CHAMPAIGN — Jack Yalowitz remembers watching, from afar, the run Illinois baseball went on two years ago.
The current Illini right fielder and leadoff hitter was still deep into his senior season at Loyola Academy, helping the Ramblers win a Class 4A regional title, so he didn't make it down to Illinois Field for any NCAA tournament games in 2015.
"I definitely watched on TV," said Yalowitz, now a sophomore for the Illini and the team's leading hitter heading into this weekend's three-game home series with Maryland, which starts at 6 p.m. Friday.
The 2015 season was a magical one for Dan Hartleb's program, with Illinois posting a 50-10-1 record en route to a Big Ten title and an NCAA super-regional appearance.