CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Three high school seniors and one junior college sophomore signed letters of intent to play for Dan Hartleb and the Illinois baseball team in 2017-18.
"We're extremely excited about this 2016-17 recruiting class," said Hartleb. "It's a little bit smaller than some of our classes of the past two years, that's because the amount of scholarship money that we have open, but I really feel good about the things that we've done to help the program. We've tried to go out and good athletes, guys that are good baseball players, but these guys are all good student-athletes and good people. They are going to fit in very well with our Illini family."
Illinois Baseball National Letter of Intent Signees
Jimmy Burnette
6-2 // 190 // OF/P // L/L
Chicago, Illinois // St. Laurence HS
» Started on varsity since his sophomore year
» Also played football and started as a wide receiver and free safety
» .321, 2 HR, 34 RBI, 35 R in 40 games as a junior along with a 3-1 record, 3.72 ERA and 45 SO
» 2016 All-Catholic League second team
» Class 5A All-State in football as a junior
» Hit a grand slam in the regional championship and had the winning RBI in the sectional championship
» Helped St. Laurence to its first IHSA Sectional title since 1993
» Played for Top Tier summer team
» Volunteered at a soup kitchen and food pantry
» Cousins, Mike and Joe, attended the University of Illinois
» Why Illinois: "Because of the opportunities it gives me not only on the field, but also in the classroom. Playing in the Big Ten has been a dream of mine since I was little kid. I am excited and thrilled to start my career at Illinois."
» Hartleb on Burnette: "Jimmy possess tools that we are very excited about here at Illinois. Burnette's ability to be a two-way guy will allow us to have flexibility with him. On the mound, Jimmy has a good movement on his fastball and he possesses two solid off-speed pitches that he can throw in any count. As a position player Burnette will give us a left-handed bat that with a great approach at the plate. We are very excited to have him as part of the Illini Family because of his overall athleticism and the ability to play multiple positions."
Dylan Jones
6-3 // 205 // OF/P // L/R
Oswego, Illinois // Oswego East HS
» Started on varsity since freshman year
» Named captain for upcoming season
» .373, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 18 SBs as a junior
» Team MVP as a freshman
» 2016 Perfect Game Underclass All-American high honorable mention
» Four-time Perfect Game all-tournament team
» Played for ESP Select Black in the summer
» Student-Athlete Leadership Program participant
» Volunteers at the Special Olympics
» Stepbrother is Illini pitcher Zak Devermann
» Why Illinois: "Because of its excellent reputation both academically and athletically. The coaching staff was also a major role in my decision because they made me feel at home from the first time I visited the University."
» Hartleb on Jones: "Dylan is a great athlete with the physical strength and speed to have an immediate impact here at Illinois. We are excited about Dylan's athletic ability as well as his ability to track down flyballs in the outfield. Being a physical left handed hitter helps add pressure on defenses as he can get down the line and hit balls in the gaps. Dylan's future is bright at Illinois, and we are thrilled he is part of the Fighting Illini family."
Ryan Kutt
6-2 // 185 // P/1B // R/R
Orland Park, Illinois // Brother Rice HS
» Started on varsity since freshman year
» 10-0, 0.88 ERA, 89 SO, 71.2 IP in high school
» .403, 9 HR, 50 RBI, 16 2B in high school
» 2016 Chicago Catholic Blue Conference Baseball Player of the Year
» 2016 IHSA Baseball All-State first team
» 2016 Louisville Slugger Baseball All-American first team
» 2016 Daily Southtown Newspaper Baseball Player of the Year
» 2016 Beverly Review Newspaper Baseball Player of the Year
» 2016 Upper Class Area Code Games Team
» 2016 Brother Rice George Sedleck Baseball Offensive Player of the Year
» 2016 Brother Rice Matt Kotheimer Award for Outstanding Pitcher of the Year
» 2016 Brother Rice High School Alumni Association Junior of the Year Finalist
» 2016 Phil Lawler Summer State All-Tournament Team
» 2015 Chicago Catholic Blue Conference All-Conference first team
» 2015 Under Class Area Code Games Team
» 2015 Brother Rice HS Matt Kotheimer Award for Outstanding Pitcher of the Year
» High Honor Roll
» Student Council
» Participated in "Pay it Forward" anti-bullying campaign
» Played for the Illinois Sparks summer team
» Played with Illini Michael Massey and Andrew Dyke at Brother Rice and for the Illinois Sparks
» Played with Illini Ben Troike for the Illinois Sparks
» Why Illinois: "I believed this institution offered an excellent educational opportunity and I felt a great connection with the baseball coaching staff."
» Hartleb on Kutt: "Kutt is one of the top pitchers in the state of Illinois. Ryan has a great fastball and two secondary pitches that he can locate in any situation and count. He has pitched in numerous big games for his high school and travel ball teams and thrives in those situations. Ryan has a great understanding of the game which will allow him to be an immediate impact at the University of Illinois. Kutt's competitive makeup has us all excited to welcome him to the Fighting Illini family."
Grant Van Scoy
5-10 // 185 // INF // R/R
Papillion, Neb. // Papillion La Vista HS // Southeast Community College (Neb.)
» Will transfer to Illinois with two years of eligibility left
» Lettered three times in baseball, twice in tennis and once in football at Papillion La Vista
» Captained his high school team twice and junior college team once
» .378/.438/.627, 10 HR, 18 2B, 2 3B, 50 RBI, 29 SB, 65 R, 55 G as a junior college freshman
» 2016 junior college all-region selection
» Played for the Wellington Heat (Jayhawk League) last summer
» .456/.516/.709, 2 HR, 12 2B, 4 3B, 30 RBI, 20 SB, 42 R, 31 G as a senior in high school
» .420/.504/.600, 1 HR, 13 2B, 1 3B, 38 R, 31 G as junior in high school
» 2015 Class A All-State as a senior
» 2014 Class A All-State honorable mention as a junior
» Academic All-State
» National Honor Society as a junior and senior in high school
» Honor Roll in all four years of high school
» Why Illinois: "Because of its outstanding track record in baseball and academics. I will have every opportunity to be successful because of the University's top-notch baseball facilities and academic support. I was very impressed with the coaching staff in my recruiting process because they made me feel like part of the family right away. It was a no-brainer."
» Hartleb on Van Scoy: "Grant is an athletic player who can play all over the infield. His versatility is something that has the coaching staff excited. At the plate, Grant has a presence to drive the ball and has consistent extra-base capabilities. Grant is competitive kid that works extremely hard. Van Scoy is a big-game player and we are really looking forward to having Grant as part of the Illini baseball team."
