The snow is gone, the rain is becoming less and less, and the sun actually feels warm, it means one thing that baseball time is back upon us in the City of Champions, Joliet, Illinois. If the sun is shining it means the Dirtbags are going to be prowling around Gillespie Field and Route 66 Stadium in downtown Joliet. This version of the Dirtbags may be the most dangerous team that has been ever put together in the 11 year existence of the franchise. What makes them most dangerous though, is that the returning players have a taste of the big time after winning the CSBL outright last year and getting to the NABF World Series last year in Battle Creek, Michigan. Blood is in the water and the Dirtbags have a take no prisoner attitude looking to run over any team that gets in their way.
The Dirtbags new season will go as far as its veterans and there is no leadership like the leadership provided by returners Joe McGuire and Jared Jones. Joe set the world on fire last year winning CSBL collegiate player of the year honors (becoming the 5th Dirtbag to do so in last 6 years). Joe destroyed almost every hitting record imaginable with a bum elbow no less. The scary thing is Joe's elbow is almost fully rehabbed and he is trying to be the first repeat winner of the CSBL Collegiate Player of the year. Jared Jones is no slouch either, after leading the St. Xavier Cougars to a NAIA National Tournament appearance and winning CSBL Pitcher of the Year honors last year, Jones is looking to complete his complete rewriting of the Dirtbag Pitching Recordbooks after a strong season this year. Jared has almost overcome every record fellow former Cougar Ryan Quigley set for the D-Bags and after a strong Junior campaign it is just a matter of when not if for Jones to be considered the best D-Bag pitcher of all time.
More returners that hope to have a major impact are Bailey Schultz, Karter Lowery, Angel Sandoval, Travis Schoonover, Mike Stevens, Dan Belling, Jake Suchor, Alex Steinbach, Ryan Gabriel, and Michael O'Brien. O'Brien, Lowery, Schoonover, and Steinbach look to be the thunder in the Dirtbags order this season especially with the raw power Steinbach and Lowery can generate. Don't sleep on OB or Schoo though who combine speed and some surprising pop that won't let CSBL pitchers breathe easy this season. Schultz looks to expand on his record holding most games in Dirtbag history while being the heartbeat of the DIrtbags this season with his high energy play and jaw dropping defensive ability. Sandoval looks to be penciled into the Number 2 starter role behind Jones and just continues to amaze at St. Francis and for the Dirtbags. Every time he touches the mound he seems to throw 7 to 9 innings barely giving up any runs and giving his team a shot to win every game he throws in. Stevens, Belling, Suchor, and Gabriel will be the steady arms returning and will act as the anchor for Joliet's favorite club this year.
Coach Campbell said back in the winter of 2019, "We might be better than we have ever been," and that is hard to believe while 12 players have signed professional contracts and 2 League Titles along with 2 World Series appearances have happened under Campbell's watch on Larkin Avenue, but with the new crop of young Dirtbags one might not be too sure. The newbies are led by phenomenal young talents Cherokee Lebeau (Oakland University), Ryne Travis (Olney University), Christian Sanchez (Parkland CC/Western Carolina), and Julio Cajigas (Romeoville HS/John A Logan). "These guys will round out the already solid lineup we have place," said Coach Campbell. "Cajigas and Travis are doing things at the plate I have never seen before and they haven't even hit 20 years old yet." All four guys have aspirations of playing professionally after their collegiate career and Dirtbag career come to an end. Travis and Cajigas will be splitting the catching duties with fellow new comer St. Francis backstop Adam Cibulka. "We have some big shoes to fill in Anthony Rios, but with the pop the three of these guys bring to the order and their versatility being able to play first or the outfield I think we will be ok," said GM Mike Sisti. LeBeau will be a mainstay throughout the Dirty Bags infield projected to play 2nd, 3rd, and short along with fellow newcomers Anthony Agne and Johnny Peterson. "I don't have one infielder that can't play multiple positions on the infield this year and I love it. It is nice to have 5 to 6 guys that can play 3rd one innings and SS the next," Said Coach Campbell.
The Dirtbags will only go as far as the young arms will take them and young arms they got plenty led by fireballers CJ Weins and Brendan Barrett. Both guys out of premier JUCO programs have been clocked approaching the low 90's and have professional futures if they keep projecting upwards. Nick Shelton, Matt Helwig, and Rich Jesse, Jr. are local guys who are carving out nice college careers for themselves and will being looking to pick up a heavy workload throughout the season. Rounding out the Dirtbags youth movement in the bullpen is Heartland's own local product Blake Harsheim who has been said by many in the area to be the hardest working player you will ever see. Blake's hard, nose to the grindstone type attitude is what the Dirtbags have made their mantra for the past decade plus and will use that effort to propel their way back to Battle Creek.
It has been rumored the next couple years are Coach Campbell's last as he makes his way to the executive suites of the Dirtbags and the only thing that keeps him coming back is the only thing that has eluded his resume, NABF National Championship. He can care less about league championships, 30 win seasons, NABF regionals, there is only one thing driving him, a Championship. There is something special brewing by Union Station off of Route 52 in the aforementioned City of Champions but it don't mean a thing unless in mid August the Dirty Bags are wearing the Ring!!!!
