The No. 6 University of Illinois Springfield baseball team clinched the Great Lakes Valley Conference Green Division regular season title after a 22-0 blowout hosting William Jewell Sunday.
The University of Illinois Springfield baseball team is familiar with winning. The team has won 32 games and only lost four during the 2021 season. Head coach Ryan Copeland describes his squad as tough.
“We have a really talented group," Copeland said. "We knew that last year. We’ve had it rolling here for a few years now. This group is extremely tough and they play hard. They’re resilient. We get down in games and it never seems to matter. They always find a way to come back.”
The Prairie Stars have not only battled their opponent, but also the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this season the team had to pause competition for COVID-19 protocols.
“You can’t be a normal college kid right now," Copeland said. "You just can’t. We have a really good group, a veteran group that has prioritized our program and playing. I think that’s why we’re in the spot we’re in.”
This story aired on WICS Newschannel 20 on May 2, 2021.
Showing posts with label GLVC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label GLVC. Show all posts
Monday, May 3, 2021
Monday, August 3, 2020
GLVC postpones soccer, volleyball seasons
The University of Illinois Springfield’s soccer and volleyball seasons have been postponed until the second semester due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Great Lakes Valley Conference’s Council of Presidents voted to postpone the majority of its fall sports “based on guidance from the league’s athletics directors and an extensive review of the recommended testing and safety measures developed by the NCAA Sports Science Institute,” according to the GLVC’s announcement on Monday.
Football was also postponed in the GLVC. Each of the fall sports affected — football, men’s and women’s soccer and volleyball — were determined high risk by the NCAA Sport Science Institute, based on a consensus by the NCAA COVID-19 Advisory Panel and the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine COVID-19 Working Group.
Student-athletes may still train outside of the playing season beginning Sept. 7 or on the fourth day of classes for the fall term under the NCAA’s countable athletic related activities (CARA) rules.
UIS athletic director Peyton Deterding, who started his first day on Dec. 9, said student-athletes are expected to arrive on campus with the rest of the student body on Aug. 24.
“We are looking at ways to still provide meaningful opportunities for student-athletes and one of those is they come back to campus,” Deterding said. “Obviously some have been away from their sport for a little bit of time, so we’re looking for ways to continue with practices and strength and conditioning in a safe environment. If we can do it in a safe environment, it allows us to build some team camaraderie and team unity and get them back to playing sports.”
UIS’ opening soccer games were scheduled Sept. 6, after their schedules — featuring only conference games — were released in June. The UIS volleyball team was also set to open the year Sept. 3.
Cross country, however, was determined medium risk and will still be permitted to compete this fall with the GLVC meet scheduled for Oct. 24. The UIS cross country teams are slated to begin with a home meet Sept. 4 but that may change, according to Deterding.
Golf and tennis, each judged low risk, will also be allowed to compete in their non-championship segments in the fall and continue their season into the spring when their respective championship seasons begin.
Baseball and softball — considered medium risk — will be permitted to have only intrasquad competition on campus in the fall.
The GLVC said in its press release that it has established Oct. 1 as the deadline to determine the competition start date for men’s and women’s basketball, each considered high risk.
This article appeared in The State Journal-Register on July 27, 2020.
The Great Lakes Valley Conference’s Council of Presidents voted to postpone the majority of its fall sports “based on guidance from the league’s athletics directors and an extensive review of the recommended testing and safety measures developed by the NCAA Sports Science Institute,” according to the GLVC’s announcement on Monday.
Football was also postponed in the GLVC. Each of the fall sports affected — football, men’s and women’s soccer and volleyball — were determined high risk by the NCAA Sport Science Institute, based on a consensus by the NCAA COVID-19 Advisory Panel and the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine COVID-19 Working Group.
Student-athletes may still train outside of the playing season beginning Sept. 7 or on the fourth day of classes for the fall term under the NCAA’s countable athletic related activities (CARA) rules.
UIS athletic director Peyton Deterding, who started his first day on Dec. 9, said student-athletes are expected to arrive on campus with the rest of the student body on Aug. 24.
