Illini baseball is now in full swing. The past two weekends the Illini have headed to Texas to participate in tournaments. The Illini first went to the Al Ogletree Classic and took on Sam Houston State in their season opener. The Illini battled back and won their game 6-4 with Kevin Manson picking up his first win for the season. The next day the Illini took on Texas State and dropped a nail biter 2-1. Mike Stankiewicz took the mound pitching six innings with four strike outs and only allowed one run against the Bobcats. Catcher Aaron Johnson was 3-4 and Kyle Hudson was walked twice, with his total walks already up to four for the season. On Sunday the Illini took on the Cardinals of Lamar to wrap up the Al Ogletree Classic. The Illini won 1-0 in a shutout of Lamar. Ben Reeser only allowed two runners in four innings and Aaron Martin and the Illini were able to work out of some jams to pull out the win. Last weekend the Illini returned to Texas to participate in the Baylor Tournament. The Illini dropped the first game to #22 Baylor 20-6 with Kyle Hudson and Joey Bonadonna each collecting two RBIs in the defeat. Stephen F. Austin was Illinois’ next opponent. Mike Stankiewicz took the mound for the Illini to start the game and let SFA take the lead in the fifth inning. Stankiewicz went for a career long 7 2/3 innings and the Illini tried to battle back, but fell short and reliever Nick Chmielewski got the lose. Offensively Casey McMurray reached base in all five of his appearances at the plate, he was 1 for 2 with two RBIs, two runs and two walks. Ryan Hastings was 2-4 with an RBI for the day. Sunday the Illini took on Illinois-Chicago, but in Waco, Texas. The game was shortened to seven innings because of travel plans. The Illini were the first team to score, but lost the game 7-4. Right fielder Nick Stockwell reached base twice and was 1-1 on the day with an RBI. DH Daniel Webb and first baseman Ryan Hastings each reached base three times and scored twice in the outing, Nick Stockwell also drove in a pair. Center fielder Kyle Hudson and short stop Brandon Wikoff were placed on the All-Tournament team. The Illini again head to the state of Texas next weekend where they have a four game series with Texas Tech. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. on Friday.

Hey Grounds Crew, America’s favorite pastime is back!! Illinois baseball will take Illinois Field by storm this Spring led by Coach Dan Hartleb. Last year, the Illini finished 31-27 and advanced in the Big Ten Tournament. Their success was largely led by catcher Lars Davis who finished the season with a .400 batting average and was voted second team All-America and Big Ten Player of the Year. In the recent MLB draft, Lars Davis was taken with the 102nd overall pick by the Colorado Rockies and will forego his senior year of eligibility. The Illini were also led by returning junior starting pitcher Tanner Roark who went 8-2 with an ERA of 4.55 and was voted second team All-Big Ten.

While the Illini finished 5th in the Big Ten in 2007, they look to improve upon that mark for 2008. Along with key returning players like Roark, the Illini will rely on pitcher Scott Shaw who was second in wins, outfielder Kyle Hudson who was second in batting average and stolen bases as a freshman, and Ryan Hastings who was second on the team in slugging percentage and home runs. Even though the losses of key players like Lars Davis, Ryan Snowden, Mike Rhode, Shawn Roof, and Jake Toohey will be felt this season, 14 Illini baseball players participated in summer leagues to make this year the best ever for Illini baseball! So come opening day, get ready for hot dogs, sun screen, and a season filled with Illini success! See you at the ballpark!!

The Illini continue to prepare for the upcoming season, training hard during the winter so that they are ready for the season when starts up.

The Illini recently signed the #1 ranked player in the state of Illinois, Casey Crosby. Crosby is a 6′4″ left-handed pitcher out of Kaneland high school in Elburn, IL