Former Illini baseball star Jeff Innis celebrated his 53rd birthday Sunday. Born in Decatur, his father, Pete, was a star athlete at Millikin University. Jeff was recruited from Eisenhower High School by Illinois coach Tom Dedin.
Innis led the Illini in ERA in 1981 and ’82 with nearly identical 2.31 and 2.34 marks. He also paced Illinois in strikeouts each of those seasons.
Innis was a 13th-round selection by the New York Mets in the 1983 Major League Baseball draft. The submarine pitcher turned side-armer spent four years in the minors. He made his MLB debut for the Mets on May 16, 1987, against the San Francisco Giants.