LCHS senior Trey Schilling commits to Illinois Wesleyan for baseball

 

[January 28, 2024] 

The LCHS boys basketball team may be in the midst of battling for a conference title and a favorable regional seeding, but one Railer recently signed on for another sport at an area university.

LCHS senior Trey Schilling committed to Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington to play baseball for the Titans. He is the son of Tony and Tammy Schilling of Lincoln. He also has a sister, Tori, who is a sophomore at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville.

“It was a long process,” Schilling said of the path that ended with him committing to Illinois Wesleyan. “I took the chance to visit multiple schools. The minute I stepped on to Wesleyan’s campus, I felt like that was where I belong.”

IWU assistant coach Michael Keller said Schilling’s addition to the roster helps fortify the Titans defense up the middle.

“A big need for us was getting a middle infielder,” said Keller, who also serves as associate dean of admissions and handles a significant amount of recruiting. “We were kind of doing some digging and came across Trey and some of his videos. We watched and were obviously very impressed.“

Keller said that, once a potential recruit is on the coaching staff’s radar, the next step is a vetting process to assess how well the individual will fit in with the team both on and off the field. That process typically begins by talking with the player’s high school coach, which in Schilling’s case is LCHS coach Augie Casson

“He was a great resource for us,” Keller said of Casson. “His evaluation/ recommendation of Trey was off the charts. Obviously, baseball is a big part of it, but there is the academic component.”

Casson said, when speaking to college coaches about his players, he tries to give them a complete picture of the student-athlete both on and off the field.

“I’m very transparent when I talk about the players that I have and the things that they can do and that they excel in, and especially how they are as human beings,” Casson said. “I break it down, everything from their grades to how they treat their teammates and are they a good teammate. Then I go into the baseball aspect of it.

“When Coach Keller and I chatted, I told him what type of player Trey is. He’s got a great glove, he’s an advanced fielder, he’s got a good arm, he can play middle infield for Wesleyan, and he’s going to hit. Along with that, Trey’s got great grades as well and is just all-around the kind of kid you’d want in your program.”

Keller said, in addition to Casson, another individual whose name is familiar to fans of Railer athletics helped provide some input in the process.

“One cool connection here at Wesleyan is Gavin Block, who is kind of a Lincoln legend who is helping with our basketball program and works with myself in admissions,” Keller said.” I think they live right down the road from Trey and his parents. When you get so many different people who have nothing but great things to say about Trey, I think everything lines up.

“After that, the process went pretty quickly. You get a good player who checks all the boxes, you get them on campus, and as soon as they get their acceptance...I had a feeling he was ready to commit, but obviously you want to get his official acceptance. When Trey called us and told us he was going to be a Titan, we were super excited.”

Schilling said several things impressed him on his visit and influenced his decision to attend IWU.

“Wesleyan pretty much checked all my boxes,” he said. “I liked the support and the reassurance that the Wesleyan coaching staff gave me. The players treated me very well there; I felt like I could step in right away and be one of them.”

Another thing that appealed to Schilling was the school’s proximity to Lincoln.

“I didn’t really want to leave Illinois, but if that happened and it came down to it, I would have,” he said. “Being 30 minutes away is good because I can have my support like my parents, grandparents, all my family, friends, coaches here; anybody from Lincoln that wants to come watch a game only has to drive thirty minutes.”

Committing to attend Illinois Wesleyan ends a process that has been ongoing for the last few years for Schilling.

“It was an extremely long process,” he said. “I started this before my freshman year. In eighth grade, I started playing some really high competitive ball, and that’s kind of when I realized, ‘I can get recruited doing this.’ I started talking to a few colleges after my freshman year. I was super busy every single summer. I was traveling to different states and different cities all the time and playing in some big tournaments which is where I got recruited a lot.

