DECATUR, Ill. – Baseball season is just around the corner for the Millikin Big Blue as they kick off their 2020 campaign in just over a week in Conway, Arkansas to face Hendrix College on February 15.

Head Coach and 2019 Co-Head Coach of the Year Brandon Townsend is looking to continue building on one of the most successful years in school history in the 2019 season. Last year saw the Big Blue finish third in the CCIW Conference, recording a 23-20 season record, going 14-10 in conference play. The third place regular season finish would see Millikin earn a spot in the CCIW Tournament for the first time since 1990. 

While the Big Blue graduated a number of key members in 2019, the depth in the pitching rotation and defensive strength will come as an advantage for Millikin in the 2020 season.

Leading the pitching rotation this year for Millikin will be returning right handed pitcher Adam Zuk. Last year, Zuk started in nine games for the Big Blue, recording 57 strikeouts in 52.0 innings pitched, recording a 2.42 ERA. Zuk's ERA would be the third-lowest in the conference while his opponents' batting average of .195 would be the second lowest in the conference, helping him earn First Team All-Conference and ABCA/Rawlings Division III Second-Team All-Region honors. Truman State University transfer Caleb Buehrle will pitch in the number two spot for Millikin and returning senior Ben Williamson will throw third in the rotation. Other pitchers that will be competing for starting
opportunities are junior Evan Lawrence and fifth year Jack Morgan.

Returning in the bullpen this year are seniors Jared Buzan, Kyle Kane and Jacob Hennessy and juniors Brent Beals and Michael Staszcuk. New faces in the pen for the Big Blue are Lincoln Trail College transfer Braden Burtch, freshman Nick Black, and sophomore Christian Badorek.

The infield will see a mix of returners and newcomers this year for Millikin. Junior Gabe Soria will be returning at third base and hitting at the top half of the batting order for the Big Blue. A new face in Mason McGahey, a transfer from Maryville University, will be the anchor at short stop and a threat offensively at the plate. Senior Joey Buhay will return at second base with freshmen Hunter Smith and Nick Black providing competition. At first base this year, returning senior Kyle Kane will see plenty of action and act a key piece in Millikin's offense, batting at the heart of the order. Returning to provide support throughout the infield this year is sophomore Aaron Klar.

In the outfield this year for Millikin will be a core of three returners in Frank Bryan, Daniel Mendoza and Brent Beals. Bryan will see action in right field for the Big Blue and will provide plenty of power at the plate, batting in the middle of the lineup for the Big Blue. Daniel Mendoza will compete for his spot in left field with Maryville University transfer Lane Belleville and freshman Jackson Chase. In center field will be Brent Beals, who is making the switch from second base to the outfield this year. Beals earned First Team All-Conference honors last year after posting a .298 batting average with four home runs and 24 RBIs on the season. "Brent Beals is a five tool player that I fully expect to be one of the best players in the conference this year," said Head Coach Brandon Townsend.

Behind the plate for Millikin this year is Merrik Eddington with freshman Ethan Current and junior Ben Jacobs acting as support throughout the season.

Andrew Auton will return for the 2020 season as Millikin's designated hitter. Last year, Auton had the second highest batting average on the team hitting .314, recording 33 hits and 20 RBIs in 35 games for the Big Blue. Senior Colin Jamison will bring competition to the designated hitter spot and will see time at the plate as a pinch hitter.

The Big Blue will look to key returning players to step up and fill in leaderships roles after losing a core group after the 2019 season. Filling those roles this year for Millikin are Brent Beals, Colin Jamison, Jack Morgan and Adam Zuk, who will act as team captains in the 2020 season.

"We go into this season expecting to compete again for a conference championship and in doing that, we will be playing one of the toughest schedules in the country. Right out of the gate in February we will be tested, going up against a number of regionally ranked teams," said Townsend.

Two of the four opponents Millikin will face in February and early March are regionally ranked. The Big Blue open their season playing three games against Hendrix College, who ended the 2019 season ranked fifth in the South region and received eight votes in the d3baseball.com national rankings. On March 1, Millikin will face Adrian College, who ended the 2019 season ranked fourth in the Mideast region and ranked #15 in the d3baseball.com national rankings.

Adding to the excitement of the 2020 season is the brand new Workman Family Baseball Field, which officially opened on September 27, 2019. The 2020 season will be the first season Millikin will play at the facility, which is the first on-campus baseball field in Millikin University history. With the completion of the Workman Family Baseball Field,
Millikin is the only school in the CCIW with an on-campus baseball-only facility with a full turf field and a clubhouse.

The stadium is fully equipped with an all-artificial turf field, lights, press box, concessions and batting cages. The grandstand has seating capacity for 459 spectators. Seating includes bleachers, seat back chairs and a patio area, all elevated above the playing field.

The Workman Family Baseball Field has in-ground dugouts with Millikin's dugout on the third base side with batting cages and bullpen access nearby. The visitor's dugout is on the first base side and also includes access to a bullpen. The new clubhouse is located below the grandstand.

"We are very excited to be able to play on-campus at one of the top facilities in the country. We can't thank Gary and Judy Workman and the entire Workman family, Mark and Bob Staley, Tom and Cordia Harrington, and the estate of Frank Tyrolt enough for their generous contributions to make the field a reality. The facility is a huge step as we continue to build on last year's successes," said Townsend.

You can learn more about the Workman Family Baseball Field here.

The Big Blue will open their season on the road in Conway, Arkansas on February 15 as they face Hendrix College in a 1:00 PM doubleheader. Millikin will host St. Norbert College on March 7 at 10:00 AM at the Workman Family Baseball Field for their regular season home opener.