“We are looking at ways to still provide meaningful opportunities for student-athletes and one of those is they come back to campus,” Deterding said. “Obviously some have been away from their sport for a little bit of time, so we’re looking for ways to continue with practices and strength and conditioning in a safe environment. If we can do it in a safe environment, it allows us to build some team camaraderie and team unity and get them back to playing sports.”
UIS’ opening soccer games were scheduled Sept. 6, after their schedules — featuring only conference games — were released in June. The UIS volleyball team was also set to open the year Sept. 3.
Cross country, however, was determined medium risk and will still be permitted to compete this fall with the GLVC meet scheduled for Oct. 24. The UIS cross country teams are slated to begin with a home meet Sept. 4 but that may change, according to Deterding.
Golf and tennis, each judged low risk, will also be allowed to compete in their non-championship segments in the fall and continue their season into the spring when their respective championship seasons begin.
Baseball and softball — considered medium risk — will be permitted to have only intrasquad competition on campus in the fall.
The GLVC said in its press release that it has established Oct. 1 as the deadline to determine the competition start date for men’s and women’s basketball, each considered high risk.
This article appeared in The State Journal-Register on July 27, 2020.
Tuesday, June 23, 2020
UIS soccer relieved and excited for upcoming season
A reduced season beats nothing.
The University of Illinois Springfield men’s and women’s soccer teams applauded the upcoming schedule for the 2020 regular season, which were released this past week.
Although shortened by four games without any nonconference matchups per the NCAA Division II Presidents Council decision in May downsizing sports events across the board due to COVID-19, they will still get to compete against every team in the Great Lakes Valley Conference as usual.
The postseason, including the GLVC tournament, also remains the same for the moment.
“I was so excited when I found out we’re still going to have all of our conference games,” said UIS women’s soccer player Emma Little. “I’m content with whatever soccer I can play. Hopefully there’s a good turnout at those high level games at home.”
Both teams begin the soccer season on Sept. 6 at University of Missouri-St. Louis and each will play seven home games at Kiwanis Stadium.
“I was pretty sure we were going to have a season, so I’m not really shocked,” said UIS men’s soccer player Lorenzo Bacchetta. “I’m happy it’s confirmed and that for sure we’re going to have 14 games.”
“I’m just delighted that we’re going to have the opportunity to be able to compete again,” UIS men’s coach Adam Hall said. “They shortened the season by four games, but the conference games are much heavier at the start of the season if you look at the traditional top eight teams in the conference. We play the majority of those teams in the first half of the season, so we have a really difficult start. If we get out of there, we’ll be set up nicely.”
“My first reaction was relief because it meant that we get some sort of season,” UIS women’s coach Erin Egolf said. “There was worry that the season would be canceled or pushed to next semester. Having any game is preferable to none at all. We got a pretty good deal to play 14 games. I’m excited for our players and just ready to get going.
A couple of exhibition matches will likely be in the offing. The upcoming schedule will regardless present unique challenges ahead.
There may be less preparation time but also less room for error.
This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on June 22, 2020.
The University of Illinois Springfield men’s and women’s soccer teams applauded the upcoming schedule for the 2020 regular season, which were released this past week.
Although shortened by four games without any nonconference matchups per the NCAA Division II Presidents Council decision in May downsizing sports events across the board due to COVID-19, they will still get to compete against every team in the Great Lakes Valley Conference as usual.
The postseason, including the GLVC tournament, also remains the same for the moment.
“I was so excited when I found out we’re still going to have all of our conference games,” said UIS women’s soccer player Emma Little. “I’m content with whatever soccer I can play. Hopefully there’s a good turnout at those high level games at home.”
Both teams begin the soccer season on Sept. 6 at University of Missouri-St. Louis and each will play seven home games at Kiwanis Stadium.
“I was pretty sure we were going to have a season, so I’m not really shocked,” said UIS men’s soccer player Lorenzo Bacchetta. “I’m happy it’s confirmed and that for sure we’re going to have 14 games.”
