March 15, 2012
BSB_Week_5pt5_Notes 
| Baseball Schedule |
DeKALB, Ill. - Northern Illinois (2-14) will close its spring trip this weekend with four games in Carbondale, Ill., taking on Southern Illinois (11-5) and Illinois (7-6). The Huskies went 0-2 in their series against Saint Louis Tuesday and Wednesday.
LEAD OFFS
- This is the ninth straight season the Huskies have played down to Carbondale.
- Last year NIU finished 3-1 in Carbondale, losing only to Saint Louis, 7-1.
- The Huskies defeated the Fighting Illini twice last year (3-0, 15-14), who went on to win the Big Ten and advance to NCAA Regional play.
PROJECTED MATCHUPS
NORTHERN ILLINOIS
FRIDAY LHP Tom Barry (0-2)
SATURDAY G1 RHP Tony Manville (1-2)
G2 LHP Jake Hermsen (0-2)
SUNDAY RHP Taylor Nawrocki (0-1)
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
FRIDAY RHP Cameron Maldonado (2-0)
SATURDAY RHP Sam Coonrod (1-0)
ILLINOIS
SATURDAY RHP John Kravetz (2-0)
SUNDAY RHP Josh Ferry (0-0)
FOLLOW FROM HOME
Fans can follow four games at Southern Illinois via Gametracker. Visit NIUHuskies.com baseball schedule and click the Gametracker link for the corresponding game.
LAST TIME OUT: HUSKIES BATTLE SAINT LOUIS
After capturing two wins at Austin Peay last weekend, the Huskies went to St. Louis, Mo. to take on Saint Louis. NIU managed to hit the ball well in the series but were unable to capitalize with runners in scoring position, leaving 11 runners on base in the first game and eight in the second contest. Northern Illinois dropped its first contest 7-2 and fell 4-1 in game two.
NO ONE SAID IT’D BE EASY
Northern Illinois is currently 2-14 to start the season, with four of its losses against nationally-ranked teams. In the season-opening series at Tennessee, the Volunteers were receiving votes in most of the nation’s polls. Texas Tech was receiving votes in the first two contests with the Huskies, but cracked the top-25 for the first time since 2005 for the final game. Arizona State and Oregon State have been ranked all of 2012.
THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE
It’s a common tale for team’s in the Midwest to start slow and end fast. The Huskies are living proof of that with their month-by-month record under Head Coach Ed Mathey. Below is the breakdown of NIU baseball month-by-month and year-by-year under the Huskie skipper.
YEAR FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL MAY OVERALL (MAC Division)
2003 1-2 12-7 11-8 10-7 34-24 (3rd West)*
2004 4-2 8-9 9-9 10-8 31-28 (t-2nd West)*
2005 0-3 6-10 5-14-1 5-9 16-36-1 (6th West)
2006 2-4 8-9 11-10 3-8 24-31(6th West)
2007 1-2 12-7 9-9 12-6 34-24 (3rd West)*
2008 0-2 9-12 11-7 8-5 28-26 (2nd West)*
2009 2-5 8-9 5-14 4-6 19-34 (5th West)
2010 0-6 8-9 9-9 7-7 24-31 (5th West)
2011 0-6 7-7 13-6 10-7 30-27 (t-2nd West)*
2012 0-7 2-7 ??? ??? ???
TOTALS10-39 80-86 83-86-1 69-63 242-275-1
* - Indicates team qualified for the MAC Tournament
THE UBIQUITOUS ONE
It may just be a fancier word for utility man, but sophomore Alex Klonowski is ubiquitous on the diamond for Northern Illinois. In his 14 starts this season, the Kearney, Mo. native has started five different positions (2B, SS, 3B, RF, LF) and has made four relief appearances on the mound.
In the field he has comitted one error and at the plate is batting .271 and leads the Huskies in RBI (eight) and doubles (four) this season. In his five innings of work, Klonowski is 1-0, has struck out 10 batters and has allowed five walks.
ANYTHING YOU CAN DO, I CAN DO BETTER
Northern Illinois has had the defensive edge over its opponents this season comitting four fewer errors this year than its opponents, 29-25. The Huskies have played four errorless games this season, two of which were against nationally ranked teams (No. 11 Arizona State, No. 24 Texas Tech).
HE’S PLUS ONE
Senior pitcher Jake Hermsen has totaled 18 strikeouts in his 16.1 innings of work, including five caught looking, for an average of 1.1 strikeouts per inning.
