Illinois State head baseball coach Mark Kingston completed his coaching staff in June by adding Bo Durkac and Billy Mohl, and retaining current Redbird assistant coach Mike Current. Along with Kingston, the fi rst-year head coach who was offi cially named the Redbirds’ skipper last week, the staff has a combined 933 wins and remarkable .600 winning percentage as assistants. Durkac will serve as the Redbirds’ hitti ng coach and recruiti ng coordinator, Mohl will mentor the Redbirds’ pitching staff and Current will assist with hitti ng instructi on and the fi elders. “This is an important day for Redbird baseball,” Kingston said. “You cannot have a top-notch program without a fi rst-rate staff . This staff has all the qualiti es that a head coach could want. These guys work extremely hard, are very intelligent, and truly care about the development of the student-athlete. Our players will love working with these coaches every day.” Durkac brings a wealth of knowledge to the batt er’s box aft er seven seasons of coaching the hitt ers at Charlott e and years of professional experience spanning the globe. Durkac’s experience helped Charlott e to steady off ensive increases each season, including a school-record .333 batti ng average in 2008. Mohl att acked the strike zone as a pitcher and, as a result, won a lot of games. In three years as an assistant coach, he’s helped his pitching staff s do the same. Mohl struck out 224 batt ers and walked just 57 while compiling a 25-7 overall record in four years at Tulane. In three years assisti ng at his alma mater, the Green Wave averaged 454 strikeouts and 187 walks per season and won more than 35 games per year. Current’s hard work and persistent eff ort have led to steady gains for the Illinois State baseball program in the past four years. Since the Bloomington, Ill., nati ve joined the Redbirds’ coaching staff in 2006, Illinois State has seen its winning percentage increase in each consecuti ve season. That includes the team’s fi rst winning season and trip to the postseason in eight years during the 2009 campaign.

Bo Durkac | Virginia Tech ‘95Hitti ng Coach and Recruiti ng Coordinator

Keys to success: Talent, preparati on and executi on. It’s not that complicated.

Personal coaching philosophy: Everything done in practi ce must done at game speed. The biggest diff erence between levels of play - high school to college, college to pro, etc. - is the speed of the game. The sooner a player can adapt to the increased speed of the game, the sooner he will have success.

Goal for the hitt ers: To maximize each player’s ability by developing the body and the mind.

Connecti on to Kingston: He was a senior and I was a freshman at North Carolina. We were both “cage rats” who were constantly trying to improve ourselves. We hit it off then and remained friends ever since, including my being in his wedding 1997.

Billy Mohl | Tulane ‘07Pitching Coach

Keys to success: Success is a bi-product of hard work and perseverance. I believe that what you decide to put in is what you will get in return. There is no easy path that leads to success. As I have told the pitchers, “Each day you don’t feel like working, someone else out there is.” Those who work hard and persevere, will achieve their goals.

Personal coaching philosophy: I am a big believer in individualizati on. What works for some guys, might not work for others. There is a uniqueness about each pitcher that allows them to be successful. However, there are absolutes that must be present in order for each pitcher to maximize their abiliti es on the mound. They must be 1) functi onally strong 2) mechanically sound and 3) mentally tough. By focusing on these things each and every day, we will have success as a staff .

Goals for the pitching staff : First and foremost, I want the student-athletes to receive their educati on and enjoy their

college experience. Baseball, for most people, does not last very long, but a degree lasts a lifeti me. It is very important to me that each player leaves here with a degree. Second, I want each pitcher I work with to maximize their ability on the mound and have a chance to play at the next level.

Connecti on to Kingston: I was part of Coach Kingston’s fi rst recruiti ng class at Tulane. I played for Coach Kingston for four years and coached with him going on three years now. Coach Kingston is why I ulti mately entered the business of college coaching. His work ethic, knowledge and passion for the game, and the way he treats each and every player is second to none. Coach Kingston has been a great mentor for me throughout the years and I am very grateful to serve under him as an assistant coach here at Illinois State.

Mike Current | Blackburn ‘05Assistant Hitti ng Coach

Keys to success: Hard work and proper preparati on. If you do these two things, you will maximize your ability.

Personal coaching philosophy: Like most coaches, my coaching philosophy is multi -faceted. However, I think that it can be summed up by saying that everything that I do is geared toward helping our players make the most out of their ability. Every player’s needs are diff erent. My job is to make sure that they each get the informati on that they need in order to develop.

Goals for our student-athletes: First and foremost, I want all of our players to have a tremendous experience at Illinois State. I also want to help them accomplish everything they want to accomplish while they are here and prepare them to be successful once they leave.

Connecti on to Kingston: I had never met Coach Kingston prior to him being hired here last August. However, I think that we clicked immediately because we shared similar philosophies and work ethics and had a similar vision for the program.

iLLINOIS sTATE uNIVERSITY | sEPTEMBER/October 2009 | WWW.gOrEDBIRDS.COM

KINGSTON COMPLETES COACHING STAFFCURRENT, MOHL AND DURKAC CHOSEN TO HELP LEAD ‘BIRDS IN 2009 10

QUICK HITSCAMP MAKES BA SUMMER

PROSPECT LISTIllinois State sophomore pitcher Ryan Camp was tabbed as the No. 3 prospect in the Clark Griffi th Collegiate Baseball League (CGL) and was one of the top 220 college prospects on Baseball America’s annual summer prospect list. A right-hander from Mapleton, Ill., Camp started the 2009 Joe Branzell All-Star Game for the CGL against the Maryland Collegiate Baseball League All-Stars, and helped the Vienna Senators claim the CGL crown. Camp went 5-0 with a 2.74 ERA in 13 games, including seven as a starter.

