April 1, 2010
NORMAL, Ill. - Speed and success have become synonymous for Illinois State baseball. Through 22 games, the Redbirds have swiped 47 bases and there's a chance Illinois State could run its way past the entire team total from last season when the Redbirds take on Lipscomb in a three-game, non-conference series at Marsh Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., this weekend.
The 2009 Redbirds swiped 55 bags, an average of 1.14 per contest, and this year's team is averaging nearly one stolen base more per game (2.13). The 2010 squad is also scoring more than two runs per game more than last year's team - no coincidence to Illinois State head coach Mark Kingston.
"When you have speed and you get on base, it allows you to score with a single hit," Kingston said. "Draw a walk, steal a base and with one hit you can score a run. When you don't have that type of speed, sometimes you have to get three hits in an inning just to score one run. Being able to run the bases like we have makes scoring runs a little bit easier."
It helps to have a healthy Kevin Tokarski back in the lineup too. Illinois State's leadoff batter in 18 games, Tokarski is one of the nation's leaders in batting average (.487) and on-base percentage (.404) and leads the Redbirds with 17 steals. Tokarski is one of four Illinois State regulars with on-base percentages above .400, another point of emphasis for Kingston and his staff.
"The biggest thing we focus on with our guys is being a tough out," Kingston said. "We feel like we have nine guys in there that are tough outs - they're getting on base whether it's with hits, hit by pitches, walks, hustling out routine ground balls and beating them. We emphasize getting on base and that allows us to steal bases."
Just as the Redbirds have positioned themselves to set new recent heights on the base paths, Tokarski a redshirt sophomore from Downers Grove, Ill., is within five stolen bases of tying Mark Prior's career mark (55) at ISU.
Illinois State will play its first ever contest with Lipscomb Friday night at 6 p.m. when Corey Maines (3-1) takes the mound against Bisons ace Josh Smith (4-1). The Redbirds are 12-10 overall entering the weekend and have won seven of their last nine contests. The Bisons are coming off a 21-20 midweek loss at Middle Tennesee State that dropped the team's overall total to 7-18. Lipscomb has lost 10 of the last 12 games.
Despite the big number put up by, and against, the Bisons Wednesday night, and the way his team is swinging the bats, Kingston isn't necessarily expecting a big weekend for either team's offense. Illinois State and Lipscomb will conclude the series with a doubleheader beginning at noon Saturday.
"The only expectation going into the weekend is that you play well," Kingston said. "You focus on the different phases of the game - you want to pitch well, you want to hit well, you want to play good defense, and you want to run the bases well. Past that, the shape the game takes on is out of your control. The only thing you can do is control your approach to the game. Some games may be pitchers battles, some games may be offensive. On whatever given day it is, you focus on the things you can control and try to find a way to win."
Last Time Out
Illinois State pitcher Brad Sorkin limited Illinois to four hits over six innings and watched as the Redbird offense piled up runs behind him in a 13-8 non-conference win over the Fighting Illini at Duffy Bass Field Tuesday. A new-stadium record 906 fans watched Sorkin pitch the Redbirds to their second-consecutive mid-week win over a Big Ten opponent.
Sorkin notched his second-consecutive quality start, holding the Fighting Illini (8-9) to just two runs - one earned - through six innings. The freshman right-hander from Buffalo Grove, Ill., didn't allow a base hit until the fourth inning, and didn't allow the runs until the sixth. Illinois State (12-10) scored 13 runs on 13 hits, and fended off a late push by Illinois for its seventh win in nine games.
The Opponent: Lipscomb Bisons
• Lipscomb University is located in Nashville, Tenn., and has an enrollment of 3,418. The Bisons are members of the Atlantic Sun Conference.
• Lipscomb was 24-32 last season and went 17-13 in A-Sun play. The Bisons enter the weekend series 7-18 overall and have lost 10 of the last 12 contests, including a 21-20, 12-inning contest at Middle Tennessee State Wednesday.
• The Bisons are coached by Jeff Forehand (Belmont `89), who is in his fourth season as Lipscomb head coach. He is 92-110 as the leader of the Bisons and has more than 300 career wins in his tenth season as a college head coach.
• The weekend series marks the first time these programs have ever met. Illinois State is 0-1 against teams from the Atlantic Sun Conference this season after dropping a game at North Florida, 8-4. The Redbirds are 0-3 inside Nashville city limits and 1-5 in games played in the state of Tennessee this season.
Redbirds in the Indexes
Illinois State is the No. 85 team in the Boyd's World RPI rankings, and was recently tabbed as a top-20 team in the Midwest Region according to Ping!Baseball's Power Index. The Redbirds (.535) have the second-best RPI rating in the Valley at this point in the season, behind only Wichita State (.549) which was ranked No. 64. In the Ping!Baseball power rankings, Illinois State was No. 16 out of 54 teams in the region that spans 12 states.
