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June 14
Mick Curran and Cory Lapinski have been chosen as the co-winners of the “Most Valuable Player” award and Rob Blumberg was named the “Most Valuable Pitcher” for the 2004 Illinois Wesleyan baseball team. Curran and Lapinski also shared the “Best Defensive” award for the Titans, who finished 28-19, won the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin title and advanced to the NCAA D-III regional tourney. Curran hit .383 with five home runs, 14 doubles and 36 RBI. Lapinski led IWU with a .397 average and set IWU records with 73 hits and 184 at bats. Blumberg was 6-1 with a 3.32 ERA and one complete game. In other team honors, Nick Chilczenkowski was named the team’s “Most Improved Player”, freshmen pitchers Travis Myers and Robert Inzinga shared the “Top Newcomer” award, and Josh Bidzinski earned the “Titan Award,” which is given for hustle and competitive attitude.
May 21
Top-seeded Illinois Wesleyan bowed out of the NCAA Division III regional tournament, falling 6-3 to Blackburn on Fri., May 21, at Horenberger Field. The Titans' season ended with a 28-19 record. Against Blackburn, Cory Lapinski, Dave Dobosz, Jason Shearn and Mick Curran each had two hits and Nick Chilczenkowsi smashed a solo home run. Rob Blumberg suffered the pitching loss, his first against six victories.
May 20
Aurora University jumped out to a 10-0 lead and, despite a furious rally, Illinois Wesleyan couldn't recover in a 14-7 loss in the first game of the NCAA Division III regional baseball tournament on Thurs., May 20 at IWU's Horenberger Field. Nick Chilczenkowski, Joe Howard, Cory Lapinski all had two hits for the Titans (28-18) and Dave Dobosz drove home three runs while Pat Cinquegrani drove in two runs. IWU will gace Blackburn in an elimination game on Fri., May 21, at noon.
May 16
For the second time in four years, the Illinois Wesleyan baseball team will play in the NCAA Division III regional baseball tournament as a result of winning the automatic bid in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. The Titans downed North Central, 10-7, on a ninth inning home run by Nick Chilczenkowski, then defeated Carthage, 5-4, in Sun. (May 16) play at the CCIW tournament in Kenosha, Wis. The Titans lost a second game to Carthage but had amassed enough points in the league system to become the automatic qualifier. IWU (28-17) played in the NCAA Division III tourney in 2001, won the regional and finished seventh in the College World Series.
May 15
The Illinois Wesleyan baseball team split its first two games in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin tournament on Sat., May 15, at Carthage College. The Titans won the opener, 6-1, over North Central and lost, 9-3, to Carthage. In game one, all six IWU runs were unearned and Rob Blumberg pitched a three-hitter, striking out three and allowing just one unearned run. Cory Lapinski and Jason Shearn each had two hits in the win. Joe Howard had two of the Titans' eight hits in the second game of the day. IWU is 26-16 and will face North Central at 9 a.m. on Sun., May 16, with the winner advancing to play Carthage in the championship game.
May 10
Illinois Wesleyan plated four runs in the ninth inning but fell one run short in absorbing a 7-6 non-conference loss to Monmouth on Mon., May 10 at Horenberger Field. With IWU down 7-2, Chuck Nelson started the ninth-inning rally with a two-run homer after Nick Chilczenkowski had singled, and Cory Lapinski also had a two-run single in the final frame. Titan starter Robert Inzinga (2-3) took the pitching loss as the Titans moved to 25-14 overall. Monmouth, who outhit the Titans 13-10, improved to 21-11. Lapinski, Mick Curran and Chilczenkowski each had two hits for the Titans. IWU has added one more game in advance of Friday’s conference tourney - the Titans host Aurora (18-17) at 6 p.m. Wed., May 12.
May 9
Illinois Wesleyan, by virtue of winning the regular season title, will be the top seed in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, which will be held at Carthage College May 14-16. The Titans will open with No. 4 seed North Central on Fri., May 14, at 11 a.m. The Titans are 25-13 overall and 16-5 in the CCIW after a 5-3 loss at Carthage on Sun., May 9. Mick Curran drove home two runs and had a base hit as he and Cory Lapinski lead IWU with identical .388 batting averages. The Titans will play Monmouth at 6 p.m. Mon., May 10, at Horenberger Field.
May 8
Illinois Wesleyan swept a doubleheader at Carthage on Sat., May 8, winning the opener, 8-5, and the nightcap, 6-1. The Titans, in sole possession of first place in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin and the top seed in next weekend's conference tournament, scored seven runs in the first inning of game one. Cory Lapinski, Mick Curran, Brian McCabe, and Jason Shearn each had two hits to support Rob Blumberg, who improved to 5-0 as he allowed four hits in 5 2/3 innings. Shearn had two RBI in game one and two more in game two, along with Joe Howard and Dave Dobosz. Drew Himes was the winning pitcher, scattering five hits in 7 1/3 innings. The Titans are 25-12 overall and 16-4 in the CCIW.
