CHS Baseball
History
1867-1903...No records available
1904...(0-1) Urbana defeats CHS
1909...(3-2)
1910...(5-2)
1911...(6-2)
1912...(5-1-1)
1913...(5-2, .714) Urbana 22 CHS 6..ouch!!
Large schools do not have baseball because less interest to spectators. Athletic Association voted to ban baseball
games with other schools.
In pre-1914
days, baseball games were conducted at West End Park,
and players and spectators alike rode the street car out Church Street to the field. Varsity teams
practiced at West Side
Park near the
school.
1914...(3-1, .750) Intra-squad games only between
classes!! And 4 games with other schools
New High School located on the corner of Green and State (Now Edison JH) built
as well as new athletic field given by Sen. W. B. McKinley.
1915-1924...No baseball at CHS.
1925...(6-4) 1st CHS team since 1914
introduced by A.D./Head Coach Les Moyer. Practiced with U of I frat teams
to help prepare for the season. The season was formally opened against Tuscola
on April 23rd as mayor George Babb threw out the first pitch to
school board president Dr. W. L. Grey. McCallister leads team with .406 BA in 32 AB’s. In a loss to Paxton on on May 14,
Paxton pitcher C. martin struck out 23 Maroons in the 9 inning contest.
1926...(9-4) Hopes of winning “mythical” Big
12. Lost to IL school of the Deaf.
1927...(9-6) Won Alumni Game. Beat American Business
Club 3-0.Two African Americans on the team…a 1st?? Beat Villa Grove
25-1. Dog “Jack” is mascot.
1928...(12-2, .857)Beat Danville and Urbana twice each. Beat
Hindsboro 25-6. Only blemishes to Springfield.
1929...(7-2, .777) Beat Danville 15-14 to open
the season. Beat St. Mary’s 23-1. Central plays a lot of fraternities.
1930...(10-5) Beat Illinois Deaf School15-5, 15-8
1931...(9-5) Beat News-Gazette 12-0, 14-3. Lost
to Streator 26-2, 29-2.
1932...(15-0-1, UNDEFEATED!) Karl Grolla leads
team with .439 BA in 41 AB’s. Marvin Hout has 14 SB’s. Beat Urbana “Cubs” 15-1. Opened the season tying
Trinity 8-8 before rain halted the contest.
1933...(9-2, .818) McKinley Field recently
lighted. Wilbur Ayers leads ‘33 Maroons with .380 BA in 21 AB’s.
1934...(15-4, .733)Only losses to Clinton and Bloomington
twice each.
1935...(9-3, .750) 50 try out. Dog “Toots” is
mascot.
1936...(5-5, .500) 1-5 in Big 12. Few High
School’s play many games.
1937...(6-6) Lots of rain. 35 try out. Beat Onargo Mil. A. 30-0...school record for
runs?
Les
Moyer = 120-51-1, .698
1938...(9-8, .529) Former U of I baseball and
Basketball star Harry Combes’ first squad.
1939...(16-2) 15 consecutive victory’s to start
the season. 1st time in
school history CHS has co-captains. Big 12 Champs
(not 12 baseball schools) with a 3-1 record. 100th anniversary
of baseball??..Doubleday in 1839?? Sophomore pitcher Harvey Ditter is 9-2
with 2 one-hitters.
1940...(20-2-1) Big
12 Champs. 2nd in first ever IHSA
state tournament out of 110 schools. Out hit Belleville in
title tilt but lost 8-3. Winners of eighteen straight. A dozen baseballs
cost $12.80. 19 games without a loss streak.
Diminutive Harvey Ditter records first no-hitter in modern era as records
prior to 1930 are incomplete. Ditter
(6-2) tosses 29 consecutive scoreless innings during sectional run. Pitching-rich
Maroons also had Johnny Warsaw who
won 9, lost none and struck out 88 and walked only 6!!! Veteran Bradley coach
Robby Robinson burned over 100 gallons of gas on the field to dry it for state
tourney tilt. Bob Dixon paced the Maroon offense with a .419 batting average.
1941...(15-7-1, .636) Lost
at state to Peoria Manual 12-7. Beat Monticello 25-0. Harvey Ditter, ace pitcher for the Maroons the past two seasons, had been declared
ineligible for the remainder of the season after posting a 3-1 record with
40 K’s in 26 innings!!?? Ditter struck out 18 Bellflower batsmen on 4-25. Bud Walters led the squad with .425 BA in 80
AB’s. Bob Johnson led CHS with 7 pitching
victories. Hubert Dodds is 6 for 6 with 6 runs scored in a 12-1 sectional
title win against Bismark. No CHS parents
traveled to see the game. Jerry Sager,
football and swimming letterman, hitchhiked to see the game.
CHS arrived only 5 minutes prior to game time and had to hurry thru
pregame warm-ups because recently the bus had been overhauled and could not
go over 45 MPH and no one seemed to know where Russell Field in Peoria was.
Robby Robinson sprinkled field to keep dust down.
1942...(13-6) Lost
to Streator at state tourney. A potent Maroon offense was led by captain
Bud Walters who batted .471 in 51 AB’s and ripped 10 extra base hits. Chet Trost led the mounds men with 5 victories.
CHS lost to a powerful Steator team 7-4 on the same day that the Battle
of Midway raged in the Pacific.
1943-1944..No team. WWII.
1945...(6-6, .500) Beat Gibson
City 23-1.
1946...(14-2, .875) Dick Hyde pitched a
no-hitter in the opener against Cissna
Park. Hyde enjoyed one of the best years on the mound with a 10-1 mark and 97
strikeouts. CHS lost in the Sectional final to St. Bede 3-1. Jim Cottrell paced the Maroons at the plate
with a .346 average.
1947...(10-6, .625)1st year with an
assistant coach??…Alvan Taylor.
3-4 in Big 12. Won District Title.
Harry
Combes = 98-40-2, .700
1948...(8-11)
Joe Hallbeck has a team high .355 BA for
first year skipper Ray Grierson. 4-2 in conference. George Shapland, who was 3-3 on the mound for
CHS, was the losing pitcher to state-bound Danville in a 2-1 District tourney loss.
1949...(10-9, .526) Joe Hallbeck hits .400 in
60 AB’s. 5-4 in conf.
1950...(4-13,
.235) Rainy season. 56 try out. Jerry Light hits
only HR of season for CHS. Kenny Stahl
logged a 3-1 pitching record while Jack Scheurich paced the Maroons at the
plate with a .306 average. Defeated
Unity but lost to Danville
in the post season.
1951...(7-9,
.438) CHS wins first district title since 1947
under Ray “Curly” Grierson. Lost to Streator 1-0 in sectional tourney. CHS
finished 3-8 during the regular season but caught fire during the post season
upsetting Danville
and pushing a powerful Streator team to the brink. Jim Shedenhelm was 3-0 on the mound.
1952...(11-4, .733) Dick Taylor fires school’s
second recorded no-hitter, posts 5-1 record. Jim Freeman led team with .455 BA
in 22 AB’s.
