Baseball ready to begin season

    By Daniel Thompson
    IV Leader Sports Writer

    After a lengthy fall season and a very grueling winter practice schedule, the IVCC baseball team is ready for action with their first game scheduled for February 18.
    Head coach Mark Telkamp is very happy with the way the team has progressed. “We started out with a bunch of guys from around the nation and now they’ve all become best friends and truly molded into a team,” Telkamp said.
    Most of the players agree with Telkamp.
    “Not only are we friends on the field, but we get along off the field as well” said second basemen Kevin Meyer.
    In the fall the squad looked to have a strong pitching staff with a lot of depth but ineligibilities saw the Eagles lose three of their hurlers.
    “As long as we don’t lose anyone else we’ll be fine” Telkamp said. “My greatest concern is that two of our starting pitchers are also position players and will be in the field when they don’t pitch. We have to manage that carefully, if not it’s a sure recipe for arm problems.”
    The feeling amongst the squad is one of excitement and confidence. The team will focus on being fundamentally sound and concentrate on the little things.
    “We should win about 75 percent of our games,” Meyer said. “That is if we execute.”
    The Eagles don’t really know what to expect from other teams this year but aren’t too concerned either way.
    “Elgin, Kankakee, Black Hawk and Sauk Valley will all be strong in the region” says Telkamp. “Black Hawk, Kishwaukee and Sauk Valley are all teams in our conference who will have strong teams.”
    “I believe we will have one of the strongest infields in the conference both defensively and offensively,” Meyer says. “If our pitching staff holds up we should be a dominant force when the playoffs come around.”
    The Eagles will start the season with a two-day tournament at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville where they will play against Oakton Community College. From there they will take a trip to Florida during Spring Break and play eight games against a host of Florida Junior Colleges. The team will then return to Illinois with their first conference game against Highland Community College in March.