Kenny Long Named Valley's Pitcher of the Week
Illinois State reliever Kenny Long recorded the first, second and third saves of his career in three consecutive games for Illinois State last week. The redshirt sophomore from Fox River Grove, Ill., closed out three Redbird wins, including two to open Missouri Valley Conference play, without allowing a run. Long struck out eight batters and allowed just two hits in 5.1 innings of relief. Long worked Illinois State out of a mess in the eighth inning against Purdue (March 24) and worked a scoreless ninth to notch his first career save. In Illinois State's conference opener at Indiana State (March 26), Long struck out five in three scoreless innings of relief to earn his second save, and then made a ninth-inning rally stick for the Redbirds less than 24 hours later with two more strikeouts while earning his third save.
Tokarski Running Up the Charts
Illinois State redshirt sophomore Kevin Tokarski set a single-season school record with 32 steals as a freshman in 2008, and despite missing the majority of last season while rehabbing from wrist surgery, has picked up right where he left off. Tokarski swiped four bases over the weekend at Indiana State to move into the top-3 on Illinois State's all-time chart and added another against Illinois for 50 career steals. The Downers Grove, Ill., native has stolen successfully on 17-of-19 attempts and with a .592 on-base percentage, including a team-best 20 walks, should have plenty of opportunities to set a new school mark this season. Tokarski is one steal from catching Matt Bolt (51) for second all-time and five steals from drawing even with career leader Mike Prior (55).
Illinois State Career Stolen Bases No.
1. Mike Prior (83-85) 55
2. Matt Bolt (04-07) 51
3. Kevin Tokarski (2008-present) 50
4. Mark Dorencz (90-93) 48
A Perfect 10
Illinois State leadoff hitter Kevin Tokarski proved impossible for the Sycamores to retire in Saturday's doubleheader. The redshirt sophomore from Downers Grove, Ill., reached in all 10 of his plate appearances while collecting six hits and four walks. Tokarski scored six runs, all off the bat of Matt Mirabal, clubbed four doubles and stole three bases in the doubleheader. Tokarski ran his consecutive plate appearances reaching streak to 14 before flying out to center in the sixth inning against Illinois (March 30).
Only a Few Better
Kevin Tokarski and Kenny Long have been among the best in the country at what they do this season. Tokarski, Illinois State's second baseman and leadoff hitter, enters the weekend second nationally in on-base percentage (.592), fourth in OPS (1.438), fifth in batting average (.487) and tied for second in doubles (15) - despite missed two games earlier this season. Tokarski was the nation's leader in doubles per game after Sunday's contests according to the NCAA Web site. Long's 1.21 ERA is the eighth best in the country and his .138 opponent batting average is the fifth-best mark in the nation.
An End to the Looting
Illinois State has been tough on attempted base stealers after a dismal start controlling the running game to begin the season. Redbird catchers have thrown out five of the last 13 attempted runners, a .384 rate, after stopping just one of the first 42 runners. Matt Mirabal notched four consecutive stops against James Madison, Central Michigan, and Purdue, a game in which he threw out two attempted base stealers. Mirabal is 5-for-12 on throw downs in the last 11 games, with four of the successful steals coming from Indiana State speedster Ryan Strausborger and another on a double steal. A preseason poll of league coaches by College Baseball Insider labeled the sophomore from Chicago as the best defensive catcher and best catcher arm in the Valley.
Mirabal Breaking Out on Offense
Matt Mirabal drove in a career-best five runs in the first game of a doubleheader with Indiana State Saturday, including two in the ninth to give Illinois State a 8-7 win and clinch the series. Mirabal collected seven RBI on the week while batting .444. He led Illinois State with eight hits and swiped two bases. The sophomore catcher from Chicago, Ill., collected a hit in all four of Illinois State's games and had three multiple hit games.
The Maines Event
Illinois State junior pitcher Corey Maines was projected to be Illinois State's No. 3 starter, a role he thrived in as a sophomore last season, but he's been the team's go-to guy in the rotation. Maines is 3-1 with a 2.08 ERA in six starts for the Redbirds, and has struck out 28 in 34.2 innings pitched. The product of Houston, Texas, has been even more impressive in his last three outings, posting a combined 0.95 ERA in 19 innings while logging two complete games. Maines helped the Redbirds snap a five-game losing skid by shutting out James Madison (March 12) in a weather-shortened contest and was the tough-luck loser while allowing just one earned run in a 2-1 loss to Central Michigan Friday. Maines helped Illinois State open Missouri Valley Conference play with a win after limiting Indiana State to one run in six innings last Friday. He has four quality starts on the year.
