Everyone has finished warmup throws near the start of practice, closing the distance between them and their partner as left fielder Jordan Parr is still standing in the end zone, as far back as he can possibly go, still playing catch with his twin brother, Justin, who is standing around the 10-yard line inside cramped Irwin Indoor Facility. The field stretches only about 60 yards of a normal football field. 

“Last one” Parr calls, and they proceed to throw for about five more minutes. 

Parr slaps his side with his glove, takes a small hop and steps into his throw before he unloads the ball, which rises as it goes through the air making a beeline for Justin’s head.

He’s not as accurate as his brother — the Illini center fielder — and he will even admit it. He says he has the third best arm in the outfield, also behind right fielder Will Krug. 

But this is Parr’s first year playing in the outfield, a move he said he was ecstatic about before the season. He’d spent last year playing first base for the first time in his career and it wasn’t his favorite thing in the world.

A first baseman can only contribute so much to help a team on defense. 

The position restricted Parr’s athleticism and arm strength he can now unleash every day in the outfield. He’s one of the fastest players on the team, leading the Illini with eight stolen bases. 

“It kind of gives me free reign to be an athlete,” Parr said. 

The two keep throwing even after every one else has stopped and the team is about to practice infield. They don’t stop until they hear someone yell, “Runner on first!”

The first time Illinois got an in-game showing of what its new left fielder can do came in the first game of the season. With two outs in the ninth inning and runners on first and second, a single got through the left side and the runner from second tried to score before being thrown out at the plate. 

Pitcher Kevin Johnson was watching from the bullpen down the left field line. 

“It was just unexpected, because he gets the ball and he just chucks it,” Johnson said. “We’re just standing there like: ‘Holy crap.’ It was awesome.”  

It didn’t surprise Hartleb, who said Parr’s arm is similar to his brother’s. Parr played in the outfield during the summer and fall to get ready for the position change. For Hartleb, moving Parr to the outfield allowed him to insert players, like first baseman David Kerian, into the lineup to strengthen it. 

Parr also threw a runner out at second against New Mexico State earlier in the season for his second outfield assist. 

But he’s also had some forgettable moments in the outfield. 

During the eighth inning against Baylor on March 8, Parr slipped in the outfield to allow a runner to advance from first to third. He would score on the next play and give Baylor a 3-2 lead.

At the time Parr felt horrible, though he can laugh just thinking about it now. Illinois would come back to win the game in the ninth inning. 

“I’m going to blame the slippery outfield,” Parr said with a wide grin on his face. “I’ve never been happier to get a team win in my life. Just went by me, one of things you laugh about afterward.”

Jamal can be reached at [email protected] and @jamalcollier.