THE WRAP SHEET
There’s a long history between the Huskies and their opponents, the Salukis and the Fighting Illini. NIU trails SIU 21-48 and trails Illinois 6-22-1 all-time in their respective series. Northern Illinois first met Southern Illinois in 1948 (W, 14-4), while the Huskies first met the Illini in 1958 (L, 8-2). In 102 seasons, NIU’s played a combined 98 games with both teams.
Southern Illinois Illinois
NIU trails SIU, 21-48 (Last 10: 6-4) NIU trails UI, 6-22-1 (Last 10: 3-6-1)
3/1/08 W 3-1 4/17/69 T 6-6
W 9-4 4/24/80 L 13-5
3/2/08 L 5-3 L 11-5
3/6/09 W 8-4 3/16/91 L 15-0
3/7/09 W 1-0 L 13-0
3/8/09 L 9-7 3/21/92 L 16-7
3/19/10 L 19-4 L 4-3
3/20/10 L 5-2 3/19/03 W 12-10
W 13-9 3/17/11 W 3-0
3/19/11 W 7-5 3/18/11 W 15-14
SCOUTING THE SALUKIS
Southern Illinois is 11-5 in 2012 and currently riding a four-game win streak as it swept Jacksonville State last weekend. On their trip to Deland, Fla., the Salukis defeated No. 19 Stetson, a NCAA Regional participant a year ago, 11-8. SIU’s bullpen held the Hatters scoreless in the last five innings of the game to triumph. SIU is 4-1 at home with its last loss to Middle Tennessee State on March 6.
Two of the Salukis regular starters, Austin Montgomery and Chris Serritella, are batting .400, with Montegomery totaling .409 and Serritella owning a .424 tally. The two have combined for 43 RBI, six home runs and 12 doubles. While the bats are alive for the Salukis, fielding has been an issue as they lead their opponents in errors, 38-25, and own a .939 fielding percentage.
SCOUTING THE FIGHTING ILLINI
Illinois has been all over the country thus far and own a 7-6 clip in 2012, a year after capturing the Big Ten title. The Illini are coming off a trip to Oregon where they a played a quartet of teams, finishing 3-1, highlighted by a 2-1 victory over No. 18 Oregon. Its only blemish was to No. 22 Oregon State, 8-2, the second game of a double header.
Pitcher John Kravetz has been solid on the mound for the Illinois, owning a perfect 2-0 record in three starts. In 23.2 innings he has struckout 16, walked seven, surrendered 29 hits and owns a 1.90 ERA. Jordan Parr is the team’s silver slugger with a .388 batting average and fills the line score, with a double, a triple, two home runs, and 13 RBI.
THE GLUE THAT BINDS BEHIND THE PLATE
Senior Brett Frantini was selected to the Johnny Bench Award Watch List March 7, awarded to the nation’s top-Division I catcher. So far in 2012 the Minooka, Ill. native has thrown out seven runners attempting to steal base and has knocked in four RBI with two doubles and three runs scored on seven hits. Past recipients of the award include the Oakland A’s Kurt Suzuki and the San Francisco Giants Buster Posey.
PINCH-HITTING HEROES
The Huskies are batting an impressive .583(7-for-12) in pinch hitting situations with freshman Micah McCulloch leading the way with four hits in four pinch-hit situations (.800). He has accounted for three doubles in that stretch, including one that tied the Huskies with No. 18 St. John’s at the Brooks Wallace Memorial Challenge in Lubbock, Texas Feb. 25 in the ninth inning. Chris Divarco, Jordan Huffman and Michael Kane have also contributed a hit to the Huskies pinch-hitting annals.
THERE’S A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING
In his 11 previous appearances for Northern Illinois, sophomore pitcher Eli Anderson had only appeared in relief for the Huskies. In his 12th career call-to-duty March 14 at Saint Louis, the Glenview, Ill. native started on the hill, pitching a career-high 4.1 innings and three strikeouts. He surrendered five hits, one walk and two runs in the start.
HE’S HEATING UP
Senior Alex Jones has built a seven-game hitting streak for himself, and though the season is still very young, he has raised his batting average 137 points. After going hitless against Arizona State March 2, the 2011 Brooks Wallace quarterfinalist rallied off two hits against St. Mary’s (Calif.) and has not looked back since.
During his streak, Jones has gone 13-for-32 (.406) and totaled two doubles, a home run, four RBI, three runs and two stolen bases. He railed off three hits in a game against Austin Peay and did so again versus Dayton.
FINDING A WAY
Senior Troy White has safely reached base at least once in the last 10 games. Senior Alex Jones and sophomore Jeff Zimmerman also owns an extended streak, as Jones has eight games to his credit, while Zimmerman has reached in nine-straight games.
