CHAMPAIGN – Sarah Schmidt won the all-around for the second time in her career and No. 13 Illinois swept the individual titles to bury Ohio State in women's gymnastics Saturday at Huff Hall.

Illinois won 196.300-194.700.

GREENVILLE, N.C. – The Illinois baseball team can take plenty of positives from its 7-5 loss to East Carolina on Friday at the seventh annual Keith LeClair Classic.

The Illini, who got two RBI apiece from Willie Argo and Aaron Johnson, led the 19th-ranked Panthers 4-3 before surrendering a four-run seventh.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Angela Bizzarri and Aja Evans set school records to help Illinois' women's team to second place after Day 1 of the Big Ten Indoor Championships.

COLUMBUS, Ga. – The Illinois softball team continued the best start in its history Friday, defeating No. 22 Florida State 4-3 and Mississippi Valley State 12-2 at the NFCA Leadoff Classic.

The Illini (11-1) beat the Seminoles in dramatic fashion, using freshman Jessica Davis' walkoff homer in the seventh. Trailing 4-0, Illinois narrowed the gap in the sixth on Hope Howell's three-run homer.

1. Who will succeed Phil Haig as the No. 1 starting pitcher?

When seven-game winner Haig was dismissed from the team in September after being arrested for theft of electronics equipment valued at more than $300, a new pitcher at the top of the rotation was guaranteed. Coming out of preseason practice, the job belongs to sophomore right-hander Will Strack. "He's been the most consistent pitcher that we have," Illini coach Dan Hartleb said.

Illinois baseball's season-opening series against Bradley that was scheduled for this weekend has been cancelled because of the forecasted below-average temperatures and current snow cover.

The Illini  will open the season Feb. 26 against South Flordai at the Big Ten/Big East Challenge in Clearwater, Fla.

Former Illini shortstop Toby Gardenhire has received an invitation to spring training by the Minnesota Twins as a non-roster player. Gardenhire, the son of Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, played his senior season at the UI in 2005 after transferring from Southwest Missouri State.

CHAMPAIGN — Centennial product Collin DeDecker, who helped lead Parkland’s baseball team to the national title last season, will join current teammates Kevin Kiermaier and Nick Wittgren next school year at Purdue University.
DeDecker started 46 games at third base as a Cobras freshman and batted .354.