | 10 am ct | |||
| Lake Myrtle Main | Winter Haven, Fla | |||
| Program website link | Record | 9-6 | ||
| Head Coach: | Pat Bangston | Key player: | Drew Turocy | |
Turocy is the driving force behind the Zips. He leads the team in pretty much every offensive category including runs (24), rbis (19), batting average (.437), and homeruns (3).
North Dakota State Bison |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 20, 2010 | 9:30 am ct | |||
| Chain of Lakes #1 | Winter Haven, Fla | |||
| Program website link | Record: 4-7 | |||
| Head coach: | Tod Brown | Key player: | Justin Kline | |
This is the second Bison team that Illinois plays this break and third this season (technically, Lipscomb University refers to their team as “Bisons”… grammar perfectionists and English teachers line up over there).
NDSU has suffered from anemic offense as they have scored 60 runs to their opponents’ 106. Pitching hasn’t helped either with a 8.60 ERA.
That said, NDSU split their games last weekend defeating Central Michigan and Nebraska-Omaha. Kline (.459) and Tyler Steen (.455) are both hitting well for the Bison.
Dartmouth Big Green |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 21, 2010 | 4 pm ct | |||
| March 24, 2010 | 10 am ct | |||
| Chain of Lakes Stadium | Winter Haven, Fla | |||
| Program website link | Record | 12-1 | ||
| Head Coach: | Bob Whalen | Key player: | Robert Young | |
Dartmouth is getting a late start on the season having only played three games. That may or may not be a factor in their readiness. By the time they get to Illinois, they’ll have played four more.
If we’re lucky, we won’t see Young who was Ivy League pitcher of the Week. It’s very possible since we play Dartmouth twice on this trip.
Southeastern (Fla) University Fire |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 23, 2010 | 4 pm ct | |||
| Chain of Lakes Stadium | Winter Haven, Fla | |||
| Program website link | Record | 15-10 | ||
| Head Coach: | Jason Beck | Key player: | Kyle Petrick | |
Petrick leads the Sun Conference in rbis with 32 and has been named conference player of the week twice already this season.
Offense is not a problem for the Fire as evidenced by their 27-0 drubbing of Valley Forge Christian. They scored in the double digits ten times this season. Head Coach Jason Beck is an experienced skipper with 360 victories under his belt.
Random Observations
Illinois has slated Will Strack for Thursday’s game and Kevin Johnson for Friday’s but after that nothing’s been stated publically. I’m sure there’s a plan most likely including either Brian de la Torriente or Lee Zerrusen and once there’s been enough time for rest, they’ll start all over again.
If history is any indication, the Illini should do well. Against the field, the team is a combined 14-1. Akron is the one team that has defeated Illinois but we’ve won the last five against them. Disclaimer: they have not faced Southeastern in the past.
Another Update from the Pros
One person who is looking forward to the Spring Trip games is former Illini shortstop Shawn Roof (right). Shawn sent me a message the other day and updated me on how he’s doing.
Roof, who never fails to ask how my family is doing, is now stationed in Lakewater, Florida for Spring Training. He tells me he’s quite busy now with daily practice. He also says he enjoys now having his brother Eric Roof on the squad.
And here’s a bit of “Where are they now?”, Roof mentions running into former Illinois pitcher Jimmy Conroy. For those new Illinois baseball fans, pitcher Conroy was a member of the 2005 Big Ten champs. Now, Conroy is now a sales rep for Wilson Sports Equipment and stops by the spring training clubhouses to sell his wares. It’s always nice to see a player get a job that allows him to stay in the baseball biz.
Always an Illinois fan, Roof checks the boxscores (and bless his heart, my website, too) to see how the baseball team is doing.
Good luck in Spring Training, Shawn!!
Go Illini!!!