The 1998 Fighting Illini baseball team won the Big Ten conference title en route to the NCAA regional final, and the man behind the plate for the Illini was Aaron Nieckula. Originally from Stickney, Ill., Nieckula was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in 1998 and played professionally for five years. He then moved on to managing and spent the past five seasons in charge of the Kane County Cougars, an Oakland affiliate in the Class-A Midwest League. This year he will leave his permanent residence in Aurora, Ill., and head west to take over as manager of the Stockton Ports. The Ports, of Stockton, Calif., compete in the Class-A Advanced California League as an Oakland affiliate. The Daily Illini recently spoke with Nieckula about his days at Illinois and his thoughts on his new job.

The Daily Illini: So are you looking forward to the change of scenery?

Aaron Nieckula: Yes. I’m excited. I’ve been at Kane County for the last 5 years and don’t get me wrong, it’s been great. It’s a good organization to work with. But I’m excited to move on to Stockton and new challenges.

DI: The Ports were league champs last year, so what are the team goals for this year?

AN: Well, any season you go into you want to win. But at the minor league level, the most important thing is developing the players. I get my paycheck every two weeks based on how well I develop the players. It’s all about me being able to go in there and get these players better. And not only teach them how to play the game but also how to be a professional.

DI: Going back to your college days at the University, where did you live on campus?

AN: Freshman year I lived in Scott Hall. Part of the Six Pack baby! Then sophomore year I moved into the round balconies over on Second Street. Junior year I lived at pretty much the same spot except across the street, and senior year I moved into a different apartment. So I bounced around a lot.

DI: Did you have a favorite campus hangout?

AN: Probably Murphy’s, which was different back then. It was only half the size. Either Murphy’s on Green Street or Julian’s over on Neil. It’s a pool hall. I used to go there and tell people I was going to the library.

DI: Were you always a catcher?

AN: Yep, always a catcher. Ever since I was in the little leagues, every team I was on, I caught.

DI: What are your favorite memories from school?

AN: Athletically, winning the Big Ten Championship at Purdue my senior year and then advancing onto the regional championship game against Florida in ’98. Being two outs away from the College World Series, it was just a great game to be a part of, win or lose.

Academically, probably everything. I truly enjoyed Illinois; it was a great school. I definitely made the right choice to go there over some of the other schools that were interested in me.

DI: How hard is it to make the transition from playing to managing?

AN: Well, obviously if you’ve never played the game before it’d be tough to coach, let alone manage. But a lot of catchers go into managing, which puts me at kind of an advantage. Just having the experience of being behind the plate, being a leader on the field, catchers make a nice transition into managing. But the bottom line is you have to know how to teach and communicate the game to the players.

DI: Do you aspire to coach in the major leagues one day?

AN: You know, I’m asked that quite often. But I just try to take it one year at a time. I’ll do whatever the organization needs me to do, whether it be managing, being a rover, and if that takes me to the major leagues one day, then that’s great.