Just last week, I was wondering last week when this year’s baseball schedule would be released. Sure enough, Coach Hartleb announced at an online press conference the state of the 2021 Illinois baseball season. The good news is that schedule has been finalized pending last minute changes and of course,…
How the spring 2021 college baseball season will exactly shape up is still up in the air but for now, it is status quo with pre-season workouts at the Irwin Practice Facility. And yes, pre-season selections are on tap. On Thursday, Branden Comia and Ryan Hampe were both named to…
Even during these times, Illini baseball head coach Dan Hartleb and his crew have been busy. Recruitment never takes a back seat. It was announced on Wednesday that a total of eight national letters of intent (NLIs) were signed by high school athletes to play for the University of Illinois…
A few days ago, I noticed an “In Memoriam” tribute to former MLB pitcher Howie Judson who passed away on August 18th. The name rang a bell with me. Then it hit me. He was a former Illinois pitcher and his name adorns a plaque at Illinois Field. In fact,…
What a day to be at the ballpark! Yesterday, it was about perfect. I had been going through baseball withdrawal. Normally at this time, it would have been a few months without baseball but this year, I haven’t seen (or photographed) an Illini baseball game since the first home game.…
Joey Gerber is going up to the Show! The former Illini reliever was invited to Seattle’s 60-man training roster and is one of 22 invitees joining the team. He posted a very thoughtful Tweet today… Gerber played for the Illini from 2016 to 2018. Aside from multiple Academic Big Ten…
This summer, Illinois baseball is installing new Field Turf at Illinois Field and the installation has now commenced! I had the day off today so I took some time to stop by Illinois Field and see how the progress is coming along. It was very strange to walk into the…
The Rockford Rivets’ season is now “indefinitely on hold” as there was concerns of exposure to the Covid-19 virus by a staff member. Why is important to Illini fans? The Rivets, a Northwoods League team, has three Illini on their roster. I found this out the hard way this as…
Last week, FightingIllini.com announced that Illinois pitcher Aidan Maldonado was ranked #77 among draft prospects by Baseball America. Add that to another honor for the sophomore right-hander. Maldonado’s 2020 season was cut short by Covid-19, of course. He showed signs of continuing his success. In his 2019 season with the…
Summer collegiate league ball is in full swing! While the Illini 2020 season was shelved, the Northwoods League is going ahead with their season. The Illinois Baseball program has a long history with the NWL and this year is no exception. Sixteen Illinois baseball players will be playing on seven…