“I’m just delighted that we’re going to have the opportunity to be able to compete again,” UIS men’s coach Adam Hall said. “They shortened the season by four games, but the conference games are much heavier at the start of the season if you look at the traditional top eight teams in the conference. We play the majority of those teams in the first half of the season, so we have a really difficult start. If we get out of there, we’ll be set up nicely.”
“My first reaction was relief because it meant that we get some sort of season,” UIS women’s coach Erin Egolf said. “There was worry that the season would be canceled or pushed to next semester. Having any game is preferable to none at all. We got a pretty good deal to play 14 games. I’m excited for our players and just ready to get going.
A couple of exhibition matches will likely be in the offing. The upcoming schedule will regardless present unique challenges ahead.
There may be less preparation time but also less room for error.
This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on June 22, 2020.
Thursday, May 14, 2020
Men's Baseball: Jensen gets UIS baseball sportsmanship nod
Brayden Jensen, a senior pitcher for the University of Illinois Springfield baseball team, was named that team’s Great Lakes Valley Conference James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award honoree.
Each team in the GLVC selected one player who distinguished himself through sportsmanship and “ethical behavior” throughout the coronavirus-shortened season. The honorees must also be in “good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting,” according to the GLVC press release on Monday.
This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on May 13, 2020.
Read the entire article online.
Each team in the GLVC selected one player who distinguished himself through sportsmanship and “ethical behavior” throughout the coronavirus-shortened season. The honorees must also be in “good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting,” according to the GLVC press release on Monday.
This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on May 13, 2020.
Read the entire article online.
Wednesday, May 13, 2020
Women's Softball: Springfield’s Derhake is UIS softball sportsmanship winner
Bree Derhake, a senior infielder on the University of Illinois Springfield softball team and a 2016 Sacred Heart-Griffin High School graduate, was named the Prairie Stars’ Great Lakes Valley Conference James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award honoree.
Tuesday’s press release by the GLVC said the award goes to the player who “distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior.
“These individuals must also be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting.”
In her shortened senior season, Derhake finished with a .362 average (21 for 58), with seven RBIs, six doubles, two triples and she was successful on all 18 of her stolen base attempts.
The Prairie Stars were 10-8 before spring sports were canceled throughout the country as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold. Derhake was UIS’ lone senior.
This story was published in The State Journal-Register on May 12, 2020.
Read the entire article online.
Tuesday’s press release by the GLVC said the award goes to the player who “distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior.
“These individuals must also be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting.”
In her shortened senior season, Derhake finished with a .362 average (21 for 58), with seven RBIs, six doubles, two triples and she was successful on all 18 of her stolen base attempts.
The Prairie Stars were 10-8 before spring sports were canceled throughout the country as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold. Derhake was UIS’ lone senior.
This story was published in The State Journal-Register on May 12, 2020.
Read the entire article online.
Wednesday, March 11, 2020
Men's Tennis: Servaes named Player of the Week
University of Illinois Springfield’s Menno Servaes went 2-0 in a dual match and was named the Great Lakes Valley Conference Men’s Tennis Player of the Week on Tuesday.
Servaes, a sophomore, won his No. 1 singles match 6-4, 6-1 and teamed up with Tomas Martinez for a 7-5 victory at No. 1 doubles against William Woods last week.
It was Servaes’ fifth straight win at singles as he improved to 6-4 on the season. He currently has a 4-6 record in doubles.
This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on March 10, 2020.
Read the entire article online.
Servaes, a sophomore, won his No. 1 singles match 6-4, 6-1 and teamed up with Tomas Martinez for a 7-5 victory at No. 1 doubles against William Woods last week.
It was Servaes’ fifth straight win at singles as he improved to 6-4 on the season. He currently has a 4-6 record in doubles.
This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on March 10, 2020.
Read the entire article online.
