ECC focuses on getting back to World Series
The Elgin Community College baseball team opened its 2010 campaign in Florida last week, but its dream destination is Tennessee.
Last season, ECC was denied its sixth straight trip to the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II World Series, held annually in Millington, Tenn.
Armed with a revamped lineup, ECC coach Bill Angelo hopes to be sipping southern sweet tea in late May once again. So do his players.
"I definitely see a sense of urgency," Angelo said Saturday from Winter Haven, Fla. "They're pretty committed and working hard to make sure that we get back there."
The roster looks a bit different this season for Angelo, who enters his 13th season with a career record of 408-269 (.603 winning percentage). Four players can both pitch and hit, so the Spartans are carrying only 22 players. Defense and small ball will play important roles if ECC is to enjoy success.
One such multi-tasking player is Dan Scahill. The sophomore provides the big stick in the middle of the lineup and will serve as the team's No. 4 starter. Last season he hit .398 with 16 doubles and 44 RBI.
Another key cog is Westminster Christian graduate Cory Hodge. The sophomore shortstop hit .298 last year. Jacobs graduate Matt Revelle is expected to lend some pop to the order. Other hitters include Steve Dujka and Jacobs alum Ryan Lesner, who will share time at first base.
The pitching staff is headed by sophomore Anthony Campanella, a Driscoll product. The big right-hander went 5-1 with a 3.05 ERA as a freshman.
Freshman Luc Geier has impressed Angelo enough to be named the No. 2 starter. Geier finished his senior season at Larkin 8-2 with a 2.55 ERA and 55 strikeouts.
Mike Derby, a Bartlett graduate who transferred to ECC from Bradley, is the No. 3 starter, followed by Scahill, transfer James Coleman and Dundee-Crown graduate Ben Rodriguez.
"Our pitching has been very solid all trip so far," said Angelo, whose team is 3-3 through Saturday. "We've had 6 solid starts."
Talented Elgin graduate Tom Roth, a unanimous all-Upstate Eight Conference selection, will play full time in center field.
The roster is also fortified with Bartlett graduates Alex VanNess and Devin Rowland, both all-area picks as high school seniors. VanNess hit .441 with 10 doubles and 5 home runs. Rowland, a right-handed pitcher, went 8-1 with a 1.96 ERA with 56 strikeouts in 492/3 innings.
Is it enough for the Spartans to realize their Tennessee dream?
"They work hard, they're scrappy and they do things right," Angelo said of his players. "They're fun to be around and I know they'll be competitive."