Illinois Wesleyan 2007 Baseball Stories

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June 5
Junior second baseman Ricky Angel has been chosen as the “Most Valuable Player” for the 2007 Illinois Wesleyan baseball team. Angel hit .452, had a school-record 75 hits, 10 home runs and his 19 doubles and 54 runs batted in is second most in an IWU season. With 200 career hits, Angel is within striking distance of the school career mark of 222, set by Mick Curran from 2002-05. In other team awards, sophomore lefthander Matt Aronson was chosen as the team’s “Most Valuable Pitcher," sophomore outfielder Bob Huppert was chosen as the “Most Improved Player” and senior catcher Josh Bidzinski was tabbed as the “Best Defensive Player.” Freshman shortstop Mike Cunningham and freshman first baseman Casey McIntosh shared the “Top Newcomer” award. For the third straight season, senior infielder Pat McWilliams earned the “Titan Award,” which is given for hustle and competitive attitude. Head coach Dennis Martel, whose 19-year record is 507-330-3, awarded letters to 28 players.

May 29
Illinois Wesleyan junior second baseman Ricky Angel has been chosen as a first team All-American on the squads selected by the American Baseball Coaches Association and his teammate, sophomore lefthander Matt Aronson, was chosen to the second team. Angel, a first team all-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin and all-Central Region selection, batted .452, tied for 14th in the national Division III statistics through May 20 and the third best in an IWU season. He had a school-record 75 hits, 10 home runs and his 19 doubles and 54 runs batted in is second most in an IWU season. He had a .771 slugging percentage, ninth best in Division III, and scored 40 runs. Aronson, also a first team all-CCIW and all-region pick, was 8-0 with a school-record 0.85 earned run average, second best in Division III this season. He had 70 strikeouts, fourth best in a Titan season.
Outfielder James Rinne is the only other IWU player to earn first team ABCA All-American honors when he was chosen in 1997. Among the Titans chosen as second team ABCA All-Americans are outfielder Nick Chilczenkowski (2006), pitcher Cory Lapinski (2005), pitcher Steve Schilsky (2001), catcher Jay Ahrendt (1996) and pitcher Brett Robinson (1986). Also in 2001, second baseman Ryan Gilfillan was named to the third team of the ABCA All-American squads.
IWU also swept the 2007 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Central Region awards, with Angel being named “Hitter of the Year” and Aronson “Pitcher of the Year.” Angel was named first on seven-of-11 ballots while Aronson was first on six-of-11. Earlier, Angel was named to the first team of the D3baseball.com All-American team while Aronson was on the second team.

May 23
More baseball honors have been bestowed on Illinois Wesleyan junior second baseman Ricky Angel and sophomore lefthanded pitcher Matt Aronson. Angel was named to the first team of the D3baseball.com All-American team while Aronson was chosen to the second team. Both were chosen to the first team of the American Baseball Coaches Association Central Region squad while senior pitchers Robert Inzinga and Travis Myers were third team all-region choices. Angel batted .452, tied for 14th in the national Division III statistics through May 20 and the third best in an IWU season. He had a school-record 75 hits, 10 home runs and his 19 doubles and 54 runs batted in is second most in an IWU season. He had a .771 slugging percentage, ninth best in Division III, and scored 40 runs. Aronson was 8-0 with an ERA of 0.85, second best in Division III and an IWU record. Inzinga was 6-3 overall and posted a 2.86 ERA. Myers tied for 11th in the nation with seven saves, all in CCIW games. Overall he had a 3-1 record with a 1.72 earned run average. His 24 appearances was a school season record and he was second with the seven saves. The Titans were 32-13 overall and advanced to the NCAA Division III regional for the third time in the last four years.

May 22
Illinois Wesleyan junior second baseman Ricky Angel was named "Player of the Year", sophomore lefthander Matt Aronson was named "Pitcher of the Year" and Dennis Martel was the co-winner of the "Coach of the Year" honors in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin for baseball in 2007. Angel led the league in average (.480), hits (36), and home runs (8) while Aronson was 5-0 with a league-best 0.69 ERA. The Titans were 20-1 in winning the regular season CCIW title and set a record for wins in a league season. Jesse Foster (5-0, 1.69 ERA) was also named to the first team of the all-league squads while earning second team honors were seniors Mike Berry (led CCIw with 22 runs), Robert Inzinga (5-1, 2.45 ERA) and Travis Myers (led league with seven saves and 13 appearances).

