After a three-game sweep at the First Pitch Invitational, Illinois (7-4) is suddenly above .500 heading into its first Big Ten matchup of the season. Facing No. 20 USC (12-0), however, will be no easy task.
Limiting their offense
The Trojans boast a top-ten offense in the Big Ten led by junior utility player Kevin Takeuchi and senior outfielder Jack Basseer. The two sluggers have been dominant behind the plate so far this season, boasting .364 and .379 averages respectively.
Illinois will have to maintain control of the strike zone and stay ahead in counts if it wants to stay in games. A team ERA of 4.73 puts the Illini in the middle of the pack in the Big Ten, but they have seemed to find a reliable arm who consistently pitches into the middle innings with junior left-hander Regan Hall.
“Our pitching staff will need to keep scores low to keep us in games,” said head coach Dan Hartleb. “The goal is always not to give free passes. The command piece is so important at any level, and what Regan Hall has done so far has been really impressive.”
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Hall leads Illinois in multiple categories so far this season, including ERA (2.55), batting average against (.190) and strikeouts (16). He will need to remain consistent against USC, and his versatile pitch mix certainly will help with that.
“I used to be more of a three-pitch guy, and if one wasn’t working, hitters could eliminate it,” Hall said. “Now I have four pitches: cutter, changeup, curveball and a fastball or sinker … it gives me multiple ways to attack hitters.”
Staying confident against incredible pitching
The Trojans lead the Big Ten in ERA by a wide margin. With a team ERA of 1.67, they have been dominant. The Illini will likely have to face the three-headed monster that is junior left-hander Mason Edwards and sophomore right-handers Grant Govel and Andrew Johnson.
Edwards has yet to allow an earned run in 18 innings pitched while leading the team with 31 strikeouts. Govel has a 0.47 ERA with 27 K’s, and Johnson’s 1.08 ERA is nothing to overlook either. Despite this, Hartleb has confidence in his offense and will take the challenge head-on.
“They have great pitching … Our hitters are going to have to compete at a high level,” Hartleb said. “We have a combination of speed and power, so we can put pressure on teams in different ways.”
Illinois has its fair share of hot bats, many of which are capable of catching fire during any given inning. Freshman first baseman AJ Putty will look to lead the charge. Leading the team in batting average (.409), Putty’s been dynamic in the box and has gone five straight games recording an RBI. His maturity has stood out to Hartleb despite being a freshman.
“AJ has given us a lot of quality at-bats … There’s also a maturity there,” Hartleb said. “He commands the strike zone and rarely swings at pitches out of it. Freshmen tend to speed the game up rather than slow it down. He’s been in that group that’s able to slow it down.”
Senior catcher Will Johannes and junior outfielder Collin Jennings have also been consistent. The two upperclassmen have combined for 24 RBIs while both producing above .300 averages. Illinois will need them to do what they have been doing: producing runs.
It will certainly be a tough matchup for the Illini, but their recent hot stretch offensively, coupled with good pitching outings, seems to be leading to wins. Hartleb sees the improvement in his team and is ready for the challenge that is the USC.
“We’ve done a good job improving. If we play at the level we’re capable of, I feel good about what we can do from an outcome standpoint,” Hartleb said. “If you want to win a championship, you have to beat good teams.”
The first matchup is on Friday, with first pitch set for 8 p.m. CT.
