CHAMPAIGN  The middle infield was a muddled infield.

   Then University of Illinois baseball coach Itch Jones returned to the combination of shortstop Jon Anderson and second baseman D.J. Svihlik on April 19.

   How''s it working?

   Check the record. Illinois is 14-1 since the change.

   Enough said?

   "It''s worked completely from an offensive and defensive standpoint," a pleased and relieved Jones said this week.

   It was for offensive reasons that the UI coach first realigned his middle infield. Jones opened the season with freshman Joe Sprengard at shortstop and sophomore Anderson at second. Then he waited to see whether Sprengard could handle college pitching. And waited. And waited.

   After 29 games, Jones couldn''t ignore the obvious any longer. After the first game of a doubleheader against Purdue on April 5, Sprengard''s batting average was down to .120.

   "From the defensive standpoint, I was completely satisfied with Sprengard at short and Anderson at second," Jones said. "But when it got to where he (Sprengard) just wasn''t even going up there and swinging the bat, then I thought, ''We''ve really got to make a change.'' "

   That change was to freshman Svihlik at second and Anderson at short in the second game of the twin bill. And if not for a grounder that took a wicked hop straight at Svihlik''s mouth, Jones'' middle-infield search might have ended that day.

   However, this literal version of smashmouth baseball left Svihlik in dire need of extensive dental work. Left him in no condition to play baseball for a while, either.

   In Svihlik''s absence, Jones went through a dizzying array of combinations. The UI coach went back to Sprengard and Anderson. He briefly dabbled with freshman Matt Becht at second base in tandem with Anderson. And in a bid to inject some much-needed offense into the lineup, Jones even moved left fielder (and former third baseman) Todd McClure to second.

   That lasted lasted all of three games, McClure committing three errors in that span.

   "It was kind of unfair to move Todd back to second base because he hadn''t played it in awhile," Jones said.

   By that time, Svihlik again was available for full-time duty. After McClure committed two errors in the first game of a doubleheader April 19 at Penn State, he returned to left field and Svihlik was back at second base.

   At that point, Jones gladly would have settled for defensive stability out of his middle infield. What the UI coach got was a combination that clicked in the field, a second baseman who has been on a tear with the bat and a team that Tuesday finished its regular season with its 13th consecutive victory  second longest in the program''s history.

   There have been several reasons for Illinois'' revival since entering the nightcap at Penn State 17-24. The starting pitching finally became consistently effective. The hitters, who struggled to cash in on scoring opportunities, began to deliver with runners in scoring position.

   But no less important a reason was Svihlik''s emergence as an offensive and defensive force and Anderson''s ability to make the move to shortstop smoothly.

   UI pitchers have noticed.

   "Anytime you have a middle infield that you can count on and you feel comfortable with, I think it helps a pitcher out tremendously," Illini right-hander Brett Weber said.

   Weber is so high on Illinois'' middle infield, he claims it''s playing close to the level of the team''s 1996 All-Big Ten Conference combo  shortstop Josh Klimek and second baseman Brian McClure.

   "I honestly believe that," Weber said. "They might not make as many spectacular plays as Josh and Brian did, but those guys are just as solid."

   Jones said he doesn''t believe the current setup is a defensive improvement on when Anderson teamed with Sprengard. But the UI coach is impressed with how quickly Anderson and Svihlik have picked up on their situational duties, such as how to respond to the hit-and-run.

   "Those two do a very good job at understanding what we''re doing," Jones said.

   And of making the routine and sometimes no-so-routine plays, he said.

   "D.J. has helped us so much because he''s been able to go to his extreme left real well," Jones said. "D.J. turned a double play the other day here where he just gunned the ball to second base."

   "His arm is stronger than Jon Anderson''s, but Jon Anderson gets rid of the ball quickly, reads hops real well."

   It didn''t take long to see Svihlik and Anderson were a good defensive mix. During the final two games against Penn State, the pair combined on three double plays.

   "Jon and I jelled together," Svihlik said. "I just felt real comfortable with him."

   The most pleasant development, though, has been Svihlik''s contributions at the plate. In the last 14 games, Illinois'' No. 9 hitter is batting .378 (17 of 45) with four homers and 14 runs batted in.

   "D.J. has been spectacular," Illini first baseman Kevin Rudden said. "He''s driving in runs, he''s real clutch. He''s definitely added a lot to our offense."

   Said Anderson: "I hear a lot of people say we''ve got the best (No.) 9 hitter in the league right now, and I believe it."