Ray
“Curly” Grierson = 40-46, .465
1953...(10-7, .588) Squad sweeps Mattoon under first-year
coach Tommy Stewart. Bob Slade paced
the Maroons at the plate with a .400 BA in 50 AB’s and 7 extra base hits and
stole home to beat Buckley-Loda. Jim
Freeman won 4 games on the mound to lead CHS.
Champaign lost to Kankakee in the district finals 13-2.
1954...(9-9, .500) Talk of improvement over the
summer due to Legion Baseball. Jim
Freeman struck out over 60 batters in 57 innings and posted a 4-6 record.
First baseman Morgan Powell paced CHS with a .346 BA.
1955...(7-7, .500) 6 games lost to rain. Started season 0-4. CHS played well in winning the sub-district
title by defeating DeLand Weldon, Cerro Gordo,
and Bement. The Maroons were defeated by
Decatur 2-0 in
the district tourney. Bob Madix paced
the Maroons with a .342 BA and 5 extra base hits. Jim Majors had three pitching victories.
1956...(18-6, .750) Won district title. Lost
to Charleston
4-3 in sectional final in what Coach Stewart called “truly a heartbraker.”
Stewart honestly believed another state tourney appearance could have been
attained with a little more
pitching. The ‘56 Maroons fell one game
short of the state finals in Peoria. Jim Wheat led a potent ‘56 squad with a robust .582 BA in 55 AB’s.
Captain Bob Madix was voted team‘s MVP. Five pitchers recorded at least 3 wins and Bill Wheat
twirled a no-hitter against Ogden.
1957...(8-7, .533) Bad weather plagues ’57
campaign. Lost to Danville
in sectional tilt in which 1-1 game resumed after darkness. Team BA = .302. Jim
Huxtable paced the Maroons with a .426 BA in 47 AB’s.
Beat Unity
28-4.
Tommy
Stewart = 52-36, .591
1958...(18-5, .783) First year coach Charlie
Due leads Maroons to 2nd most wins in school history and District
title. Virgil Jordan leads team with .422 BA. Lost to 9-0 Steve Kelly and
a Danville squad that had
won 20 straight in the regional final 3-0. Bob Rasmussen logged 7 pitching
wins and hit 5 triples.
1959...(16-7) No captains elected because Due
says all are MVP’s. CHS gels at end
of season and finishes 2nd in the Big 12 w/ 6-2 mark. The Maroons
won another district title by defeating Oakwood and Jamaica. In the regional, the Maroon 9 defeated Milford before being ousted by a tough Danville club 7-0. Highlights of the season included Jim Schum’s
7 wins and sophomore Val Bush’s team-leading .428 BA, 24 hits, 7 2b’s, 3 3b’s
and 3 HR. Quite a rebuilding year!! Due only had 3 letterman back. Perhaps the most
remarkable feat of the campaign was a 1 hit, 19 strike out performance by
Ron Selvey, in the senior’s only pitching stint of his career. The effort is a school record for K’s by a pitcher
in a game.
1960...(10-5, .667) Won district title by
beating Unity and ABL. Lost in regional
opener to Donovan, 9-2. Runner-up in Big 12 for second year in a row with a 3-2
conference mark. Val Bush hit .440 in 50 AB’s and Charlie Hursey batted
.423. Jim Schum again led the staff with
5 wins.
1961...(19-4-1, .792) Due’s squad surpassed only
by 1940 team in wins. Big 12 champs for
the first time since 1940 with a 6-1-1-record. Team batting average is .335!
Rich Callaghan logs a 10-3 campaign on the mound. Callaghan pitched
both ends of final DH v. Bloomington
to clinch league title. Callaghan’s second game in that DH was a no-hitter.
CHS nine wins district and regional titles. Finished in the top 16, only 1
game from state. Defeated Danville
three times. Val Bush led the squad with a .454 BA and 39 hits, 29 runs, 3
HR’s, and 26 SB’s. Due called Bush, “as good a high school hitter
as I’ve ever seen.“ Scouts and colleges
were interested in the explosive Bush as he was timed 03.7 seconds to first
base. Scouts from Cincinnati, Detroit, and San
Francisco watch CHS games. Phil Wilson had a 6-0 record
on the mound for a team ERA of less than 1.00 allowing 85 hits in 160 innings.
Maroon’s 16 inning tie with Stephen Decatur ties school record for longest
game.
1962...(13-8) Finished in upper third of Big
12 with a 6-3 record. Due called ‘62 campaign the toughest schedule played
during his tenure. Won district and regional titles before losing Donovan
6-2 in the first game of the sectional. The victory was Donovan’s 21st
in a row. Carl Punkay led the team
in pitching wins.
1963...(19-4, .826)Finished 2nd to
Danville in the Big 12,
CHS had an 8-2 league record. CHS survived
a scare by the St. Joe Indians in the first district game, coming from behind
in the 7th to win 5-4. Due
won his sixth district title in 6 years with a 13-2 victory over Ogden to push his record
to 96-30. Lost to Danville
in the regional, 6-4. Banner year began
with a Jim Cavanaugh no-hitter. Don
Langoff tossed a no-hitter in his pitching debut. Butch Hausermann paced a potent Maroon lineup
with a .413 BA and school record 7 triples.
Charlie Due employed his famous slot defense for the first time against
Clinton on April 25th. The legendary coach reasoned, “You can play
the shortstop nearer to third base so you plug up the hole between short and
third, and you shut off the base hit up the middle. It also blankets the infield for the short pop
fly. These are the three major areas
where base hits fall, and that’s where your protection is. The only ball that hurts you is the sharply
pulled hit down either foul line, but those are going for base hits anyway.”
The teams 9 stolen bases v. Unity is believed to be a school record.
1964...(9-10,
.473) Lost to Danville, a 21-1 club, 5-2 in regional. Larry Bundy tossed a no-hitter against St.
Joe-Ogden to give the Maroons an unprecedented seventh straight district
baseball championship. Senior southpaw Bundy was 5-5 on the year and had over
90 strikeouts in 65 innings. He also
paced a Maroon squad that was no-hit three times during the season with a .315
BA.
1965...(8-5-1, .571) Due called the season one
of his most disappointing after a 5-0-1 start. Wet spring. 23 varsity players.
Unity denies Due a district championship for the first time by defeating
the Maroons 8-5 in the opener. CHS committed 10 errors in games against Lincoln and Unity, believed
to be a school record. Danville defeated CHS for the
seventh straight time since 1963 in route to another BIG 12 title.
1966...(15-4) Big
12 Champs. Defeats an undefeated SJO team to win 8th district
title in 9 years. Sophomore Bruce Elliott tossed a no-hitter to record his
first varsity pitching victory.
1967...(17-2) Big
12 Champs. CHS 9 loses first and last game of season, an 8-6 loss to
Newton in the sectional
semifinal. Bob Shapland paced the offense with a .443 batting average.