Thursday, March 5, 2020
Men's Basketball: UIS’ Soetan named first-team all-GLVC
Daniel Soetan, a senior guard on the University of Illinois Springfield men’s basketball team, was named to the all-Great Lakes Valley Conference’s first-team.
Soetan was named GLVC all-defensive team last season. He averaged 18.9 points and 6.5 rebounds this season — both were fourth best in the GLVC. He was also fourth in blocks, 14th in assists and 15th in steals.
His teammate, Chase Robinson, was named to the GLVC all-freshman team. He started all 28 games and averaged 15.3 points to lead all conference freshmen.
UIS finished 14-14 overall and 7-13 in the GLVC in coach Matt Brock’s first year.
This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on March 4, 2020.
Read the entire article online.
Soetan was named GLVC all-defensive team last season. He averaged 18.9 points and 6.5 rebounds this season — both were fourth best in the GLVC. He was also fourth in blocks, 14th in assists and 15th in steals.
His teammate, Chase Robinson, was named to the GLVC all-freshman team. He started all 28 games and averaged 15.3 points to lead all conference freshmen.
UIS finished 14-14 overall and 7-13 in the GLVC in coach Matt Brock’s first year.
This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on March 4, 2020.
Read the entire article online.
Women's Basketball: UIS’ Ladowski named all-GLVC third team
Lauren Ladowski, who averaged 14.3 points and 3.5 assists per game, was named to the Great Lakes Valley Conference third-team.
Her teammate, Malea Jackson, was selected to the GLVC all-freshman team with 9.4 points per game.
The Prairie Stars finished 9-19 overall and 4-16 in the GLVC — tied for one game above last place — in coach Casey Thousand’s first season.
This article appeared in The State Journal-Register on March 4, 2020.
Read the entire article online.
Her teammate, Malea Jackson, was selected to the GLVC all-freshman team with 9.4 points per game.
The Prairie Stars finished 9-19 overall and 4-16 in the GLVC — tied for one game above last place — in coach Casey Thousand’s first season.
This article appeared in The State Journal-Register on March 4, 2020.
Read the entire article online.
Tuesday, March 3, 2020
Women's Softball: UIS’ Long named GLVC’s softball Pitcher of the Week
University of Illinois Springfield pitcher Payton Long garnered Great Lakes Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week for the second time of her career on Monday.
Long, a sophomore, went 2-0 last week without allowing any runs in 7 2/3 innings of work. She gave up just six hits and three walks and struck out nine in both games combined.
This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on March 2, 2020.
Read the entire story online.
Long, a sophomore, went 2-0 last week without allowing any runs in 7 2/3 innings of work. She gave up just six hits and three walks and struck out nine in both games combined.
This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on March 2, 2020.
Read the entire story online.
Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Two UIS athletes earn GLVC player of the week awards
Daniel Soetan, a senior guard for the University of Illinois Springfield men’s basketball team, was named the Great Lakes Valley Conference’s Player of the Week on Monday.
The Prairie Stars won both games last week: an 87-74 win against former UIS coach Bill Walker and Missouri S&T on Feb. 13 and then an 82-79 win over Maryville on Saturday.
In those wins, Soetan averaged 30.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.0 steals and he shot 57.6 percent (19 of 33), knocked down 58.3 of his 3-point attempts (7 of 12) and was 88.2 percent of his free throws (15 for 17).
University of Illinois Springfield softball player Lakyn Wagoner was named Great Lakes Valley Conference’s Player of the Week on Monday for the second time in her career.
In the Prairie Stars’ first week of action, Wagoner went 7 for 13 with three doubles and a walk-off, three-run home run in the season-opening 7-6 win over Ferris State. Her batting average through four games is .538, she has a 1.000 slugging percentage and knocked in 10 runs, scored four times and stole a pair of bases. She also became the Prairie Stars’ career doubles leader on Sunday.
This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on Feb. 17, 2020.
Read the entire article online.
The Prairie Stars won both games last week: an 87-74 win against former UIS coach Bill Walker and Missouri S&T on Feb. 13 and then an 82-79 win over Maryville on Saturday.
