Tice steps down at Wheeling

Mike Tice spent more time than anyone trying to turn around the Wheeling baseball program since its last winning season in 1989.

But Tice has decided it’s time for someone else to get a shot at it and has resigned as head coach.

“I’ve given it all I’ve got for eight years,” Tice said, “and it’s a year-round thing now.”

Tice was 59-180 at Wheeling after stints as an assistant coach at Palatine and Rolling Meadows. He won 75 games in three years and a regional title as head coach at York from 1995-97.

There were some successes for Tice during the second-longest tenure in Wheeling history behind Ron DeBolt’s 25 years. His 2005 team entered the postseason seeded 18th and won the program’s third regional title and was an out away from reaching a sectional championship game.

The 2006 team had the best record under Tice at 13-19. This year’s team finished 5-21 after Monday’s 8-4 regional quarterfinal loss to Carmel.

Wheeling’s last winning season was 21 years ago when it went 16-11 under DeBolt. The only .500 season since then was 1995 when its sectional finalist was 17-17.

Wheeling assistant principal for student activities Steve May said he hoped to have a new coach hired before the school year ends and the summer league baseball season begins.

Smearman picks Illinois Wesleyan: Palatine senior outfielder-catcher Jim Smearman did some reverse recruiting with Illinois Wesleyan.

Smearman initially made contact with the Titans about playing for a program that won last year’s NCAA Division III national championship. From there the interest became mutual and Smearman was offered a spot on the team after making a campus visit two weeks ago.

“It’s a good program and their coach (Dennis Martel) is a winner,” said Smearman, who plans to study business at Illinois Wesleyan. “It will be fun to play for him and play for that school. It’s a really a nice school.”

Martel has won 623 games and has finished with a losing record only twice in his 24-year tenure at Wesleyan. This year’s team was 28-18 and lost in the NCAA D-III regionals.

Smearman is hitting .333 with 5 homers and 23 RBI for the Mid-Suburban West champions. He started the season at catcher before moving to the outfield and has also played first base during his three years as a varsity player.

Smearman said he also had interest from Benedictine, Loras and Roosevelt, where teammate and pitcher Alex Miramontes has committed.

“It was kind of stressful not knowing what you’re going to be doing in the middle of May,” Smearman said.

Something the Daily Herald All-Area football player knew he didn’t want to do was try to be the next Bo Jackson or Deion Sanders.

“I thought about it but the time commitment in college is three times as much as in high school,” Smearman said. ““I couldn’t take the grind anymore of football. I like baseball and the risk of injury isn’t as high as football.”