May 17
The Illinois Wesleyan baseball team's season came to an end with a 6-5 loss to Augustana in the NCAA Division III Regional on Thurs., May 17 at Horenberger Field. The Titans, who finish with a 32-13 record, battled back from a 3-0 deficit to tie the game at 3-3 in the fourth and also from being down 5-3 to tie the game at 5-5 in the ninth on a hit by Bob Huppert. IWU had 13 hits including three from Huppert and two each from Mike Berry, Nate Rittenberry and Tim McInerney but the Titans left 11 men on base. Travis Myers took the loss, his first in four decisions, and starter Matt Aronson struck out seven in 8 2/3 innings.

May 16
The Illinois Wesleyan Titans surrendered five runs in the eighth inning and lost, 11-7, to Webster in the first round of the NCAA Division III regional tournament at IWU's Jack Horenberger Field on Wed., May 16. The Titans fell to 32-12 and will play Augustana, who lost to Luther, at noon on Thurs., May 17. IWU pounded out 11 hits in the game, including two from freshman shortstop Mike Cunningham and junior Nate Rittenberry, who each also had two runs batted in. Jesse Foster was the Titans' starter and allowed five runs and Alex Tosi and Travis Myers both pitched in relief and allowed three runs each.

May 11
The Illinois Wesleyan baseball team was taken out of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin tournament with a 7-2 loss to Augustana on Fri., May 11 at Horenberger Field. The Titans (32-11) lost earlier in the day to Carthage, 10-3. IWU had a 2-0 lead over the Vikings in the fifth inning when Augustana tied the issue at 2-2 before breaking it open with five runs in the sixth. Tim Marzec came off the bench to smack a double while Ricky Angel and Casey McIntosh each had two of IWU's nine hits. Augustana will play Carthage on Sat., May 12 for the CCIW automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

May 11
The Illinois Wesleyan Titans fell into the losers' bracket of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin tournament after a 10-3 loss to Carthage on Fri., May 11 at Horenberger Field. The Titans (32-10) were ahead 2-0 before the Red Men plated six runs in the sixth, add two more in the seventh and one each in the eighth and ninth. Nate Rittenberry and Tim McInerney each had two hits and McInerney had one of the two IWU runs batted in. The Titans will play next at 5 p.m. against the winner of the game between Augustana and Elmhurst.

May 10
The top-seed Illinois Wesleyan baseball team, ranked No. 12 in the nation, defeated Elmhurst, 11-0, in the opening game of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin tournament at Horenberger Field on Thurs., May 10. Matt Aronson scattered six hit in seven innings and improved to 8-0 this season as the Titans upped their record to 32-9. Nate Rittenberry had four hits and three runs batted in and Casey McIntosh also had three runs batted in and two hits as the Titans banged out 17 hits against the Bluejays (16-21). IWU will play at 11 a.m. on Friday, May 11 against the winner of the Augustana-Carthage game.

May 8
The Illinois Wesleyan baseball team, up to No. 12 from No. 22 in the new ABCA Division III poll, defeated Blackburn, 9-3, on Tues., May 8 at Horenberger Field. IWU banged out 14 hits including three from Casey McIntosh, two each from Ricky Angel, Mike Berry, Mike Morrissey and Bob Huppert, who accounted for three runs batted in. Angel had four RBI and a home run. Pat Kirchhofer was the winning pitcher, allowing only one hit in five innings. The Titans host the CCIW tournament beginning with an IWU game against No. 4 seed Elmhurst at 3 p.m. Thursday, May 10.

