May 10, 2010
NORMAL, Ill. - A day after helping the Redbirds sweep their third Missouri Valley Conference series and complete their first road series sweep of Missouri State since 1992, Illinois State second baseman
Kevin Tokarski and closer
Kenny Long swept the league's weekly honors as the top player and pitcher of the week. The award is the second of the season for each player.
Tokarski batted .571 and Long notched two saves while the Redbirds went 3-0 against the Bears at Hammons Field in Springfield, Mo., last week. With the performance, Illinois State (24-18, 12-3 MVC) maintained a grip on first place in the Missouri Valley Conference with two series left to play.
"Kevin and Kenny were key for us this weekend, as they have been all year," Illinois State head coach Mark Kingston said. "Their consistency is what has allowed us to have the type of year we are having. Their honors are well deserved."
Tokarski, who was named the Valley's first Player of the Week Feb. 22, continues to make the extraordinary look ordinary as he raised his league-leading batting average to .469 with an 8-for-14 performance last weekend against the Bears. The sophomore from Downers Grove, Ill., proved to be a tough out from game one on, batting 4-for-5 in the series opener with three runs scored to help Illinois State snap a 13-game road losing streak to the Bears.
Tokarski also hit his sixth home run of the season in the series opener and clubbed two more extra base hits - both doubles - in Sunday's finale. The two doubles moved Tokarski within one of tying Illinois State's single-season doubles record of 23. Tokarski had at least two hits in each game and drew two walks for a .625 on-base percentage, raising his on-base percentage to a nation's-best .583. Tokarski drove in four runs and scored seven - including three in two different games. With a hit in all three games Tokarski has a team-best 11-game hitting streak, and has reached base safely in 38-of-39 games played this season.
Long, who earned the Valley's Pitcher of the Week honors March 29, closed all three games for Illinois State last weekend. The sophomore from Fox River Grove, Ill., struck out eight batters in 3.2 innings and notched two saves - his fourth and fifth in Valley contests. Long surrendered just two hits during the weekend for a .154 opponent batting average and leads the country with a .143 opponent average.
Long notched the final two outs with runners on the corners and one out to preserve a 7-5 win Friday night, before he struck out five in two innings and worked around a pair of singles in the ninth for his league-leading fifth save in conference play Saturday. Long closed Illinois State's third Missouri Valley Conference series sweep with two more strikeouts - retiring the side in order during Sunday's finale. Long is 4-2 with a 1.24 ERA and seven saves in 24 appearances for Illinois State in 2010. He leads Illinois State with 56 strikeouts in 43.2 innings.
Illinois State will play its final non-conference game when the Redbirds host Eastern Illinois for a 6 p.m. tilt at Duffy Bass Field Wednesday, before playing its final home games in a series against Bradley this weekend (May 14-16).
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