“And this high school program…I’ve got to give a lot of credit to Coach Casson and our coaching staff here, because he does a lot for me with recruiting, reaching out to coaches, texting coaches about me, and everything like that. Wesleyan found me and we started talking a few months ago. And then we finally got on a visit, and I committed. It’s been a super long process--frustrating, there were some downs, there were some ups--but it takes a ton of weight off my shoulders now that I can say I’ve made the decision.”

Keller said Schilling’s skill set profiles well and he has the chance to have a significant impact with the Titans.

“We’ve got some upper classmen right now,” Keller said. “But I think with Trey’s ability—he’s a super, super athletic kid, a hard worker, and I think it’s awesome that he’s a multisport athlete—that bodes well for him. His athleticism when you watch him move and watch his actions, I think he’s got a chance to be, not only a high-level hitter, but a high-level defender as well.

“I will always go back to the athleticism and the multisport thing. When guys do that, I think it really bodes well for their future. I love the fact that he’s a big-time basketball guy and I think just bodes well for his strength development and skill development. I think his ceiling is extremely high.”

While the sharp-shooting senior has been a major contributor for the Railer basketball team this season, Schilling said he doesn’t foresee college hoops being part of his future.

“I love basketball, and I have a passion for basketball,” Schilling said. “I’ve played it since before I can even remember. And my dad played here. I love the Railer program; it’s a tradition. But I think after this year, I think I’m done. I’m just going to play baseball in college and live the college life.”

Schilling’s high school basketball coach, Neil Alexander, said Schilling’s work ethic and dedication will serve him well regardless of the sport he plays.

“He’s a great person,” Alexander said. “He works hard; I don’t care what sport he’s doing, he’s going to work hard for you. He played a couple years of football, and he played hard there. He’s played basketball for four years. Baseball is his Number 1 sport.

“He does everything right and is a great teammate. He’s fun to be around, which makes coaching fun.”

When he moves on to Wesleyan, Schilling will have compiled a nice resume participating in the Railer baseball program. He was named defensive player of the year for the Railers last season while remaining a consistent force in the batting order for Lincoln.

While Casson raves about Schilling’s defensive prowess, the Railer coach said his biggest memory of Schilling’s on-field performance at LCHS involved his offense in the regional championship game last season against Mahomet-Seymour.

“He's had a lot of games where he’s contributed to our winning ways, but the game that sticks out in my mind we actually lost,” Casson said. “We were facing Blake Wolters--a pick in the major league draft for the Kansas City Royals--and Trey gets two hits off him, including a double. He kept us in the game. Trey got two of the four that we got. He didn’t back down against that guy; it was overall a great game for him.”

Schilling also listed that game as his biggest LCHS baseball memory thus far.

“Even though we lost, it was still a great game,” Schilling said. “He [Wolters] was sitting about 96, 97 miles per hour and I went 2 for 3 with a double off him. That’s probably been my favorite high school memory so far, getting two hits off a guy that’s in an MLB organization.”

Schilling did not have to think too long when asked who his biggest supporter has been.

“My dad has been my biggest influence,” he said. “He’s pushed me to be the greatest I can be every day since even before I got to high school. Even during basketball season, I’ll go hit in cages and take some ground balls, so he’s had my back since Day 1.

“I really appreciate the support from my mom and dad; they know my ceiling and how high my ceiling is, so they push me every day to be the best I can be. They got me to where I am today.”

Schilling said he has not decided what his major at IWU will be.

“I do know that I want to stay in the sports world,” he said, “so maybe like a sports management type thing. But I know that Illinois Wesleyan is very, very, very high academically. It’s one of the best if not the best in Illinois or in the Midwest, so that was also another big contributing factor, because education is going to get me farther in life than sports will.”

Keller said that the jump from high school to college baseball is considerable and that the Wesleyan coaching staff monitors incoming players such as Schilling to give them the best chance to succeed.

