Veterans, Depth Give IWU Baseball Optimistic Outlook

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – A wealth of veterans and pitching gives strong hopes for the Illinois Wesleyan University baseball team’s quest for a third straight conference championship and appearance in the NCAA Division III tournament.

The Titans, who were 34-13 last year and are No. 13 in the preseason Division III coaches’ poll, open their 2006 season with a noon doubleheader at Greenville on Sat., March 4.

Six position players return for head coach Dennis Martel, including seniors Nick Chilczenkowski (rightfield), Joe Howard (leftfield), Brian McCabe (first base), Pat Cinquegrani (shortstop), junior Mike Berry (centerfield) and sophomore Ricky Angel (second base).
Chilczenkowski (LaFox, Geneva HS) batted .331 with six homers and a team-high 43 runs batted in while Howard (Downers Grove, Montini HS) hit .316 with seven homers and 39 RBI.
McCabe (Cary, Cary-Grove HS) hit .268 with eight homers and 31 runs batted in while Cinquegrani (Barrington, Fremd HS) batted .294 and stole 17 bases in his role as leadoff hitter.
Berry (Crystal Lake, Prairie Ridge HS) hit .267 in a limited role last season and will also be counted on as a starting pitcher after posting an 0-2 record with a 4.85 earned run average as a reliever in 2005.
Angel (Glen Ellyn, Glenbard West HS) was a first team all-region selection as he batted .360 with 13 doubles, four homers, 33 RBI and his 64 hits tied for fourth most in a single IWU season.

Sophomore Nate Rittenberry (Gurnee, Carmel HS) takes over for the graduated Mick Curran at third base while junior Josh Bidzinski (Belvidere, Rockford Boylan HS) replaces Jason Shearn as the catcher.
Senior Dave Dobosz (Lombard, Glenbard West HS) returns as the designated hitter after hitting .289 a year ago and will also be used as a pitcher as he was 3-1 with a 4.50 ERA.
Freshman third baseman/designated hitter Rob Cummings (Oak Lawn, St. Rita HS), junior middle infielder Patrick McWilliams (Naperville, North HS), and freshman outfielder John Kratzmeyer (Chicago, Niles Notre Dame HS) will provide depth for position players along with senior catcher Tanner Springer (Bloomington, Tr-Valley HS) and sophomore designated hitter Tim McInerney (River Forest, Oak Park HS).

Replacing eight-game winners Cory Lapinski and Drew Himes, who signed professional contracts with Houston after last year, is a daunting task but IWU has six senior pitchers to anchor a deep staff.
Top returners to the mound are seniors Brandon DuBois (Beecher HS) and John Wantiez (Oak Lawn, St. Rita HS) and junior Robert Inzinga (Glen Ellyn, Glenbard West HS).
DuBois, a two-time “Pitcher of the Week” in the conference, posted a 6-2 record with a 3.36 earned run average and struck out 48 in 75 innings while Inzinga was 4-0 with a 3.51 earned run average and struck out 29 in 41 innings. He had a complete-game, three-hit shutout against Millikin.
The team’s closer, Wantiez appeared in a team-high 16 games and made three saves with a 1-1 record.
Other veterans who will see pitching duties are seniors Ryan Gilbert (New Lenox, Lincoln-Way Central HS), Ryne Haag (Minonk, Fieldcrest HS), Russ Koper (Bartlett HS), and Tod Moore (St. Charles, East HS), junior Travis Myers (Lake Forest HS) and sophomore Sean Milligan (St. Charles, North HS).
Freshmen pitchers who could crack the veteran staff for some innings include Matt Aronson (LaGrange, St. Ignatius HS) and Jesse Foster (Homewood, Homewood-Flossmoor HS).

The Titans have 15 home dates, including the third annual Bass-Horenberger Classic game against Illinois State at 6 p.m. on May 2. IWU’s home season begins with a conference doubleheader against Wheaton at 1 p.m. on April 1.

CONTACT: Stew Salowitz, 309-556-3206