Illini Baseball find themselves closer to home this weekend

This weekend, the Illini head home.. almost.  They’re back in the state at least, playing Southern Illinois University down in Carbondale.  It’s a four-game weekend with a special Sunday game at Rent One Park home of the Southern Illinois Miners of the Frontier League.   Abe Martin Field Carbondale, IL Fri. March 15 3:00 pm [...]

Series Preview: Illinois opens at Tennessee Tech

0-0 vs 0-0 T-minus two days before the 2013 season opener for the Fighting Illini Baseball team.  On Friday at 3pm, the challenge begins.  The challenge to see if Coach Hartleb’s Illini baseball team can come back from their lackluster finish in 2012.  Time will tell but I know the players will have fun trying. [...]

Illinois baseball announces six letters of intent signed

Coach Hartleb seemed pleased during the press conference where he announced the signing class of 2013 yesterday.  The six ‘athletic’ players that have signed letters of intent to play baseball for the University of Illinois are ‘successful’ and will be ‘impact’ players for the team. The focus this recruiting year appeared to be pitching and [...]

Mark your calendar: Illini Baseball announces “competitive” 2013 schedule

Coach Dan Hartleb announced the official 2012-2013 Illinois Baseball schedule earlier this week. You can find the schedule here at the FightingIllini.com website or download it pdf form. It’s a “competitive” schedule says Hartleb: “I am extremely excited about the quality of our 2013 schedule.  We will be playing a number of teams that are [...]

Changes in the Big Ten Baseball schedule?

The Daily Illini has a solid article regarding some proposed changes to the Big Ten Baseball schedule. It includes some extensive quotes from key members of the B10 baseball arena including Brad Traviolia, the Big Ten Deputy Commissioner and a few of the head coaches. Minnesota head coach John Anderson is leading the charge on [...]

Illini Baseball Week 1: Video Roundup

There have been a few interviews uploaded to YouTube by Illini Productions and the UI Athletic Department since the Big Ten/BIG EAST Challenge last weekend. Of note, Big Ten Co-Freshman Pitcher of the Week John Kravetz gets interviewed since his win on Sunday and Coach Hartleb talks to analyst Brian Barnhart about the team.    [...]

Hartleb gets some on-air time before the Hot Stove Banquet

For all attending the Hot Stove Banquet on Saturday, have a good time!  As for me , I’m in Pittsburgh for a four-day weekend with friends so I’ll miss it.  If anyone gets some good photos, contact me and we can post them here.  In related news, Coach Hartleb got some air time with Steve [...]

Jason Anderson takes on volunteer assistant coach position

On top of the news that Drew Dickinson has officially joined the Illini coaching staff, another former University of Illinois pitcher will be taking his place as volunteer assistant coach.  Last week, it was announced that Jason Anderson will take on the position on the heels of the news that he retired from professional baseball [...]

Dickinson joining Illini staff as pitching coach

It was announced today that Drew Dickinson was named University of Illinois baseball pitching coach. Dickinson’s impressive credentials do him justice.  While playing for the Illini, he earned two All-American awards and was conference Pitcher of the Year.  After a seven year pro career (reaching as high as AA ball), he was volunteer assistant coach [...]

Pitching coach Westray dismissed by Coach Hartleb

After six years as the University of Illinois pitching coach, Ken Westray has been given his walking papers by Coach Hartleb. From the News-Gazette: “I have decided to go in a different direction with our pitching coach position,” he wrote. “I want to thank Ken Westray for his work and contributions over the past six [...]