In those wins, Soetan averaged 30.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.0 steals and he shot 57.6 percent (19 of 33), knocked down 58.3 of his 3-point attempts (7 of 12) and was 88.2 percent of his free throws (15 for 17).
University of Illinois Springfield softball player Lakyn Wagoner was named Great Lakes Valley Conference’s Player of the Week on Monday for the second time in her career.
In the Prairie Stars’ first week of action, Wagoner went 7 for 13 with three doubles and a walk-off, three-run home run in the season-opening 7-6 win over Ferris State. Her batting average through four games is .538, she has a 1.000 slugging percentage and knocked in 10 runs, scored four times and stole a pair of bases. She also became the Prairie Stars’ career doubles leader on Sunday.
This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on Feb. 17, 2020.
Read the entire article online.
Thursday, January 30, 2020
Women's Softball: UIS ranked No. 4 in GLVC preseason poll
UIS ranked No. 4 in GLVC preseason poll
Coming off two straight NCAA Division II tournament berths, the University of Illinois Springfield is ranked No. 4 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference preseason coaches poll.
The Prairie Stars had 170 total points and 16 first-place votes.
This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on January 29, 2020.
Read the entire article online.
The Prairie Stars had 170 total points and 16 first-place votes.
This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on January 29, 2020.
Read the entire article online.
Wednesday, January 29, 2020
Men's Baseball: UIS baseball picked fifth in GLVC preseason coaches poll
The University of Illinois Springfield baseball team was picked to finish fifth in the Great Lakes Valley Conference’s preseason coaches poll that was released on Tuesday.
UIS, which will be led by first-year coach Ryan Copeland, received 169 points in the poll.
The Prairie Stars finished one-game back of the GLVC title and appeared in the NCAA Division II super regionals last season. UIS won the league’s regular season championship in 2018.
The Prairie Stars have had the top offense in the GLVC the past three seasons and return all-conference position players in Chris Monroe, Brandon Bannon and Ruben Markham. Cameron Zunkel and Colton Hale, all-conference pitchers from 2018, also return to the team. Pitchers Jordan Mikel and Evan Snyder are Division I transfers expected to compete for innings.
This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on January 28, 2020.
Read the entire article online.
UIS, which will be led by first-year coach Ryan Copeland, received 169 points in the poll.
The Prairie Stars finished one-game back of the GLVC title and appeared in the NCAA Division II super regionals last season. UIS won the league’s regular season championship in 2018.
The Prairie Stars have had the top offense in the GLVC the past three seasons and return all-conference position players in Chris Monroe, Brandon Bannon and Ruben Markham. Cameron Zunkel and Colton Hale, all-conference pitchers from 2018, also return to the team. Pitchers Jordan Mikel and Evan Snyder are Division I transfers expected to compete for innings.
This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on January 28, 2020.
Read the entire article online.
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
Men's Soccer: Falsone earns all-region recognition
University of Illinois Springfield senior forward Mario Falsone earned United Soccer Caoches third team all-region honors.
Falsone led the Stars with six goals, five assists and 17 points. He wrapped his career as the top offensive player in the program’s NCAA era with 19 total goals and 12 assists. He was twice all-Great Lakes Valley Conference.
The Stars finished 9-8-2.
This article appeared in The State Journal-Register on December 9, 2019.
Read the entire article online.
Falsone led the Stars with six goals, five assists and 17 points. He wrapped his career as the top offensive player in the program’s NCAA era with 19 total goals and 12 assists. He was twice all-Great Lakes Valley Conference.
The Stars finished 9-8-2.
This article appeared in The State Journal-Register on December 9, 2019.
Read the entire article online.
Women's Soccer: UIS’ Maggie Juhlin named second team all-region
University of Illinois Springfield senior forward Maggie Juhlin landed United Soccer Coaches second team all-region recognition.
Juhlin led the women’s soccer team with nine goals and four assists.
The Chatham Glenwood High School graduate also had five game-winning goals, which ranked No. 25 in the nation.