1968...(20-8, .714) Big
12 Champs. 3rd place at state.
10 game win streak snapped in semi final loss to Rockford Guilford.
Central defeats Centennial in 1st meeting between two schools 2-0
in regional opener. Team finishes with .268
batting average. Maroons win 10th district title in Due’s
11 seasons. Winningest team of Coach
Due’s tenure. Bruce Elliott, one of only two seniors
on the squad, sets single season school record for pitching
wins and home runs while carrying Maroons during tourney run. He hit
.407 with 7 homers and 35 RBI. He also had an 11-1 record as a pitcher and
finished with a 0.95 ERA.
1969...(8-13,
.381) Urbana
tops the Maroons three times including
first game in district 14-4.
Sophomore Bob Blackwell wins 5 games and logs 56 innings for a CHS squad
that began 5-1.
1970...(7-13,
.350) Finished 7th in Big 12. Urbana
won their first district championship in three years of varsity baseball
(resumed in 1968) by ousting the Maroons from postseason for the second
consecutive year, 8-1. Jim Koss paced CHS at the plate with a .307 average and
5 extra-base hits. Senior Bob Blackwell
logged 48 and 2/3 innings on the mound.
He was 3-5 for the year.
1971...(12-10, .545) Excellent weather but
mediocre season. 7-7 in Big 12. Beat Centennial 2-1 in district championship on
solo home runs by Greg Massanari in the 5th and Lou Due in the 6th. Lanky southpaw Kent Seaman whiffed 14 in a
regional loss to Danville
4-2, he finished the year with a 5-3 record. CHS knocked Bloomington
out of a Big 12 title shot with a DH sweep 3 days after being eliminated by Danville. Massanari paced
the Maroons with 7 extra-base hits on the season. Jim Cantrell tossed a
no-hitter against Freeport on 4-7, the 1st
since Bruce Elliott fired one in the 1968 sectional finals against Normal. Cantrell struck out 14 in the contest.
Central plays first night game at Centennial Field, beating Potomac
14-3.
1972...(16-5) Big
12 Champs with a 12-2 league record. SJO defeated CHS in district opener
3-2, halting a Maroon win streak of 7. CHS
went on to sweep DH’s from Springfield and
Mattoon to
capture Due’s 5th Big 12 Title. Maroon ace Kent Seaman went 8-2
on the mound while Jim Cantrell contributed 6 wins. An injured Jan South recovered from a bad back
to hit over .450 during the second half of the season.
1973...(9-10,
.474) Started 6-0. Due called it the worst
spring weather of his tenure, finished 5th in Big 12 with a 6-8
mark. Lost to Centennial for first time
in District championship 2-1. Picher John Phillips was 5-4. Sophomore Billy Stahl led the team in extra
base hits with 7.
1974...(11-9, .550) Won District by beating
SJO, Urbana,
and Centennial. Defeated Rantoul (in its 1st year of spring baseball
3-2 in regional opener on a play at the plate before being no-hit by University
of New Mexico recruit Ed Sempsrott of Danville in Regional final 3-0 in 9 inn.
Senior workhorse John Phillips finished 7-4 for CHS. Maroons turn a triple play against MacArthur
leading Due to comment, “I don’t think I remember a triple play by one of my
teams.” Second baseman Jeff Corley
speared a low liner with runners on 1st and 2nd and then
proceeded to touch second and fire to first to eradicate the two General base
runners who had wandered of the bases. Junior outfielder Steve Yount stepped
into the starting line up at midseason and paced the Maroons at the plate.
1975...(12-9, .571) Tied for second with Danville in Big 12 with a
9-5 league mark. Due very discouraged
that Maroons lost to Centennial in regional final 3-1. Senior Mark Tymchyshyn led the staff with 5
victories. Scott Rafferty was a leading
hitter for CHS.
1976...(17-7, .708) Four players made 1st
annual All Big 12 team. 8-6 Big 12 Record. Won District and Regional. Lost in Sectional Final to Danville 6-2.
Due called his squad “probably the best hitting team from
top to bottom that I’ve ever been associated
with.” after CHS pounded out 17 hits against Flanagan in their
regional opener. The team finisged with a .314 average. CHS’
1st sectional appearance since 1968.
11-game win streak snapped in Sectional Final as Due‘s troops fell
one game shy of the state tourney losing to Danville 6-2.
Big 12 batting champ Tom Sawtelle led a CHS team all season and finished
with a .457 average while belting 4 homers.
1977...(11-8, .579) Finished 4th in
the conference with an 8-6 record. Lost first game of the district to
Centennial 1-0. All-Big 12 First teamers
were OF Bruce Brown and Greg Gadel.
Brown led the team by battering enemy pitching at a.389 clip. Tim Ferguson won 4 games and finished with a
1.48 ERA in 43 innings. He tossed two
shutouts during an 18 inning scoreless streak.
1978...(14-3, .824) Big
12 Champs with a 9-1 record, 1st title since 1972. 1st year
of the the 2 class state baseball tournament. Won Regional Tourney and beat
Urbana 3 times.
10 game win streak was snapped by MacArthur in sectional opener. First year of two-class system in IHSA post
season. Jim Donelson led the Maroons
with a .389 average. Tim Ferguson and
Rob Phillips each had 6 victories on the mound.
Ferguson
had a 1.09 ERA in 57 innings.
1979...(8-8, .500) Greg Rogers is lone Maroon
to make All-Big 12 team. Lost regional
semifinal to Charleston
10-3 at McKinley Field. Charlie Due
defies conventional baseball wisdom by starting Tim Dugan, a southpaw, behind
the plate for the first few games of the season while Paul Pierce mended a
broken leg. Rogers
pitched three shut outs in his first three games on the mound.
1980...(7-13,
.350) 55 try out for Coach Due, assisted by Rich
Wooley and Tom Croy. Danville rallied for five runs in the final
two innings to edge CHS 10-9 in the regional opener.
1981...(11-9, .550)Swept Bloomington and beat Urbana 2-1. Lost a heartbreaker to Urbana in the regional final at McKinley
Field on a botched squeeze bunt in the bottom of the seventh, 5-4.
1982...(19-5, .792) Big
12 Champs Urbana dumps top-seeded CHS in the regional final for the
second straight year, 6-2. The resilient
Maroons beat Lincoln
the next day to claim the Big 12 title outright 3-2 in eight innings. Preston Raad led the staff with a 7-2 mark.
1983...(16-5, .762)
Big 12Champs with an 11-3 conference record, tying Lincoln.
Top-seeded Maroons shocked in regional opener as 14-8 Danville routs CHS 8-1.
1984...(9-9, .500)Catcher Matt Joop led CHS in
hits with 23. Senior left-hander Dave Murray led the pitching corps with a 4-4
mark. Central lost regional opener at McKinley Field 3-0 to 12-10 NCHS.
1985...(9-11,.450)
Jim Alexander led the mound corps with 4 wins. The Maroons were beaten by their intracity
rival, Centennial, 14-4 in the regional opener.
