Another college baseball program falls victim to virus
By Rich Eberwein, Staff Writer
July 9, 2020
Boise State announced the elimination of its baseball, swimming and diving programs last week. Just three years ago, the Broncos decided to reactivate their baseball team after decades of dormancy dating back to 1980. "Today's decision came after an extensive review and in-depth analysis of the athletics...
Former Illini closer Joey Gerber named to Seattle Mariners’ 60-man roster
By Rich Eberwein, Staff Writer
July 2, 2020
Prior to the announcement of Garrett Acton signing with the Athletics, Joey Gerber, another former Illini closer, was named to the Seattle Mariners’ 60-man roster on Monday. The Maple Grove, Minnesota, native ranks fourth on Illinois’s all-time saves list with 22 over three seasons. Gerber broke...
Garrett Acton heads to Bay Area
By Rich Eberwein, Staff Writer
June 30, 2020
Illinois closer Garrett Acton is the latest Illini senior to move on to a professional career. Following the 2020 MLB draft, the Oakland Athletics offered Acton a free agent contract which he accepted two weeks ago. Acton’s time at Illinois was brief but impactful. Following his sophomore year,...
MLB finally gets 2020 plan in motion
By Rich Eberwein, Staff Writer
June 25, 2020
As if the cancellation of sporting events due to a global pandemic wasn’t enough, MLB owners and the Player’s Association finally wrapped up months of negotiations that were both uncomfortable to watch and embarrassing for the game. For a sport that desperately needed a pick-me-up before the clock...
Former Illini pitcher Ty Weber signs with San Francisco Giants as undrafted free agent
By Rich Eberwein, Staff Writer
June 17, 2020
Former Illinois pitcher Ty Weber received a phone call from the San Francisco Giants on Sunday with a free agent contract offer. After months of wondering what the future would hold and whether or not he would be returning to Illinois for an extra season, Weber talked it over with his parents and, after...
Illini baseball Kirscheiper receives freshman All-American honor
By Rich Eberwein, Staff Writer
June 11, 2020
Last Tuesday, Collegiate Baseball released its list of Freshmen All-Americans from the 2020 baseball season. Among the outstanding performances on the season was Illinois pitcher Cole Kirscheiper, who was one of 18 freshmen starting pitchers to be named on the list. Over four appearances in his inaugu...
Two Division 1 universities cut baseball programs
By Rich Eberwein, Staff Writer
June 3, 2020
Bob Moosbrugger, the athletic director of Bowling Green State University, announced that his athletic department will be eliminating the school’s baseball program in wake of heavy financial losses from the COVID-19 pandemic. The same decision was made by Furman University, who announced that in addition...
MLB proposes universal designated hitter, 82-game season
By Rich Eberwein, Staff Writer
May 16, 2020
Baseball has been on hiatus for over two months as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to trudge along. Despite the virus and all of its complications, Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred floated a plan for baseball to return over to the MLB Player’s Association on Tuesday. This proposal will...
Dosunmu, Quade win Dike Eddleman Athlete of the Year awards
By Carson Gourdie, Assistant Sports Editor
May 14, 2020
Illinois men’s basketball guard Ayo Dosunmu and women’s volleyball outside hitter Jacqueline Quade were named Dike Eddleman Athletes of the Year for their past season performances. The award is named after Dike Eddleman, who garnered 11 varsity letters at Illinois. Dosunmu became the first male b...
Best Illini uniforms: Blue-gray threads highlight Illinois baseball’s 2020 combinations
By Gabby Hajduk, Sports Editor
May 12, 2020
Illinois sports teams all typically have clean, simple uniforms. The Illini baseball team has followed that style with very standard uniforms consisting of orange, blue, white and gray colors. The Illini have five consistent shirts they rotate and three different pants. Like every team at Illinois,...
Countless unknowns surround the MLB season
By Rich Eberwein, Staff Writer
May 2, 2020
Many people, including myself, are clinging to the possibility of Major League Baseball getting underway sometime in the near future. For this to happen, there are several issues that need to be evaluated extensively to ensure safety and minimize complications. With that being said, managing expecta...
Team of the century: 2015 Illini baseball reign supreme
By Rich Eberwein, Staff Writer
April 25, 2020
The team of the century for Illinois baseball is undoubtedly the one that manned Illinois Field in 2015. With a dominant regular-season record of 50-10-1, this team gave Illinois its 30th Big Ten Baseball Championship, its 13th winning record since 2000 and arguably its best season in the program...
