May 29, 2008

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Twenty-four University of Illinois baseball players will play on teams from coast to coast this summer, with nine Illini playing in the Northwoods League and five competing in the Coastal Plain League. In all, Illinois will have players on 16 teams in 10 different leagues from California to New York. Also, pitcher Lee Zerrusen will travel to Japan with the Crestwood Panthers and outfielder Casey McMurray will join the Santa Barbara Foresters on their trip to Cuba.

Much like previous years, the top-tier Northwoods League will be home for many Fighting Illini players this summer, with the season starting May 29. Third-team All-Big Ten pitcher Kevin Manson, Big Ten Co-Pitcher of the Week Phil Haig, catcher Aaron Johnson and outfielder Craig Lutes will lead the Rochester Honkers into the 2008 campaign.

Second-team All-Big Ten second baseman Joe Bonadonna will look to break his own NWL stolen bases record as he and third baseman Dominic Altobelli play for the Duluth Huskies. Bonadonna was a midseason and postseason NWL All-Star, Silver Glove Award winner and Second Base Offensive Player of the Year a year ago, leading the Huskies to a second-half championship. Altobelli was a midseason Coastal Plain League All-Star in 2007 while playing for the Fayetteville SwampDogs.

Also in the NWL, right-handed pitcher Scott Shaw and utilityman Mike Giller return to Waterloo, where Shaw was a midseason All-Star for the Bucks in 2007. Shortstop Brandon Wikoff returns to the Madison Mallards, where he was a 2007 postseason NWL All-Star and one of the top 25 prospects in the league, rounding out Illinois' representation in the NWL.

In the CPL, pitchers Ben Reeser and Aaron Martin, plus third baseman John Schlichter will return to the Fayetteville SwampDogs, where pitcher Nick Chmielewski will join them for his first season of summer collegiate ball as the season opens May 29. Both Reeser and Martin were midseason CPL All-Stars in 2007, and Reeser was the league's Defensive Player of the Year. Freshman Daniel Parker, who redshirted the 2008 college season, also will play in the CPL for the Wilmington Sharks.

Two Illini will play in the Chicago Suburban Baseball League this summer, which began play on May 25. Pitcher Mike Stankiewicz will return to the Crystal Lake Cardinals and pitcher Lee Zerrusen will suit up for the Crestwood Panthers. Outfielder Nick Stockwell will once again play for the Lombard Orioles of the Wisconsin State League, with the Orioles' season starting on May 31.

Also in Illinois, pitcher Wes Braun will play for the Chicago Clout of the Skyscraper Baseball League, while infielder Pete Cappetta will join the DuPage Dragons of the Central Illinois Collegiate League, which starts on June 5.

Outfielder Casey McMurray, the Big Ten Player of the Week on April 28, will play for the Santa Barbara Foresters of the California Collegiate League, which begins play on June 7. In addition to their CCL schedule, the Foresters will travel to Havana, Cuba, to face the Cuban National Team in a three-game series on June 21-23.

Also on the west coast, catcher Chris Montgomery will play for the San Diego Waves of the Western Semi-Pro Baseball Association, which begins play on May 31. Montgomery's Waves will face McMurray's Foresters on June 8. And pitcher Mike Sterk will suit up for the Nampa Outlaws of the Boise Summer League, which starts its schedule on June 16.

On the other side of the country, pitcher Billy Barrett will play for the Glens Falls Golden Eagles of the New York Collegiate Baseball League, which opens its season on June 6, and first baseman/catcher Matt Dittman will join the Lake Erie Monarchs of the Great Lakes League, which starts on June 13.

Check FightingIllini.com throughout the summer for periodic updates on Illinois players in collegiate summer leagues, or stay up on their progress by visiting the summer league page on FightingIllini.com's baseball section, which lists every Illini playing summer ball. There also will be a summer version of the Diamond Notes blog, as Illini who are competing in the summer will keep fans up-to-date with their teams and summer seasons with updates as often as twice-weekly.