Kyle Zaleski, Illinois State's No. 1 starting pitcher during the past season, has been designated the 2003 Duffy Bass Endowed Scholar. The right-hander from Mundelein led the Redbirds with six pitching wins and had the lowest walks per inning pitched ratio on the staff.
The Duffy Bass Endowed Scholarship is named for the former Redbird baseball coach who led Illinois State to more than 700 wins from 1963 to 1988. The award is presented to a junior or senior baseball player who demonstrates the competitive spirit exemplified by coach Bass during his time as a student-athlete, teacher and coach at Illinois State.
Redbird head coach Jim Brownlee, who played for Bass on Illinois State's 1999 NCAA College Division Champions, believes Zaleski is a worthy recipient.
"He's about the toughest, most competitive guy we have," said Brownlee.
Zaleski, a management major, has been a mainstay of the Redbird starting rotation for the past two seasons. He tied for the team lead with four wins last year.
"Any time you can be associated with a guy like Coach Bass, it is a great honor," said Zaleski. "I just try to play as hard as I can to make the team better."
The Duffy Bass Endowed Scholarship is one of 12 endowed scholarships available to Illinois State student-athletes funded by private donors. Though not one of the six fully-funded endowed scholarships at Illinois State University, the Duffy Bass Endowed Scholarship provides significant support.
For information about supporting this, or other Illinois State University endowments for student-athletes, call The Redbird Club office at (309) 438-3803.
