News
August 3, 2010 - Walk-on Tryout Informational Meeting Scheduled - Anyone interested in trying out for the 2010-11 ECC Baseball team must attend a brief meeting on Wednesday, August 25th in the EVC Main Lobby at 3:00 p.m. E-mail any questions to bangelo@elgin.edu or call 847-214-7133.
June 1, 2010 - Post Season Honors - The Spartans had three players on the squad earn All-Region honors. Named to the Region IV All-Region First Team was pitcher Anthony Campanella. Infielder Cory Hodge and outfielder Dan Scahill were named to the Region IV All-Region Second Team.
Illinois Skyway Collegiate All-Conference First Team awards were given to ECC catcher Alex Mullendore, outfielder Tom Roth, shortstop Cory Hodge, and outfielder Dan Scahill. Earning Honorable Mention honors were pitcher Anthony Campanella, first baseman/catcher Steve Dujka, first baseman Ryan Lesner and outfielder Matt Revelle.
May 24, 2010 - Region IV Tournament Results - The Spartans fell one win short of making a trip to the NJCAA Division II World Series. Losing to Kankakee Community College 7-1 in the first round of the Region IV Finals, ECC staged a hard fought comeback to win their next three games and stay alive in the tournament. They defeated Oakton Community College 11-4, beat Kankakee in their second meeting 9-2, and thumped Madison Area Technical College 17-2. That last win meant it would be ECC against Madison in the Region IV championship game. The heat and lack of a deep bench took their toll on the Spartans, and Madison took the title with a 20-7 win.
May 19, 2010 - Spartans Headed to Region Finals - In the opening round of the Region IV Sectionals last Friday, the Spartans easily defeated the College of Lake County 14-6. However, things were not so rosy for ECC in their second game as Prairie State College thumped them 20-4. Finding themselves facing two must-win games on Saturday, the Spartans did what they had to do, and defeated Prairie State 5-2 and 6-2 to advance to the Region IV Finals.
Region IV Finals Tournament Schedule
- May 20 – Game #1 - ECC vs Kankakee Community College @ 12:00 p.m.
- May 20 – Game #2 – Madison Area Technical College vs Oakton Community College @ 3:00 p.m.
- May 21 – Game #3 – Loser of Game #1 vs Loser of Game #2 @ 9:00 a.m.
- May 21 – Game #4 – Winner of Game #1 vs Winner of Game #2 @ 12:00 p.m.
- May 21 – Game #5 – Winner of Game #3 vs Loser of Game #4 @ 3:00 p.m.
- May 22 – Game #6 – Winner of Game #4 vs Winner of Game #5 @ 12:00 p.m.
- May 22 – Game #7 – If Necessary @ 3:00 p.m.
All games will be played at Kankakee Community College in Kankakee, Illinois. The winner of the tournament will go to the NJCAA Division II World Series at Enid, Oklahoma.
May 12, 2010 - Sectionals - This Friday and Saturday, Elgin Community College will host the College of Lake County and Prairie State College in the Region IV Sectionals. Friday's schedule includes Lake County versus Prairie State at 9:00 a.m., ECC versus Lake County at 12:00 p.m. and ECC versus Prairie State at 3:00 p.m. The potential championship game will be played on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. with the "If Necessary" game at 3:00 p.m. All games will be played at ECC's Spartan Field. The winner will advance to the Region IV Finals to be held on May 20-22 at Kankakee Community College.
May 11, 2010 - Game Cancelled - Because of rain, today's ECC versus Harper College baseball game as well as Spirit Day have been cancelled. No make-up date has been announced.
May 7, 2010 - Spirit Day! - ECC's Student Life, Alumni and Athletic Departments are proud sponsors of Spirit Day on Tuesday, May 11, 2010. The Spartans will take on Harper College at 3:00 p.m. at Spartan Field for one 9 inning game. There is no charge for admittance. For the fans, in addition to seeing some excellent collegiate baseball, there will be free food and giveaways. Come join us and cheer the Spartans on to a win!
April 8, 2010 - Due to the weather, today's doubleheader against Madison Area Technical College has been cancelled.
April 7, 2010 - Spartans on a 6-0 run since returning home from Florida - The Elgin Community College Men’s Baseball team has gotten off to a hot start since returning from their annual spring trip to Florida where they went 5-5. The Spartans have beaten McHenry County twice, Joliet Junior College once, Morton College once and Oakton Community College twice. They have used a combination of good defense, excellent pitching and timely hitting during the streak. The Spartans are currently ranked # 1 in Region IV with an overall record of 11-5.
March 18, 2010 - ECC Baseball Streamed Live - ECC's baseball coach, Bill Angelo, has been told that today's doubleheader featuring the Spartans against Dakota County Technical College at Pat Thomas Stadium in Leesburg, Florida will be streamed live via the following link: http://www.livestream.com/lakecounty. The first game begins at 10:00 a.m. EST.
March 17, 2010 - Spring Trip - The Spartans departed for Orlando today to get in some serious baseball playing time and a little Florida sunshine. Competing in the 2010 RussMatt Central Florida Invitational, they have 11 games scheduled to be played in a week's time. To follow how the team does throughout the Invitational, please access RussMatt's web site via this link: http://www.russmattbaseball.com/?page=home&tournament=b-cf.