May 5
The Illinois Wesleyan baseball team finished with a 20-1 record in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin with a twinbill sweep at Elmhurst on Sat., May 5. The Titans beat the Bluejays, 6-1 and 12-1, and topped the old mark of 19-2 set by Carthage in 2006. IWU (30-9 overall) got solid winning pitching performances from Matt Aronson and Robert Inzinga while getting offensive support from Josh Bidzinski, who had a two-run homer in the first game, Nate Rittenberry with a two-run double in the opener, and Tim McInerney with a homer in game two. IWU hosts Blackburn on May 8 and will host the CCIW tournament beginning with an IWU game against the No. 4 seed at 3 p.m. Thursday, May 10.

May 4
Illinois Wesleyan rallied with two unearned runs in the bottom of the ninth to down Elmhurst, 6-5, at Horenberger Field on Friday, May 4. The Titans improved to 28-9 overall and 18-1 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin and will play a doubleheader at Elmhurst on Sat., May 5. IWU managed only six hits in the game with two coming from designated hitter Bob Huppert, who had a double and a run batted in. Zack Krulac was the winning pitcher as he worked the ninth inning. Starting pitcher Jesse Foster allowed 10 hits and three earned runs in his six innings of work.

May 3
In the Fourth Annual Bass-Horenberger Classic, Illinois Wesleyan defeated Illinois State, 3-2, on Thursday, May 3 in Normal. The Titans plated single runs in the second, fourth and seventh and got a solid starting pitching performance from freshman Alex Tosi, who improved to 4-1 as he went 6 1/3 innings and scattered eight hits. Freshman Sean McCreary pitched 2 2/3 innings and allowed no Redbird hits to collect the save. IWU improved to 27-9 overall and tied the IWU-ISU series at 2-2. The Titans resume College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play Friday, May 4 with a single game at home against Elmhurst at 5 p.m.

May 2
The No. 22-ranked Illinois Wesleyan Titans improved to 26-9 with a 2-1, 12 inning win at Rockford on Wed., May 2. The Titans (who got five hits in the game) scored unearned runs in the eighth and the 12th innings and the Regents (who got four hits) scored their lone run, also unearned, in the eighth. Starter Pat Kirchhofer pitched 7 1/3 innings and allowed only one hit while striking out nine. Travis Myers allowed three hits in 2 2/3 innings and Marty Roche pitched two hitless innings. IWU plays Division I Illinois State at 6 p.m. on Thurs., May 3 at Redbird Field in Normal.

April 29
The conference champion Illinois Wesleyan baseball team lost for the first time in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, dropping a 7-0 decision to Augustana at Horenberger Field on Sunday, April 29. The No. 22-ranked Titans fell to 25-9 overall and 17-1 in the CCIW but have already clinched the regular season title. Tim McInerney had two of IWU's five hits in the shutout as the Vikings jumped on starter Robert Inzinga (5-2) for five runs on six hits and three walks in four innings. IWU plays a non-league game at Rockford on Wed., May 2 at 6 p.m.

April 28
The Illinois Wesleyan baseball team clinched the regular season championship in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin by winning a pair of games, 4-2 and 13-4, at Augustana on Saturday, April 28. The two wins also made coach Dennis Martel's career record move to 500-325-2. Mike Berry had two hits and a two-run fifth inning home run in game one as Matt Aronson improved to 6-0 and Travis Myers collected his seventh save. Tim McInerney and Ricky Angel each had three hits as the Titans banged out 14 hits to back the pitching of Jesse Foster, who improved to 5-2. IWU is 25-8 overall and 17-0 in the CCIW and will host Augustana (23-10, 9-8 CCIW) in a single game today at Horenberger Field at noon.

April 24
Senior centerfielder Mike Berry laid down a squeeze bunt to knock home Robert Inzinga as the winning run and cap a rally from a 9-0 deficit after 4 1/2 innings to give the No. 22-ranked Titans a 10-9 win over Concordia Chicago on Tues., April 24 at Horenberger Field. Travis Myers, the ninth of nine IWU pitchers, was the winner as IWU improved to 23-8 overall. Berry and Ricky Angel each had three hits and three runs batted in while Kraig Ladd, Pat McWilliams, Nate Rittenberry and Mike Morrissey each had two hits as IWU pounded out 18 hits and scored three in the seventh, two in the eighth and thre

IWU's Jesse Foster (shown), a sophomore from Homewood, Ill., and Homewood-Flossmoor High School, was named "Pitcher of the Week" in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. He pitched a nine-inning complete game four-hitter, striking out five in a 7-0 win over Carthage on April 20. In a 92-pitch effort, Foster walked only one and surrendered one extra base hit and the Red Men only got one runner to third base. He got 15 ground ball out from Carthage who came into the game hitting .333.

