Dickinson delivers
Sophomore pitcher makes the most of first collegiate start

by Larry Hawley
Senior writer

Heather A. Grotto The Daily Illini

Pitcher Andy Dickinson pitches during the game against Indiana State Wednesday at Illinois Field.

Illinois sophomore pitcher Andy Dickinson left a lasting impression on the crowd at Illinois Field Wednesday night.

In the southpaw's first-ever collegiate start, Dickinson went the distance in helping the Illini to an 8-2 victory over Indiana State.

Surprised at the success he had in his first start, Dickinson said he was able to overcome fatigue to capture victory.

"I threw a lot yesterday in the bullpen and had some work against Michigan," said Dickinson, "so I didn't know if I had enough energy to play, but I was able to find it and did a good job."

Illinois head coach Richard "Itch" Jones said that he was pleasantly surprised with Dickinson's effort.

"He came out here and gave us nine innings when we needed it," Jones said. "This helps get us back on the winning track."

In Dickinson's first start, he yielded just two runs on six hits while striking out a career-high eight against two walks.

With the bullpen seeing little work over the past two weeks, Jones said that he gave Dickinson his first start in an attempt to get his pitcher more innings.

"We want to try and get as many pitchers out of the bullpen as we can, and tonight we tried to get Dickinson as many innings as we could," Jones said.

Having a pitcher in for nine innings is very unusual in a midweek game, where starters are traditionally capped on how many pitches they can throw. Jones said that Dickinson's style of pitching made him decide to keep him in longer.

"He isn't one of our harder-throwing pitchers, so I knew that it wouldn't have a lot of strain on his arm," Jones said. "He didn't get into a lot of jams, which can get a pitcher tired,"

Dickinson said that he was happy with the way he was able to pace himself during the game but was shocked that Jones left him in for the duration.

"I was surprised because I was a little tired," Dickinson said, "but as the game went along I felt fine, so I was able to keep going."

Dickinson was locked in a tight game going into the fifth inning, with the score tied at two.

The Illini, who struggled from the plate early on, came alive in the fifth inning, scoring four runs to break the game open. Dickinson said getting the run support behind him helped make pitching a lot more comfortable.

"When they got those runs in the bottom of the fifth, I wasn't under so much pressure, so I was able to throw relaxed," Dickinson said.

With the Michigan State series looming this weekend, Dickinson will most likely be needed in the bullpen against the Spartans.

Dickinson said that he will be fine for the weekend.

"I'm not as hard of a thrower as some of the guys on our staff, so my arm doesn't undergo as much strain," Dickinson said. "Plus I still have a few days off, so I will get some treatment tomorrow, and I should be fine."