This weekend is the last regular season series and the last chance you will get to see the Illini at Illinois Field this year until the Fall. The team will host UT Martin Skyhawks, a non-conference team. The Skyhawks are 21-31 but have a 14-10 Ohio Valley Conference record and…
It shouldn’t be a surprise, but Illinois first baseman Drake Westcott was named Big Ten Player of the Week yesterday. Spurring the Illini to a three-game sweep over Michigan State, Wescott hit the cover off the ball last weekend including five homeruns. Westcott’s weekend stats: 8 for 15 with five…
Meet Illinois starting pitcher Jack Wenninger… Jack is a mild-mannered ballplayer from Cary, Illinois. I had the pleasure to sit at his table at the annual Hot Stove Banquet this January. Jack was a very pleasant gentleman and talked to our table about the Illinois baseball program. When I asked…
A lot happens in college baseball during the summer. The players go off and play in summer leagues, there are various administration and program activities and then there are events that happen only once every few years. Let’s take a look at past few months in Illinois baseball news… Branden…
Tuesday it was announced that five Illini were chosen by the Big Ten to its All-Big Ten squads. Here is the official announcement from the conference office. While I’m biased of course, I certainly feel these five are definitely deserving. Justin Janas 1B Second team Last year’s conference batting leader…
Illinois baseball has an in-state weekend series starting tomorrow. They travel (just a little) south to visit the Southern Illinois Salukis. The Salukis are off to a good start in 2022. Not only are they 13-4 but they are 8-1 at home. Gametime Friday is 6pm. There’s a strong connection between…
You know we’re getting close to baseball time when preseason honors are being awarded! In this case, D1Baseball has come out with their 2022 Big Ten Top 30 Prospects and we can find four Illini among them. So who are they? Cole Kirschsieper At #5, Kirschsieper tops the list for…
Big Ten announced the 2021 All-Big Ten award recipients this week. Illinois can be proud of their representatives. They are… 1B/DH Justin Janas – All-Big Ten First Team In 2021, Justin Janas hit. And hit and hit. He went 3 for 3 in the third game of the season. Since…
Powered by first baseman slugger and hometown hero Kellen Sarver, Illinois (21-20) won two of three games against Penn State (17-23) this past weekend for their last home series at Illinois Field. That gives Illinois a winning record at 21-20! To be fair, Champaign native Sarver had a lot of…
Not surprisingly, Riley Gowens earned the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week award this week. Based on his seven-inning, no-hit performance on Sunday, Gowens’ honor is the first weekly honor for an Illini player in 2021. This award comes on top of his Collegiate Baseball Newspaper National Player of the…