Western Illinois Baseball Prospect Camp

Western Illinois University baseball is holding a prospect camp for high school athletes ages 14-18 on Saturday December 22nd. 

The camp is broken down into two sessions; session one is for pitchers and catchers from 9:00 am to noon and session two is for position players from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.  

The cost of the camp is $110 and to register you can follow the link below.



2012 Western Illinois Prospect Camp

Western Illinois Baseball Signs Four

The Western Illinois University Leathernecks baseball program announced the signing of four to National Letters of Intent.

Catcher/Infielder Adam McGinnins from Normal West.  Adam hit .412 with 25 rbi's and struck out only three times last year.  Adam lives in Normal Illinois.

Infielder Chris Tschida from Joliet Catholic.  Chris hit .495 with 33 rbi's in his junior season at Joliet Catholic.  Chris lives in Joliet Illinois.

LHP Preston Church from Ogden Iowa.  Church went 5-0 with a 0.83 era last season.

RHP Tyler Stolz from Evansville Indiana.  Tyler was 7-1 as a junior.

CornBelter Baseball's Rich Mascheri Signs Yankees

Normal CornBelter left handed pitcher Rich Mascheri has had his contract purchased by the New York Yankees last week.  

Mascheri had 10 saves with 2.29 era in 26 appearances this season with the CornBelters.  Mascheri also represented the West Division at the Frontier League All-Star game.  

Rich played college baseball at Western Illinois University and lives in Wauconda, Illinois.

Western Illinois Baseball drops Southern Utah 4-2 on Sunday

Western Illinois baseball picked up their first conference win yesterday with a 4-2 over Southern Utah in Macomb.

Dan Russell (Henry, Illinois) threw six and a third innings allowing no earned runs on six hits and five strikeouts.  Reliever Seth Fuller (Moline Illinois) picked up the win going two and two thirds with three strikeouts.

Outfielder Ryan Cowhey's double in the seventh drove in two to give Western Illinois the lead for good.  Cowhey (Orland Park Illinois) finished 2-3 with a double, triple and three rbi's.

The Leathernecks moved to 10-17 overall and 1-3 in conference.

Top Illinois Baseball Players for 2012 in The Summit League

The top baseball players from Illinois and projected finish of Illinois teams in the Summit League for 2012.  The list is based on how the conference coaches voted in their preseason polls.

Western Illinois is projected to finish 2nd behind Oral Roberts.


Top Players from Illinois:

LHP/DH Rich Mascheri, Western Illinois, Rich is a transfer from College of Lake County, attended Wauconda HS and lives in Wauconda Illinois.  Mascheri redshirted in 2011 but hit .385 last summer and was a West Coast League All-Star.

Catcher Manny Reyes, Western Illinois, Manny is from Santa Monica California.

Shortstop Austin Cowen, Western Illinois, Austin is from Gillette Wyoming.

Outfielder Matt Igara, Western Illinois, Matt is a transfer from Heartland, attended Jacobs HS and lives in Algonquin Illinois.  Igara hit .317 with 4 homers and 19 doubles last season.

First baseman Tom Lilja, Western Illinois, Tom is from Lincoln-Way East HS and lives in Mokena Illinois.  Lilja hit .281 with 11 homers 8 doubles and 43 rbi's in 2011.

Western Illinois Baseball Announces Winter Camps

The Western Illinois Leatherneck baseball program announced the dates for their winter camps beginning in January, 2012.

On Saturday January 28th 2012 the Leathernecks will host two camps for ages 6-14 - a pitching camp from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm and skills camp from 1:00 pm to 4:30 pm.  The cost of one session is $55 and both is $100.

On Sunday January 29th 2012 or February 5th 2012 Western will host two showcase camps for ages 14-21.  Beginning at 10:30 am is the Purple Army Elite Prospect Series for pitchers and catchers.  Starting at 2:00 pm is the Exposure and Skill Camp for all players.  One camp will cost you $75 and both will cost $125. 

For more information you can follow the link below.

Leatherneck Baseball Camps



 

Western Illinois Baseball Signs Eight to Letters of Intent

The Western Illinois University baseball program announced the signing of eight to national letters of intent for 2012.

RHP Robby Nunn from Marion Catholic High School.  Nunn is 6'4" and is from Crete, Illinois.

