Versatility looks like a plus for IVCC baseball

When the IVCC baseball team shows up for a doubleheader this season, head coach Jason Goode believes things will be different than years past.

“I think we have a team where we have enough pitching and versatility that, every time we show up for a doubleheader, we can compete,” Goode said. “In years past we didn’t have enough arms. We’d go into a doubleheader knowing we’d probably take a loss.

"I don’t feel like that this year. I think every doubleheader we can compete pretty well.”

The Eagles return four starters in outfielders Jordin Lee, Logan Cheatham and Peyton Phillis and catcher Justin Cruz.

Goode also has high hopes for an incoming group that includes strong players fresh out of high school such as Mickey McDowell (Coal City), Matt Mezel (Ottawa) and Caleb Tonozzi (Putnam County), transfer Michael Cortez — who can play all around the diamond — along with a group of players returning to the game after time off in La Salle-Peru alumnus Ryan Skoog and Ottawa graduates Kray Wheeler and Blake Carlson.

Wheeler is expected to be the starting shortstop, while Carlson is projected to be IVCC’s starting center fielder and No. 3 hitter with “ace potential” on the mound.

“I’d say for the first half of the year, we’re going to find out who we are as a team and what we’re going to have to do to win games,” Wheeler said. “At the end of the season, I think we can make a pretty good push and see how far we can make it in the postseason.”

Goode has a lot of options when filling out his lineup card as 18 of the 19 players on IVCC’s roster have multiple positions listed.

“The strength of the team is we have a lot of flexibility and we can put a lot of different players in different positions,” Mezel said. “We have a lot of versatility. We’re not limited where people can play.”

Not only are the Eagles versatile, but Goode believes they’re very athletic as well.

“I think we’re going to be as athletic and fast as we’ve ever been at every position,” Goode said. “We have a ton of outfield depth and a ton of depth at catcher, which is always important. Catcher has been a thorn in our side in the past, but we have four or five guys who can catch.

“I think we’ll be real versatile. I think we’ll be athletic and I think we’re going to cover the diamond real well.”

The Eagles will need that athleticism on offense, as they don’t anticipate much power in the lineup.

“Offense I think will be our struggle,” Wheeler said. “We’re going to have to play lots of small ball to win this year. We don’t have much pop at the plate, but we do have solid contact where we can play small ball and win some games.

“We’re going to have to be small ball and speed. That’s going to have to be our game plan — bunting, stealing and causing havoc on the basepaths.”

Phillis, Chetham, Wheeler and Carlson are expected to be top of the order to middle of the order hitters, while McDowell and Mezel “showed some flashes of offensive potential in the fall.”

“My assistant Lenny Newell and I have been putting possible lineups together, and one through nine we’ll be the fastest, most athletic team we’ve had,” Goode said. “Everybody in the order has good speed. Everybody can go first to third. I think almost everybody we project to start is able to steal a base for us if need be.

"What we don’t know how many hits we’ll be able to strong together. We don’t project a ton of power, but as long as we move the baseball and make contact, with our athleticism and speed, I think we can be a pretty good offensive group.”

The Eagles will rely on a group of local players on the mound.

Skoog, Carlson, St. Bede graduates Dylan Grammer and Demetrius Schupp and Streator graduate Jacob Bemont are all expected to be key arms for IVCC.

“It’s going to be interesting,” Goode said. “We have a couple of guys who were strong high school pitchers locally and a couple guys who we think can be better than maybe they were (in high school) or they weren’t used enough in high school.

“Everybody on the team is a pitcher. Everybody on the team needs to be versatile and move around, because we don’t have as many bodies as other schools.”