The Stars finished 8-10.
This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on December 9, 2019.
Read the entire article online.
Juhlin led the women’s soccer team with nine goals and four assists.
The Chatham Glenwood High School graduate also had five game-winning goals, which ranked No. 25 in the nation.
The Stars finished 8-10.
This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on December 9, 2019.
Read the entire article online.
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Men's Basketball: UIS’ Soetan earns GLVC player of the week award
University of Illinois Springfield men’s basketball player Daniel Soetan was named the Great Lakes Valley Conference player of the week on Monday.
UIS went 2-0 last week and Soetan averaged 20.5 points, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals and 1,5 blocks per game and he shot 60% from the field, including 55.6% from behind the 3-point line.
Soetan leads UIS with 17.8 points a game, which ranks 11th in the GLVC. Soetan is averaging 6.3 rebounds, which is 17th in the league.
This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on November 18, 2019.
Read the entire article online.
UIS went 2-0 last week and Soetan averaged 20.5 points, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals and 1,5 blocks per game and he shot 60% from the field, including 55.6% from behind the 3-point line.
Soetan leads UIS with 17.8 points a game, which ranks 11th in the GLVC. Soetan is averaging 6.3 rebounds, which is 17th in the league.
This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on November 18, 2019.
Read the entire article online.
UIS’ Soetan earns GLVC player of the week award
University of Illinois Springfield men’s basketball player Daniel Soetan was named the Great Lakes Valley Conference player of the week on Monday.
UIS went 2-0 last week and Soetan averaged 20.5 points, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals and 1,5 blocks per game and he shot 60% from the field, including 55.6% from behind the 3-point line.
Soetan leads UIS with 17.8 points a game, which ranks 11th in the GLVC. Soetan is averaging 6.3 rebounds, which is 17th in the league.
This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on November 18, 2019.
Read the entire article online.
UIS went 2-0 last week and Soetan averaged 20.5 points, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals and 1,5 blocks per game and he shot 60% from the field, including 55.6% from behind the 3-point line.
Soetan leads UIS with 17.8 points a game, which ranks 11th in the GLVC. Soetan is averaging 6.3 rebounds, which is 17th in the league.
This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on November 18, 2019.
Read the entire article online.
Friday, June 7, 2019
Men's Baseball: UIS senior pitcher Andrew Dean drafted by San Diego Padres in the 18th round
The top pitcher in University of Illinois Springfield baseball history became the first Prairie Stars player selected in the Major League Baseball draft on Wednesday.
Andrew Dean heard his name called by the San Diego Padres in the 18th round.
Dean went 12-0 this past season and had a 2.77 ERA. He struck outs 118 batters in 91 innings, and opponents hit just .217 off of him. He was the GLVC Pitcher of the Year, and the first Prairie Stars pitcher to earn All-American accolades.
Dean was the first baseball player from the GLVC selected in this year’s baseball draft. He will become the second UIS player to sign with a MLB organization, joining Cole Taylor who signed as a free agent last year with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
This story aired on WICS Newschannel 20 on June 5, 2019.
Watch the entire story online.
Andrew Dean heard his name called by the San Diego Padres in the 18th round.
Dean went 12-0 this past season and had a 2.77 ERA. He struck outs 118 batters in 91 innings, and opponents hit just .217 off of him. He was the GLVC Pitcher of the Year, and the first Prairie Stars pitcher to earn All-American accolades.
Dean was the first baseball player from the GLVC selected in this year’s baseball draft. He will become the second UIS player to sign with a MLB organization, joining Cole Taylor who signed as a free agent last year with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
This story aired on WICS Newschannel 20 on June 5, 2019.
Watch the entire story online.
Thursday, March 28, 2019
Men's Tennis: Clark picks up another
University of Illinois Springfield's Sam Clarke, a senior from Kendall, England, won his fourth career Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Week award on Tuesday.
