COLUMBIA, Mo. – San Diego State cooled off Illinois' softball team, defeating the 21st-ranked Illini 5-3 on Sunday at Missouri's Children's Hospital Invitational to snap the squad's 10-game winning streak.

UI first baseman Meredith Hackett and third baseman Kelley Wedel each smacked home runs, but Illinois (16-2) could not overcome a five-run fifth inning by the Aztecs (15-8).

At 9-1, Illinois is off to its best 10-game start since 2003, when it also opened 9-1. The Illini nearly cracked this week's USA Today/NFCA Top 25, earning the 26th-most votes. Illinois enters Friday's 12:30 p.m. matchup against the Seminoles 1-1 against ranked opponents this season.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Paul Ruggeri won the all-around, parallel bars and high bar to lead top-ranked Illinois past No. 5 Penn State in men's gymnastics Saturday.

The Illini's 354.600-345.950 victory represented a season-high point total.

STANFORD, Calif. — Illinois’ softball team split two games Friday at the Stanford Nike Invitational, defeating Sacramento State 7-1 before falling to No. 11 Stanford 8-0 at Smith Family Stadium.
The Illini (6-1) started the season 6-0, tying the best start in school history.

CHAMPAIGN – It didn't go the way Jim Heffernan planned. Not even close.

With a large crowd at Huff Hall, some of them high school wrestlers Heffernan hopes will one day be a part of the program, Purdue routed the Illini 25-11. On Senior Night, no less.

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 – No. 5 Minnesota got off to a fast start, winning the first five matches en route to a 27-13 wrestling win against No. 21 Illinois on Friday at Huff Hall.

No. 2 John Dergo (184 pounds) won his match by major decision and No. 14 Patrick Bond (197) beat 10th-ranked Sonny Yohn. They were the only two Illini to win matches. John Deneen (125) picked up a win by forfeit.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Freshman Yoshi Mori won the all-around, parallel bars and high bar to lead top-ranked Illinois past No. 5 Ohio State in men's gymnastics Saturday.