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Sports Editor Matt Daniels with a look at what’s going on around the area:
Three reasons we love sports today
➜ 1. Always good to see Dre Bown in Champaign. The former Illini running back has turned into a hit on the recruiting front with his work at Notre Dame, and Bret Bielema announced his hiring Thursday as the new director of player personnel at Illinois.
➜ 2. Congrats to Caleb Clutteur of the Milford baseball team and Cali Cooper of the Uni High girls’ soccer team. They are The News-Gazette’s latest high school Athletes of the Week, powered by Copper Creek Contractors. Read more about the duo in Monday’s paper.
➜ 3. Centennial and Champaign Central meeting on an athletic field just means a bit more. The latest edition of the rivalry is in baseball, with the Maroons hosting the Chargers at 6 p.m. Friday at Spalding Park.
Ryan Moerman, left, has hit a team-high 15 of the Illinois baseball team’s 83 home runs this season.
Numbers game: 61
Home runs the Illinois baseball team has hit this season. The Illini (20-13, 7-2 Big Ten) lead the Big Ten standings and the Big Ten in that power hitting category before Friday’s 6 p.m. series opener against Northwestern (12-20, 2-7) at Illinois Field in Champaign. The 1998 team set the program record with 91 home runs. Can these Illini surpass them? Stay tuned.
Illinois baseball pitching coach Mark Allen, in his fifth season with the Illini, is taking a leave of absence from the team after he was recently diagnosed with cancer.
Crowd control
Three events I’m paying attention to
➜ 1. Northwestern at Illinois baseball. The 3 p.m. game on Saturday will feature a fundraiser for Illinois pitching coach Mark Allen, who is fighting cancer. Fans can stop by the right field patio at Illinois Field in Champaign to purchase an ‘Allen Strong’ t-shirt and meal for $20, with all proceeds going to Allen’s family.
➜ 2. Indiana at Illinois men’s tennis. The final regular-season match for the Illini (14-8, 6-3) at noon on Sunday doubles as senior day at Atkins Tennis Center before Illinois begins play in the Big Ten tournament next week in Evanston.
➜ 3. Parkland at DACC softball. The top-ranked Cobras (43-3) travel to Winter Park in Danville to take on the Jaguars (20-12) in a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday.
Ryan Hornaday with his son David. after Tuscola won a Class 1A boys’ cross-country state title last November.
Coach’s corner
Three questions with Tuscola boys’ track and field coach Ryan Hornaday. Hornaday, who is also Tuscola’s athletic director, and his Warriors will host the 38th Tuscola Open at 4 p.m. Friday.
➜ 1. My favorite sports team is ... the Peoria Rivermen.
➜ 2. Three coaches I’d like to have dinner with are ... John Hornaday from the Edison Middle School football team in 1967, Larry Snyder from the Ohio State track and field team in 1935 and Ben Hornaday at a yet to be determined track and field team in 2028.
➜ 3. My biggest pet peeve is ... poor manners.
