Rust Belt Baseball Spotlight: Illinois
Illinois baseball is basking in rarefied air, the Illini (6-0-1) have achieved several milestones early in the 2015 season:
• They are 1 of 28 undefeated teams in Division I baseball.
• Undefeated after seven games for the first time since 1986.
• Ranked #25 by DI Baseball; #26 by Collegiate Baseball; #27 by NCBWA
• Ranked in the top 10 nationally in WHIP, Hits per 9 Innings and K/BB.
• Lead the Big Ten in most offensive and pitching categories.
The Illini head to Myrtle Beach for the Chanticleer Classic, where they will play five games in four days; they open with a pair of games against Ball State on Friday and Saturday, a doubleheader on Sunday against Kent State and West Virginia wrapping with a Monday tilt versus Coastal Carolina.
Seniors David Kerian (.500/.722/.625), Reid Roper (.464/.607/.531) and Casey Fletcher (.417/.417/.576) lead an Illinois attack that’s hitting .335 as team and outscoring the opposition 50-19.
Tyler Jay boasts a 2-0 mark and 0.00 ERA with one save. The junior lefty has thrown 11 innings in four appearances, three in relief and one start and has 13 K’s with 1 BB’s.
Drasen Johnson (1-0, 1.32) and John Kravetz (1-0, 2.70) each have started two games. Johnson’s struck out 13 and walked 4, while Kravetz has 1 BB’s and 9 K’s.
The trio is part of a pitching staff that has allowed only 9 extra base hits, 1 home run, 13 BB’s and sports a 1.97 team ERA.
Following a road trip to nationally ranked Oklahoma State next weekend, Illinois then settles into a home schedule, if the weather cooperates, to finish off the nonconference portion of their schedule. The Illini certainly seem to be playing up to their potential; expectations remain high for the senior laden team in their attempt to win their first Big Ten title since 2011 and earn an NCAA Tournament bid.
Rust Belt Weekend Schedule
Indiana faces the College of Charleston.
Michigan has four games with Siena and one with Stetson
Michigan State plays in the Coastal Carolina Classic with Toledo,
Akron, UMBC, Coastal Carolina and Clemson.
Ohio State travels to UAB for three games.
Northwestern is at Southeastern Louisiana for three games.
Purdue heads west for the Arizona State University Phoenix MuniClassic with CSU Bakersfield, Gonzaga and Arizona State.
Ball State has two games with Illinois and one each with Coastal Carolina and WVU
Ohio has three games with Georgia State and one with Georgia Tech
Bowling Green has three games with Eastern Kentucky.
Toledo faces Virginia Tech four times.
Akron at UNC Greensboro for three
Northern Illinois plays three games with Tennessee Tech.
Central Michigan has a trio of games with Texas State
Eastern Michigan split a midweek series with UC Davis 4-5 and 4-2.
They have one game left with UC Davis and a twinbill with Santa Clara
Western Michigan takes on Dayton, Northern Kentucky and Austin Peay
Miami plays four teams, Campbell, Furman, Maryland-East Shore and Dayton
Kent State at WVU, Illinois and Coastal Carolina
Milwaukee at Grand Canyon for three games
Wright State is at Miami for three games.
Youngstown State travels to Western Carolina for three games.
UIC sandwiches two games with Missouri around a single game with Murray State.
Valparaiso has three games with Gardner-Webb.
IUFW goes to Tennessee-Martin for four games.
ISUE has a trio of games with Arkansas-Little Rock.
Illinois State at Vanderbilt for three games.
Indiana State has three games at Georgia Tech.
Eastern Illinois heads to Arkansas for three games.
Western Illinois faces Oklahoma State twice and Jacksonville State once.
Bradley plays Southeast Missouri three times.
Southern Illinois has three scheduled games with Western Kentucky.
Butler faces East Tennessee State three times.
Xavier is scheduled for three games at Louisville
Dayton travels to Murray State for three games
Notre Dame plays Belmont, Mercer and Akron
Cincinnati has three games with Iowa
Chicago State plays Kansas, Villanova (2) and Northeastern.
