CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- After a 3-0 weekend at the DQ Classic with wins over Pac-12 opponents No. 11 UCLA, Arizona and Washington, the Illinois baseball team received attention from multiple national publications. Below are a few stories from the weekend.
Illinois Gets the Hardware (Link)
Eric Sorenson (@Stitch_Head), D1Baseball.com
"This might've been the best non-conference weekend for Dan Hartleb and his Fighting Illini since winning an early season series at LSU in 2009."
Off The Bat (Link)
Teddy Cahill (@tedcahill), Baseball America
"This weekend was an important step for the Illini as they work to do just that. They have been outstanding defensively and have made just two errors in nine games to compile a .994 fielding percentage. With the pitching coming around this weekend and the offense producing timely hits, Illinois is rounding into form."
Thompson Enjoys Homecoming (Link)
Joe Healy (@Joe_On_Sports), College Baseball Central
"No matter how things went on the field this weekend, playing in the DQ Baseball Classic was going to be a pretty special experience for Illinois relief pitcher Ryan Thompson. Thompson, a native of Byron, Minnesota, a town about 80 miles southeast of US Bank Stadium, is a massive Minnesota Vikings fan, and he hadn't even been in the stadium until the Illini arrived for this weekend's games. Saying that things are working out for Thompson this weekend is a massive understatement, as he's had as much to do with the Illini's wins over UCLA and Arizona as anyone on the roster."
Long, Strange Trip Behind Him, Snarskis Leads Illini to Win Over UCLA (Link)
Joe Healy (@Joe_On_Sports), College Baseball Central
"On Friday morning, Quinn Snarskis took the mound as the starting pitcher for the Illinois Fighting Illini to begin the DQ Classic at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis against the 11th-ranked UCLA Bruins. Considering Snarskis is a kid from Fenwick High School in the Chicago area pitching for the major state university in his state, that might not seem like that big a deal. But that's before you've heard the story of how he arrived in Champaign."
Defense Lifts Illinois to 3-0 Weekend at the DQ Baseball Classic (Link)
Joe Healy (@Joe_On_Sports), College Baseball Central
"The cliche that says that defense wins championships is typically used in sports like basketball and football, but this weekend in Minneapolis, it pushed the Illinois Fighting Illini to a (fictional) championship in the 2018 DQ Baseball Classic, where they were the only team to make it out of the weekend with a 3-0 record."