May 4
The Illinois Wesleyan baseball team scored 15 runs on 17 hits and moved into sole possession of first place in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin after a 15-8 thumping of Elmhurst on Tues., May 4 at Elmhurst. The Titans are 23-12 overall and 14-4 in the CCIW, a game ahead of Elmhurst and Carthage (who IWU plays three times on the road this weekend). Cory Lapinski, Mick Curran and Jason Shearn each had three hits while Lapinski, Joe Howard, Chuck Nelson, Brian McCabe and Nick Chilczenkowski all had home runs McCabe a three-run homer and Chilczenkowski's was a grand slam. Brandon DuBois improved to 5-0 as he scattered 14 hits and allowed just five earned runs in seven innings.
May 3
Illinois Wesleyan centerfielder Cory Lapinski had three of IWU's six hits in the first game and drove home the winning runs in the bottom of the seventh as the Titans took game one of a doubleheader against Elmhurst on Mon., May 3 at Horenberger Field. The Titans managed only four hits and lost the nightcap, 7-3. Shortstop Pat Cinquegrani had two hits in game two. The Titans are 22-12 and 13-4 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin while Elmhurst is 24-10 overall and also 13-4 in the CCIW. The two teams play a single game Tues., May 4 at Elmhurst at 3 p.m. IWU's scheduled game against Greenville later this week has been cancelled due to a field conflict.
April 28
Illinois Wesleyan scored five runs in the seventh inning to take the lead and relief pitcher Jason Trotter held Blackburn scoreless the rest of the way as the Titans claimed a 14-10 nonconference baseball victory Wed., April 28, at Horenberger Field. Dave Dobosz's three-run double was the highlight of the seventh-inning rally. Dobosz and Brian McCabe each had four RBI. McCabe hit a three-run home run in the fifth. McCabe and Mick Curran each had three of IWU's 14 hits. Trotter (1-1) fanned two and walked two in 2 1/3 innings. The Titans improved to 21-11 while the Beavers dropped to 20-16.
April 27
Illinois Wesleyan rallied from a 4-2 deficit early in the game with one run in the fifth and four in the seventh to take a 7-4 lead into the ninth, but the Titans allowed four ninth inning runs and Benedictine beat IWU, 8-7, in a nonconference game Tues., April 27 at Horenberger Field. The Titans, who got only six hits in the game, fell to 20-11 overall and Benedictine improved to 25-11. Cory Lapinski got two hits, including a double, and Dave Dobosz drove home two runs. Catcher Jason Shearn smacked a solo home run in the third.
April 24-25
In the first game of a doubleheader on April 25, Nick Chilczenkowski (LaFox, Geneva HS) hit a home run in the 11th inning to give Illinois Wesleyan a 3-2 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin win vs. North Park. The Titans then scored five runs in the first inning of game two and breezed to a 15-1 victory as Brandon DuBois (Beecher HS) and Rich Berthold (Elk Grove, Conant HS) combined to pitch a one-hitter. With the twinbill sweep, IWU improved to 20-10 overall and 12-3 in the CCIW while North Park is 2-28-1 and 0-15 in the CCIW. On April 24, IWU eked out a 2-1 win over North Park. The Titans, trailing 1-0 going into the last inning, pushed across the winning run on a wild pitch that scored Chuck Nelson (Elk Grove Village, Conant HS) from third. Nelson singled home Rob Blumberg (Freeburg HS) earlier in the inning. Dave Dobosz (Lombard, Glenbard West HS) was the winner in relief.
April 21
Illinois Wesleyan took a 9-5 decision from Division I Illinois State at Horenberger Field on Wed., April 21. The Titans improved to 17-10 in the inaugural game of the Bass-Horenberger-Bass Classic and the renewal of the series that dates back to 1890. Cory Lapinski had four hits, including a double and a triple. Nick Chilczenkowski, Joe Howard and Dave Dobosz also had two hits each for the Titans and Chilczenkowski had a three-run home run. Starter Rob Blumberg was the winning pitcher, going three no-hit innings to improve to 4-0. The Titans trailed, 1-0, going into the bottom of the third, when they plated five runs. Pat Cinquegrani led off with a single to center field and moved to third on Lapinski's double to left center. Mick Curran then reached on a shortstop error, scoring Cinquegrani. Then Chilczenkowski hit his homer to right center, scoring three more. After Brian McCabe was hit by a pitch, Dobosz singled down the left field line. The fifth run came when McCabe scored on Howard's single to left field. IWU scored two more in the fourth and two in the eighth. With one out in the eighth, Jason Shearn reached on an error by the third baseman, Cinquegrani walked, and Lapinski singled to load the bases. After Curran struck out, Chilczenkowski singled to right field, scoring Cinquegrani and Shearn with unearned runs.
