Roark (right) will be sitting out 2008
Some bad news for the Illini baseball team. Tanner Roark, who led the team in wins last year, won’t be playing this spring because of “academic reasons”.
Roark was integral in last year’s season for Illinois. He was a second team All Big Ten selection and led (or tied) the team in wins, strikeouts, games started, and innings pitched.
This is obviously a tough blow for the team and I suppose, it isn’t easy for Roark either. The Illinois baseball team is known for paying attention to the academics. Last year, Ryan Hastings and Ryan Snowden were named to ESPN Magazine’s Academic All-District team.
Coach Hartleb did his best to put a positive spin on the situation. In an interview with the Big Ten Network, Hartleb said, “It is an unfortunate situation. But we have a number of talented, experienced pitchers who will be able to step up for us this season.”
(hat tip to Big Ten Hardball)