Charlie
Due tragically Dies on September 13, 1985,after officiating a football game =
356-195-2,.645
1986...(11-10, .524) AD John Lindstrom replaces the legendary Charlie
Due. 33 players made the squad and
18 won letters. Team finishes 2nd in Big 12 East with a 5-3 record.
Durable Jim Alexander finishes season with 6 wins and 65 K’s in 68and 2/3
innings. Andy Schuster paced the offense
with a .448 BA. Team batting average
= .268, team ERA = 3.96. Bloomington defeats CHS 3-2
in regional.
1987...(11-15,
.423) Third-seeded Maroons lose to 6th
seeded Normal Community 2-0 in regional opener.
Rob Barham finished the season 5-6.
1988...(10-20,
.333) Bob Schuster assisted Lindstrom. 37 players
made the squad while 14 won letters. NCHS defeats CHS 6-0 in regional championship
game after two surprising postseason wins for the Maroons. Rob Mills took
the loss in the game leaving the Sophomore’s mark at 4-8 for the season.
John
Lindstrom (stint #1) = 32-45
1989...(13-20,
.394) First year skipper Randy Skaggs was assisted
by Brad Yohnka, Dave Earl, Dave Strang, Scott Eisenhower, and Ed vaughn. Staff
leads surging Maroons into regional final by beating Normal 2-0 and Danville
2-1 before losing to Centennial 12-0. Andy farthing was a 1st team all-conference
performer while Brent rakers, Mike Clemons, and Marc Funkhouser were honorable
mention selections. Numerous improvements were made to McKinley Field: 2 batting
cages, pitching machine, L- screens were purchased. A beefed-up FR/SO schedule
was implemented and the team finished with a 9-18 record. A coaches clinic
and an alumni game were also firsts for the program. The Coaches award went
to Dan Jonas as well as the Most Improved award. David Krug finished with
a .972 Fielding %
Randy
Skaggs = 13-20, .394
1990...(7-13,
.350) 38 players. Chad Detamore led team with a .372 BA. 16 games lost
to weather. Nate Baker and Rob Mills are all Big 12 selections.
1991...(11-18,
.379) 36 players made the squad with 12 earning
letters. Shortstop Chad Rakers is selected to all conference. Sean Ford was
an honorable mention selection. Played a strong non-conference schedule which
included Chicago Marist, Charleston, Peoria, Bradley,
Mt. Zion. 36 players.
1992...(17-15, .531) Lee Hull assisted Lindstrom.
37 players made the squad and 19 earned letters. Shaundrell Clemons fired
2 no-hitters against Mahomet and Danville and leads team with 6 HR‘s. Chad
Rakers has a monster year and is selected 1st team all Big 12 and
team MVP = 51 Hits, 43 runs, 34 RBI, 45 SB’s in 50 attempts, only 3 K’s. Frosh
Danny O’Neill has 29 hits and .349 BA. 9-7 in Big 12.
John
Lindstrom (stint #2) overall = 67-91, .414
1993...(20-15, .571)CHS wins 1st
regional title in 15 years. Sophomore Dan O’Neill hits .472 and hurler Ryan
Tabeling registers 8 wins for first year coach Lee Hull. 36 players. Lost to
state qualifying Decatur Mac. 4-3 in 11 innings in sectional. Dan O’Neill was 2nd
team all area catcher. Erick McFarland led area in RBI and was 1st team all area 2nd baseman. Tied
for 4th in Big 12 with a 10-6 mark. Derrick McFarland led area in
hits and runs scored and was a 1st team all-area shortstop.
1994...(9-16,
.360)An ill O’Neill absent as CHS loses to Danville in regional 4-3.
1995...(18-16-1,
.514) Hull’s
crew finishes 2nd in the Big 12 with 8-2 record. Terrance Butler and
Ben Mast hurl no-hitters. O’Neill led team in virtually every offensive
category. #3 seed loses in 9 innings to Bradley in regional. O’Neill, Mast, and
Butler are 1st
team all Big 12 picks. 7 regulars hit over .300.
1996...(19-15)Terrence Butler and Jimmy Brewer
were all conference 1st teamers. Butler hit .483 and won 5 games while saving
4. Team started 6 and 0. Lost to Minooka in Charle Due Tourney. Won 1st place in Danville Schlarman
Tourney. Finished 8-8 in Big 12.
1997...(7-24,
.226) 3-13 in Big 12. Little pitching and key injuries added to a
long season. Nate Mast (.376 in 83 AB’s) was lone Big 12 1st teamer.
Lee
Hull (robert.hull@del-valle.k12.tx.us) = 73-86-1, .456
1998...(6-22)
1ST Year Skipper Lou Sitch forsakes
head girls softball job for his love of baseball. 2-12 in Big 12. MVP Jared Flynn led team with .369 BA.
1999...(11-23,
.324) First year for freshman baseball at CHS.
Brian Daly led the team with 5 HR’s. Mike Sitch was All Big 12 1st
team and Charlie Due Award winner. Lost regional opener to state tourney
participant Centennial.
2000...(15-22,
.405) Sitch’s squad loses a heartbraker to
Mahomet in regional final 2-1 in 8 innings.
Kankakee JC bound Brian Daly hits .383 and slugs 6 HR’s. John Martinie leads staff with 4 wins and
1.22 ERA in 74 innings and a school record 124 K‘s.
2001...(11-24-1,
.458) Junior Dan Thurston leads team with a .401
batting average and finishes season with a 16 game hitting streak. Eric Burge
swipes 20 bases in 23 attempts. John Martinie leads the staff with a 4-5 mark
and 3.09 ERA. 3-7 league mark. Lost
regional opener to Danville
at Danville Stadium.
Lou
Sitch = 43-88-1, .326
2002...(9-20,
.310) Eric Burge is a unanimous All Big 12 selection.
Burge hits .449 with 44 hits. Burge also steals 20 bases in 25 attempts. Lost regional opener to Lincoln at McKinley Field. Won Charlie Due Tournament in dramatic fashion
by rallying to defeat defending state champion Bradley-Bourbonnais.
John Staab becomes just the 10th baseball coach at CHS
since 1925. Seniors Steve Layman, Ryan Logsdon, Chase Daugherty,
Brandon Wright, Dave Mangian, Andrew Harrington, Brian Deters, Griffin Mulcahey,
Dan Thurston, and Mark Baumann depart.
*
Ryan Logsdon will pitch for Monmouth
College.
2003...(16-18,
.471) Most wins since 1996 for a team consisting
of only 3 seniors. CHS starts with a modest 7 game win streak racing out to
an early 9-2 mark. Wins Charlie Due Tournament for second year in a row, defeating
Centennial in the title game 7-5. Team takes 2 of 3 from Centennial and sweeps
Big 12 power Bloomington. Junior Alex Dye fires a no-hitter against Decatur
Eisenhower and leads the staff with a 5-3 record and a 3.63 ERA. Sophomore Andy Cekander led the team in hits
with 44 and runs with 35. Junior Dane
Wallace led the team with a .388 BA and in RBI’s with 37. Senior captain and
team MVP Ross Hiner had a stellar defensive year behind the plate. Recorded
a 3-11 in Big 12. Hiner won the practice
player award. Lost regional opener to Urbana
9-5. Seniors Ryne Crawford, Ross Hiner, and Brent Moore provided the leadership
in the ’03 campaign.