February 2, 2010 - Three Spartans Named as Top Junior College Players in the Country – Anthony Campanella, Cory Hodge, and Dan Scahill were all named as top players in the country by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper in their January issue. Anthony was highlighted as a top right handed pitcher and Cory and Dan received their accolades for shortstop and outfield respectively. All three are coming off of extremely successful freshman seasons and will be keys to the Spartans’ success this year.
November 25, 2009 - Walk on tryout informational meeting scheduled - Anyone interested in trying out for the 2010 Baseball team must attend a brief meeting on Wednesday, December 9th in the EVC Lobby at 2:00 p.m. E-mail any questions to bangelo@elgin.edu or call 847-214-7133.
June 10, 2009 - Spartans Recognized for Achievements - While the Spartans didn’t make it to their sixth consecutive NJCAA World Series, having been defeated in the Region IV tournament by Kankakee Community College, many individual honors were bestowed upon ECC players. Named to the NJCAA All-American Third Team were catcher Austin Licon and infielder Greg Stolzenburg. Licon, solid behind the plate with only two errors for the season, batted .413 with 43 RBI’s and 6 home runs. Stolzenburg, ranked 9th nationally among the NJCAA Division II individual hitting leaders, batted .479 with 38 RBI’s, 4 home runs, 19 doubles and 11 stolen bases.
ECC had five players named to the 2009 Region IV All-Region First Team. Earning this award were Zach Blanchette, Curtis Hudson, Austin Licon, Dan Scahill, and Greg Stolzenburg. Blanchette, an outfielder, was ranked 2nd nationally in stolen bases, 38th in batting average, and 40th in on-base percentage among all NJCAA Division II players. Blanchette racked up 48 stolen bases in 49 attempts, batted .438 and had an OBP of .524. Hudson, a starting pitcher, had a record of 7-1, an ERA of 3.13 with 51 strikeouts in 46 innings.Outfielder Dan Scahill batted .398 with 44 RBI’s, 4 homers, 19 doubles, and 14 stolen bases.
Region IV Second Team honors went to Brad Allen, Kyle Horvath and Jim Van Syckle. Allen, an infielder, was ranked 42nd nationally among the NJCAA Division II stats leaders with an on-base percentage of .523 and was ranked 50th in individual hitting. He batted .431 for the season with 6 home runs and 33 RBI’s. Horvath, a designated hitter, batted .408. His 59 RBI’s placed him 37th nationally. Pitcher Jim Van Syckle had a record of 7-1 with 42 strikeouts in 41 innings.
Two Spartans were recognized for their flawless glove work. Receiving the Region IV Rawlings Gold Glove Team award were Curtis Hudson and John Creely. Hudson and Creely, a catcher, were errorless in the field.
Illinois Skyway Collegiate All-Conference First Team honors were awarded to Allen, Blanchette, Licon, Scahill, Stolzenburg and Van Syckle.
On the academic side, Brad Allen, Dan Glade and Travis Saville received the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Academic All-Conference Award. To be given this award, student-athletes in the Skyway Conference must have completed 48 hours with a GPA of 3.0.
May 16, 2009 – Spartans Season Ends - The Spartan baseball team’s bid for a 6th consecutive trip to the NJCAA Division II World Series ended as they were ousted by Kankakee Community College in the championship game by the score of 12-8. The Spartans end their season with a record of 38-18 as the Region IV runner up. “I am very proud of the efforts of the guys. They played really hard and represented the school well,” said head coach Bill Angelo.
May 12, 2009 - Sectional Champs - The Spartans found themselves in familiar territory on Saturday when they took the Region IV Sectional title for the 10th year in a row by defeating Morton College 9-5 and 11-8. In the opening round of the Sectionals, ECC bested Sauk Valley Community College 12-0 (5 innings). ECC now advances to the Region IV Finals which will be hosted by Highland Community College on May 14-16. Four teams will be competing for the championship; Kankakee Community College, the College of Lake County, ECC and Black Hawk College. If the Spartans can come out on top, it will mean they will be making their sixth trip in a row to the NJCAA Division II World Series.
Region IV Championship Tournament @ Highland CC – Freeport, IL
5/14 Game #1 Kankakee vs Black Hawk 12:00pm
5/14 Game #2 ECC vs Lake County 3:00pm
5/15 Game #3 Loser Game #1 vs Loser Game #2 9:00am
5/15 Game #4 Winner Game #1 vs Winner Game #2 12:00pm
5/15 Game #5 Winner Game #3 vs Loser Game #4 3:00pm
5/16 Game #6 Winner Game #4 vs Winner Game #5 12:00pm
5/16 Game #7 (If necessary) 3:00pm
January 16, 2009 - Elgin Ranked #2 in Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Preseason Poll - For the fifth year in a row, the Elgin Community College baseball team will start the season as one of the top five teams in the country. The Spartans are the only team in the NJCAA that has qualified for the World Series each of the last five years. This year’s team is poised to earn a sixth consecutive trip to the NJCAA DII World Series and a shot at a national title. The Spartans are also the highest ranked team in Illinois. They will start the 2009 campaign on March 6th in St. Louis, Missouri. “I feel like this year's group is as good as any team I’ve had, and I am excited to see what we can accomplish,” said head coach Bill Angelo.
