April 22, 2010

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - In anticipation of the Celebration of 130 Years of Illinois Baseball during the Purdue series May 14-16, FightingIllini.com will be showcasing a series of weekly features that look back at the history of the oldest sport on the Illinois campus. Illinois baseball began in the fall of 1879 and is one of the most storied program on campus. The Fighting Illini have won 28 Big Ten titles and have the seventh-most Major League players all-time among college programs with 70, according to Baseball Almanac. Each week leading up to the celebration weekend, Illini fans will have a chance to learn more about each decade since the 1940s - the teams, the players and the coaches.

Of all the decades of Illini baseball, the 1970's are most memorable as the decade of pitching. When the decade began, the Orange and Blue had seen their fair share of great hitters, great coaches and title runs, however they had not been as notable on the mound. With numerous pitching records still intact in the Illinois record books, the '70s saw some of the best and most memorable performances in Illinois history.

The Orange and Blue of this decade set six of the top seven career ERA figures in Illinois history. Topping the charts at 2.51 is Tom Stewart, who played for the Illini from 1974 to 1976, and he is followed by Chuck Sommer (2.73), Dan Ingram (2.87), John Widdersheim (2.90) and John Harshbarger (2.92). Holding the No. 7 spot is Jeff Siegel, who pitched for the Orange and Blue from 1974 to 1976 and recorded an ERA of 3.26.

Ingram and Widdersheim are two former Illini who hold season ERA records in addition to their career records. Ingram still holds the best ERA in a season with a 1.73 mark in 1976, which remains the all-time Illinois record. John Widdersheim set the third-best single-season ERA in 1978 with a 2.03 ERA.

Although pitching is the highlight of the '70s, the 1974 Illini broke the school record for wins with their 27-11 mark in the first season that aluminum bats were allowed to be used in the college game. It was not until 1981, when the amount of games played in a spring season increased, that their record was broken when that squad went 35-26.

1973 marked the only year in the decade with an All-American, when second baseman Bob Polock garnered the accolade. Playing for the Orange and Blue from 1971-1973, the standout athlete was also named team MVP in '73 and became a two-time All-Big Ten player in 1971 and 1973.

After gaining national exposure by playing summer baseball in Colorado, Polock was then able to play in Fairbanks, Ala., for the Alaska Goldpanners. With the assistance of head coach Lee Eilbracht, Polock also was able to play at the World Games in 1972, which he marks as his most valuable memory of Illini baseball.

"Other than my memories of the camaraderie of my teammates, Coach Eilbracht and assistant coach Lou Ryniec are two people that I am forever thankful to," Polock said. "Coach Eilbracht gave me the opportunity to gain national exposure and from there I was invited to play at the 1972 World Games in Managua, Nicaragua, where we won the silver medal behind Cuba. I will never forget all that those coaches did for me that led me to where I am now."

Polock proved himself to be an infielder that shone in the decade of pitching. His personal achievements, as well as the outstanding pitching performances of this decade, show that the 1970s had some of the greatest moments in Illini history. The records set remain some of the greatest in the Illinois record books and the memories made are clearly everlasting.