* Ross Hiner will play for Illinois
Institute of Technology
2004...(19-16, .543) CHS “turned the corner” in ’04 in many
ways. Despite injuries to key starters
Alex Acheson, Alex Dye, Andy Cekander,
and Jason Yambert, the Maroons posted their first winning season in 8
years. Finished second in Charlie Due
tourney, losing to powerful Tinley Park Andrew in the last inning.
Finished the Big 12 with an 8-6 mark,
good for 4th place. Only
three teams posted more wins in CHS baseball history. Alex Dye, Chris Elliott, and Dane Wallace
were All Big 12 nominees. Dane Wallace
was an All Area 1st team selection as he set the school record in RBI
with 47, while leading the CHS staff
with 6 wins. Elliott also garnered 1st team All Area honors while
leading the team in batting average, hits, runs, total bases, stolen bases,
walks and hit by pitch. Wallace was named the team’s MVP by his peers. Nick Clegg won the practice player
award. CHS won its first regional game
in 4 years as they beat rival Urbana
6-2. The Maroons were defeated by Big 12
Champion, and state-qualifier Normal Community in the regional championship
11-1 at McKinley Field. Seniors Tim Carey, Nick Clegg, Alex Dye, Chris Elliott,
Frank Giammaria, Brian Murphy, Kevin Sitch, Dane Wallace, and Jason Yambert
will be missed.
*
Alex
Dye will pitch for Kankakee
Junior College
*
Dane
Wallace will play at Augustana
*
Chris
Elliott will play at Augustana
2005…(23-13, .638) Big 12 Champs What an amazing year for the Maroon baseball
team. Central captured its first conference
title in 22 years with an 11-2 mark in the league and set a school record
in wins. The team hit a school record .369 on the year and had twelve
come-from-behind victories. After graduating
10 seniors in 2004, including its top three pitchers and #2 thru #5 hitters,
expectations were modest to say the least. A basketball injury to prospective starter Eric
Wilson also hurt the teams’ prospects before the season. However, an amazing team chemistry began to
take shape largely due to the leadership of seniors Ian Anderson, Andy Cekander,
Pat Donovan, Tucker Strang, and Drake Wallace. The Maroons won the Charlie Due Tournament defeating
a powerful Tinley Park Andrew squad 12-0. The team then raced out to a 4-0 conference
record by beating Normal West in a 12-11 thriller, sweeping Centennial for
the first time in over a decade, and whipping Decatur MacArthur 15-5. After a defeat at Mattoon, Zack Flynn tossed a complete game against
the Green Wave in a rematch at McKinley Field. It was the first time CHS defeated Mattoon in 10 years. Central then defeated Decatur Eisenhower and
swept 2004 state-qualifier Normal Community for the first time ever. The Maroons then swept Danville, winning at historic Danville Stadium
for the first time in many years. The
team then suffered a heart-breaking loss at home to Bloomington, one in which
Andy Cekander didn’t touch second base after Alex Acheson had apparently won
the game with a one-out hit to drive in the game winning run from third.
The team then showed its resiliency by coming from behind twice late
in each of its next two games to sweep cross town rival Urbana
to win the conference outright. Acheson,
Cekander, Flynn, Tucker Strang, and Drake Wallace were named to the All-Big
12 Conference team. Cekander, Acheson,
and Strang were named to the News Gazette All Area team. Acheson, who set several single season offensive
records in a year in which he batted .541, was named to The Chicago Tribune’s
special mention baseball team. Alex
also became the first CHS player to be named The News Gazette’s Area Player
of the Year. Although the Maroons dropped
a tough 8-6 game to Urbana
in the regional semifinal in 8 innings, it could not dampen the tremendous
season they had put together. Practice
player of the year went to Cekander. Flynn
(6-3) captured the most outstanding pitcher award. Shortstop Cam Strang was voted best defensive
player by his peers. Acheson won the
most outstanding hitter award and the team’s MVP. Drake Wallace was named the Charlie Due award
winner. An amazing year indeed!
*
Andy Cekander will play for Kankakee
Junior College
*
Tucker Strang will play for Arkansas Tech
* Drake Wallace will pitch for Lakeland College
2006...(30-7,
.811) Big 12 Champs The 2006 Maroons
shattered the school record for wins in a season, set the previous year, by
becoming just the second team in C-U history to reach the 30 win plateau.
(Champaign Centennial won 36 games in 1999) In doing so, the Maroons also
captured their second consecutive conference title with an 11-2 league record,
edging out second-place Bloomington (10-3) for the second straight season.
The Maroon line up was probably the most potent offensive unit in city history,
ending the season with a .388 team batting average. Itch Jones spoke at the
kickoff banquet. On a chilly Saturday in early April, the Maroons won their
fourth Charlie Due Tournament title in five years by defeating Springfield
Southeast in a semifinal contest aided considerably by a Mike Martinie no-hitter.
The Maroons then defeated a stout Geneva squad 7-6 in the championship game
with the help of a first inning grand slam by Eric Wilson. The Due contests
were part of a 15 game winning streak, tied for second best in school history.
During the streak, Acheson ripped a game-winning triple against Mt. Zion to
cap a thrilling come-from-behind 12-11 victory prior to conference week. The
team then raced out to a 5-0 conference record. CHS swept powerful Normal
West for the first time in school history, winning a thrilling conference
game 9-8 with the help of two Wilson homers. Incidentally, Wilson would go
on to set the single-season home run record by hitting 8 on the year. The
Maroons then probably played their best baseball of the season by sweeping
cross-town rival Centennial. Zack Flynn and Cam Strang pitched complete games
against the Chargers. First baseman Sam Freeland drove in 5 runs in the two
Centennial games. CHS pitchers then yielded only three hits in a doubleheader
sweep of Decatur MacArthur. Central next trounced powerful Mattoon 14-4 at
McKinley Field. For the second straight year Maroon hitters shelled Ryan Bradley,
who would go on to be drafted late in the 2006 draft. Mike Martinie led the
Central hit parade with three of the teams, 14 hits. In a rematch of conference
heavyweights, Mattoon edged Central 2-1on a game-winning single by pitcher
Blake Fairchild in the bottom of the seventh, ending the Maroon 15 game winning
streak. Fairchild, a University of Illinois recruit, bested Central starter
cam Strang in a pitching duel yielding only one run, a solo homer by Acheson.
