Baseball: Hinsdale South’s Beesley to play on at Illinois State

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Updated: March 11, 2012 8:22AM

Sean Beesley should see some familiar names, if not old faces, when he joins Illinois State University’s baseball team next season.

The Hinsdale South leadoff hitter and starting center fielder made a verbal commitment to play for the Redbirds after considering Eastern Illinois and Southern Alabama.

Illinois State’s location and education program proved to be too good to pass up for Darien resident Beesley, who would like to study technology education or engineering. He hasn’t ruled out becoming a baseball coach someday.

“I think I could do that sometime because of my knowledge,” Beesley said.

Beesley joins teammate and catcher Emmanuel Morris as the Hornets’ second NCAA Division I recruit. Morris committed to Villanova more than a month ago. Morris and Beesley are teammates with the Illinois Sparks travel team, and are working out twice a week at the Bo Jackson Dome in Lockport.

Beesley will become at least the fifth player from the West Suburban Conference to join Illinois State next season. Two notable freshmen, former Hinsdale Central shortstop Matt Anderson and former Lyons Township slugger Brian Rodemoyer, are entering their first season with the Redbirds. Rodemoyer was the top power hitter for LT’s IHSA Class 4A state championship team last season.

“It’s a huge relief (to pick ISU),” Beesley said. “I can go out and relax and play this season. It’s nice.”

Beesley said he’s never met Anderson, but has played against him in previous games.

“Illinois State popped out of the blue,” Beesley said. “I wanted to play baseball and was going to go to Illinois State anyway. Academically, it’s right for me. Even if you take baseball out of the equation, this is where I wanted to go.”

Beesley believes Illinois State is headed in the right direction on the diamond.

“I know that in the last couple of years they have been one of the hottest teams in the (Missouri Valley) conference,” he said. “They won two or three titles years ago. They have been recruiting guys pretty quickly.”