April 21
The Illinois Wesleyan baseball team finished off a three-game sweep of Carthage with a pair of 5-2 wins at Horenberger Field on Saturday, April 21. In game one, Ricky Angel had three hits and blasted two home runs, driving in three to support the combined six-hitter from Matt Aronson (5-0) and Travis Myers. Angel also had three hits and two RBI in game two as Robert Inzinga pitched 7 2/3 innings and allowed four hits while Myers worked the last 1 1/3 innings and earned his sixth save. Mike Berry and Nate Rittenberry each had two hits in game two as the Titans improved to 22-8 overall and 15-0 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. The Red Men fell to 17-11, 9-5 CCIW. The Titans host Concordia (Ill.) in a non-league game on Tuesday, April 24 at 6 p.m.

April 20
The Illinois Wesleyan baseball team, behind the four-hit shutout pitching of Jesse Foster, took the first game of a three-game of a series against Carthage, 7-0, at Horenberger Field on Friday, April 20. Mike Berry and Ricky Angel each had two hits for IWU (20-8, 13-0 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin) and Nate Rittenberry drove home two runs to help head coach Dennis Martel celebrate his birthday with a win. Foster struck out five and walked only one against the Red Men (17-9, 9-3 CCIW) and faced 30 batters. The two teams will play a doubleheader at noon on Sat., April 21 at IWU.

April 19
The Illinois Wesleyan baseball team's 15 game winning streak ended at the hands of No. 10-ranked Washington U., 5-1, at Horenberger Field on Thurs., April 19. IWU got two hits each from Ricky Angel, Casey McIntosh and Nate Rittenberry, who had a double. Pat Kirchhofer pitched seven innings and was the losing pitcher as the Titans fell to 19-8. IWU will host Carthage in a three-game College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin series beginning at 6 p.m. Friday at Horenberger Field.

April 17
The Illinois Wesleyan baseball team has won 15 in a row after a 10-8 home field win over Monmouth on Tuesday, April 17. The Titans, now 19-7, got four runs batted in from Bob Huppert and two from Ricky Angel, who had four hits. Casey McIntosh had three hits and his fellow freshman, Marty Roche, was the winning pitcher, throwing two innings of shutout ball.

April 17
Illinois Wesleyan sophomore Matt Aronson was chosen "Pitcher of the Week" and Ricky Angel repeats as "Player of the Week" in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. Aronson earned the honor for the second time this season as he went 2-0 and has not allowed an earned run in 40 innings this year. He tossed a one-hitter and fanned 10 in IWU's 3-0 win over Millikin, then pitched six innings in a 2-1 win at North Park. Angel batted .500 (11 of 22) with a 1.364 slugging percentage. He had five home runs, two doubles, a triple and knocked home eight runs. he had a .556 on base percentage and scored eight times.

April 16
The Illinois Wesleyan baseball win streak is 14 after an 8-0 win over Millikin on Monday, April 16 at Sunnyside Park in Decatur. The Titans are 18-7 overall and 12-0 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. Alex Tosi allowed three hits and struck out six in seven innings of work as the starting pitcher and got all the offensive support he needed from Kevin Goshorn, who slammed a three-run home run and also knocked home two more runs with a single.

April 15
The Illinois Wesleyan baseball team remained perfect in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin with a 6-0 shutout of North Park on Sunday, April 15, in Chicago. The Titans, with a 13-game winning streak, are 17-7 overall and 11-0 in the CCIW. Jesse Foster improved to 3-2 with the pitching decision, allowing only six hits and striking out four in eight innings. Ricky Angel belted two home runs and Mike Berry had two runs batted in. Mike Cunningham had three hits in the win and John Kratzmeyer had two hits. The Titans will play a makeup game at Millikin on Monday, April 16, at 5 p.m.

