Last Saturday, Illinois baseball fans packed the Illinois Conference Center for the 2025 Hot Stove Banquet. In a lot of ways, the Hot Stove Banquet has traditionally been the kickoff event for the Illinois baseball season.
I love attending the Illinois Baseball Hot Stove Banquet! Mostly, because it signifies the beginning of the Illinois baseball season. Our eyes start paying more attention to the sport after a long winter. With the first game of the season only a month away, the media is picking up and…
On Saturday January 14, the Illinois Baseball community gathered in person for the first time since 2020 for their annual Hot Stove Banquet. Signifying the beginning of the Illinois baseball season, the Hot Stove Banquet is a chance for fans, coaches, players and community members to meet, talk and to…
This Sunday is the 2022 Illinois Baseball Hot Stove annual Fundraiser. And as always, Big Mike is back to keep things alive! Even if it is virtual. Alas, we are still not in a place where we can still congregate like a few years ago. Event organizer and auctioneer Mike…
On Friday, Illinois baseball will take the field competitively for the first time in almost a year. It was after the Elon game on March 8 when everything shut down for the 2020 season. But it’s a new year and a new modified 44-game schedule. Assuming everything goes to plan,…
It is just a few quick minutes till the Hot Stove Fundraiser (click here to watch it) so this article will be quick. Here are a few photos of this weekend’s practice. They had beautiful weather suitable for any game. Time to for all of us to watch the Hot…
On Saturday night, the Chancellor Ballroom at the iHotel was filled to capacity with loyal Illinois Baseball fans for the 2020 First Federal Hot Stove Banquet. Three-time Manager of the Year Buck Showalter was the keynote speaker and Mike Namoff facilitated a successful live and silent auction for Illinois Baseball. …
The Illinois baseball recruitment team has been busy lately. Today, it was announced that seven high school athletes and two junior college transfers have signed national letters of intent to play for the Illini. According to FightingIllini.com, they are… Jack Crowder RHP Plainfield East HS Ryan Hampe C John A.…
The Illinois Baseball community continues to amaze me. The annual Illinois Baseball Hot Stove Banquet co-sponsored by the Dugout Club, was scheduled for last Saturday night. To be honest, I wasn’t sure if attendance would be high. We had a nasty winter storm roll in on Saturday and roads were…
Saturday night is Illinois baseball’s annual Hot Stove banquet officially kicking off the 2019 season. And yes, there actually is a hot stove. It is lit at the beginning of the banquet. Rumor has it that the organizers of the banquet have to get special permission from the City Fire…