“We try and give our guys opportunities,” Keller said. “With Trey’s versatility, I think obviously there’s opportunities to get on the field early, but there’s a learning curve. I don’t care how good of a player you are, going into the college level--whether it’s D-II (Division 2), D-III (Division 3), or whatever it may be--there’s going to be an adjustment period. You’re facing higher-velocity pitchers, 22- and 23-year-old guys that have been there and done it.

“I think it’s just bringing him along slowly and allowing him to have some opportunities early on to be successful. A big thing in baseball is confidence, and we try not to have young guys have their confidence broken early, because I think it’s just a long road back. I think we’re going to give him some opportunities, but we’ll kind of take him along slowly and see where everything goes. If he’s on the field as a freshman, then we’ve done our job and we’ve gotten a really good player. If not, then we’ll build him up. He’s definitely got a bright future for us.”

Casson said Schilling should be a good match for the Titan baseball program.

“Wesleyan is a perfect fit for him,” Casson said. “They’ve got a good program, they’ve got great facilities, they’re close to home, they’re in a good conference, and I think Trey will fit right in there. He should be one of their main guys from the start to play middle infield.”

Schilling said he’s ready to do whatever it takes to get playing time for IWU.

“I’ll just be a middle infielder, but I might even play some third base if they give me some opportunities there,” Schilling said. “Wherever I need to fit in to be able to play right away instead of maybe sit a year, I’ll take every opportunity I can get to get in the starting lineup right away.”

Keller said that, even if Schilling isn’t on the field right away for the IWU, the Titan baseball program tries to make sure all players in the program have opportunities to develop.

“The last couple years we’ve played anywhere from a handful to six or seven JV games,” Keller said. “That’s another opportunity with some younger guys when they’re not getting as many varsity ABs (at-bats) or innings, they get a chance to develop. I think that’s huge because you don’t just want to waste a spring when a guy is maybe not necessarily starting for you on varsity that he still gets some opportunities to develop.

“Along with that, Trey’s summer ball is a big part of it [Schilling’s development]. I think with that, whether it’s on the varsity side or some JV games and summer ball, he’ll have some chances to develop and be ready to go as a sophomore, junior and senior.”

Before he steps on the Wesleyan campus, however, Schilling and the Railers still have his senior season to play. Casson said the LCHS team has a sold core of upperclassmen and should be very competitive this season.

“I’m really looking forward to this year, especially with the guys I’ve got with Trey and all the seniors and juniors,” Casson said. “I have a feeling it’s going to be a very good year.

“This is a very strong baseball class. We’ve got guys who can move on. They’re going to do well in college, and not only that, they’re going to schools where they can contribute. We’ve got five right now [seniors committed to play in college] and the sixth just took a visit last week. They’re going to do very well for the schools that they’re going to.”

Casson said the core of talented seniors playing at the next level is having an impact on the underclassmen in the program.

“With these guys moving on, the younger guys are saying, ‘Hey, I could play baseball at the next level.’ The program is trending upward.”

Casson added that Schilling will play a key role for the Railers this season.

“We’re going to be our best when he’s playing short,” Casson said. “He didn’t get to pitch that much last year, but I could see him throwing a lot more this year off the mound. His arm has come to life recently; I could see him being a mid-reliever, maybe a spot starter guy here and there. But his value for us is him playing shortstop for us.”

Illinois Wesleyan finished with an overall record of 22-23 last season. The Titans ended up advancing through the loser’s bracket of the CCIW (College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin) postseason tournament to force a second game before falling in extra innings to Augustana. The Titans are coached by Dennis Martel, who has been at the helm since 1988 and has compiled an overall record of 890-597-3.

“We’re excited and we think we’ve got a chance to compete for a conference championship,” Keller said of the upcoming season. “And then it’s a matter of building toward the future with guys like Trey and getting that next wave.”

Lincoln finished 21-13-2 last season under Casson, who has compiled an overall record of 74-52-2 as head coach since 2018. The Railers are scheduled to open their season March 12 at home against Bloomington.

[Loyd Kirby]