The Maroons next defeated an improved Eisenhower team 7-1 in Decatur. Acheson
homered again to help Martinie win his 5th game on the bump. CHS next split
a doubleheader with sectional finalist Normal Community, winning the conference
game 14-4. Cam Strang picked up his 3rd pitching victory and Acheson homered
for the third straight contest. The maroons then swept Danville by scores
of 13-3 and 12-3. Flynn notched a complete game victory in the first contest
and Wilson belted a homer and triple, knocking in 5 runs. In Game two, Martinie
notched his 6th win while also contributing 3 hits. The maroons were then
swept by Bloomington for the second straight year in a battle between conference
leaders. Despite a three-run homer by Acheson late in the opener, CHS couldn't
solve Bloomington starter Ryan Juris and lost 8-6. For the second straight
year however, Central showed its resiliency by sweeping Urbana while getting
some help from Danville and Normal Community who beat Bloomington, to help
CHS capture its second straight outright conference championship. In the first
meeting against Urbana, Central rallied from a 3-1 deficit by scoring 6 runs
in the sixth inning, en route to a 7-4 victory at McKinley Field. Flynn picked
up the win and Acheson the save. John Beck drove in the go-ahead runs with
a two-run double in the decisive sixth frame. The Maroons capped off their
conference season in dramatic fashion by beating Urbana 9-7 at Prarie Park
in the rematch between the conference rivals two days later. Sophomore Ben
Freeman picked up the win in relief of starter Martinie and Cam Strang notched
the save. Trailing 6-5 in the 6th inning, Alex Acheson hit a grand slam to
right-center field to put the Maroons ahead for good in the see-saw affair.
The Maroons then traveled to Galesburg for a tournament and went 3-0 at the
Silver Streak Classic defeating Peoria Notre Dame, Peoria Woodruff, and East
Peoria. The kids played well and many of the parents stayed overnight which
made it a fun weekend. Central batters ripped 29 hits during the weekend and
James Katsinas, Nick Kresca, and Ben Freeman were the winning pitchers. Central
began tournament play by beating Danville in a 23-13 slugfest at McKinley
Field. Strang was the winning pitcher and Martinie drove in 5 runs. The Maroons
then were defeated in the regional championship game by Bloomington 5-1. Although
disappointed that they couldn't best their recent nemisis, the '06 Maroons
had a season like no other in school history. Martinie (7-1) captured most
outstanding pitcher award. Shortstop Cam Strang was again voted best defensive
player by his peers. Wilson won the teams most outstanding hitter award. Acheson
again was named the team's MVP and also won the practice player award. Mitch
Kresca was the Charlie Due award winner. Acheson, Martinie, Strang, and Wilson
were named to the All-Big 12 first team while Flynn was named to the All-Conference
honorable mention. Acheson, Strang, and Wilson were named to the News Gazette
1st team All-Area Squad. Acheson and Wilson were named to the Chicago Tribune's
2nd team all state team. Acheson and Martinie each played in the East-West
Senior All-Star team. Acheson was named the News Gazette's Player of the Year
for the second straight season. Seniors Alex Acheson, Will Schoell, Zack Flynn,
Mitch Kresca, Sam Freeland, John Beck, Mike Martinie, Colin Crawford, and
manager Stewart Williams will be sorely missed.
*
Alex Acheson will play for Evansville
University,
ranked #21nationally in 2007
2007...(17-18-1,
.486) The
2007 Maroons finished below the .500 mark for the first time in 4 years. 1st
year of the 4 class state baseball tournament. Darren Fletcher spoke at the
kickoff banquet and members of the '68 state tourney team threw out the first
pitch at the Charlie Due Tournament. Although the final ledger was disappointing,
Central accomplished some terrific things on the diamond in '07. Central raced
to a 10-3 record before senior Rob Smith was lost for the season with a dislocated
shoulder and torn labrum. Smith was a vital cog in the Maroon machine and
it is safe to say the Maroons never fully recovered after his absence. Smith
led off, played a stellar outfield, and was one the teams' top pitchers. Rob
was hitting .364 when he went down just prior to the conference season and
was leading the leam in several offensive catagories. Junior Ben Freeman tossed
a no-hitter against Armstrong-Potomac on March 17th while James Katsinas and
Nick Kresca combined to toss a perfect game against Pontiac on March 24th.
On April 7th, Central won the Charlie Due Tournament for the fifth time in
six years by defeating Georgetown-Ridgefarm 8-4 and Oswego East 6-4. Seniors
Eric Wilson and Cam Strang shined on that very frigid day. Wilson had 5 hits
and Strang relieved and saved both games on the mound for the Maroons on a
day when the wind chill was in the teens. Several members of the 1968 team
that qualified for the state tourney came back to celebrate and were honored
before the first pitch of the tourney. The Maroons lost single conference
games to league champion Bloomington, Mattoon, and Normal West (a sectional
qualifyer) while being swept by Danville and Urbana. The Maroons defeated
conference foes Normal Community (a sectional qualifyer), Decatur Eisenhower,
Decatur MacArthur,and Mattoon. Perhaps the highlight of the season was the
sweep of Centennial during the last week of the campaign. Seniors James Katsinas
and Strang tossed complete games, the latter in front of a packed house under
the lights at Centennial on May 17th. The Maroons ended with a 6-7 conference
ledger, good for a 6th place tie with Centennial. The #11 seed Maroons were
bounced in the first round of the Bloomington Regional by #3 seed Normal West
11-1 in 5 innings. Other records during the campiagn included Katsinas' 13
starts as a pitcher which now ranks 1st all-time for a season. Strang set
the school record for saves in a season with 5. He is also now the career
leader in doubles with 38. Strang also stole 4 bases in a game and Kresca
scored 5 runs in a contest, both of these feats tied school records. Katsinas
was the winningest pitcher with a 7-6 mark while Eric Wilson finished with
a team leading .528 batting average, good for 2nd best all-time in a single
season. Cam and Eric were co-recipients of the Charlie Due Award/Scholarship
and both were 1st team All Conference unanimous picks by the Big 12 Coaches.
Strang and Wilson also were named Champaign News Gazette 1st team All Area
performers for the second straight year. Ben Freeman was an honorable mention
All Conference selection. Graduating Maroons Andrew Cox, Steven Davis, Aubry
Greenberg, Nick Grider, James Katsinas, Derek Leemon, Kevin Murphy, Rob Smith,
Cam Strang, Eric Wilson, and Ross Woods depart along with pitching coach Bob
Weatherford. Weatherford came in with the Class of '07 and was very influential
in helping engineer 89 victories during his four year tenure.
*
Rob Smith will play for Kankakee
Community College
*
Cam Strang will play for Eastern
Illinois University
*
Eric Wilson will play for Bradley
University
*
Kevin Murphy will play for Parkland College
2008...(11-23,
.324) 2008
was a down year for the Maroon 9 as they won only a third of their contests.
