Libertyville's Barton takes winning approach to Illinois State

In his senior baseball season at Libertyville, pitcher Jeff Barton never lost a game.

His collegiate career has started in the same fashion.

The Illinois State freshman earned his first Division I win against Northern Illinois last week at Duffy Bass Field.

Making his first start at home, Barton threw 5 scoreless innings.

He struck out four and walked just one while allowing 3 hits. He retired nine of the last 11 batters he faced.

Barton left with an 8-0 lead and Illinois State went on to win 8-4, improving its record to 14-15.

"This one felt good," said Barton, who was 8-0 with a 1.50 ERA for coach Jim Schurr's Wildcats last spring. "It felt good warming up and everything was right."

The Redbirds have won both games that Barton started, including a road victory over Eastern Illinois on March 31.

• Barton's teammate Paul DeJong was among 60 players listed on the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award midseason watch list.

The former Antioch standout was one of 37 players to make the list since its initial release on Feb. 10.

The Golden Spikes Award will be presented on June 23 in Los Angeles to the top amateur baseball player in the country.

Sponsored by Major League Baseball, and presented in partnership with the Rod Dedeaux Foundation, 2015 marks the 38th year of the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award.

Just past the midway point in the regular season, DeJong currently leads the Redbirds in nearly every major statistical category, including batting average (. 417), on-base percentage (. 493), slugging percentage (. 775), at-bats (120), hits (50), runs (31), doubles (10), home runs (11), RBI (35) and total bases (93).

DeJong is tied for the NCAA lead in home runs and holds the outright lead in home runs per game (0.38).

On the national scale, he ranks third in slugging percentage, sixth in total bases, 11th in batting average, 17th in hits, 19th in RBI per game (1.21), and 24th in both on-base percentage and RBI. DeJong leads the Missouri Valley Conference in home runs, slugging percentage, RBI and total bases. DeJong was previously named a preseason all-American by both Louisville Slugger and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. A 2014 All-Missouri Valley Conference first-team selection, DeJong was also a 2015 preseason All-MVC pick.

The Golden Spikes Award watch list will continue as a rolling list until May 27, when semifinalists are announced.

DeJong recently tied a school record with his 3 home runs in one game, along with career highs in hits (4) and RBI (6).

• Wisconsin-Parkside distance runner and Mundelein native KJ Matuszak finished third in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Chicagoland Outdoor Championships with a time of nine minutes and 44.45 seconds.

The Rangers placed sixth overall at the 18-team meet.

Boys soccer

A pair of Vernon Hills boys soccer players will be continuing their soccer careers at the next level.

Ilya Kravstev has committed to play at Judson College next year. Judson is a NAIA college in Elgin.

Brad Burrows has committed to play at Milliken University in Decatur next fall.

Women's track

Lewis junior Amber Cook (Warren) was part of the 4x100 relay team (47.38) that took first place in the Benedictine Eagle Invitational. Senior teammate Amy Polhemus (Lake Zurich) was second in the 400-meter hurdles (1:02.86).

Men's track

Augustana freshman Kevin Barbian (Libertyville) was sixth in the shot out at the Western Illinois Invitational with a throw of 45-3¾.

In his first time throwing the hammer, Barbian was 13th with 129'. He also competed in the discus, finishing 11th with a 131-6.

• Wisconsin-Parkside junior KJ Matuszak (Carmel) finished third in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Chicagoland Outdoor Championships with a time of nine minutes and 44.45 seconds.

The Rangers placed sixth overall at the 18-team meet.

Men's lacrosse

Augustana junior Tyler Amidei (Vernon Hills) has a team-high 11 caused turnovers for the Vikings (9-3).

Women's lacrosse

Augustana junior Emily Handrahan (Lake Zurich) ranks second on the team with 22 assists.

Sophomore teammate Olivia Mayer (Libertyville) has 22 ground balls and 10 caused turnovers.

Augustana (11-1 on the year and 1-0 in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin) is fourth in the nation with 18.00 goals per game.

IBCA Hall of Fame

Over the years, this column, which was started by former Daily Herald sports editor Bob Frisk, has included countless mentions of individuals who are in the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association.

The plaques of those individuals, including Frisk, were near a banquet room in the Holiday Inn in Normal.

When that hotel closed its doors about six years ago, there was no longer a site where high school enthusiasts could visit and see the IBCA plaques of all the greats involved in high school basketball.

But that will be changing in about 14 months.

The IBCA Hall of Fame and Museum is slated to open in Pontiac, Il. in June of 2016.

Daily Herald sports writer Jerry Fitzpatrick wrote in March about former Westminster Christian basketball coach Bruce Firchau announcing his retirement from coaching to concentrate on his role as Director of the Pontiac facility.

The veteran coach has been a driving force behind the museum project for several years.

A 2007 inductee to the IBCA Hall of Fame, Firchau called it a career after 40 years in coaching, 37 as a head coach. He retired as a history teacher from Hampshire High School in 2005.

In 10 seasons under Firchau, Westminster Christian won 174 games and lost 112 (. 608). The Warriors won 3 regional titles, including back-to-back plaques in 2014 and 2015. His final team went 22-7 before bowing out in a Class 1A sectional semifinal against St. Francis de Sales, the high school Firchau grew up across the street from when he was a boy.

He is looking forward to seeing a new home for the IBCA Hall of Fame.

Coincidentally, former Hersey boys coach Don Rowley, who still has a great passion and energy for the sport, is also a 2007 HOF inductee and excited to see the new facility.

It is expected to include a tribute to the boys and girls' teams with the longest IHSA winning streaks. The girls record of 65 wins in a row is held by Maine West Hall of Fame coach Derril Kipp's 1987-88 and 88-89 teams.

"It's great to see others get the opportunity to visit and experience the Hall of Fame," said Rowley, who is in his 44th consecutive year of coaching boys high school basketball.

He now serves as a varsity assistant at Lake Zurich.

"After a long hiatus, it will be great for fans, friends of the game, and former players and coaches of Illinois high school basketball to have a museum which commemorates not only the basketball Hall of Fame members, but also traces the history of high school basketball in the state. It has been so much a fabric of Illinois life."

• Please email Sports Notes items to leusch@dailyherald.com