DANVILLE — Experience takes time.
That is pretty self-evident to almost everyone.
So, it should not have been surprising when the Danville Area Community College baseball team started the season with just five wins in its first 26 games.
“We were really young coming into this year,’’ DACC coach Clayton Hicks said.
That is probably an understatement. The Jaguars returned four batters that had 74 total at-bats in 2024 and three pitchers that accounted for 11.1 innings.
“Even the sophomores we brought in from other schools didn’t have a lot of experience,’’ said Hicks about seven other sophomore additions. “There was a lot of learning curves from their last true seasons of baseball at the high school level to the college game.
“I think it took longer that we expected or hoped.’’
Things started to turn around last weekend for DACC as they split a four-game set with nationally-rated Parkland College and then on Saturday and Sunday, the Jaguars took three out of four from the Illinois Central College Cougars, winning 14-6 and 10-6 on Sunday at Danville Stadium after splitting a pair in East Peoria on Saturday.
“This weekend really means a lot to this team,’’ said freshman infielder Ethan Durbin, who is second on the team in hits (38) and batting average (.333). “We had a lot of momentum after taking 2 out of 4 against Parkland and we came into this weekend looking for a 4-game sweep. We got the first one (2-0) but lost the second on Saturday.
“We came into (Sunday) wanting to put pressure on (ICC) and get both of these games — and we did that.’’
DACC, which improves to 10-24 overall and 9-15 in the Mid-West Athletic Conference, moves into sixth place in league standings ahead of Illinois Central, which falls to 11-29 overall and 6-14 in M-WAC.
“It was a great weekend,’’ Hicks said. “These guys are starting to play really good baseball together. We have had individuals play well at times this season, but this was our most complete weekend as a team with pitching, hitting and defense.
“This is when it matters the most — late in the year.’’
The Jaguars have three more weekends — two against conference opponents — before heading into postseason play.
Setting the tone for DACC on Saturday was left-hander Eric Fields from Brookfield, Nova Scotia, Canada. He allowed just five hits in eight scoreless innings against Illinois Central College, while striking out 10 and walking just two. His previous outing against Parkland, Fields struck out 11 in 7.2 innings of work.
“I was very happy with my performance,’’ Fields said. “I’m starting to find a nice rhythm and I’ve been able to throw my pitches where I’ve wanted them to go. And when I’ve missed my spots, my defense from guys like Chris Lewis and Cooper Hannagan have been there to back me up.’’
According to Fields, that has been the key to the improved play from all of the Jaguars.
“It can get rough when you are struggling, but when you have each other’s backs, things can change,’’ he said. “As long as we continue to support each other, we can be successful.’’
Fields was just one of the pitchers that was important to the Jaguars success this past weekend.
Jackson Roberts got the win in Sunday’s opening game, Landon Gudnasson earned the victory in the second game, allowing just 1 run in 5.1 innings of the bullpen, while relievers Jason Dorning and Cade Schaumburg picked up saves on Saturday and Sunday respectively.
“Our pitchers have done a really good job, especially considering we weren’t sure what to expect coming into the season,’’ Hicks said. “Eric Field has kept us in a lot of games and Cade Schaumburg has been great out of the pen … we weren’t sure what we would get from him, but he’s been one of our most reliable relievers.’’
But, admittedly, the biggest difference this weekend for DACC was 24 runs in the two games on Sunday. The Jaguars came into this past weekend averaging just over 4 runs per game, ranking them in the bottom third of all NJCAA Division II programs.
Leading the offensive charge for DACC were catchers Braxton Waller and Isaac Murray, along with middle infielders Chris Lewis and Zach Russell. That quartet combined for 14 of the team’s 25 hits, three doubles, two home runs — both by Lewis — and 14 RBIs.
“The guys have bought into the offensive approach and we are really starting to see the improvements,’’ Hicks said. “We have cut down on our strikeouts and we are finding a way to get guys across late in the games.
“We just need to stay the course.’’
Up next for DACC is a four-game series against Lincoln Trail with the first two games set for Danville Stadium on Thursday starting at 3 p.m.