Coach Hartleb seemed pleased during the press conference where he announced the signing class of 2013 yesterday. The six ‘athletic’ players that have signed letters of intent to play baseball for the University of Illinois are ‘successful’ and will be ‘impact’ players for the team.
The focus this recruiting year appeared to be pitching and outfield and that came through in the results. Three pitchers and four outfielders were recruited. If you think my math is off it’s because four of the signees play multiple positions for their current teams. Versatility is definitely a key component for this year’s class.
Let’s take a look at the class one player at a time:
| Player | HS | Position | Ht./Wt. | Comments |
| Anthony Drago | Lake Zurich | 1B/OF | 6-2 / 210 | PBR’s #16 MLB draft prospect in 2013 |
| Alex Greer | Fort Osage (Liberty, MO) | OF | 6-0 / 185 | Baseball America’s #8 MLB draft prospect |
| Matthew James | Normal West | RHP/SS | 6-1 / 165 | Ranked #26 in state in 2013 |
| Ryne Roper | Harrisburg | RHP/SS | 6-2 / 190 | Reid’s brother. ‘nuff said. |
| Dan Rowbottom | St Ignatius (Broadview Hts, OH) | OF | 5-11 / 180 | PBR’s #2 OF in Ohio in 2013 |
| Cody Sedlock | Alleman | RHP/OF | 6-3 / 200 | 10-3 with 2.91 ERA and hit .377 in 2012 |
Coach Hartleb gave plenty of credit to Coach Eric Snider and Coach Drew Dickinson for their hard work in the recruiting process this past year. You can find a full report on the signees at the FightingIllini.com website.
Wow! It will be great if they all come to the UI! Like the comment about Ryne Roper.
(If any of them are drafted, can they can get out of their Letters of Intent?)
Good question!
here is some info:
http://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?SID=880&CID=638484
it deals with football but I assume it’s pretty similar across most college sports.
the basic points:
“By signing a letter of intent, the student-athlete agrees to attend the college or university for one year. The institution also agrees to provide financial aid for one year. Other institutions are prohibited to continue recruiting a student-athlete once he signs a letter of intent.”
also:
“A signed letter is binding to the university or college, not a coach or team. It is binding for one academic year. It does not guarantee a spot on the team or playing time.”
I also read it CAN be nullified. Under what conditions, I’m not sure. I’m sure a drafted player is exempt though.