Taking the Plunge(r)
When Rico was introduced last Saturday, someone behind me yelled “one more year.” I found out later it was a former neighbor of mine, and he was referencing former Illinois State University Redbird player Rico Hill, now of the Chicago Muscle of the Premier Basketball League. It was the first PBL game I’d been [...]
More Grey than White
Ten days in to 2012, and it’s time to either update my blog of disable it. 2011 was a busy year with a newborn added to my household, but he’s also become very adept at attending all the sporting events we take in on a regular basis. I could go so far as to call [...]
Wait ‘Til Next Year
The College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) men’s soccer (women too) starts tonight with the two semifinal matches. This is an annual ritual where there the top four teams earn a berth based on standard soccer scoring methodology (3 points for a win, 1 point for a tie). Illinois Wesleyan, a team I follow, [...]
Enjoying the Corn
I’ve been critical of certain things related to the inception of Independent League Baseball in Bloomington/Normal, predominantly related to decisions made with the stadium construction. I’ve been less than enthused with some of the rhetoric coming from the front office as well, but I’ll just chalk it up to the growing pains that come with [...]
Witnessing History
For years, I just assumed Martensdale St. Mary’s (IA) was a small Catholic school with stellar baseball, bolstered by a non-boundaried policy that allowed players to drive from miles away to join a successful program. I was wrong. In the midst of following a winning streak building off a 43-0 state championship run in 2010, [...]
An Endeering Journey
The ball trickled into the net with 1:19 remaining on the clock, a seemingly unfair ending to a determined effort by a bunch of kids that play soccer as an afterthought. Many of these kids have three, and some four, consecutive football championships under their belt. A few have a state baseball title or [...]
IWU Recap
A year ago, I wrote about a team exceeding expectations. That was after an NCAA Regional Championship by Illinois Wesleyan’s baseball team, who then went on to win the NCAA Division III national championship a week later. The same Illinois Wesleyan team saw their 2011 team end with a third place finish in the [...]
Some Thoughts About D3 Baseball
(Bloomington, IL – May 19, 2011) – By the time he threw his first pitch, he’d already prepared the mound for play, something that’s become a regular task for him. This was the start of Jason Pankau’s night, one that would end with a thrilling 3-2 victory on a 1-6-3 double play with two [...]
CCIW Baseball Rivals Reach Post-Season Play
Two College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) teams will be playing in the NCAA Division III Central Regional baseball tournament at Illinois Wesleyan University’s Jack Horenberger Field May 18-22, 2011. Tournament champion Carthage earned the automatic bid, while regular season co-champ and defending national champion Illinois Wesleyan received a Pool C bid. Illinois [...]
Op-Ed: The Systematic Slaughter of a Soccer Program
Update: Illinois-Springfield Athletic Director Rodger Jehlicka submitted his resignation, effective August 15, 2011. I didn’t have the heart to ask him what he was thinking, feeling. I just told him I loved him and wished him well. My investment in the program is only six years old, but seeing Milton Tennant watch the final [...]
A Spartan Experience
It was a Friday evening a couple weeks ago, but not an ordinary evening for me. I’ve tried to write about it previously, but some unplanned life occurrences have kept me away from the keyboard. Still, it’s worth describing the scene – a high school football game where more people stand around the field’s [...]
Dumping the Notebook
I tend to write a lot about soccer this time of year (seems only natural since I attend about four games a week). But I do carry a notebook with me at all times, and am constantly jotting down notes about things that interest me, intrigue me, or sometimes just seem worth researching. Unfortunately, they [...]
