ECC's change-up: Pitching, defense lead the way this year

Those baseball boys from Elgin Community College are at it again.

And if they have their way, this weekend will be the final stepping stone to a fifth straight trip to the NJCAA World Series in Millington, Tenn.

But the road to Millington goes through Moline, where the Spartans began Region IV play against Kankakee on Thursday afternoon. Three wins in Moline this weekend will send ECC to the Mecca of JUCO baseball, where the Spartans finished seventh last year.

This ECC team is noticeably different than some of the past squads that pounded on the ball and scored runs in droves. This team, while it can score runs when needed, relies on pitching and defense to get the job done. It's also one of the youngest teams 11th-year coach Bill Angelo has had in some time, but that makes little difference now.

"We're definitely younger this year but we've got 40-something games in now so they're getting used to it and they're comfortable with where they're at right now," said Angelo, now 366-249 in his ECC coaching career. "There were some growing pains but they've played pretty good baseball down the stretch."

Angelo says while the makeup of his lineup might be a little different this season, his team has learned to rely on its strengths.

"Last year we were completely offensive-minded," he said of a squad that went 45-11. "We played good defense but the pitching was a little sketchy. This year the defense has been really solid and the pitching the last 2-3 weeks has been outstanding. Once they realized they don't have to nibble, that they can pound the strike zone and let the guys behind them take care of business, we got much better."

The pitching staff has been led all season by Prairie Ridge product Andrew Burkett (7-2, 2.38 ERA) and Jim Van Syckle of Shepard High School (6-3, 4.29). Angelo has used, at one time or another, 13 pitchers this season, including Streamwood grad Bob Diebold, Elgin alum Rob Quick, Crystal Lake South's Kyle Kukulski, Jacobs' Scott Swanson, Burlington Central's Scott Holmer and Geneva's Matt Nissen.

The defense, as Angelo said, is as solid as they come and the offense has produced when needed. Third baseman Trevor Rutkowski (Prairie Ridge, .403, 2 HRs, 35 RBI), right fielder Matt Revelle (Jacobs, .356, 23 RBI) and second baseman Greg Stolzenburg (St. Charles North, .352, 22 RBI) have led the way for the Spartans, who are hitting .323 as a team and are averaging 7 runs per game, which is actually a low number for an ECC baseball team. Seven other Spartans who play regularly are hitting over .300.

The remainder of the starting lineup has been solid as well and it includes shortstop Bryan Mason, first baseman Josh Axelsen (St. Charles East), catcher Austin Licon (Rockford Boylan), left fielder Matt Wietlispach (Niles Notre Dame) and center fielder Kyle Standridge (Glenbard North). Larkin alum Ben Vincent and Burlington Central product Brad Porto split time as the team's DH.

"Everybody understands that we're not a team that's going to put up a bunch of runs," said Stolzenburg, a freshman who came to ECC after originally attending a junior college in Texas. "We just work as a team and the main key is that nobody gives up and we all work together. We started out slow but it all started melding together and now we've got great team chemistry and team bonding. This is the best team I've ever been on for that."

The slow start didn't faze the Spartans and pitcher/designated hitter Porto knows exactly when ECC started turning the corner.

"We started off waiting to see what would happen and we were waiting for that breakthrough moment," said Porto, who was the honorary co-captain of last year's Daily Herald All-Area team. "We showed spurts all season but we were waiting to put back-to-back games together. Then we swept McHenry and Oakton and that's probably where we shined the most."

Stolzenburg agrees.

"Oakton came out and out 4 runs up in the second inning and we came back and won 14-4," he said. "That showed us that no game is over until it's over."

The weather has limited ECC's schedule somewhat this spring (the Spartans usually have close to 60 games in by now), but Angelo says regardless of only playing 42 games going into the regional, his team is hitting its stride.

"We're short on games this year," said Angelo, whose team won its sixth Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference title in the last 7 years. "But this is the time we usually jell and hit our stride. I really feel that if we play like we're capable of playing, we're going to get it done again. Our pitching staff is good enough that we can not only get to Millington but go far once we get there."

Stolzenburg thinks the Spartans are up for the task.

"Everybody is pretty excited and it's definitely our goal to get back there," he said.

Correction: Recently, we published a chart with the all-time area leaders for pitching wins in high school softball. We credited 1995 Larkin graduate Michelle Dickerson with 41 career wins when in fact she had 53 career wins.