Some things don’t change. 

Ushering wins en masse is certainly the norm for the University of Illinois Springfield baseball team — this season notwithstanding.  

The Prairie Stars — ranked No. 13 in NCAA Division II by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association — head into this weekend’s road series at Quincy on a torrid 13-game winning streak.  

“Last year did not finish nearly how we would have liked,” UIS junior infielder/catcher Brandon Bannon said. “But we've returned a lot of guys. Our pitching is unbelievable, and our hitting is unbelievable as well, so we're just really well rounded.  

Bannon credited hitting coach Joe Kelch in particular. He also lauded UIS trainer Ryan Johnson as well as his offseason trainer, Cody Neidenbach of AIM Sports Performance in Schaumburg. 

“It's really nice to have a coach who really knows what he's doing,” Bannon said of Kelch, a former Bradley player in his third season under Ryan Copeland. “If someone's struggling, he'll do whatever he can to help you. But he also is very good at relating to us as players.” 

As far as the postseason is concerned, Bannon embraces the higher stakes. Ditto Pettigrew. 

This article appeared in The State Journal-Register on March 25, 2022. Read the full article here.