courtesy U of I
CHAMPAIGN, Illinois - After reaching the postseason for the fifth-straight year in 2009, the Fighting Illini baseball team returns six starters in the field and three pitchers with weekend starting experience for a 2010 season that holds great potential to raise the national profile of the Illinois program.
Illinois returns an experienced group of position players including sophomore outfielder Willie Argo, junior infielder/outfielder Pete Cappetta, junior first baseman Matt Dittman, senior infielder/outfielder Mike Giller, senior catcher Aaron Johnson, senior outfielder Craig Lutes, junior outfielder Casey McMurray and sophomore shortstop Josh Parr, and adds to it a very athletic and talented crop of rookie position players.
Josh Parr moves to his natural shortstop position after playing second base last season.
Infield
Who's Back: Two infield starters from 2009 return this year in second baseman-turned-shortstop Josh Parr and first baseman Matt Dittman. Parr hit .337 as a freshman last season, ranking fifth on the team in average and hits, and second in stolen bases. Dittman jumped into the starting lineup after an injury to Giller early in the year and never relinquished his spot, earning Big Ten Player of the Week honors on April 13 and making only five errors.
Junior Pete Cappetta, who earned All-Big Ten second team honors after spending most of the 2009 season in right field, will challenge for the starting spot at second base. Cappetta led the Illini with a .384 batting average, a .475 on-base percentage and a flawless fielding percentage. Senior Mike Giller, who started the season-opener at first base in 2009 before breaking a finger and missing six weeks, could see time at third base. Redshirt-freshman Bill Charvat also will push for playing time at first base in 2010.
"Although shortstop is a new position, Josh Parr played the entire year at second base last year and he'll be a strong anchor and a general on the field for us," head coach Dan Hartleb said. "Matt Dittman is a player who will be solid defensively and brings experience to the infield. He also should be productive in the middle of the order this year."
Who's Not: Dominic Altobelli and Brandon Wikoff both have embarked on professional careers, with Altobelli being drafted by Colorado in the 16th round last year and Wikoff being taken by the Astros in the fifth round. Wikoff hit .373 and Altobelli hit .361 to rank second and third on the team, respectively. They combined for 164 hits, 52 extra-base hits, 94 RBIs and 110 runs in 2009.
Who's New: Freshmen Brandon Hohl and Christian Cummins join the Illini infield in 2010. Hohl likely will be the opening-day starter at third base for the Illini, while Cummins is in the running for the starting spot at second base. Hohl hit .391 with 27 RBIs and a .630 slugging percentage in 2009 at Lincoln-Way East High School. Cummins, a 2009 All-State selection, hit .532 with five homers, 54 RBIs and 30 steals last season at Harrisburg High School.
"Brandon performed very, very well in the fall and has continued to do that throughout the winter," Hartleb said. "Christian is very solid defensively and will give us tremendous athleticism at second base."
Catcher
Who's Back: Once again Illinois' strongest position, catcher, will be manned by Aaron Johnson, who hit .333 with 10 home runs and 52 RBIs a year ago, while throwing out 18-of-50 would-be base-stealers. Sophomore Adam Davis returns after starting four games late last season when Johnson sat out with an injured hand. He had a strong summer and fall, and could split time behind the plate with Johnson or serve as Illinois' designated hitter. Redshirt-freshman Thomas Shelton also will be back for his second year in the Orange and Blue and could see time as the designated hitter.
"Aaron Johnson is back and has a very good feel for how to handle a pitching staff. He also gives us power in the middle of the lineup and understands the game well," Hartleb said. "We also have Adam Davis, who is capable of being a No. 1 catcher at this level. We're fortunate to have two very strong catchers."
Who's Not: Back-up catcher Jake Mathis graduated following the 2009 season.
Who's New: Matt Cervantes and Alex Lincoln will provide depth behind the plate. Cervantes played for the Illinois club baseball team last season, while Lincoln helped lead Neuqua Valley to a third-place finish at the 2008 IHSA state tournament.
Sophomore Willie Argo was named the Big Ten's Best Athlete in Baseball America's season preview.
Outfield
Who's Back: Left fielder Casey McMurray, a 2008 Freshman All-American, and Willie Argo, who earned 2009 Freshman All-American honors while serving mostly as Illinois designated hitter, anchor a solid group of outfielders for the Illini. Seniors Craig Lutes and Mike Giller could see time in the outfield and junior Pete Cappetta could play any of the outfield positions. Argo led the team with 12 home runs last year while hitting .355 with 47 RBIs, and McMurray hit .289 with 43 RBIs and six outfield assists. Lutes served primarily as a late-inning defensive replacement both in the outfield and at first base, and Giller was a first baseman in 2009 but can play either corner outfield spot. Sophomore Daniel Parker and redshirt-freshman Doug Schumacher also could challenge for time in the outfield.
Who's Not: Joe Bonadonna, who was drafted in the 43rd round by the Texas Rangers in the 2009 MLB Draft, hit .252 in 2009 and stole a team-high 19 bases.
Who's New: Freshmen Davis Hendrickson and Matt Milroy join the Fighting Illini after great high school careers and could contribute in 2010. Hendrickson was the No. 26 prospect in the state according to Prep Baseball Report, while Milroy was PBR's No. 8 recruit and No. 1 two-way player. Hendrickson hit .432 with 22 RBIs, two homers and 35 steals in 2009, and Milroy hit .466 with four homers and 35 RBIs while going 7-2 with a 1.76 ERA and 101 strikeouts in 51 2/3 innings on the mound. Junior transfer Pat Sheehan also joins the Illini for 2010 after playing at Springfield College of Illinois and SIU Edwardsville.
"We have some depth in the outfield and everybody brings something different to the table," Hartleb said. "We'll have some match-up options and we should be able to get some very good defenders in the field late in games. It will be interesting to see which players are able to separate themselves from the pack and earn starting spots.
