Saturday night, the large conference center at the iHotel in Champaign was filled to capacity with Illinois baseball fans there to meet the 2018 baseball players, hear former Yankee shortstop Bucky Dent and help raise some money. It’s an annual tradition called the Hot Stove Banquet which is sponsored…
Last Saturday, the Illinois baseball players assembled on Illinois Field for a little friendly competition. A half hour before the game was to start, there was quite a rain and the pitching mound was covered. Things have a way of working out though. At 10:40am, the sky cleared and for…
Cody Sedlock: another first round draft choice from the Illini The Illinois baseball program had some big shoes to fill after last year’s draft. A total of nine players were drafted from the 2015 team which won the Big Ten championship and went on to the Super Regionals. That said,…
It’s May 31st so before the month is out and we close out the 2016 season, I want to recognize the Senior Class of 2016. This class has quite a lot to to be proud. The Class of 2016 went 145-74-1 for a .661 winning percentage. They also boasted a…
Illinois won their last two games against Michigan but it just wasn’t enough. Going into the last game, their fate was in the hands of Michigan State and the Spartans let them down. As a result, Illinois will not be going to the Big Ten Baseball Tournament next week. This…
Trent Hammond gets a high five as he scores on Sunday Wow! What a beautiful sunny weekend! It was perfect weather for baseball all three days and Illinois took advantage by sweeping the Saint Louis Billikens all three games. With the sweep. Illinois now puts themselves above .500 with a…
LF Dan Rowbottom improves to .292 for the season Illinois (11-14, 3-3 Big Ten) had plenty of chances to win every game this weekend against the Nebraska Cornhuskers (19-8, 5-1 Big Ten). Unfortunately, the good guys came home with one Friday night victory. Both teams were plagued by the windy…
Anthony Drago was 3 for 4 with a HR vs. Villanova If every weekend could go like this past one for Illinois baseball, I’m sure Coach Hartleb wouldn’t mind. Not only did the Illini sweep all three games at the Stetson Invitational in DeLand, Florida but everything seemed to click. …
Jason Goldstein is 10 for 24 through two weeks Illinois displayed a significantly better showing this weekend against weekend against Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers. At least, the won-loss record looks a lot better. With two wins to start the weekend and a very close loss on Sunday,…
Eight floors above the snow-covered football field of Memorial Stadium, there was talk of baseball over the lunch hour. Catcher Jason Goldstein, pitcher JD Nielsen, and head coach Dan Hartleb came to talk to the local sports media about the Illinois baseball program at the expansive media box atop of…