A wet spring prevented Central from playing 35 regular season games for the
first time since 2004. Andy Schuster spoke at the kickoff banquet and Dale
Schweighart threw out the first pitch of the Charlie Due tournament. Due to
the weather and a quirk in the schedule, Central played its first 11 games
at the friendly confines of McKinley Field, which has hosted Maroon contests
since 1914. CHS managed to head into conference play with a 7-6 mark. The
Maroons played well in their own Charlie Due Tournament but was unable to
reach the championship game for the first time in Coach Staab's tenure. They
came from behind to defeat Oswego East 8-7 in the consolation game on a warm,
sunsplashed day in Champaign. Former Maroon great Dale Schweighart ('76) tossed
out the first pitch of the tourney. The Maroons found life in the Big 12 difficult
as they won only 3 games in 12 conference tilts. Central beat Urbana 15-10
under the lights at Prarie Park, bested Decatur Eisenhower 15-2 at home, and
then defeated perrenial power Mattoon 5-4 in 9 innings. It was the first time
the Maroons had defeated the Green Wave in Mattoon since 1995. Central erased
a 4-1 7th inning deficit and Brett Anderson tossed a complete game to seal
the victory. The Maroons were bounced by Urbana 6-2 in the regional quarterfinal.
Centennial captured the regional championship hosted by Central after defeating
Rantoul and Danville. Normal Community and Normal West shared the Big 12 title
with 10-3 records. Records of note included Ben Freeman's 21game hitting streak,
second only to Eric Wilson's 24 ('07). Freeman batted a team-high . 494, 5th
best all time in school history. Freeman's 15 doubles ranks 4th best and his
43 hits is 20th best in CHS history. Mark Pataky's 74 assists was good for
4th best in school history. Centennial transfer Timmie Johnson's 113 at bats
now ranks 9th best and his 32 runs is 22nd best in school history. The team
hit a respectable .332, but pitching (5.31 ERA) and defense (.881 fielding%)
proved problematic the entire campaign. Brett Anderson, Ben Freeman, and Timmie
Johnson were named to the Big 12 Conference honorable mention team. Freeman
was selected by his peers as the teams' MVP, Most Dedicated Practice player,
and Most Valuable hitter. Sophomore catcher Harrison Freeland won the Most
Valuable Defensive player award while Anderson grabbed the Most Valuable Pitcher
honor. Anderson was also the recipient of the Charlie Due Scholarship Award.
Seniors Brett Anderson, Ben Freeman, Nick Kresca, Chris Lehmann, Mike Peters,
and Tatsu Shigeta depart.
*
Ben Freeman will play for Parkland College
2009...(19-18, .514) The Maroons finished with
a winning season for the first time in three years. The 2009 Maroons registered
19 wins on the diamond, which ranks in the top 10 in school history. Central
nearly won its first regional championship in 16 years but was defeated by
Mahomet-Seymour 11-9. Peter McFarland spoke at the kickoff banquet and John
Martinie threw out the first pitch at the Charlie Due Tournament. Highlights
of the campaign included a spring break trip to Cocoa Beach Florida, a first
in school history. The Maroons played 5 games in sunny Florida and both parents
and players had a great experience. During the trip, Central notched its 1,000th
baseball victory since the program was resurrected in 1925 by Athletic Director
Les Moyer, defeating West Mifflin, PA, 5-4. New additions to McKinley Field
included a new, more spacious, home dugout as well as new infield sod. An
irrigation system was also added to the infield. Team totals included a .331
batting average, a .934 fielding average, and a 5.97 earned run average. Bryan
Bachman was a welcome addition to the coaching staff as he assumed the role
of pitching coach. Former Illini baseball coach Itch Jones also helped at
a few practices. Individual highlights included no-hitters pitched by Timmie
Johnson against Kankakee and Clint Miller against Decatur Eisenhower. Harrison
Freeland tripled twice in a game against Bullis Academy, MD, in Florida to
tie a school record. Tony Giammaria also tied a school record by swiping 4
bases at Mattoon. Central finished with a disappointing 4-9 record in Big
12 play with wins against Centennial, Eisenhower, Mattoon, and Urbana. However,
5 of the conference losses were by 1 run. Normal West won the conference crown
for the second consecutive year. Mark Pataky won the Charlie Due Scholarship
Award. Mark was also selected by his peers as the Most Valuable Pitcher and
MVP. Timmie Johnson won the QAB Award and Most Outstanding Defensive Player.
Clint Miller won Most Valuable Hitter. Luke Kriegel won the 90-7 Award. Bobby
Hart won the Selfless Award. Braden Anderson won the Practice Player Award.
Doug Kyrouac was named to the Big 12 Conference Honorable Mention Team. Timmie
Johnson and Mark Pataky were 1st Team Big 12 Conference performers. Timmie
was selected to the News Gazette 1st team all area team. Mark was chosen to
play for the east squad in the Senior All Star game but was unable to attend
the event. Seniors Aaron Beckemeyer, Drew Beard, Sean Cory, Evan Ellsworth,
Bobby Hart, Adam Hawthorne, Timmie Johnson, Mark Pataky, and Nate Sokolski
participated in the 2009 campaign. Their dedication to the program and leadership
will be missed.
*
Timmie Johnson will play for Lincoln Land Community College
*
Evan Ellsworth will play at Lakeland Junior College
2010...(19-17, .528) The Maroons finished above
the .500 mark for the second year in a row with a second consecutive 19-win
season. Central bowed out in the regional quarterfinal, losing to pitcher
Blake Janesky and the Danville Vikings 10-0 at Danville Stadium. It was the
5th time Janesky had defeated the Maroons in his career. Central finished
with a 4-9 mark in the conference, but lost 5 conference games by one run
and another in 9 innings by 2 runs. CHS alum and Tuscola coach Ryan Tabeling
spoke at the kickoff banquet and '83 grad Dennis Stahl threw out the first
pitch at the Charlie Due Tournament. The Tournament was played with wood bats
for the first time in history. Central returned to Cocoa Beach, FL for second
straight year and left the Sunshine State with a 3-2 record. The Maroons won
the Charlie Due Tournament for the first time since 2007 by defeating Springfield
Southeast and Chicago Harlan. Central defeated conference foes Mattoon, Eisenhower,
Bloomington, and Urbana. Capital improvements made to McKinley Field included
new bullpen mounds (2) added to the left field line. Revamped bullpen mounds
(3) near the cages. A new full infield tarp was also purchased with the help
of leaf-raking and cookie dough fundraisers. Highlights of the campaign included
a opening day no-hitter by Braden Anderson and Evan Slazinik against Fisher.
Anderson, who tossed a complete game in the Charlie Due Tournament title game,
was the recipient of the Charlie Due Scholarship Award. Doug Kyrouac established
a new IHSA record by hitting safely in 13 consecutive at bats. Kyrouac also
established a new CHS record for RBI in a game with 9 against Maret Academy
in Florida on March 25. Kyrouac also had 5 hits in that game, tying a school
record. Kyrouac's 2 triples in that game also tied a school record. Kyrouac
also established new career mrks for At bats (403) and Games Played (137).
