April 20, 2006
NORMAL, Ill. -
In the midst of an eight-game homestand, the Illinois State baseball team has not performed as well as it would have liked to. However, after losing two of three games to Missouri Valley Conference leader Bradley and falling to in-state rival Illinois earlier in the week, head coach Jim Brownlee and the Redbirds do not feel it is time to panic. The `Birds are looking to turn the corner and head in a winning direction this weekend, as the Redbirds take on the Illinois Institute of Technology in a scheduled non-conference weekend series at Redbird Field.
The Scarlet Hawks (14-17) come to Normal, Ill., to face the `Birds in search of their first win over ISU, after being unsuccessful in four previous attempts, including an 8-0 loss last season at Redbird Field. Brownlee believes this weekend will be good for his team and he's looking forward to working out some kinks in the non-conference match-up.
"We have to go back to the basics," said Brownlee. "This weekend's series will allow us to concentrate on some of the things we're not doing well right now, and give us time to find ways to correct them without losing ground in the Valley."
Friday's series opener is set for 6 p.m. at Redbird Field, and junior Kitt Kopach (1-6, 2.86 ERA) will take the hill for ISU in search of a home win. Brownlee knows that his team has struggled as of late at home, but feels like that is correctable.
"The way you get out of a funk like the one we are in is to keep working and put in the extra effort to get things turned around," said Brownlee. "This is a series, like every series, that we should win at home. But anything can happen and that's why you play the game. Hopefully we'll play some solid baseball this weekend."
The series continues on Saturday when freshman Ian Berger (3-4, 5.74 ERA) takes the mound for a 2 p.m. start and wraps up when fellow freshman Jim Sajewich (1-4, 6.04 ERA) starts the 1 p.m. series finale on Sunday. Following the weekend series with IIT and the final home game of the homestand on Wednesday against Eastern Illinois, Brownlee believes his team will have a better idea of who they are heading into the final stretch of the season.
"The next four home games will tell us what our mindset is, how tough we are and how much we want to win," said Brownlee. "When we travel to Evansville and resume conference play next weekend, the kinks will be worked out and we should be able to play fundamentally sound baseball, throw strikes and get in a routine of winning as we finish out the season."