April 20
Illinois Wesleyan managed only six hits against three pitchers in an 8-5 nonconference baseball loss to Illinois College on Tues., April 20, at Horenberger Field. IWU (16-10) received a solo homer from Chuck Nelson in the seventh and a two-run blast from Brian McCabe in the eighth. Pat Cinquegrani had two of the Titans' six hits. Robert Inzinga started for IWU and took the loss, allowing six hits and four runs in four innings.
April 20
Illinois Wesleyan junior third baseman Mick Curran is the co-winner of the “Batter of the Week” award in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin for the week ending April 18. Curran helped the Titans go 4-1 by hitting .571 (12-for 21) with two doubles and three home runs. His slugging percentage was 1.095 and he scored 10 runs and had seven RBI. He also walked three times and had an on-base percentage of .640. Curran shared the award with Millikin’s Eric Stechmesser. Carthage’s Scott Evosevich was the "Pitcher of the Week" as he lowered his NCAA Division III leading ERA to 0.23.
April 17
The Illinois Wesleyan baseball team won a pair of games against Wheaton on Sat., April 17, taking the first game, 10-2, and the second game, 8-4. IWU improved to 16-9 overall and 9-3 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin and the win in game one gave head coach Dennis Martel his 400th coaching victory of his career. Brian McCabe was 3-for-3 in game one with a home run and Cory Lapinski and Joe Howard also homered. Rob Blumberg pitched six strong innings for the win. In game two, Mick Curran had two hits with a home run and Brandon DuBois was the winning hurler.
April 16
Joe Howard was four-for-four with four runs scored and four runs batted in as the Illinois Wesleyan baseball team exploded offensively for a 25-10 win over Wheaton on Fri. (April 16). The Titans are 14-9 overall and 7-3 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. Mick Curran had three hits and drove in four runs and Chuck Nelson was three-for-three with four RBI. Cory Lapinski and Pat Cinquegrani also had three hits each as IWU collected 22 safeties as a team. Travis Myers got the pitching victory in a relief role.
April 15
The Illinois Wesleyan baseball team scored five runs in the first inning and four in the second, cruising to a 14-3 home field win over Washington U. on Thurs., April 15. The Titans got three hits from Dave Dobosz and three from Mick Curran, each of whom hit home runs, as did Cory Lapinski. Freshman Robert Inzinga was the winning pitcher, throwing six innings, scattering eight hits and striking out four. IWU improved to 13-9 overall.
April 14
The Illinois Wesleyan baseball team left 14 men on base and dropped a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin game to Millikin, 8-3, at IWU's Horenberger Field on Wed., April 14. Cory Lapinski smacked a two-run home run in the first inning and Mick Curran had a double and two other hits. Nick Chilczenkowski also had two hits for the Titans, whose record went to 12-9 overall and 6-3 in the CCIW.
April 10
Illinois Wesleyan rallied with three seventh-inning runs to gain an 8-6 win over North Central and complete a three-game weekend sweep over the Cardinals on Sat., April 10, at Horenberger Field. Nick Chilczenkowski had two hits and three runs batted in, Cory Lapinski had two hits and two RBI and Joe Howard had two hits to lead the offense. Rob Blumberg (2-0) allowed two hits in 2 2/3 innings, pitching in relief of Brandon DuBois, to earn the win as the Titans improved to 12-8 overall and 6-2 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin.
April 9
The Illinois Wesleyan baseball team swept a pair of College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin games at North Central, winning by scores of 10-4 and 9-6 on Fri., April 9. In game one, Dave Dobosz had two doubles and drove in five runs to support winning pitcher Drew Himes, who allowed eight hits in six innings. Joe Howard had three hits in the opener. In game two, Pat Cinquegrani had four singles and scored three times as Travis Myers pitched six strong relief innings to earn the decision. The Titans improved to 11-8 overall and 5-2 in the CCIW.
April 7
The Illinois Wesleyan Titans exploded for eight runs in the bottom of the third and breezed to an 11-1 nonconference win over Maryville (Mo.) at Horenberger Field on Wed., April 7. Brian McCabe, Cory Lapinski and Nick Chilczenkowski each had two hits for the Titans, who improved to 9-8 in the game shortened by the 10-run rule. Freshman righthander Mike Berry was the starting and winning pitcher, going three innings and allowing two hits while striking out four.
