March 13, 2008

Illinois Spring Trip Notes

Games 7-13 // Spring Trip

March 14 // Eastern Kentucky // Academy Park 1 // 1:30 pm
March 15 // Miami (OH) // Ed Smith Stadium // 3 pm
March 16 // Akron // Academy Park 1 // 9 am
March 18 // Maryland-Baltimore County // Academy Park 2 // 9:30 am
March 19 // Kansas // Academy Park 2 // 2 pm
March 20 // Northern Iowa // Manatee CC // 1 pm
March 21 // Central Connecticut State // Academy Park 1 // 9 am
IMG Academies // Bradenton, Fla.

Spring Trip Insider
ILLINOIS (2-4) vs. Eastern Kentucky (6-5-1)
ILL Probable: Kevin Manson (RHP, 1-0, 1.50 ERA)
Live Stats: Gametracker on fightingillini.com
Series: Illinois leads 1-0
Last Meeting: Illinois won 9-3 (3/22/03)
Streak: W1

ILLINOIS (2-4) vs. Miami (OH) (1-8)
ILL Probable: Mike Stankiewicz (RHP, 0-0, 3.29 ERA)
Live Stats: Gametracker on fightingillini.com
Series: Illinois leads 2-0
Last Meeting: Illinois won 4-2 (3/19/05)
Streak: W2

ILLINOIS (2-4) vs. Akron (7-5)
ILL Probable: Scott Shaw (RHP, 0-1, 10.57 ERA)
Live Stats: Gametracker on fightingillini.com
Series: Akron leads 1-0
Last Meeting: Akron won 12-7 (3/20/99)
Streak: L1

ILLINOIS (2-4) vs. UMBC (4-5)
ILL Probable: Aaron Martin (RHP, 0-1, 20.25 ERA)
Live Stats: Gametracker on fightingillini.com
Series: First meeting

ILLINOIS (2-4) vs. Kansas (10-5)
ILL Probable: Kevin Manson (RHP, 1-0, 1.50 ERA)
Live Stats: Gametracker on fightingillini.com
Series: Illinois leads 2-0
Last Meeting: Illinois won 7-3 (3/13/82)
Streak: W2

ILLINOIS (2-4) vs. Northern Iowa (4-7)
ILL Probable: Mike Stankiewicz (RHP, 0-0, 3.29 ERA)
Series: Illinois leads 1-0
Last Meeting: Illinois won 13-8 (3/18/06)
Streak: W1

ILLINOIS (2-4) vs. CCSU (2-5)
ILL Probable: Scott Shaw (RHP, 0-1, 10.57 ERA)
Series: First meeting

Illini Head to Bradenton for Spring Trip
After having all four games at Texas Tech cancelled last weekend because of travel problems, the Fighting Illini head to Bradenton, Fla., for their annual Spring Break trip to the IMG Academies. Illinois will play five games at IMG's Academy Park fields while facing Miami (OH) at Ed Smith Stadium, the Cincinnati Reds' spring training home, and playing Northern Iowa at Manatee Community College.

Illinois Against the Field
Illinois is a combined 6-1 against the seven teams it will face on Spring Trip and has never played Maryland-Baltimore County or Central Connecticut State. Kansas is the first BCS conference school that Illinois will play in Bradenton in the fourth-straight year the Illini have visited the IMG Academies.

New Kids on the Block
In a scheduling quirk, Illinois has faced 13 of its 21 non-conference opponents fewer than five times. Since the majority of midweek games after Spring Trip are annual series, 13 of the 14 teams the Illini play in the first month of the season have faced the Orange and Blue five times or fewer in history.

Last Time Out: QTI Baylor Classic
The Fighting Illini fell behind early against host No. 22 Baylor on Friday of the QTI Baylor Classic and weren't able to recover the entire weekend, going 0-3 at the tournament. After each team went down in order in the first inning, Baylor exploded for 10 runs in the bottom of the second and never looked back on its way to a 20-6 victory.

Illinois looked to right the ship on Saturday, taking a 3-0 lead against Stephen F. Austin after just two innings. But the Lumberjacks took the lead with a four-run fifth inning and added a run in the eighth. The Illini jumped back on top, though, with three runs in the bottom of the eighth, but the 'Jacks retook the lead with a three-run home run in the top of the ninth. Illinois scratched out a run in the bottom half, but pinch runner Dominic Altobelli was thrown out at home to end the game with SFA ahead, 8-7.

On Sunday, both Illinois and Illinois-Chicago entered the game knowing they wouldn't play the full nine innings because of travel arrangements. The Illini grabbed a 1-0 lead with a run in the second, but UIC scored seven runs in the second and third innings for a 7-1 advantage. Illinois scored one in the fourth and two more in the top of the sixth to close the gap to 7-4, but pinch hitter John Schlichter struck out with men on second and third to end the game.

Hudson Starts Season on Streak
Center fielder Kyle Hudson has started the 2008 season with a six-game hitting streak, one short of tying his career-long streak. Hudson is hitting a team-high .421, and already has a three-hit game, going 3-for-5 with two runs and an RBI against Stephen F. Austin on March 1. He also leads the team with three stolen bases, and his four runs and four walks are tied for the team lead.

Stockwell Increases Production
Right fielder Nick Stockwell increased his visibility in the Illini lineup this past weekend, taking over in right in all three games while going 4-for-8 (.500) in the No. 7 hole in the batting order. Stockwell filled the stat sheet with three runs, two RBIs, a double, a walk and a hit-by-pitch for a slugging percentage of .625 and an on-base percentage of .545. He also had Illinois' only sacrifice fly and sacrifice bunt of the weekend.

*Complete game notes in above PDF.