RHP Alex Doty from Elgin High School. The 6'2" pitcher lives in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

RHP Keelan Price from BlackHawk Community College.  Keelan is a 6'6" righty who attended Rock Island Allman and lives in Moline Illinois.

LHP Aaron Michel from St. Teresa High School and lives in Decatur Illinois.

RHP John White from John Wood Community College.  The 6'6" pitcher attended Lincoln Community High School and lives in New Holland Illinois.

Infielder Gabriel Acevado is from Portage High School in Indiana.

RHP Anton Schrader III is from Dee-Mack High School and lives in Mackinaw Illinois.

Outfielder Neil DeCook from Kankakee Community College and lives in Kankakee Illinois.

Western Illinois Leatherneck Baseball Adds Assistant Coach Shane Davis

The Western Illinois baseball program announced the hiring of Shane Davis as an assistant baseball coach.  Davis spent the last two seasons with Cleveland State as an assistant coach.  Cleveland State dropped their baseball program at the end of last season.  Davis was a catcher at Eastern Michigan and his best season was in 2005 where he played in 30 games, started 10 and hit .279 with a homer and 9 rbi's.

Western Illinois University Fall Baseball Camps

Western Illinois University announced that registration is open for their two day fall baseball camp on October 8th and 9th 2011.  The camp is open to ages 15-20.

The fall camp offers instruction in all aspects of the game from Leatherneck coaches and players.  Interested players can choose a one day ($85) or two day session ($155).

For more information please visit the Western Illinois Baseball website below.

2011 Western Illinois Baseball Camp

Western Illinois baseball's Lilja, Jordan and Koszulinski Named to 2011 All-League Second Team

Western Illinois baseball players Tom Lilja, Bryan Jordan and John Koszulinski have alll been named to the 2011 All-League Team in the Summit League.

Junior first baseman Tom Lilja (Mokena Illinois) hit .275 with 11 home runs and 42 rbi's for the Leathernecks this season. Senior second baseman Bryan Jordan (Cincinnati Ohio) hit .290 with with 9 doubles and two home runs in 2011.  Senior catcher John Koszulinski (Frankfort Illinois) finished his senior year hitting .274 with 3 home runs, 7 double and 28 rbi's.

Western Illinois Baseball Gets Second Win

The Western Illinois Leathernecks (2-12) got their second win of the season with a 10-6 victory over Indiana State University on Sunday.

Junior Tom Litja, Lincoln Way East High School, Mokena Illinois, hit his fourth dinger of the season and junior John Koszulinski, Lincoln Way East, Frankfort Illinois, drove in five runs in the victory.

Junior Dan Russel, Illinois Central College, Henry Senachwine High School, Henry Illinois, who has both Leatherneck wins this season, went seven innings, gave up six hits, gave up one earned run and struck out six.

2011 Top Illinois Baseball Players to Watch in the Summit League

Listed are the 2011 top players to watch in the Summit League who are from Illinois teams or live in Illinois.  The list is based on how conference coaches voted in a pre-season poll.

Top Players To Watch in 2011:

RHP - Garrett Bolt, Western Illinois University, transfer from Muskegon Community College, Garrett lives in Wheeler MI.

RHP - Zach Sterling, Western Illinois University, transfer from Onley Central College, Zach lives in Lima OH.

OF - Ryan Cowhey, Western Illinois University, transfer from Oakton Community College, attended Carl Sandburg High School and lives in Orland Park IL.

C - John Koszulinski, Western Illinois University, .354 batting average, 6 home runs, 49 rbi's last season.  John is from Lincoln Way East High School and lives in Frankfort IL.

3B - Bryan Jordan, Western Illinois University, .308 batting average, 9 home runs, 18 doubles and 35 rbi's in 2010.  Bryan is a transfer from Black Hawk College and lives in Cincinnati OH.

C/OF - Brett Clark, IUPU Ft. Wayne, transfer from South Suburban College, .340 batting average, 3 homers, 15 doubles, 2 triples, 25 rbi's last season.  Brett lives in St. John IN.

OF - Kurt Dudley, IUPU Ft. Wayne, transfer from Springfield College, .284 batting average, 6 home runs, 9 doubles, 2 triples and 32 rbi's last season.  Kurt attended Auburn High School and lives in Auburn IL.

