The Illinois baseball program may have just found their groove after successfully going 3-0 at the First Pitch Invitational.
The Illini, who began the season losing three of their first four games, have hit their stride in the past week. They have compiled a five-game winning streak against teams like Coastal Carolina and Michigan State, bringing their overall record on the season to 7-4.
It has been a bit of an electric stretch for the Illini, especially this past weekend when they swept all of their games out in Greenville, South Carolina. But out of head coach Dan Hartleb's entire roster, who are three players that stood out the most for Illinois?
1. Freshman AJ Putty continued meteoric rise vs. the Spartans
If you do not have freshman first baseman AJ Putty on your radar, then you haven't been paying attention. The young man came to Champaign from Huntley High School as the No. 1 first baseman in all of Illinois, and he has quickly proven why he's the future of the program.
Putty has been spectacular, with his biggest game coming on February 22 when he recorded seven RBIs while going 5-for-6 from the plate against Coastal Carolina. He continued this stellar play this past weekend against Big Ten rival Michigan State, where he recorded two hits, a home run, and an RBI on four trips to the plate.
The Illini have officially found their ringer that they can build around for the future. With Putty in the mix, coach Dan Hartleb now has the ability to be creative with his lineup, especially with Daniel Contreras, Collin Jennings, and Will Johannes scattered around him.
2. Junior pitcher Regan Hall shut the door on the College of Charleston
The Illini's pitching staff has had its ups and downs this season, posting a 4.60 ERA through their first 12 games played. But one arm has stood out from the rest, and that is junior lefty Regan Hall.
Hall, a second-year starter for the Illini, is sporting the team's best ERA amongst its starters at 2.55 through 17.2 innings pitched. His ace-like performance continued against the College of Charleston on Saturday, when Hall tossed a six-inning shutout while striking out seven.
If this team didn't have Hall in this game, then they would have been in extreme trouble. Sure, Illinois could have still pulled off the win without him, but in a low-scoring game like this one, I'd rather have Hall on the mound over anyone else.
3. Junior OF Collin Jennings' bat was the mightiest of them all vs. Albany
The Illini have a bevy of heavy hitters in their lineup, with Contreras and Putty, to name a few. But one bat that has certainly made a name for himself over the years has been Jennings.
As of writing this, Jennings is sporting the sixth-best batting average on the team of .311, ranks second in slugging percentage at .711, and is tied for the home run lead at four home runs. Jennings also continued his hard-hitting ways against Albany on Sunday, going 2-for-4 with a home run, a triple, and three RBIs.
Jennings is one of the top upperclassmen on this roster and is the perfect veteran presence to help lead this team through the season. Prior to this season, Jennings was considered one of the biggest names to keep an eye on, and that has certainly proven to be true.
If the Illini want to get anywhere in 2026, then we need to expect a big year from No. 38.