I’ll admit it, I was all smiles when pick #1018 rolled past on the ol’ Draft Tracker this afternoon. That was when the Detroit Tigers chose Illini shortstop Shawn Roof in the 33rd round. And if you notice, his younger brother got picked a few rounds later by the Red…
This shouldn’t be a big surprise. University of Illinois catcher Lars Davis went in the 3rd round (102nd overall) of the First-Year Player draft yesterday. The lucky team is the Colorado Rockies. I’ve probably said it before but I’ve never seen a college player exude professionalism the way Davis does.…
Former University of Illinois infielder Chris Basak, at age 28, got the call to the bigs. He is now on the New York Yankees’ active roster. He did well in Spring Training and he can play all infield positions. That was pretty much what the Yankees needed. “Obviously you’re hoping…
It’s summertime and the Illinois baseball season is over. However, fourteen of the Illini players are honing their skills in college summer leagues. There is a web page at fightingillini.com that lists the players and who they will be playing for. A bonus: the page includes links to the teams…
Davis at the Big Ten tournament University of Illinois catcher Lars Davis will have to make some more room on his mantle. He’s got another award coming. Davis was named to the Louisville Slugger All-American Second Team. For those wondering, Buster Posey from Florida St was the catcher on the…
Blomquist pitching for the Illini in 2006 Former University of Illinois hurler Brian Blomquist got his chance to pitch on the professional level last Saturday night. Blomquist, who had just signed with the Southern Illinois Miners of the Frontier League didn’t have wait long to show what he’s made of.…
Shawn Roof and me Let me first say I had a fantastic time. This was my second Big Ten Tournament and the first time I’ve traveled to see the Illini baseball team play. Every Illinois fan wishes they could have won the tournament but all things considered, I thought they…
Some years, the Big Ten tournament champion is determined by Saturday night. In this strange year of one tough team in the loser’s bracket plus dealing with Mother Nature rearing her ugly head, three teams were still in the mix on Sunday morning. Unfortunately, I was on my way home…
During today’s Penn State-Minnesota game at the Big Ten baseball tournament, I saw someone who looked very familiar. I nudged Brian from Big Ten Hardball, who was sitting next to me and said, “Isn’t that Jon Saraceno from USA Today? It sure looks like him.” We discussed it and decided…
Well, with the Illini gone, I decided to stick around and watch some ball ANYWAY. Penn State who lost their very first game against the Buckeyes, have played with heart and have hung on, winning against Iowa, Michigan and yes, Illinois. Minnesota, on the other hand, have just come off…