Rochester High School outfielder and left-handed pitcher Blake Thompson committed to the University of Illinois Springfield baseball program before it produced its first winning season and made its inaugural Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament appearance.
“(Recruiting coordinator Jordan Banfield) told me right off the bat it’s going to be one of the upcoming programs,” Thompson said. “He told me straight up, ‘We’re going to take the Midwest over, so you can either come along for the ride and be a major factor at UIS or you can commit somewhere else and look back kicking yourself.
“I definitely want to be along for the ride.”
The Prairie Stars’ success, including a 28-24 final record, validates Thompson’s choice.
Thompson is one of the top hitters in the Central State Eight Conference. At the plate, he leads Rochester with a .424 batting average. On the mound, he has a 1.50 earned run average.
Thompson chose UIS in January after receiving offers from NCAA Division II and III and junior college programs. He is one of seven players who recently signed with the Stars.
Thompson was featured by The State Journal-Register on May 10, 2014.
Read the article online
Monday, May 12, 2014
Thursday, May 8, 2014
UIS’ Massengill earns GLVC first-team honors
Senior utility player Jared Massengill became the first University of Illinois Springfield baseball player to earn Great Lakes Valley Conference first-team honors when he was announced as an unanimous pick Thursday.
He was the sole unanimous choice out of the 16 players who appeared on the GLVC East Division first team. Massengill was third in the GLVC with a .398 batting average. He set single-season program records for batting average, hits with 76 and a 26-game hitting streak. In eight pitching appearances, he recorded two wins and two saves with a 4.56 earned run average.
UIS senior outfielder Logan Frye and senior outfielder/first baseman Adam Unes received second team honors.
The awards were reported by The State Journal-Register on May 8, 2014.
Read the article online
He was the sole unanimous choice out of the 16 players who appeared on the GLVC East Division first team. Massengill was third in the GLVC with a .398 batting average. He set single-season program records for batting average, hits with 76 and a 26-game hitting streak. In eight pitching appearances, he recorded two wins and two saves with a 4.56 earned run average.
UIS senior outfielder Logan Frye and senior outfielder/first baseman Adam Unes received second team honors.
The awards were reported by The State Journal-Register on May 8, 2014.
Read the article online
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
African-American museum to make temporary move to UIS
The Springfield and Central Illinois African-American History Museum is set to move from the only home it has known to a temporary location on the campus of the University of Illinois Springfield.
Dick Hart, a museum board member, said the museum expects to start moving to the second floor of the Strawbridge-Shepherd House at UIS on Saturday.
The Elijah Iles House Foundation leases the house from UIS and in turn subleases the first floor to the Illinois State Historical Society, which had shared part of a downtown building with the museum before itself moving earlier this year.
Hart said that UIS still has to give its formal approval for the move, but he does not expect any problems.
“I think this is going to be a great place for them,” Hart said.
The story was reported by The State Journal-Register on May 6, 2014.
Read the story online
Dick Hart, a museum board member, said the museum expects to start moving to the second floor of the Strawbridge-Shepherd House at UIS on Saturday.
The Elijah Iles House Foundation leases the house from UIS and in turn subleases the first floor to the Illinois State Historical Society, which had shared part of a downtown building with the museum before itself moving earlier this year.
Hart said that UIS still has to give its formal approval for the move, but he does not expect any problems.
“I think this is going to be a great place for them,” Hart said.
The story was reported by The State Journal-Register on May 6, 2014.
Read the story online
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