June 15, 2006
NORMAL, Ill. -
In accordance with his philosophy to recruit some of the best players from the state of Illinois, three of Illinois State head coach Jim Brownlee's recruits for the 2007 season have been named to all-state teams. Pitcher Ryan Copeland (Des Plaines, Ill./Elk Grove) and outfielder Dan Weston (LaGrange, Ill./Lyons Township) were first team selections by the Chicago Tribune and the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association (IHSBCA), while pitcher Josh Schultz (Mt. Zion, Ill./Mt. Zion) was a second team selection by the Chicago Tribune.
Brownlee believes that bringing players in of this caliber is due to his staff's dedication to recruiting.
"These awards not only show that our recruits are very talented, but show that our staff has worked very hard to get them to continue their careers at Illinois State," said Brownlee. "Coach (Tim) Brownlee and coach (Seth) Kenny have put a lot of time and energy into bringing in some of the best players in the state; and we are excited to have these promising recruits coming to campus."
Copeland was dominant on the mound for Elk Grove, posting a 12-0 record with a 0.80 ERA and four saves in 104 innings of work. The left hander struck out 143 batters while walking just 11 and posted nine complete games and three shutouts. Copeland was also solid in the field for the Grenadiers, hitting .380 with six home runs.
Joining Copeland as a first team selection is Weston, who hit .400 with seven home runs and 47 RBI for Lyons Township and made no errors in the outfield. He will also see time on the mound for the Redbirds, as the left-hander went 11-1 with a 1.35 ERA for the Lions. Weston will join former teammates Dan Sorce and Matt Bolt on the Redbird roster for the 2007 season.
Schultz, a right hander from Mt. Zion, went 14-1 with a 0.38 ERA in 91 innings for the Braves, while striking out 180 batters and walking just 35. He also added five complete games with five shutouts on the season, while hitting .372 with five triples and 25 RBI in 129 at bats.
With the accolades received by these three recruits along with accolades received by the rest of the recruiting class, Brownlee believes the 2007 squad will benefit from this young crop of talent.
"We are very happy with this class and when you add them to the past couple of recruiting classes, I think we have established a program that will be very successful not only in the short-term but also in the long-run," said Brownlee. "I think we have put together one of the best recruiting classes in the state of Illinois, and I can't wait to get these players in here in the fall and see what they can do."