It was his third this season. He has won 15 straight singles matches and dominated last week with wins over Quincy and Southern Indiana opponents during the weekend. He also set a school record for most wins in the NCAA Division II era after getting a doubles victory against Quincy on Friday while finishing the week 4-0 in both singles and doubles.
He has 124 career victories. He’s currently 17-1 in singles play and 12-5 in doubles play, leading the Stars to an 11-2 record.
UIS has won seven straight duals.
This article appeared in The State Journal-Register on March 27, 2019.
Read the entire article online.
It was his third this season. He has won 15 straight singles matches and dominated last week with wins over Quincy and Southern Indiana opponents during the weekend. He also set a school record for most wins in the NCAA Division II era after getting a doubles victory against Quincy on Friday while finishing the week 4-0 in both singles and doubles.
He has 124 career victories. He’s currently 17-1 in singles play and 12-5 in doubles play, leading the Stars to an 11-2 record.
UIS has won seven straight duals.
This article appeared in The State Journal-Register on March 27, 2019.
Read the entire article online.
Wednesday, August 1, 2018
Sterling grad Stroup blossoming into a star for UIS
Her jersey number is 00, but Erin Stroup has been anything but a zero
during her first two seasons for the University of Illinois-Springfield
softball team.
The 2016 Sterling graduate came into college as an accomplished recruit for the Prairie Stars, and has made an immediate impact at the plate and in the field.
“After my first year, I learned so much that was going to help me,” Stroup said. “But I really didn’t expect to be as successful as I have, especially as soon as I started.”
Stroup also started her high school softball career in a large role as a 4-year varsity player for the Golden Warriors. She was an SVM all-area first-team selection as a junior after earning co-NIB-12 West MVP with teammate Lexy Staples and being tabbed to the second team of the Class 3A Illinois Coaches Association all-state team.
Illinois-Springfield coach Shannon Guthrie was aware that Stroup had started her junior and senior seasons as the Golden Warriors’ shortstop, but also considered her at second base and in the outfield. An injury to UIS’ starting shortstop right before the 2017 season gave the former Sterling star a chance to start right away, and she hasn’t relinquished the job since.
“When we recruited Erin, we could see the potential she had as a shortstop and offensively,” Guthrie said. “She had a really great career at Sterling. We knew she was going to bring a lot of talent. We wanted to have her bat in the lineup, but we weren’t sure which position she would play.”
This article appeared in the Sauk Valley News on August 1, 2018.
Read the entire article
The 2016 Sterling graduate came into college as an accomplished recruit for the Prairie Stars, and has made an immediate impact at the plate and in the field.
“After my first year, I learned so much that was going to help me,” Stroup said. “But I really didn’t expect to be as successful as I have, especially as soon as I started.”
Stroup also started her high school softball career in a large role as a 4-year varsity player for the Golden Warriors. She was an SVM all-area first-team selection as a junior after earning co-NIB-12 West MVP with teammate Lexy Staples and being tabbed to the second team of the Class 3A Illinois Coaches Association all-state team.
Illinois-Springfield coach Shannon Guthrie was aware that Stroup had started her junior and senior seasons as the Golden Warriors’ shortstop, but also considered her at second base and in the outfield. An injury to UIS’ starting shortstop right before the 2017 season gave the former Sterling star a chance to start right away, and she hasn’t relinquished the job since.
“When we recruited Erin, we could see the potential she had as a shortstop and offensively,” Guthrie said. “She had a really great career at Sterling. We knew she was going to bring a lot of talent. We wanted to have her bat in the lineup, but we weren’t sure which position she would play.”
This article appeared in the Sauk Valley News on August 1, 2018.
Read the entire article
Thursday, May 31, 2018
Men's Baseball: Ramirez earns national honor
Chris Ramirez had the perfect situation as head baseball coach at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
The Islanders had it all — a beautiful campus, state-of-the-art facilities, a winning tradition and one of the biggest, and best, recruiting bases in the country in the state of Texas. But Ramirez wasn’t looking to put his career on cruise control. He wants to be challenged. He wants to push himself to the limit.