THREE’S COMPANY
Senior Alex Beckmann hit his first triple of the season Tuesday March 14 at Saint Louis, increasing his career total to five. With two more, he would tie himself for 10th all-time in NIU history with teammate Troy White and four others. Fellow senior Alex Jones is tied for the Huskies all-time record in career triples with Tom Wittum (1969-72) and Jeff Sevenich (1977-80).
WHITE HITS THE BIG APPLE
Senior Troy White missed the final two games of the Coca Cola Classic against St. Mary’s (Calif.) and No. 24 Oregon State as he went to New York City for The Jackie Robinson Foundation Awards Dinner, where he received the Nike Prize, a $1,000 grant given annually to the JRF scholar-athlete who exemplifies through his or her actions, the ways in which commitment, advocacy, and innovation can unite and challenge a community to change.
The event was held at the Waldorf=Astoria Hotel in Manhatten and featured Bill Cosby as the Master of Ceremonies and honored former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue and Academy Award winner Rita Moreno for their humanitarian efforts and lifetime acheivements, respectively.
THE PRIDE OF VERONA, WISCONSIN
Freshman Ben Neumann made his Northern Illinois debut in the top of the eighth inning against Dayton March 11, facing only one batter, but forced the lead out inning when A.J. Ryan grounded out to Troy White. Junior Zach Badgley came in for the left-hander from Verona, Wis. to close the inning.
TWO OUT OF THREE AIN’T BAD
Meatloaf might have sang the song in in 1977, but junior Jordan Rishavy echoed the track last weekend at the Riverview Inn Challenge when he knocked in the winning runs against Austin Peay and Arkansas State. Rishavy hit a two run double against the Governors in the top of the 10th inning and drove in the winning run versus the Red Wolves on a fielder’s choice in the eighth.
FINDING HIS STROKE
Sophomore Jeff Zimmerman, the MAC’s Freshman of the Year in 2011 and a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American, found his stroke last weekend in Clarkville, Tenn., belting a home run against Arkansas State and two versus Dayton. Zimmerman currently has three this season and accounted for 11 last year.
THE KINGS OF CRASH
Senior Alex Jones and sophomore Jeff Zimmerman each hit a home run in the fourth inning against Dayton March 11, as part of an eight run inning by Northern Illinois. The Huskies had not had two players hit a home run in the same inning in nearly two years. Dave Reynolds and Brian Smith, in successive at-bats nonetheless, each homered against UW-Milwaukee at Miller Park May 18, 2010.
CLUTCH CARGO
Sophomore Joe Battaglia had a big afternoon March 10th in only seventh career start behind the plate against Arkansas State, finishing 3-for-4 with a solo home run and two RBI. In the seventh inning, the Westchester, Ill. native battled 10 pitches, before sending the 11th over the left field fence. The following inning he singled to right field to drive in the Huskies first of two runs in the inning. Battaglia is batting .214 (3-for-14) and has three RBI, one home run and three runs scored.
HUSKIES TRIO NAMED ALL-TOURNAMENT IN CLARKSVILLE
Seniors Tom Barry and Alex Jones, along with sophomore Jeff Zimmerman were named to the Riverview Inn Challenge All-Tournament team announced late Sunday night. Barry pitched 6.1 innings against Austin Peay, striking out five batters and only allowing three hits. Jones (shortstop) batted .400 (6-for-15) with a double, one home run, two RBI and three runs scored, while Zimmerman (utility) was 4-for-13 (.308) with three home runs, four RBI and four runs.
LOOKS CAN BE DECEIVING
Entering the game March 2 versus No. 11 Arizona State, senior pitcher Jake Hermsen carried an ERA of 19.06. Hermsen added another bullett to his NIU pitching resume as he went a career-high 7.2 innings and hurled eight strikeouts and only three walks at the Coca Cola Classic. He kept the Huskies in the game, who were tied with the Sun Devils in the bottom of the ninth, 3-3. Hermsen was two strikeouts shy of matching his career-high in fanned batters, a mark he set against Iowa April 21, 2010.
ROCK SOLID IN THE PEN
Redshirt junior Zach Badgley has been solid for the Huskies in his seven relief appearances in 2012. The McHenry, Ill. native leads Northern Illinois in ERA with a 2.25 clip in eight innings and has allowed eight hits, four walks and two earned runs.
CLASS, CLASS, CLASS
The NIU coaches will tell you that senior Troy White is a classy guy and apparently they aren’t the only ones. The selection committee for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, an honor annually given to the Division I senior baseball player who excels on and off the field, selected White as 1-of-30 candidates for the prestigious award. See back of notes for more information.
