On opening day last season, freshman Michael Hurwitz was the leadoff hitter for the Illinois baseball team. He led that game off with a five-pitch walk and would come around to score. After Illinois’ first four games, he had three hits.

He didn’t get another one all season long.

David Kerian entered that opening day against Notre Dame as a pinch hitter, also as a freshman, and drew a five-pitch walk for his first career RBI. He got his first start two days later as the designated hitter and drove a single to left-center field for his first career hit and another RBI.

He wouldn’t get another RBI all season long.

Both players had disastrous freshman years after such promising starts. And now, two series into the 2013 Illinois baseball season, both players are off to much better starts.

Hurwitz is second on the team in batting average at .364 with an on-base percentage of .563. He’s started all seven games, primarily as the Illini’s designated hitter, although he’s also started at second base. It’s unusual for the smallest member of the team, like the 5-foot-8 Hurwitz, to be the designated hitter, but he can hit.

Kerian is hitting .474 and has driven in five runs, more than all of last year. He’s started the last five games for Illinois, again more than last year, and his slugging percentage of .526 is the second highest on the team. He’s even found a position, learning first base for the first time in his career.  

“They went through some adversity,” head coach Dan Hartleb said. “If you look at what they’ve done this year for us and the way they’ve approached things, you can tell that they’ve learned a lot and improved physically, but most importantly mentally.”

The similarities continue between Hurwitz and Kerian, who were teammates during the summer for the Springfield Sliders of the Prospect League.

Hurwitz is normally a sure-handed defender, but after a couple of fielding mistakes and continued struggles at the plate, he would end up losing his starting job to Thomas Lindauer. Hurwitz still saw time as a defensive replacement, mainly when Reid Roper moved from second base to pitcher, but continued to be ineffective in the batter’s box. He finished the season 3-for-40, including an 0-for-19 slump, good for a batting average of .075 and an on-base percentage of .178.

That’s a huge turnaround for a player who hit .355 in high school the year before with a .512 on-base percentage.

Kerian didn’t play much except at designated hitter during last season. He had some bright spots throughout the year, such as going 2-for-3 and scoring three runs against Mississippi Valley on March 31. But he mostly came off the bench cold as a pinch hitter. He finished with an average of .192 and without an extra-base hit.

That came after Kerian was selected out of high school by the Washington Nationals in the 42nd round of the 2011 MLB Draft. During his senior season, he hit .508 with 14 home runs and 44 RBIs to go along with a slugging percentage of 1.038.

So Kerian came in before and after practice for extra batting reps, whether against a pitcher or off the tee, and took extra instruction from assistant coach Eric Snider.

“After last year, I was a little nervous when I was hitting and now this year, after going through summer ball and another fall ball, I feel more comfortable,” Kerian said.

“I knew I always had it in me and the coaches have faith in me and trust me … I just think it was a matter of time before I finally was able to do it for myself and for the team.”

With infielders Brandon Hohl and Reid Roper off to a slow start this season and freshman Ryan Nagle struggling at the plate, Kerian and Hurwitz have been two of the biggest reasons the Illini are over .500 again.

“That just gives the starters from last year, the older guys, just time to relax and gather everything at the plate and in the field, so they can come back, and they’ll be able to perform like they know they can,” Kerian said of the younger players getting playing time.

If he and Hurwitz can continue the roll they’re on offensively, then they’ll continue to find their way into the lineup.

And they won’t have to sit again all season long.

Jamal can be reached at [email protected] and @jamalcollier.