He wants to build a program from scratch and do it the way he wants it done. So five years ago, the 2001 Fort Madison High School graduate packed his bags, loaded his wife, Lindsey, and their children in the car and headed to the University of Illinois Springfield to become head baseball coach for a fledgling program which was in its third season, had no home field and played its “home” games at city parks and high school diamonds they could find.
Ramirez has done things his way, leading the Prairie Stars to a 47-9 record this season, including a 29-game winning streak and a top-five NCAA Division II national ranking.
Ramirez recently was rewarded for his hard work, earning National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association NCAA Division II Coach of the Year honors. For Ramirez, it was a byproduct of all the hard work he, his assistant coaches, the players and administration have put into building the program the right way.
“Honestly, (the award) never really crossed my mind. I got a text message from our (Sports Information Director) saying we had two players earn All-America honors. Then I saw I was tagged on Twitter and there was a picture of me and the release about the award,” Ramirez said. “It’s surprising, but this award is a testament to our team winning a lot of games, having a lot of very good players and assistant coaches who did a great job this year. It’s a cool honor, but it’s never something we set as a goal. There are so many great teams and good coaches out there. It’s a cool honor to get.”
Ramirez has been able to oversee major upgrades, not only in the program, but the facilities.
“In my first year we build dugouts,” Ramirez said. “The next year we got a scoreboard and we played games here. Then we added a backstop and this past summer we got a turf field. Everything is really coming together.”
This year, UIS hosted an NCAA Division II regional and captured its first Great Lakes Valley Conference East Division title, going 23-1 in conference play.
"With UIS being in the very beginning stages of the program, that really motivated me. There aren’t many new programs anywhere. We have a lot of support in the community and we are starting to see success on the field. Our goal next year is to get to the World Series. That is the next step," said Ramirez.
This story appeared in The Hawk Eye on May 30, 2018.
Read the entire article online.
The Islanders had it all — a beautiful campus, state-of-the-art facilities, a winning tradition and one of the biggest, and best, recruiting bases in the country in the state of Texas. But Ramirez wasn’t looking to put his career on cruise control. He wants to be challenged. He wants to push himself to the limit.
He wants to build a program from scratch and do it the way he wants it done. So five years ago, the 2001 Fort Madison High School graduate packed his bags, loaded his wife, Lindsey, and their children in the car and headed to the University of Illinois Springfield to become head baseball coach for a fledgling program which was in its third season, had no home field and played its “home” games at city parks and high school diamonds they could find.
Ramirez has done things his way, leading the Prairie Stars to a 47-9 record this season, including a 29-game winning streak and a top-five NCAA Division II national ranking.
Ramirez recently was rewarded for his hard work, earning National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association NCAA Division II Coach of the Year honors. For Ramirez, it was a byproduct of all the hard work he, his assistant coaches, the players and administration have put into building the program the right way.
“Honestly, (the award) never really crossed my mind. I got a text message from our (Sports Information Director) saying we had two players earn All-America honors. Then I saw I was tagged on Twitter and there was a picture of me and the release about the award,” Ramirez said. “It’s surprising, but this award is a testament to our team winning a lot of games, having a lot of very good players and assistant coaches who did a great job this year. It’s a cool honor, but it’s never something we set as a goal. There are so many great teams and good coaches out there. It’s a cool honor to get.”
Ramirez has been able to oversee major upgrades, not only in the program, but the facilities.
“In my first year we build dugouts,” Ramirez said. “The next year we got a scoreboard and we played games here. Then we added a backstop and this past summer we got a turf field. Everything is really coming together.”
This year, UIS hosted an NCAA Division II regional and captured its first Great Lakes Valley Conference East Division title, going 23-1 in conference play.
"With UIS being in the very beginning stages of the program, that really motivated me. There aren’t many new programs anywhere. We have a lot of support in the community and we are starting to see success on the field. Our goal next year is to get to the World Series. That is the next step," said Ramirez.
This story appeared in The Hawk Eye on May 30, 2018.
Read the entire article online.
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