April 14
The Illinois Wesleyan baseball team has a 12 game winning streak and improved to 16-7 overall and 10-0 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin with a pair of wins at North Park on Sat., April 14 in Chicago. The Titans took game one, 2-1, as Matt Aronson struck out three and allowed only two hits in six innings for the win. Travis Myers got his fourth save as Aronson has now pitched 40 innings without allowing an earned run this year. Robert Inzinga scattered seven hits in the nightcap in a 5-1win and got offensive help from Ricky Angel and Tim McInerney with three hits each while Nate Rittenberry and Mike Berry each had two. Angel drove in three runs. The Titans and Vikings conclude the series on Sun., April 15 at 1 p.m.

April 10
The Illinois Wesleyan baseball winning streak is 10 as the Titans improved to 14-7 overall and 8-0 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin with a pair of victories over North Central on Tuesday, April 10 at Horenberger Field. Freshman Alex Tosi allowed four hits in 5 1/3 innings and Travis Myers got the save as the Titans won game one, 3-0. IWU got two unearned runs in the first inning and a home run from junior Ricky Angel. IWU won the nightcap, 5-1, as freshman Casey McIntosh blasted a pair of homers and had four RBI to back the eight-inning, four hit pitching of Pat Kirchhofer. Myers worked a scoreless ninth inning. IWU plays next at Millikin on Wed., April 11 at 3:30 p.m.

April 10
Ricky Angel of Illinois Wesleyan and Jordan Higgins of North Park earned College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Co-Hitter of the Week honors, while North Central’s Justin Rezzuto was named Pitcher of the Week Tuesday after their performances during the previous week of competition. Angel, a junior second baseman from Glen Ellyn, Ill., and Glenbard West High School, was six-for-nine in two games as Illinois Wesleyan defeated Wheaton and North Central to improve to 4-0 in the CCIW. Angel had three doubles, one home run and seven RBI, a 1.333 slugging percentage, and a .700 on-base percentage. He was two-for-four with three RBI in Illinois Wesleyan’s 9-7 win at North Central on April 6 and he was four-for-five with four RBI in the Titans’ 7-2 home win over Wheaton.

April 9
The Illinois Wesleyan baseball team ran its winning streak to eight games with a doubleheader sweep of Millikin on Monday, April 9 at Horenberger Field. The Titans got a one-hitter from Matt Aronson in the first game, winning 3-0, then came from behind to top the Big Blue in the nightcap, 5-1. Aronson struck out 10 and ran his streak of innings without an earned run this season to 34. Jesse Foster got the pitching win in game two with a save from Travis Myers as IWU improved to 12-7 overall, 6-0 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. Nate Rittenberry had three hits in the opener and Casey McIntosh had two hits in the nightcap, which featured a home run by Ricky Angel and the go-ahead run batted in from Bob Huppert. The Titans host North Central at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, April 10 in a doubleheader make up of postponed games from April 7.

April 6
The Illinois Wesleyan baseball team won its sixth straight game with a 9-7 decision over North Central in bitter cold Naperville on Fri., April 6. The Titans improved to 10-7 overall and are 4-0 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin while the Cardinals are 6-12, 1-5 CCIW. Senior centerfielder Mike Berry had four hits and drove home two runs and freshman shortstop Mike Cunningham also knocked home a pair of runs as did junior second baseman Ricky Angel with a second inning double. Robert Inzinga was the winning pitcher and improved to 3-1 while Travis Myers got his first save by tossing 1 2/3 hitless innings of relief. The Titans and Cardinals continue the series with a noon doubleheader at IWU's Horenberger Field on Sat., April 7.

April 2
Illinois Wesleyan junior second baseman Ricky Angel had four hits, including a two-run home run and a double, and knocked home four runs as the Titans downed Wheaton, 7-2, on Mon., April 2 in Bloomington. The Titans improved to 9-7 overall and 3-0 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin while the Thunder is 5-7-1 and 0-3 in the CCIW. Righthander Jesse Foster picked up the pitching decision, going eight innings and allowing seven hits while striking out eight. Tim McInerney and Mike Cunningham each had two hits and Casey McIntosh belted a solo home run in the win. The Titans host Millikin in a 3 p.m. doubleheader on Tues., April 3.

