Romeoville, Ill. – Lewis University head baseball coach
Tim McDonough didn't let up on the gas pedal when creating his 2014 schedule after reaching the NCAA Tournament for the second-straight season in 2013.
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The target on the Flyers back seems to be even bigger after being selected to win the 2014 Great Lakes Valley Conference East Division by conference coaches, after putting together a 33-18 overall record in 2013 and was 23-10 in league contests.
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"We are going to get a pretty good sense of where we are in the region early on," McDonough said. "It certainly feels good to be picked in the preseason as number one, but we still have to go out and compete day in and out to accumulate as many wins as we can."
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Despite graduating 2013 All-GLVC selections in pitcher
Matt Frahm (McLean, Ill./Olympia), pitcher/first baseman
Michael Schroeder (Crown Point, Ind./North Newton) and catcher
Brian Norwood (Medinah, Ill./Lake Park), the Flyers reloaded in every area of the field.
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Senior pitcher
Tom Helwich (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln Way Central), who was selected as a preseason
Collegiate Baseball All-American, heads to the mound after collecting a GLVC-leading 10 wins with a 1.95 earned-run average in 2013. Last season, he was named as an All-GLVC First Team selection, as well as a Daktronics All-Midwest Region and American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) All-Midwest Region First Team honoree as he collected 72 strikeouts in 97.0 innings pitched.
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Junior
Phil Warner (South Elgin, Ill./St. Charles North), senior
Kendall Paluch (Joliet, Ill./Joliet Catholic) and newcomer
Eann Cox (Erie, Ill./Erie) join Helwich to round out the weekend starters. Warner returns to the rotation healthy after collecting a 2-1 record and four saves with a 2.34 ERA in 17 appearances on the mound.
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Paluch, who saw a lot of innings as a middle relief pitcher in his first season with the Flyers, collected a 4-2 record with five starts, including a complete-game victory over Indianapolis (May 5). He also fanned 20 batters over 38.2 innings pitched.
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Cox heads to the Flyers after being named as the 2013 Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League Pitcher of the Year, after he compiled a 6-0 record with a 2.11 ERA in eight starts and fanned a league-high 64 batters in 55.1 innings pitched over the summer.
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Cox also helped Black Hawk College to back-to-back Arrowhead Conference and Sectional titles in 2012 and 2013. The 2013 All-Conference pitcher and infielder put together a 6-4 record on the mound with a 1.82 ERA with 80 strikeouts. At the plate, Cox hit .370 with eight doubles and 36 RBI.
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The Flyers return a solid stable of relievers in senior
Cory Bonner (Dripping Springs, Texas/Dripping Springs), junior
Dylan Cysewski (Crystal Lake, Ill./Crystal Lake Central) and sophomores
Nick Davito (Crest Hill, Ill./Lockport) and
Joel Rotkvich (Crestwood, Ill./St. Laurence). Senior
Kegan Banks (Dripping Springs, Texas/Dripping Springs) returns to the Lewis relief corps after using a redshirt season in 2013.
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Lewis added four more arms in College of DuPage transfer
Kyle Klosak (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North) and freshmen
Sam Couch (Bolingbrook, Ill./Joliet Catholic),
Brad Elmore (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) and
James Holub (Waconda, Ill./Wauconda).
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The Flyers have a veteran presence behind the plate in seniors
Kyle Kapka (Mount Prospect, Ill./Prospect) and
Kyle Thomas (Homer Glen, Ill./Providence Catholic) looking to split playing time, either managing the pitching staff or as a designated hitter in Coach McDonough's line-up.
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Kapka, a two-time All-GLVC selection, hit .303 with 40 hits, including 14 for extra bases, while batting in 26 runs for the Flyers last season. Thomas hit .262 collecting 16 hits and 12 RBI for the Flyers in 2013. Â
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"Both Kapka and Thomas are capable to run the staff and do well at the plate," McDonough said. "It is nice to have two seniors that you can count on to be leaders."
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The Flyer outfield is the strongest area heading into the 2014 season, as senior All-GLVC selections
Jake Murray (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North) and
Ben Albano (West Dundee, Ill./Jacobs) will handle the corners while classmate
Alex Slaby (Davenport, Iowa/Davenport West) controls centerfield.
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Murray, a 2014
Collegiate Baseball preseason All-American selection, paced the conference in slugging percentage (.623) while hitting 10 home runs and 15 doubles. He was named to the ABCA Midwest Region Second Team and the 2013 NCAA Midwest Regional Tournament Team.
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Albano put together a strong season for the Flyers in 2013, collecting 14 multi-hit games while hitting .305 over 50 contests. He was second on the squad in both seven homers (7) and hits (54).
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Slaby put together a .292 average, with 31 hits in 106 at-bats in his first season with the Flyers. Opponents also felt his impact on the base paths, as Slaby was second on the team with 11 stolen bases in 13 attempts.
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A quartet of reserves are also waiting in the wings to contribute in the outfield for the Flyers, including junior
Kane Lombardo (Forest Park, Ill./Nazareth), senior
J.C. Burrell (Cottage Grove, Minn./Park) and sophomore
Austin Mastela (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport) combined for 13 starts. Speedy newcomer
Josh Walinski (Wauconda, Ill./Carmel) could see playing time as a pinch runner as well.
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"It is going to be a challenge to get everyone on the field," McDonough said. "Between the entire group, the top three guys have earned their position, but we don't feel we will miss much if one needs a day off here or there."
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All-GLVC honorees senior second baseman
Drew Buddle (Bartlett, Ill./South Elgin) and junior shortstop
Mike Barajas (Chicago, Ill./Nazareth) return to run the infield for the Flyers. Buddle hit .292, tallying 50 hits, including 14 doubles, and 39 RBI while nabbing seven stolen bases.
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Barajas finished with 2013 a .311 batting average, collected 46 hits, including 14 extra base knocks.
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At first base, sophomore
Joe Sparacio (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield Central) picked up valuable playing experience when Schroeder took to the mound in 2013. Sparacio tallied a .269 average, scoring 10 runs while knocking in six RBI.
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Pushing Sparacio for playing time at first base is transfer
Brandon Collins (Tinley Park, Ill./Lincoln Way North). Collins, who missed 2013 with an injury, hit .400 with 58 hits, 13 doubles, five triples, two home runs, 30 runs batted in and 20 stolen bases in 2012 for Moraine Valley Community College.
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Vying for the starting position at third base are senior
Marshall Escue (Washington, Ill./Washington Community), junior
Mark Kornacker (Lemont, Ill./Lemont) and Rotkvich.
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"Third base is probably the one position on the field where we don't have a final answer," McDonough said. "I think the competition between the three will breed a high level of play at the position."
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The Lewis baseball team will escape the snowy, cold tundra of Illinois and head south to Nashville, Tenn., to open the 2014 campaign on Friday, Feb. 21st against Trevecca Nazarene with a 6:30 PM first pitch.
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The Flyers will also face Union (Feb. 22) and Ohio Dominican (Feb. 23) in Nashville before heading to Winter Haven, Fla., for their annual Florida Spring Break trip. Â While in Florida, Lewis will clash with regional schools Wayne State, Tiffin and Findlay, as well as 2013 NCAA Midwest Region Tournament opponents Ashland and Grand Valley State.