CHAMPAIGN — Illinois baseball has taken its lumps in the two years following its 50-win season and Super Regional appearance in 2015.
The Illini have played .500 ball since that record-setting year, including a 23-28 mark last season as freshmen and sophomores filled nearly every key role from the lineup to rotation and bullpen.
That means Illinois will return its roster nearly intact from a year ago with just two regulars to replace in first baseman Pat McInerney and third baseman Trent Hammond. The Illini open the 2018 season in less than a month with a Feb.