Anderson was voted by his peers the Most Valuable Pitcher, Tony Giammaria
won Most Outstanding Defensive Player, Kyrouac won Most valuable Hitter and
Most Valuable Player. Tyler Tester won the Selfless Award while Kollin Marquardt
won the 90-7 Award. Clint Miller won the Practice Player Award. Reggie walker
the QAB Award. Kyrouac and Walker were named to the Big 12 1st Team, Kyrouac
being a unanimous choice by the league's coaches. Anderson, Freeland, and
Luke Kriegel were named to the Honorable Mention Team. Kyroauc was chosen
to represent the East Squad at the Senior All Star Game. Seniors Braden Anderson,
Riley Brunson, Jeremy Coleman, Harrison Freeland, Tim Frye, Tony Giammaria,
Luke Kriegel, Doug Kyrouac, Theo McFarland, Kollin Marquardt, Clint Miller,
Evan Slazinik, and Tyler Tester depart. They will be missed.
*
Harrison Freeland will play at Illinois Wesleyan
University
*
Luke Kriegel will play at North Central College
2011...(6-31,
.162) A
frustrating year from a record standpoint, Central still managed to play in
their forth regional championship game in the last seven years, losing to
top seed Lincoln 5-2. The Maroons were very young starting a freshman catcher,
shortstop, and centerfielder most of the season. Central managed to play 37
games despite an unusually cold, wet spring. Highlights of the campaign included
taking two teams to Memphis during spring break, installing two new batting
cages, and the regional title game appearance. Sophomore 1B/P Kurtis Brown
led the Maroons in several offensive categories. Senior Alan Paul led the
pitching staff and pitched a complete game in the Regional Semifinal to lead
the Maroons to their appearance in the Regional Championship game. The team
hit .244, fielded .888, and had an ERA of 7.27. Former Illinois wrestling
coach Mark Johnson spoke at the First Pitch banquet. Central fielded just
37 players in '11, the roster included only 3 seniors. Former Maroon great
Alex Acheson ('06) threw out the first pitch of the Charlie Due Tournament.
Central finished last in the tourney behind champ Chicago Harlan, runner-up
Springfield Southeast, and third place Oakwood. Central finished ninth in
the Big 12 Conference with a 1-12 record. The conference was again very strong
with 5 20-game winners and three sectional qualifiers. JV record was 15-17
and Freshman record was 1-16. Awards = Frosh MVP Zach Williams, Frosh Practice
Player Austin Boma, JV MVP Caleb Plattner, JV MVPitcher Colin deBlouwe, JV
MV Hitter Plattner, JV MVDefense Taylor Beard, JV Selfless Plattner, JV Practice
Player Plattner, Varsity MVP Brown, Varsity MVPitcher Paul, Varsity MVHitter
Brown, Varsity MVDefense Cribbett, Varsity Selfless Tanner Goslin, Varsity
Practice Player Brown, Varsity 90-7 Award Jake Henss, Varsity QAB Brown. Captains
for the 2011 season were Paul, Brown, Goslin, and Henss. Brown was named to
the First Team Big 12 Conference Team. Alan Paul won the Charlie Due Award.
Seniors Nick Hooker, Alan Paul, and Tristan Rivera depart and their presence
will be missed.
2012...(13-23,
.333) Central
doubled its win total from the previous year before being ousted by crosstown
rival Centennial 8-3 in the Regional Semifinal at McKinley Field. Highlights
of the campaign included taking two teams to Memphis during spring break for
the second consecutive year. Moreover, several members of the '76 Sectional
team were back in town to attend the Charlie Due Tournament. Central finished
second in the tournament to Lincoln Way West. Central won the East Central
Wood Bat Tournament in late March.
The conference was again very strong with five 20-game winners and three
sectional qualifiers. JV record was 20-14 and Freshman record was 6-14. 2012
Awards = Frosh MVP Luke Meyer, Frosh Practice Player Grant Semonin, Frosh
90-7 Award Riley Staab, Frosh QAB Award Joel Thompson, JV MVP Jon Foster, JV MVPitcher
Charlie Due, JV
MV Hitter Foster, JV MVDefense Luke Beesley, JV Selfless Award Connor Mapes, JV Practice
Player Foster, JV 90-7 Award Foster, JV QAB Award Mapes, Varsity MVP Kurtis Brown, Varsity MVPitcher
Zach Williams, Varsity MVHitter
Brown, Varsity MVDefense Tate Long, Varsity Selfless Aaron Weckhorst,
Varsity Practice Player Brown, Varsity 90-7 Award Long, and Varsity QAB
Award Brown. Captains
for the 2012 season were Tanner Goslin, Tate Long, Caleb Plattner, Kurtis Brown, and
Jake Henss. Brown was named to
the First Team Big 12 Conference Team. Brown was also voted Big 12 Offensive
Player of the Year
by the conference coaches and he was a 1st team
Champaign News Gazette All Area nominee. Central finished 7th in the Big 12
Conference with a 4-9 record. The Maroons defeated Centennial, Eisenhower,
MacArthur, and Urbana in league play. Bloomington won the conference
championship. Mattoon will leave the conference in 2013 and will
become a member of the Apollo Conference. An unusually warm spring saw
temperatures reach the 80 degree mark in March. Decatur
Commodore Coach and former major leaguer Kevin Koslofski spoke at the first
pitch banquet. Capital improvements for the year included installing
two batting cage tunnels in the West Gym during Christmas Break and
enlarging the visitor dugout as well as erecting fencing in front of both
dugouts. Freshman Coach Michael Luna stepped down at the end of the
season and was replaced by former Maroon great Cam Strang. Seniors Tanner Goslin, Tate Long, Caleb
Plattner, and Joel Spaulding's leadership will be missed.
2013...(19-18, .514) The Maroons finished with
a winning season for the first time in three years. The 2013 Maroons registered
19 wins on the diamond, which ranks in the top 10 in school history. Central was
defeated by Centennial for the second year in a row in regional play by a score
of 6-3 at Wabash Park in Rantoul. Highlights of the campaign were taking 2
teams to Myrtle Beach during Spring Break. All three teams had winning
records as JV finished 23-10 and the Frosh were 14-3. New maroon uniform
tops were purchased by the booster club for all the players in the program.
39 players participated in one of the wettest seasons to date. A foot of
snow was scooped of the field in late March. Former Maroon J Leman spoke
at the First Pitch Banquet and Tucker Strang threw out the first pitch of the
Charlie Due Tournament. The Maroons finished second again to Lincoln Way
West for the second consecutive year. Central won the East Central Wood
Bat Tourney for the second consecutive year. The Maroons finished in a tie for
4th place in the Big 12 Conference with a 7-5 mark. They swept three games from
Danville while also defeating Centennial, Urbana, Decatur MacArthur, and Decatur
Eisenhower. The leadership of seniors Kurtis Brown, Charlie Due, Jake
Henss, Scott Runyan, Kain Shirley, Aaron Weckhorst, Kam Wells, and Jack White
will be sorely missed.