Sparked by the top three hitters in the Missouri Valley Conference and one of the nations most dominant pitchers, the Illinois State baseball will look to rebound from a non-conference loss at Purdue Wednesday when it hosts St. Xavier in a four-game series at Redbird Field this weekend.
Although this is not a conference series, it is important in terms of preparing us for a strong finish in the league, ISU head coach Jeff Stewart said. We have more talent than St. Xavier, however, they should not be taken lightly. We are going to treat this series the same way we would approach a conference opponent.
Despite a 16-6 loss at Purdue Wednesday, the Redbirds (16-17, 8-8 MVC) have shown signs of turning the corner and joining the upper echelon of the Missouri Valley Conference. Winners of nine of their last 14 games, the Redbirds have claimed conference series wins over Creighton and Southern Illinois while splitting with Southwest Missouri State.
At the heart of the recent charge are the top three hitters in the MVC: senior right fielder Jared Dufault, junior center fielder Ryan Cantrell and sophomore designated hitter Mike Saunches.
A senior pro prospect from Rockford, Dufault leads the MVC with a .413 batting average and recently tied Mike Prior for second place at ISU with his 15th career triple. Dufault currently leads the team with three three-baggers and is bidding to become the first player in school history to lead the Birds in triples for four consecutive years.
Jared is a silent leader whos done a great job for us over his career at ISU, Stewart said. He has been a real sparkplug for this offense and a valuable part of our team chemistry.
Originally recruited for his pitching ability, Cantrell joined the ranks of the high-octane Redbird offense towards the end of the 2000 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Since making the switch, the Bloomington native has turned into one of the leagues most versatile athletes.
Ranking second in the league with a .398 batting average, Cantrell adds some beef to the heart of the lineup and also serves as a key arm in the Redbird bullpen. Saturday in Carbondale, Cantrell notched his first collegiate save in the Birds 6-5 victory over Southern Illinois, it was only his second pitching appearance since the 1999 campaign.
Saunches, a 6-foot-3, 260-pound giant in the Redbird cleanup spot, has taken a liking to the role of designated hitter after starting all but one game at first base in 2000.
I just come to the park and hit, thats what I focus on, Saunches said. Im a run-producer and Ive got to take care of business when the guys around me set the table by getting on base.
The hard-swinger slugger from Decatur currently ranks third in the MVC with a .392 batting average but leads the league with 46 RBI and ranks among the leaders with eight homers. In addition to ranking among the leaders in the MVC, Saunches has taken to the national scene as well with a 1.39 RBI per game average which ranks No. 8 nationally.
On the mound for the Birds in any must win situation and the series-opener on Friday is junior southpaw Neal Cotts. The Redbirds ace, Cotts ranks second in the MVC with 68 strikeouts, but leads the league with 12.00 strikeouts per game, an average good enough for seventh-best nationally.
Neal is our bulldog, hes the guy who gives us a chance to win every time he takes the mound, Stewart said. Weve had some dominant pitchers here during my time at Illinois State, however, I cant remember anyone being as tough as Neal.
The league-leader with a .190 opponent batting average, Cotts also ranks No. 7 with a 2.47 earned run average. Since his freshman campaign in 1999, no pitcher in the MVC has notched more strikeouts than Cotts who recently moved into the top five at ISU with 218 career strikeouts.
St. Xavier (15-18) heads into the series winners of three-straight games. The Cougars, who hit .311 as a team and post a 5.75 team ERA, own an 11-4 record against ISU in a series dating back to the 1989 season.
Fridays series-opener begins at 7 p.m., while Saturdays doubleheader begins at 3 p.m. The series-finale on Sunday is scheduled for 1 p.m.