March 31
Illinois Wesleyan opened its College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin season with two one-run wins at Wheaton on Sat., March 31. The Titans won game one, 3-2, on a two-run, two-out seventh inning homer by Tim McInerney to support the eight-hit, eight-strikeout pitching of Robert Inzinga (2-1). The Titans (8-7, 2-0 CCIW) won game two, 2-1, in 10 innings as Mike Berry had three hits and an RBI and Nate Rittenberry had two hits. Casey McIntosh had a sacrifice fly for the eventual winning run. Matt Aronson struck out eight in eight innings and Travis Myers (2-0) picked up the win in relief over the Thunder (5-6-1, 0-2 CCIW). IWU hosts Wheaton at 3:30 p.m. Monday, April 2.

March 28
On a soggy afternoon in Bloomington, the Illinois Wesleyan baseball team put a 4-1 game out of reach with a nine-run sixth inning to defeat Wabash, 13-2, on Wed., March 28 at Horenberger Field. Freshman Casey McIntosh had three hits, including a grand slam in the sixth, and seven runs batted in (tied for fourth most in an IWU single game). Mike Berry, Tim McInerney and Mike Cunningham each had two hits with Berry getting three RBI and Cunningham two. Freshman Geoff Page was the winning pitcher as IWU used seven hurlers in the seven-inning game. IWU opens league play with a doubleheader at Wheaton on March 31.

March 27
Illinois Wesleyan sophomore lefthander Matt Aronson earned “Pitcher of the Week” honors in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin after his performances during the previous week of competition. Aronson went 2-0 and didn’t allow a run in 12 innings in helping Illinois Wesleyan go 4-3 on its southern trip. He struck out 13, allowed six hits and opponents batted only .146 against him. He pitched seven innings as the Titans beat Mississippi College, 18-0 on Monday, March 19, and tossed five innings as Illinois Wesleyan beat Clarke, 21-0 on Saturday, March 24.

March 25
The Illinois Wesleyan baseball team split its final two games of its spring trip, losing to Fontbonne, 3-1, before winning by a 12-2 margin in St. Louis on Sun., March 25. After being limited to eight scattered hits in the opener (two from Mike Berry), IWU got 11 hits in the nightcap including home runs from freshmen Casey McIntosh and Geoff Page and doubles from Nate Rittenberry, Josh Bidzinski and Bob Huppert. Alex Tosi was the winning pitcher, allowing one hit and striking out seven in four innings. The Titans open their home campaign on Wed., March 28 with a 4:30 p.m. single game against Wabash.

March 24
The Illinois Wesleyan baseball team hammered out 20 hits in a 21-0 shutout of Clarke on Sat., March 24 in St. Louis. IWU improved to 4-6 while Clarke fell to 3-10. Six Titans had multiple hit games including freshman Kraig Ladd, who had a double, a home run, and two runs batted in. Freshman Geoff Page also had a double and three runs batted in. Matt Aronson was the winning pitcher, striking out six in five innings in moving his record to 2-0. IWU plays a doubleheader at Fontbonne at 10 a.m. in St. Louis.

March 22
Illinois Wesleyan improved to 3-6 with an 18-9 win in 11 innings at Christian Brothers in Memphis, Tenn., on Thurs., March 22. The Titans plated 11 runs in the top of the 11th to snap a 7-7 tie. Junior Nate Rittenberry had two doubles and six runs batted in and junior Ricky Angel had two hits and three RBI. Junior Tim McInerney and freshman Casey McIntosh each had three hits to pace the offense and IWU took advantage of six errors by Christian Brothers (18-11). Senior Travis Myers (1-0) got the pitching victory for IWU, who will play Clarke at 9 a.m. on Sat., March 24 in St. Louis.