July 29, 2008 - Former Spartan Signs with Oakland A's - Mike Benacka, who played for ECC in 2004 and helped the team earn their first ever berth at the NJCAA World Series, has signed a professional baseball contract with the Oakland A's organization. Mike has reported to the Stockton Ports of the California State League, which is two steps away from the major leagues. Prior to his signing with the A's, Mike spent the last two seasons playing for the River City Rascals in the Frontier League which is a professional independent league. His statistics were simply amazing this season for the Rascals. He averaged two strikeouts per inning and only allowed one earned run prior to being signed by Oakland. The Spartan baseball family wishes Mike continued success as he continues his path to the major leagues.
June 18, 2008 - Spartan Awards - Befitting of a team that goes to the NJCAA World Series, numerous Spartans earned post season honors. At the top of the list were Andrew Burkett and Trevor Rutkowski who were named to the 2008 NJCAA All-American First and Second Teams respectively. Burkett, a pitcher, ended the season with a 9-2 record, an ERA of 2.58 and 74 strikeouts against 17 walks. Third baseman Rutkowski hit .388 for the season with 2 homers, 19 doubles, 42 RBIs, and 7 stolen bases.
Adding to his All-American honors, Andrew Burkett was also named as the Region IV All-Region Player of the Year and an All-Region First Teamer. Joining him on the First Team were Trevor Rutkowski, and outfielder Kyle Standridge. Standridge hit .326, with 32 RBIs and 17 stolen bases. All-Region Second Team honors were awarded to Bryan Mason (.376, 35 RBI's and 20 SB's) and outfielder Matt Wietlispach (.358, 25 RBI's, 18 SB's and 3 HR's).
Shortstop Bryan Mason was named to the NJCAA DII World Series All-Tournament Team. In the three World Series games that ECC played, Mason hit .620 with 7 RBI's, 2 stolen bases and was flawless in the field.
The Spartans had nine players named to the 2008 Illinois Skyway All-Conference Team. Bryan Mason was named the conference's MVP. First Team honors went to Andrew Burkett, Trevor Rutkowski, Kyle Standridge, pitcher Jim Van Syckle (7-3, 42 K's) and outfielder Matt Wietlispach (.358, 25 RBI's, 3 HR's, 18 SB's). Named to the Honorable Mention Team were catcher Austin Licon, outfielder Matt Revelle and catcher Ben Vincent. The ISCC Baseball Coach of the Year was Spartan skipper Bill Angelo.
June 10, 2008 - Elgin Takes 5th in NJCAA College World Series: The Elgin Community College Spartans’ Baseball team gave it everything they had in pursuit of the school’s first national title. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t meant to be, and the team ended up coming in fifth place at the National Tournament.
ECC started off the series with a bang beating the defending national champions, Longview Community College out of Summit, Missouri 7-4. Andrew Burkett (9-2) continued his dominance on the mound throwing eight strong innings, giving up seven hits and four earned runs. Bobby Diebold came in to pick up his fifth save of the year giving up no hits. Offensive leaders for the Spartans were Matt Wietlispach (2-5, 3 runs, RBI, with a double), Kyle Standridge (3-4 run, RBI) and Trevor Rutkowski (2-4, double).
In the second game, Elgin played 2006 national champions Louisiana State University-Eunice who happened to also win this year’s NJCAA World Series. The Spartans participated in what was said to be one of the best games ever at the NJCAA World Series in Millington, Tennessee. The Spartans played their hearts out but came up short losing 14-12. The game was a constant back and forth contest. Matt Wietlispach continued his great tournament going 4-5 with three runs and two RBI. Bryan Mason also went 4-5 with two runs and four RBI. Trevor Rutkowski added a two run double. Matt Revelle went 2-5 with an RBI. Greg Stolzenburg went 2-5 with an RBI and a run and Austin Licon went 1-2 with two runs and an RBI. Josh Downing started the game throwing six innings giving up nine hits, five earned runs and striking out four.
In the elimination game, the Spartans were beat by Monroe Community College out of Rochester, New York 10-8. This is the second year ECC has been eliminated by Monroe. Wietlispach went 2-4 with three runs and a double. Bryan Mason went 3-5 with two RBI’s and a run. Matt Revelle went 2-3 with two runs and an RBI with a double. Ben Vincent went 2-4 with an RBI and Greg Stolzenburg added a two run hit. Starting pitcher Jim Van Syckle threw 5.1 innings giving up 10 hits and six earned runs. Jim took the loss finishing the season at 8-3.
The Spartans ended their season with a record of 36-12 and being the only NJCAA team that has made five straight appearances at the World Series. “This year’s team really did a great job of playing to their potential. They did our school proud! It was truly an honor to be a part of this group,” said Coach Angelo.