Baseball team tied for conference lead
By John Baracani
After winning only five games all of last season, the Apaches have nearly tripled that total so far this year, compiling a 14-16 overall record with a 2-0 conference record at press time.
IVCC swept both games of a doubleheader against conference rival Rock Valley on Saturday, April 3, by scores of 9-2, and 10-5 on the first day of conference play. The Apaches were tied with Triton 2-0 in conference, after the opening day of conference play. The two victories brought an end to the club’s 6 game losing streak.
According to Head Coach Bob Koopmann, two losses to Sauk Valley on April 2, should have been games that were split between the two teams.
"Brian Lewis threw a complete gem," said Koopmann. "We made some adjustments in his mechanics and he only walked two batters, which was his big problem before."
Lewis gave up two unearned runs in the second inning and the Apaches fell by the score of 2-1.
The second game of the doubleheader was much different. "It was a nightmare," said Koopmann.
The Apaches quickly fell behind 6-1, but managed to come back and take an 11-6 lead before eventually losing 24-13.
"It was the worst-pitched game in a long time from all three pitchers that pitched for us," said Koopmann.
The Apaches played host to South Surburban on April 1, and were beaten twice by the guests by scores of 8-2, and 10-6. The head coach said that his team looked better.
"They hit better, they pitched better, they ran better, they threw better," said Koopmann, about South Surburban.
On March 27 and 28, the team traveled to Oakton and split four high scoring games, winning 12-1, and 13-12 on Saturday, and then falling 11-10, 13-3 on Sunday.
"Those were games we should have won," Koopmann said. "We’re better than Oakton."
During the spring trip to Florida, the Apaches posted a 4-6 record and then traveled to the home of the Minnesota Twins, and lost two games.
Koopmann says that although the team’s pitching has not been as strong as he would like it to be, it still will be the strength of the club.
"Our strength is still pitching; it will be, but the hitting has come around. The hitting this past week has been ahead of the pitching," said the head coach.
Leading the way on the mound, according to Kooopmann, are pitchers Lewis and Steve Hardman, who has a 5-1 record as of press time.
"He (Hardman) is our ace," said the coach. "He wins every time he goes out there. The game that he lost was 1-0."
Offensively, the Apaches are "hitting really well," said the coach. Leading the way are Brent Allen, Tom Weisbrock, Kevin Hahn, Garet Dinges, Charlie Riva, and Eric Markey.
"Both of them (Weisbrock and Hahn) were struggling early and their both hitting a lot better now," said Koopmann.
Koopmann says his club’s biggest weakness is its fielding, with an average of two errors per game.
"I keep telling them that is going to hurt us when play the better teams like Joliet and Triton," he said.
"It’s hard for us to practice because the IVCC field is all bumps. Part of it is the players’ fault, part of it is the condition’s fault."
The team practices on the former football practice field, and the baseball field, which Koopmann says is safe enough to practice on, but won’t be game ready till August of 1999.
Injuries are currently plaguing the team, including that of first baseman Tony Nelson, who Koopmann said is considering red-shirting due to a hamstring pull that has not gotten better.
Other injuries include Bobby Torres and Allen playing with sore elbows; Hardman has a sore shoulder, which is limiting his pitching to one a week, and Dinges has a sore right knee.
Despite the injuries, the head coach believes his team will "shatter the school record in wins," which is 17 and have a great chance to win 30 games which he says is the sign of a strong program.
The Apaches will have an important week to see how good they are this week, when they play host to Waubonsee, McHenry, and Triton. All three games are to be played at Dickinson Field.
The head coach urges fans to come out and show some support for the team.
"We’ll have our hands full," Koopmann said. "It would be nice to have about 2,000 fans out here."
"After Saturday’s game with Triton, we can run the damn table the rest of the year," Koopmann said.
April 8, 1999 the Apache