Western Illinois Baseball Signs Eleven

The Western Illinois Leatherneck baseball program announced the signing of eleven recruits for 2011.

Players from Illinois are in bold print:

LHP - Tom Constand - Notre Dame Prep & Marist Academy, Rochester Hills, MI

IF - Nate Ewing - West High School, Iowa City, Iowa

RHP - Tyler Farrell - Galesburg High School, Galesburg, IL

RHP - Seth Fuller - Moline High School, Moline, IL

C - Mark Garton - Boylan Central Catholic High School, Roscoe, IL

IF - Jameson Henning - Janesville Craig High School, Janesville, WI

OF - Erik Maki - Wauconda High School, McHenry, IL

RHP/OF - Nick Milligan - Galesburg High School, Galesburg, IL

IF - Quintin Richardson - Simeon High School, Chicago, IL

RHP - Nick Smith - New Palestine High School, Greenfield, IN

RHP - Tyler Willman - Oshkosh West High School, Oshkosh, WI

2010 Western Illinois University Baseball Prospect Camp

Western Illinois University will hold a two day prospect camp on September 11th and 12th for prospective players between the ages of 15-20.

The two day session will feature professional instruction in all aspects of baseball along with detailed instruction on hitting and pitchings.  The camp will also provide information on recruiting and NCAA Clearinghouse information.

For more information follow the link below to the leatherneck webiste.

2010 Western Illinois University Baseball Camp

 

Western Illinois Baseball Announces 12 Commitments for 2011

Western Illinois University Head Baseball Coach Mike Villano announced the commitments of 12 players for the 2011 season. 

Baseball in Illinois will show details on players from Illinois.

Ryan Cowhey, OF, 6-3, 202 (Oakton C.C./Orland Park, Ill.)

Cowhey is currently in his second season at Oakton. He is batting .395 (51-for-129) with 18 doubles, one triple and five home runs this season. Cowhey has also hit five home runs and is second on his team with 50 runs scored.

Matt Igara, OF, 5-11, 202 (Heartland C.C./Algonquin, Ill.)

Igara comes to Western Illinois from Heartland Community College where he is currently batting .393 (33-for-84) with nine doubles, three triples, four home runs and 38 RBI. He has also scored 34 runs and is a perfect 8-for-8 in stolen base attempts.



Dan Russell, RHP, 5-9, 175 (Illinois Central College/Henry, Ill.)

Russell comes to Western Illinois from Illinois Central College where he is currently 4-3 with a 3.81 ERA this season. In 59.0 IP he has recorded and incredible 61 strikeouts and issued just eight walks.

Alexander Zarate, RHP, 6-2, 170 (Heartland C.C./Park Ridge, Ill.)

Zarate is 2-0 with a 3.48 ERA in 20.2 IP his season. He has allowed just eight earned runs and has recorded 14 strikeouts while issuing only four walks.


Tyler Baratono, SS, 5-9, 165 (Allen Park/Allen Park, Mich.)

Garrett Bolt, RHP, 6-4, 210 (Muskegon C.C./Breckenridge, Minn.)
Jake Moore, C, 6-2, 180 (Romeo/Romeo, Mich.)

Dan Owenby, 1B, 6-3, 195 (Notre Dame Prep/Pontiac, Mich.)
Tyler Owings, LHP, 6-4, 170 (Saline/Saline, Mich.)
Mac Simotes, SS, 6-1, 165 (Hackett Catholic Central/Kalamazoo, Mich.)

Zach Sterling, RHP, 6-3, 200 (Olney Central College/Lima, Ohio)
Ryan Wachholder, RHP, 5-11, 170 (Heartland C.C./Brookfield, Wis.)

Western Illinois Baseball Schedule Gets Bumped By High School Games

Baseball in Illinois News

A scheduling conflict has led the Western Illinois Baseball team to change plans for their 2010 season-opening series this weekend. Western, which was slated to play a three-game series at Alabama State, will now open the season at Furman.


The three-game series in Greenville, South Carolina, will begin with a 12 noon (Central) doubleheader on Saturday (Feb. 27). The series finale will take place Sunday at 12 noon. All games will be played at Latham Stadium. This marks the first-ever meeting between the Fighting Leathernecks and Paladins.