March 21
Illinois Wesleyan scored three runs in the eighth to rally from a 7-2 deficit, but lost 7-5 to Rhodes on Wed., March 21 in Memphis, Tenn. Mike Berry and Ricky Angel each had two hits for the Titans (2-6) and freshman Casey McIntosh had a two-run double in the eighth. Freshman starter Alex Tosi struck out five in three innings and Patrick Kirchhofer struck out four in 2 2/3 innings of relief work. Rhodes improved to 22-2. IWU stays in Memphis and plays at Christian Brothers at 2 p.m. on Thurs., March 22.

March 20
A two-game winning streak was ended when the Illinois Wesleyan University baseball team fell to No. 13-ranked Millsaps, 11-6, in Jackson, Miss., on Tues., March 20. Ricky Angel and Casey McIntosh each got two of the 10 hits amassed by the Titans (now 2-5) against the Majors (16-5). Jesse Foster lasted only into the fourth inning as the starting pitcher and was tagged for eight runs on nine hits with four walks. The IWU Southern trip continues with a game against Rhodes in Memphis, Tenn., at 3 p.m. on Wed., March 21.

March 19
The Illinois Wesleyan baseball team improved to 2-4 with an 18-0 pounding of Mississippi College in Jackson, Miss., on Monday, March 19. Matt Aronson scattered five hits and struck out seven in seven innings and got offensive support from Mike Berry, who had three hits and three runs batted in; Ricky Angel with three hits; and Tim Marzec, who had two hits, drove in three runs and scored three times. Mike Cunningham and Tim McInerney also had two hits in the Titans’ 14-hit attack. IWU continues their Southern swing by playing Millsaps at 4 p.m. on Tues., March 20.

March 17
Illinois Wesleyan senior Robert Inzinga limited the Beavers to just four hits in seven innings as the Titans got their first baseball win of the season in a 10-0 rout of Blackburn on Sat., March 17 in Jackson, Miss. Inzinga (1-1) struck out six and walked only one. He got offensive support from freshman Mike Cunningham, who had two doubles and drove in three runs, while freshman Casey McIntosh and senior Josh Bidzinski each had three hits and junior Ricky Angel had two. The Titans (1-4) continue their spring trip with a single game at Mississippi College on Monday, March 19 at 6 p.m.

March 10
The Illinois Wesleyan baseball team fell to 0-4 this season after a doubleheader loss at Rose-Hulman in Terre Haute, Ind., on Sat., March 10. The Titans lost the opener, 1-0, then dropped the nightcap, 13-6. In game one, Tim McInerney and Ricky Angel each had two of the Titans' eight hits as IWU held the Engineers scoreless on six hits in the first eight innings. In game two, Angel had three hits, McInerney had two and Casey McIntosh added two hits. Rose-Hulman broke open a 6-6 tie with seven runs in their final two at bats. IWU will next meet Blackburn on Sat., March 17 in Jackson, Miss., to begin their weeklong Southern trip.

March 5
The Illinois Wesleyan baseball season got off on a sour note with two losses at Greenville, Ill., on Monday, March 5. The Titans lost game one, 3-1, and fell in the nightcap, 2-1, in eight innings. In game one, senior Robert Inzinga pitched four innings and stuck out five, allowing only two earned runs as Tim McInerney contributed two of IWU's three hits. Sophomore Matt Aronson stuck out six and allowed no hits in four innings of game two as junior Ricky Angel had two hits and Tim Marzec had one to account for all the Titan safeties. IWU plays another doubleheader at Rose-Hulman on Sat., March 10 in preparation for the spring trip March 17-24.

February 21
The Illinois Wesleyan University baseball team, coached by Dennis Martel, has been picked to finish third in the 2007 preseason College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin coaches poll. The Titans received 37 votes and were picked to finish behind Carthage (48 points, six first place votes) and Augustana (44, two first place votes). The Titans, who were 28-14 overall and 14-7 in the CCIW last season, open their campaign on Sat., March 3 with a doubleheader at Greenville.

January 2007
The Illinois Wesleyan baseball team will open its season on Sat., March 3 with a doubleheader at Greenville. The Titans, who were 28-14 overall and 14-7 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin last season, will also play a twinbill at Rose-Hulman on Sat., March 10 before embarking on the annual Southern trip. IWU's first home game is Wed., March 28 at 4:30 p.m. vs. Wabash.