The Illini lost a lot of talent and leadership from last year’s NCAA Regional team. Only eight of the 20 players that appeared in the playoffs are back this season. However, there is one crucial area that the Illini have gained: expectations.
The team is fresh off its first Big Ten title since 2015 despite being ranked outside the top six in the 2024 preseason poll. That should not be the case when the new preseason poll is released this year. Even with four new teams in the conference, the Illini should be one of the early favorites for the Big Ten crown.
It won’t be easy — D1Baseball.com tabbed No. 12 Oregon and No. 24 Nebraska in its preseason rankings. But if these players perform well, the dream of repeating last year’s triumphs will become reality.
Oh captain, my captain
Illinois is searching for a guy to hang its hat on and rally around when the time comes. Being one of the few playoff starters returning to the roster, senior infielder Coltin Quagliano could be that guy.
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The Kewanee native had a good season, getting a .304 batting average for Illinois and was the fourth-best hitter on the team. Quagliano started all 56 games last year for Illinois and was one of only three players to do so.
He also finished the season as a top 50 player in the Big Ten, coming in at No. 47. The only Illinois players that landed ahead of him were seniors or left for the MLB draft.
Last year, Illinois was comfortable as the No. 1 team in the conference for home runs, with 104 on the year. Quagliano only hit nine total for the team, but he led the team in RBI and was second on the team in doubles. These stats placed him in the top 10 in the conference for RBI at No. 8. He also landed in the top 40 of conference players for doubles and finished at No. 34.
It will be telling to see how the team plays with its loss of power batters. But, adapting to these losses will hopefully give the team success. Quagliano should be a key piece to the team’s success this time around.
Sophomore pitcher stepping up?
The departure of pitchers Jack Crowder and Cooper Omans left a huge hole in the Illinois rotation. Crowder and Omans combined to start 28 of the team’s 56 games and worked over 30% of the total innings last season.
If Illinois wants a repeat of last year, its pitchers must step up in big ways.
One candidate is sophomore Regan Hall. The bespectacled left-hander started a pair of February games for the Illini last season among his 40.1 innings pitched. Hall ranked among the team leaders in batting average against last season, holding opposing hitters to a .241 clip. He also found success in limiting the long ball, giving up just three home runs.
Control issues plagued Hall, as he walked 20 batters and hit nine across his 40.1 innings. If Hall can improve upon both marks, he could be very valuable to a relatively inexperienced pitching staff, no matter what role he slots into.
He gets on base
It’s tempting to wonder if things might have gone differently for the Illini last season if sophomore outfielder Cameron Chee-Aloy was healthy for the playoffs. The Big Ten All-Freshman was hitting .333 with a .441 on-base percentage before losing nearly half of the year to injury.
Chee-Aloy will look to pick things up on the high note he left off on last season. The outfielder currently owns a 15-game hitting streak and a 19-game on-base streak, both of which will be on the line on opening night.
Chee-Aloy, who will play in the Cape Cod League this summer, should have no trouble with either. He reached base in 30 of his 31 games last year.
The Toronto native is one of three Canadians currently on the roster, along with junior outfielder Nick Groves and junior infielder Greg LaChance.
Sophomore duo Hall and Chee-Aloy, led by Quagliano, will be key to the team’s performance this year. Hitting could look different, as home runs were a major success last season. The young Illini pitching staff looks forward to the team’s next steps.
Last dance for Vytas Valincius
Senior outfielder Vytas Valincius was one of the best power bats the Illini had to offer last season. Valincius was fourth on the team in home runs with 12, and stepping into his final year, the power numbers should grow. Valincius wasn’t just a power hitter, though, hitting .267 in 2024.
Having a player who takes what’s given is always a huge plus. Valincius also drew 37 base on balls, and his discipline is key to Illinois’ success heading into 2025. Valincius already flashed many great moments as a junior, highlighted by his six RBI performance against Western Illinois.
Before playing for Illinois, Valincius started his career off at South Carolina. With a year of experience at Illinois under his belt, expect a great 2025 campaign for Valincius to help Illinois return to the NCAA tournament in consecutive years.