April 6
In his first start of the season, senior righthander Rob Blumberg pitched six innings of four-hit ball to give the Illinois Wesleyan baseball team a 4-1 win in the second game of a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin doubleheader at Millikin on Wed., April 6. Blumberg struck out three and Dave Dobosz came in in the seventh to earn the save. Joe Howard rapped a single in the second inning that scored two runs and put IWU (8-8, 3-2 CCIW) ahead to stay. The Titans lost game one, 4-3. After tying the game in the top of the seventh on a Jason Shearn sacrifice fly, Millikin plated the winning run in the bottom of the frame after two were out.
April 3
The Illinois Wesleyan baseball team opened its College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin season with a pair of wins over Augustana on Sat., April 3 at Horenberger Field. The Titans took the opener, 6-5, on an eighth-inning hit from Brian McCabe, and rallied with five in the eighth to win the nightcap, 11-8. Drew Himes survived four hit batsmen to scatter six hits and strike out six to earn the win in the first game. Mick Curran had three hits and McCabe had two. In game two, Curran had four runs batted in while Cory Lapinski, Pat Cinquegrani and Nick Chilczenkowski each had three hits to pace a 17-hit attack.
March 31
Despite plating four runs in the top of the ninth, the Illinois Wesleyan baseball team fell short, losing 9-6 in a nonconference game at Monmouth on Wed., March 31. Brian McCabe had three hits, including a two-run ninth inning homer and an RBI double in the third, and Mick Curran also had three hits (two doubles) with a run batted in. The Titans fell to 5-6 with the loss.
March 28
The Illinois Wesleyan baseball team split games on Sat., March 27, in the IWU/Wells Fargo Invitational at Horenberger Field. The Titans downed St. Olaf, 4-2, before losing 7-1 to Rose-Hulman. In the opener, Robert Inzinga, Jason Trotter and Nick Heinz combined to limit the Oles to seven hits. Dave Dobosz had three hits while Brian McCabe and Joe Howard added two each. IWU (5-5) managed just four hits and one unearned run against the Engineers (18-2) in the nightcap. Tournament action for Sun., March 28 was canceled because of expected rainy conditions.
March 27
Drew Himes and Brandon DuBois turned in strong starting pitching performances as the Illinois Wesleyan baseball team won a pair of games in the IWU/Wells Fargo Tournament at Horenberger Field on Fri., March 26. The Titans topped UW-Whitewater, 4-3, as Himes struck out three in 6-2/3 innings. Mick Curran had a homer and Chuck Nelson had a two-run triple. IWU then beat UW-Stevens Point, 4-2 as DuBois fanned four in five innings and got offensive help from Cory Lapinski (two hits, two RBI) and Dave Dobosz (two hits). In a revised tourney schedule, the Titans host St. Olaf at 2:30 p.m. and Rose-Hulman at 5 p.m. on Sat., March 27.
March 23
Illinois Wesleyan's Cory Lapinski has been named "Player of the Week" for baseball in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. The sophomore outfielder from Niles (Maine East HS) batted .545, going 12-for-22, with seven runs scored, four runs batted in and four doubles. He had four multiple hit games, including a four-hit game at Washington U. The Titans host the Illinois Wesleyan/Wells Fargo Invitational March 25-28 at Horenberger Field.
March 20
The Illinois Wesleyan baseball team split a pair of nonconference games at the Washington U. tournament in St. Louis on Sat., March 20. The Titans had 16 hits in an 11-6 win over conference rival Elmhurst before falling, 12-11, to Washington U. in the nightcap when the Bears scored nine runs in the bottom of the seventh. Cory Lapinski had three hits in the opener and four hits in the second game. Dave Dobosz and Brian McCabe also had three hits vs. Elmhurst and McCabe had a three-run homer in the second game. Brandon DuBois got the pitching win for IWU (2-4), whose scheduled games Sun., March 21, vs. Washington and Simpson were canceled.
March 18
Sophomore Nick Chilczenkowski had three hits, including two doubles, and four runs batted in and Illinois Wesleyan had 14 hits as a team but failed to hold onto a late-inning lead and lost, 13-12, at Christian Brothers in Memphis, Tenn., on Thurs., March 18. The Titans (1-3) trailed 7-1 after two innings but battled back to take a 12-9 lead with a 7-run eighth inning. But the Bucs scored twice in the eighth and two more times in the ninth with a walk-off homer off Tod Moore by Andrew Livernois providing the winning run. Chuck Nelson, Cory Lapinski, Mick Curran and Dave Dobosz each had two hits and all had doubles in the eighth inning.
March 4
The Illinois Wesleyan University baseball team opens its 2004 season with its annual spring trip on March 14 at Millsaps in Jackson, Miss. IWU will also play at Mississippi College and at Christian Brothers before playing in a tournament in St. Louis March 20-21. IWU hosts a tournament March 25-28 at Jack Horenberger Field.
