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Illinois gets two runs in the 10th inning and are benefited from a controversial runner interference call to advance past an elimination game in the 2024 Big Ten Tournament. Illini snapped an eight-game losing streak in the event.

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

May 23, 2024

For the first time since 2018, Illinois has won a baseball game in the Big Ten Conference Tournament. And it took a 10-inning effort along with a controversial umpire decision in the final half inning to see the Illini advance to another day. 

Illinois junior third baseman Coltin Quagliano gave Illinois its first and last lead of the 4-2 win in the 10th inning with a rocket hit two-run single that followed base hits off Iowa reliever Archer Gannon by Jacob Schroeder and Brody Harding. Both Schroeder and Harding would score on Quagliano’s 53rd and 54th RBIs of the season. 

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

May 23, 2023

Andre Lovett, an Illini commit, plans to play safety once he arrives on campus. The 5-foot-11, 2025 prospect from Blue Island, Illinois, has been proactive in helping his future school secure commitments and continues to do so.

Illinois athletics director Josh Whitman maintains full public confidence in the Illini football program as Bret Bielema enters fourth season as head coach. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

May 22, 2024

CHAMPAIGN — The excitement and confidence flowing out of the Smith Family Football Complex building is being felt by arguably the most important athletics person on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 

Josh Whitman, who just surpassed his eighth year as the Illinois athletics director this past February, said his second head football coach hire at his alma mater continues to give him belief that a consistent product can be achieved in the fall with the university’s highest revenue-generating sport. 

Penn State holds Illinois to just one extra-base hit as Illini fall 8-4 and will try to avoid a fourth straight 0-2 mark in the Big Ten Tournament in a Thursday morning elimination game. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

May 22, 2024

The losing drought for Illinois at Charles Schwab Field in the Big Ten Baseball Tournament has continued on. 

Illinois, which arrived in Omaha, Neb. this week as the league’s regular season champion and No. 1 seed in the tournament, couldn’t rely on the power of their offense in a much bigger ballpark Wednesday afternoon in a 8-4 loss to Penn State. 

Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

May 22, 2024

The Illinois women's basketball staff has been recruiting Charlotte, North Carolina, guard Kamryn Kitchen since they arrived on campus.

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

May 22, 2024

With the addition of four new West Coast schools—USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington—joining the Big Ten, media predictions do not favor Illinois as a competitor.

Teams like Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan, and Penn State are expected to dominate the first 18-team conference race. But what about teams in the middle, like Wisconsin, Northwestern, Minnesota, and Michigan State? Despite improvements, Illinois is not seen as a competitive threat within the conference by many voters.

New Illinois defensive backs coach Corey Parker understands that he’s going from one of the least penalized Football Bowl Subdivision program to one of the most flagged in 2023.  

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

May 21, 2024

CHAMPAIGN — Corey Parker seems to instantly recognize that at least statistically he’s leaving one of the more disciplined defensive backs rooms at Toledo and inheriting one of the least disciplined units in the Big Ten Conference. 

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

May 21, 2024

Illinois head football coach Bret Bielema recently hinted at good news on the horizon, promising fans an exciting announcement. For Bielema, getting student-athletes to commit and believe in his program is a point of pride.

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

May 21, 2023

Tenin Magassa, a 6-foot-5 post player from Rhode Island, originally from Dayton, committed to play for Illinois head coach Shauna Green on April 28.

News-Gazette beat writer Joe Vozzelli Jr. broke the news on X that Magassa de-committed from Illinois and now plans to play for Oklahoma State.

Mike Farrell, IlliniGuys & Big Sports Radio National Football Recruiting Expert

May 21, 2024

(Mike Farrell also has his own website: https://mikefarrellsports.com/)

In this edition of the Farrell Files Illinois, I’ll touch on the Brayden Trimble win, a few key positional needs for the 2025 class, and the latest on transfer WR Zakhari Franklin.

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting May 20, 2024 […]

Brad Sturdy, Illini Insider and Co-Host IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular & Big Sports Radio shows

May 20, 2024

Incredibly busy week! 30 thoughts coming your way:

We start off this week with the Illini baseball team being Big Ten champs. After a slow start the Illini have been tremendous in Big ten play, sweeping Purdue to finish it off. They bring the lumber, especially once teams are deeper into their bullpens and using #3 starters. 
The baseball team opens the Big Ten tourney on Tuesday against Penn State in Omaha as the top seed. The Illini look like an NCAA lock. 
I’ve always wondered why they play a double elimination baseball tournament, one with longer games and pitch counts, while playing single elimination in softball.  
While the baseball team was winning, I was graduating and getting married. Not me, but my kids. My middle daughter Ashlyn graduated from Illinois with high honors. My youngest, Kamryn graduated from high school and was the valedictorian. 3 for 3 in valedictorians. Proud dad. And her speech was as good as I have heard. Biased, I know. Also attended the wedding of a former long time player Saturday night. Man, they grow up fast!!
Have large graduations and weddings jumped the shark? At the Illinois graduation, where Coleman Hawkins and Makira Cook were among the attendees, students and their families sat for 2+ hours to hear their names read, sometimes incorrectly, by a person they may have never met.
On the other side,

Illinois head coach Dan Hartleb is determined to not have anything change in Big Ten Tournament that has led to Illini’s regular season hot streak. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

May 20, 2024

CHAMPAIGN — Before the Illinois players got on the buses to take the team to Omaha for the Big Ten Conference Baseball Tournament, Illini head coach Dan Hartleb had only one message for his club - don’t change anything you’re doing. 

Illinois Athletics May 19, 2024 CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The Big […]

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

May 19, 2024

This weekend marked the third session of the Nike EYBL basketball period, with Illinois head basketball coach Brad Underwood and associate to the head coach Orlando Antigua courtside to watch Jeremiah Fears, a 6-foot-2, top-15 point guard.