TEAM SELECTS 2009 HONOREES

The Redbirds selected the top players of the 2009 season with a vote aft er the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament in Wichita, Kan. Senior second baseman Mike Stalowy was voted as the team’s most valuable player in 2009 with freshman right-hander Ryan Camp being tabbed the team’s most valuable pitcher. Ryan Court was voted as the most improved and Collin Salzenstein edged out Stalowy for the Duff y Bass Mr. Hustle Award. Stalowy was voted as team captain by his peers.

COURT A FINALIST FOR ISU ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Illinois State third baseman Ryan Court was among the fi nalists for the male athlete of the year award named for Milt Weisbecker, the former ISU athleti cs director. Redbird men’s basketball player Osiris Eldridge won the honor. Court emerged as one of the Redbirds’ top off ensive contributors aft er playing in just eight games during the 2008 season. An All-Valley Honorable Menti on pick, Court had a .323 batti ng average, 40 runs and a team-best 41 RBI. He was second on the team with fi ve home runs and hit two game-winning homers on the year. He was named MVC Player of the Week aft er driving in seven runs in the second game of a doubleheader against Northern Iowa.

QA

Redbird Baseball

Insider

iLLINOIS sTATE uNIVERSITY | sEPTEMBER 2009 | WWW.gOrEDBIRDS.COM

On Deckwith Jim Sajewich

r-sr. | rhp | wheaton, Ill.

RBI: It seems like you’ve been here for a while, what is this your seventh or eighth season?

JS: (Chuckles) This is my fi ft h year here, but it feels like I’ve been here for eight.RBI: So do you have three degrees you’re fi nishing up?JS: Nope. I’ll graduate with a degree in economics and a minor in business.

RBI: In your ti me here, what’s been your favorite experience?MS: Probably last year at the (State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament).

Getti ng there for the fi rst ti me in awhile and playing really well - it was prett y cool.

RBI: You’ve spent ti me as a starter and in the bullpen, which is bett er?JS: When I came here starti ng, but now relieving. I like pitching less innings but more

oft en. I could be out there one day and then get the call the next day.

RBI: I hear you and former ISU reliever Eric Theisen have a litt le thing going about the career appearances record. What’s that about?

JS: One day were in the study center looking at the media guide and we got to talking about how our careers were similar with the extra year. I had the single-season appearances record and we mapped it out to see how it might work out. In our esti mati on, I was always behind him, but I’m within distance of catching him. We exchange texts every once in awhile about it.

RBI: You’re at 70 appearances and need 16 more to catch Theisen, who is the leader with 86. Would you consider yourself the Ironman of ISU relievers if you catch him?

JS: Perhaps, especially aft er how many games I threw in my sophomore year (27) - I had a lot of innings too. I may not have the other results, but if I’m being put in there that many ti mes, I guess I’m doing something right.

RBI: Are you planning on taking a 22-minute trot around the fi eld like Cal Ripken Jr. if it happens?JS: No. Ha ha. Nothing special planned for it.

RBI: I can’t let you go without talking about your size. You played football in high school and might be able to contribute on the off ensive line or at QB with your arm, right?

JS: I didn’t get any off ers but one of my goal’s before I got hurt was to play football here aft er my four years of baseball, just for the fun of it. I don’t know what I was going to play, it didn’t really matt er. I was just going to give it a shot. That got dashed when I got hurt my junior year, but I’m not too worried about it.

RBI: You’ve been able to meet the new coaches and have worked with the staff during individual workouts. What’s the feeling like aft er the success of last season and the transiti on?

JS: It’s completely diff erent than the previous four years that I’ve been here. The new staff expects more, expects bett er, expects us to work harder. They’ve defi nitely insti lled a diff erent atti tude here - a good atti tude. I like it very much so far. I expect big things from us this year.

MBER 2009 | WWW.W.WW.W.W.W.gggggggggOOOOOOOOOrrrEDBIRDS.COM

. Would you

ot of inningsess I’m doing

might be able to

er my four years att er. I was just

worried about it.

dual workouts. What’s the feeling like aft er the success of last season and the

Redbird BasebalL Insider Page 2

October 2009 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9 Redbird BaseballFall World Series

10 Fall World Series

11 Fall World Series

12 Fall World Series

13 Fall World Series

14 Fall World Series

15 Fall World Series

16 Fall World Series

17 *Alumni WeekendFall World Series

18 Hitting ClinicFall World Series

19

20

21

22

23

24

25 Hitting Clinic

26

27

28

29

30

31

August 2009 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17 Classes Start

18

19

20

21

22

23

24 IndividualWorkouts Begin

25

26

27

28

29

30 31

September 2009 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15 Fall PracticeStarts

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

IMPORTANT DATESSeptember 15 - Fall Practi ce Begins

The 2009-10 Illinois State baseball team kicks off fall practi ce on Sept. 15. The Redbirds opened individual practi ces on Sept. 24, a week aft er the fall semester started.

October 9-18 - Redbird Baseball Fall World SeriesThe Redbirds conclude fall practi ce with the Redbird Baseball Fall World Series. Dates and ti mes for the contests will be announced soon on the baseball page at at GoRedbirds.com.

October 17 - Alumni Weekend Join the Redbirds for a 10 a.m. Redbird Baseball Fall World Series contest and enjoy a hospitality tent before conti nuing the tailgate at the Illinois State Homecoming festi viti es. This is your chance to connect with old friends, preview the Redbirds, and take in the football game against Indiana State.

October 18 - Winter Hitti ng Clinic Begins The fi rst of Illinois State’s two winter hitti ng clinics begin Sunday, Oct. 18, and runs through Jan. 17. Sign-up today at CollegeBaseballCamps.com or through the camps portal at GoRedbirds.com.

I