Three games. Three wins. Only five runs given up. Keep this up and we’ll be buying tickets for Omaha soon enough.
Illinois Baseball got off to a stellar 2019 season start with a three-game sweep this past weekend. That included a big win over host #20 Wake Forest. Pitching was especially tough as Illini hurlers gave up just five runs over the three contests.
Illinois 11 Georgetown 3
Every Illini got into this game, it seems. Each starter earned at least one hit, run or rbi. Branden Comia, Michael Massey, Zac Taylor, Cam McDonald and Grant Van Scoy were good for multi-hit games. Taylor, David Craan and freshman McDonald all went yard in this slugfest.
Transfer Josh Harris helped the Illini get out of a jam and earned himself his first career win.
Fighting Illini Recap | Box Score
Illinois 5 Wake Forest 2
Starter Andy Fisher (above) kept the tough #20 Wake Forest lineup hitless until the fifth inning. Overall, Fisher, Sean Leland and Garrett Acton kept WF to just four hits. Leland earned the win and Acton earned his first career save for the Illini.
The Illini first scored courtesy of two errors of the Wake Forest pitcher. Cam McDonald again got into the action with two base hit rbis, one in the sixth and one in the eighth. Kellen Sarver followed up with a an rbi double scoring McDonald. To cap things off, the Illini received some more help from the opposing pitching as Jacob Campbell scored on a passed ball.
Fighting Illini Recap | Box Score
Illinois 4 Sacred Heart 0
The Illinois pitching really came though against Sacred Heart on Sunday. Cyrillo Watson pitched six shutout innings while striking out eight batters. Jimmy Burnette, Ryan Schmitt and Aidan Maldonado finished the game with nary a run scored.
Illinois only hit safely four times but found creative ways to score. Sacred Heart’s defense didn’t help their cause either as only two of Illinois’ runs were earned. Illinois scored a run each in the 4th through 7th innings. Branden Comia’s basehit rbi in the fifth drove home Jack Yalowitz.
Zac Taylor doubled twice.
Fighting Illini Recap | Box Score
As mentioned before, Coach Hartleb isn’t afraid to try different lineups in these early games. Freshman Cam McDonald had a great weekend going 4 for 10 and driving in some key runs. Veterans Michael Massey and Zac Taylor didn’t surprise anyone by doing well. Taylor led the Illini with six hits with two doubles and homer. Massey went 4 for 11 with a couple runs scored.
Described as a “high impact freshman”, Branden Comia (above) is already proving his worth. Comia went 4 for 13 this weekend. Worth mentioning is that Comia played second base all three games and Massey was the DH. That has the first time that Michael has not played the keystone position since he’s joined the team.
So far, the Illini have stolen ten bases in three games. Coach Christ may be a little liberal with the green light in these early games or perhaps, our guys might just be a little speedier this year.
Next up
Coming up this weekend, it’s a three-game series against ONE team. Illinois will be taking on Florida Atlantic University on February 22, 23 and 24. Game time at Boca Raton on Friday is 5:30pm CT.
Way to go, Illini!