Local talent sparks ISU's extended spring run

Preseason expectations had Illinois State's baseball team with its gear already packed up for next year.

But the Redbirds defied them and were packed and headed to Louisville on Wednesday for their first trip to the NCAA tournament in 16 years.

"The coolest thing about everything is being able to surprise everybody," said ISU redshirt sophomore second baseman and Downers Grove North product Kevin Tokarski, who was the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year. "We always believed in ourselves."

And in new head coach Mark Kingston as the Redbirds (31-22) won a share of their first MVC regular-season title in history after being picked fourth in the preseason poll by league coaches.

Then they won the MVC tourney title for the first time since 1994 when they were coached by former Elk Grove football star Jeff Stewart and led by former Rolling Meadows star and current Elk Grove assistant coach Don Spaniak.

"You always dream about just playing baseball," said senior pitcher and Elk Grove product Ryan Copeland of the sole focus with school no longer in session. "It's been a blast the last month."

Third-seeded ISU opens with No. 2 Vanderbilt (41-17) at 1 p.m. Friday in the four-team, double-elimination tournament. Top-seed Louisville (48-12), led by junior third baseman and Downers Grove South product Phil Wunderlich, faces No. 4 St. Louis (33-27).

The regional ends Sunday or Monday with the winner advancing to the super regionals.

"The turnaround has definitely been huge," said sophomore Kenny Long, a Dundee-Crown product who has teamed with Copeland to comprise a formidable 1-2 bullpen combination. "We've made so much improvement, but I'm not really surprised.

"We had the talent in place but we had to get it all in motion."

First-team all-MVC picks Tokarski (.429, 25 doubles, 7 homers, 49 RBI, 33 stolen bases), Copeland (4-5, 4 saves) and Long (4-3, 1.37 ERA, 9 saves) are among 11 players from Daily Herald-area schools on ISU's roster.

Senior outfielder Anthony Ruffolo (Wheaton Warrenville South - .316, 8 HR, 47 RBI) and redshirt junior third baseman Ryan Court (Dundee-Crown - .301, 10 HR, 48 RBI) were second-team MVC picks.

Junior first baseman Zach Amrein (Carmel - .285, 7 HR, 39 RBI), a transfer from College of Lake County, sophomore outfielder Jake Thornton (St. Charles North - .285, 22 RBI) and true freshman shortstop Brett Kay (St. Viator - .284) are also starting.

The pitching staff includes true freshman Brad Sorkin (Stevenson - 4-1 in 10 stats), redshirt sophomore Jim Sajewich (Glenbard West - 3-1) and redshirt junior Jacob Wielebnicki (Hinsdale South).

"I think the biggest thing is we've just kind of found ways to win and we got used to winning," Tokarski said. "Coach Kingston brought that winning mindset to finish the game."

Kingston, an assistant at ISU in 1999, came back last year as the associate head coach and was groomed as the replacement for Jim Brownlee. st year. He was an assistant when Miami (Fla.) won the 2001 College World Series and Tulane made the 2005 CWS.

ISU finished 25-23 last year to end a seven-year streak of losing seasons and lost to perennial MVC power Wichita State in the tourney semifinals.

"He brought a winning attitude here," Copeland said. "His whole life he's been a winner, especially in his coaching career.

"It started last year when we got a little taste of it. When a coach comes in and expects to win it rubs off on players."

Especially as Copeland, Tokarski and Long faced their own challenges this year.

Tokarski was the MVC freshman of the year but was redshirted after playing four games last year. He had broken a wrist when he was 12, then tore two tendons two summers ago and needed reconstructive surgery.

When he tripled on the first pitch he saw this season he knew everything was fine.

"Some of the things have just been going my way - little dink hits and flyballs that have found holes," Tokarski said. "It's been kind of amazing."

Copeland was a solid three-year starter but Kingston joked with him at the end of last year about moving to the bullpen. It became a reality in April when he was struggling but his ERA in the bullpen has been around 1.50.

"For whatever reason I felt fine but I was just getting hit more than usual," said Copeland, who said five to six major-league teams have showed serious interest in taking him in next week's draft. "It's been a dream come true because I can pitch every single game on the weekend and make a difference for this team."

Copeland has thrived with Long, who was 1-1 with a 7.71 ERA last year. Long developed a slider and the ability to throw overhand and sidearm.

"Copeland can go out there and throw two or three scoreless innings and hand the ball to me and it really helps the starters," Long said. "The bullpen is one of our strengths."

Long and Copeland would love a shot to close out a couple of wins this weekend. ISU won the NCAA College Division title in 1969 but won its only Division I tourney game in 1976.

Vanderbilt sophomore ace Sonny Gray, who was drafted by the Cubs in 27th round in 2008, has a fastball in the mid-90s and is 9-4 with a 3.18 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 93 innings.

"I'm looking forward to seeing how hard he really throws," Tokarski laughed.

Louisville's Wunderlich (.357, 20 HR, 58 RBI) is one of 30 semifinalists for the 2010 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award given o the nation's premier amateur player.

"We're not going to back down," Copeland said. "We're going to play smart and play hard."

And try to continue defying expectations.