OGLESBY— Illinois Valley Community College coach Mike Fulkerson is looking close to home to rebuild the Eagles baseball program.

Recent Streator graduate Matt Scarbeary was one of five ballplayers signed this week to scholarship offers to play for the Eagles next school year. Scarbeary — a second-team selection to the All-NCIC Reagan Division team this past spring — batted .300 for the Diamond Dogs while skillfully manning second base.

"Ever since I started playing high school ball I knew I wanted to play beyond high school," Scarbeary said as the ink dried on his National Letter of Intent. "I'm mostly known as a defensive player. I've never swung that hot of a bat. I mostly do my thing with my glove. Hopefully I'll be able to earn some playing time."

Fulkerson believes Scarbeary and his other four signees — the La Salle-Peru duo of Matt Schmitt and Brett Burkart along with recent Hall graduates Wes Herman and Jake Kelly — have a very good chance to do just that as the Eagles look to recover from a 2-36 season.

"Matt Scarbeary and Brett are going to bring some defensive abilities we desperately need,"IVCC's skipper said. "Schmitt will see some time as an outfielder and a pitcher ... and Wes and Jake can pitch for us.

"We're trying to rebuild some ties with the local coaches. ... That's what community colleges are here for."

Referring to Scarbeary specifically, Fulkerson seems to believe the young man who a former youth coach once said "doesn't look right without a baseball glove on his hand" will be a key component in the Eagles' revival.

"He's going to be a huge asset for us,"Fulkerson said of Scarbeary. "He's got great hands and great feet defensively. We're looking at him at second base, maybe even moving him over to third base. It's just a question of getting him adjusted to the speed of the college game."

For Scarbeary, getting the chance to restore IVCCto its status as one of the nation's top JUCObaseball programs is another draw to donning the purple of the Eagles.

"Every team's going to have a bad season," Scarbeary said. "But every team can bounce back, too. Hopefully I can contribute to that."