Touching all the Bases

Missing Manson

Posted by: Jeff Huth

Tuesday, May 19, 2009 11:31 AM

Has any Illini baseball player in recent memory seen his fortunes take a steeper decline in one year  than Kevin Manson? It's a timely question as Illinois begins play in the Big Ten tournament on Wednesday since the junior pitcher was largely responsible for his team's lone victory in the 2008 conference tourney. Manson pitched the game of his life - holding Ohio State to four hits and two runs, both unearned, in nine innings - in a tense 3-2 triumph in the Illini's tournament opener last May.
The dominant performance capped a season in which the lanky right-hander emerged as the staff ace. Manson won five of his last six decisions to finish with an 8-2 record and was rewarded with a spot on the All-Big Ten third team.
Flash forward to 2009, when Manson has virtually disappeared. He's pitched merely twice this season, on Feb. 21 in a start against Notre Dame and again on April 1 in relief against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville. Neither were pretty, Manson allowing 11 hits and five runs in five innings.
As has been the case since before the Illini's spring break trip in March, the former Maine South standout isn't on the UI travel roster this week.
So, what happened to Manson?
Illini coach Dan Hartleb says the right-hander's season was derailed by lingering arm soreness.  
"He has some minor, nagging injuries and never made his way on the field this year," Hartleb said Monday before leaving for Columbus, Ohio, for the Big Ten tournament. "He hasn't been 100 percent healthy and hasn't produced.
"He has some arm soreness but no structural damage. He just hasn't been able to get through it."
Manson was one of two proven pitching veterans who were expected to make a major impact for Illinois this season. The other, senior right-hander Ben Reeser, has battled back pain since the start of the Big Ten race. Reeser is on the trip this week, but his availability remains a major question mark. When Reeser (3-0, 2.92 ERA) is pain-free, he's been everything Hartleb and UI pitching coach Ken Westray expected - and more. But the Bloomington native has appeared in merely five games since early April, only once pitching more than two innings. In several of those outings, including the most recent on May 10 against Ohio State, he left the game due to back pain.
Imagine what a healthy Manson and Reeser might have meant to Illinois this season. Instead, they've primarily relied on one of the youngest rotations in the Big Ten: sophomore Phil Haig and freshmen Will Strack and Bryan Roberts.
Maybe one or more of that trio will pull a Manson in the Big Ten tournament this week. If not, the Illini will need rely on its potent hitting attack and best-in-the-Big Ten fielding. However, as Illinois' five losses in its last seven games made clear, those strengths aren't always enough to overcome poor pitching. At least not when the Illini mound staff is giving up 10 or more runs, as it has in four of the last five games.

Comments

Be the first to share your opinion!