For most teams, winning is the goal. Of course, only one team can win. The Illini believe they have the ability to be that team in the Big Ten.

“I think this is a really good unit, a really good group of guys, and I think we have a really good chance to make it deep this year,” said senior right-handed pitcher Ben Plumley. “Out of my last five years here, this is probably the most deep and complete team we’ve had so far.”

Illinois is coming off a solid season in 2025. The team went 30-24 and 14-16 in conference play. That led to a No. 11 seed placement in the Big Ten Tournament, where Illinois upset Michigan, the No. 7 seed, to advance to the second round.

This year will likely look pretty different. The 2026 squad features 18 new players, which has brought a lot of unknowns to the Illini. The first month of the season will be big for head coach Dan Hartleb to figure out his team.

“There’s so many unknowns, and that’s kind of my job to figure it out over the next couple weeks and hopefully figure it out in a hurry,” Hartleb said. “While winning.”

One thing that Hartleb is high on this season is the defense. Illinois struggled last year, committing 66 errors in 54 games. The coach pointed to the 2024 season as an example of great defense. 

The Illini ended the year with 42 errors in their conference championship-winning season. It was a big part of why they managed to win the Big Ten. Hartleb thinks his team can get back to that level of defense.

“If you look at where we’re at this year … I think we’ll really defend. I think we have some depth from a defensive standpoint,” Hartleb said. “But we’re just so much better from a defensive standpoint.”

New coach makes immediate impact

Roughly a year ago, former pitching coach Mark Allen passed away due to cancer. It was a tough time for Allen and his family, as well as for the team. The pitching coach had stepped away from the team to deal with the diagnosis.

When he passed, Hartleb decided not to hire a new pitching coach right away. He didn’t want to rush past Allen’s impact on the team, and he didn’t think it would be very easy to find a coach right as the season started. The Illini used temporary coaches throughout the 2025 season.

In June of 2025, they found their new permanent pitching coach. Dillon Napoleon was hired away from Western Kentucky, where he was a highly respected pitching coach. In 2025, Napoleon was named the Conference USA Assistant Coach of the Year.

His pitching group at Western Kentucky was near the top of every major statistic in the C-USA year in and year out. As a group, the Hilltoppers pitchers had a 3.50 ERA last season, which was the top of the conference and fourth-best in the country. 

“If you look at the pitching piece of it, everywhere he’s been, they continually got better,” Hartleb said.

It was a big hire, and Napoleon should certainly help a group that could use improvement. Illinois had the fourth-worst ERA in the Big Ten last season. It also had the second-worst K/9 in the conference.

The Illini need their new pitching coach to help smooth out the pitching staff. Plumley is already in on the new coach. He said that Napoleon is into their development as not only players, but people as well. He’s also focused on building their athleticism, which is important in Plumley’s eyes. 

“That’s really played a huge role in our development in throwing strikes and being a lot more competitive in the zone and just attacking hitters overall,” Plumley said.

Players to watch this season

Illinois features a slew of talent in both position players and pitchers. There will be plenty of players to keep an eye on throughout the season. One of the top players is junior outfielder Collin Jennings.

Jennings was one of Illinois’ best hitters last year, slashing .286/.407/.671 with 16 home runs and 61 RBIs. He was also excellent in the field, with a .989 fielding percentage, 87 putouts and just one error.

Jennings was also put on the Big Ten Players to Watch list on Wednesday. He is likely to be an everyday player in the outfield and a top offensive contributor this season. 

Another position player to watch is senior outfielder Nick Groves, who is also on the Big Ten Players to Watch list. Groves slashed .324/.493/.385 last year with 18 RBIs and 15 stolen bases. His on-base percentage was fifth in the conference.

Groves is another one to watch, as he will likely be on base very often this season. His quickness on the bases is a big asset to the offense.

A pitcher to watch is junior Zach Bates. The southpaw was named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award watch list. The award goes to the best relief pitcher in the NCAA every year. 

Bates had the lowest WHIP (1.08) and second lowest ERA (2.83) on the team in 23 appearances. His eight saves led the team last year. Bates will be a staple of the bullpen and should only improve under Napoleon’s new leadership.

Plumley is another pitcher to watch for the Illini this year. Hartleb believes he has the talent to be a top starter in their rotation, but could also be moved around depending on what Illinois needs. However, Plumley will toe the bump to start the season.

He had a rocky 2025 season, but Plumley and Hartleb are both confident that he can be a great starting pitcher for the squad.

Season kicks off at USF

Illinois will get its season underway in Tampa, Florida, against USF. The Bulls went 31-25 last season and finished third in the AAC with a 16-11 record. The teams last played in 2015, when Illinois took two out of three games at home.

The Illini also added a surprise home game. Illinois announced that it will play Butler on Tuesday, Feb. 17, at Illinois Field. It’s the earliest home-opener in program history.

@ben_some16 

[email protected]