"We were set to play three games at Alabama State, however, after talking with their coaches we found out they had a scheduling conflict at their stadium with high school games so the likelihood of getting all three games in was not good," said Western Illinois first-year head coach Mike Villano. "Furman had a series cancellation and was willing to play. The Paladins play in one of the top conferences in the country with a challenging non-conference schedule, so this will be a good test for our team to start the year."

Western Illinois Baseball Picked Last In Pre-Season Poll

Baseball in Illinois News
courtesy of the summit league

After winning its record 12th straight league championship a year ago, Oral Roberts was a unanimous choice to claim its 13th consecutive Summit League crown in 2010 as voted on by the league's eight head coaches.



The Golden Eagles collected seven first-place votes for a total of 49 points. Centenary came in second with 39 points, followed closely by South Dakota State in the third slot with 36 points and the final first-place vote. Southern Utah (30 points) and North Dakota State (27 points) were each separated by three points apiece for the fourth and fifth positions, respectively. Oakland (16 points), IPFW (14 points) and Western Illinois (13 points) rounded out the voting.

The Fighting Leathernecks and first-year head coach Mike Villano return Cole Waddell and Andrew Hagins to the lineup. Waddell batted .357, while Hagins belted 10 homers with a .552 slugging percentage for Western Illinois a year ago.

Todd Coryell Named Assistant Baseball Coach for Western Illinois University

Baseball in Illinois News

Former Eastern Michigan Assistant Todd Coryell has been Named Assistant Baseball Coach for the Western Illinois University Leathernecks.  Coryell will join first year Head Coach Mike Villano for the 2010 campaign.

Easton's Baseball Picks Western Illinois University as Darkhorse in 2010

Baseball in Illinois News
courtesy of collegebaseball


Well guess what? The Eagles went screaming to another Summit title in 2009 and then to a second place finish in the Tempe Regional. And if you bet against them pulling the trick again in 2010, you’re making a fool’s bet. Despite the heavy losses to his pitching staff, coach Rob Walton is reloading again with a stack of recruits that will keep the hardware at the Tulsa campus of the perpetual champs. But watch for the Jackrabbits and Thunderbirds to attack from the ground and sky and maybe - dare I say - make things interesting this season. One thing is for sure, for the first time in the history of my writing these previews, I can finally write some team names on the “Contenders” line below, instead of just writing “none” again.

Colby Pierce will be a steady glove in the field and a lead-by-example guy at the plate for ORU.
Favorite: Oral Roberts
Contenders: South Dakota State, Southern Utah
Darkhorse: Western Illinois

WESTERN ILLINOIS (13-33, 8-16)

2009 RPI: 280
Starters Returning: 2
Weekend Starters: 3
Mid-Week Starters: 1
Key Relievers (20+inns.): 2

All Conference Candidate:
OF Andrew Hagins (.292-10-37)
C John Koszulinski (.339)

The Good News:

Mike Villano, a former Florida Marlin, comes to Macomb and takes the reigns of the program. He was an assistant coach at Central Michigan for six years prior to. There are a handful of senior pitchers that should post better numbers, including three weekend returnees in RHP Randon Lingle (2-2, 9.07), LHP John Sneegas (2-5, 9.27) and LHP Austin Brough (4-8, 9.91).

The Bad News:

The Leatherneck family is obviously still dealing with the stunning death of head coach - and all-around great guy - Stan Hyman, who passed away in September after a two-month battle with leukemia. On the field, losing senior talents like Cooper Stewart (.337) and Drew Laidig (WIU’s 9th best hitter ever) are big losses. The pitching staff got rocked pretty roundly all season, ending with a 10.27 ERA, which included a pair of losses where opponents scored 30+ runs.

Western Illinois University Coaches Clinic

The Western Illinois baseball program will hold a special coaches clinic on Sunday, Feb. 14. Fighting Leatherneck head coach Mike Villano and his staff will hold a clinic for coaches of all levels that will focus on hitting, pitching, catching, base running, infield drills, outfield drills, strength and conditioning, and coaching strategy.


The clinic will start promptly at 9 a.m. with registration and includes a four hour instructional session from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. For more information or to sign up contact head coach Mike Villano at (309) 298-1521 or coach Todd Coryell at toddcoryell@hotmail.com. Payment can be made the day of the camp (checks made out to Western Illinois Baseball) and walk-ins are welcome.