March 1, 2010

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Illinois first baseman Matt Dittman was named to the All-Big Ten/BIG EAST Challenge team presented by CollegeBaseball360.com Monday. Dittman hit .667 on the weekend (6-for-9), which led the Illini and was tied for the second-best average among all players in the event.

Dittman drove in three runs and scored four, both tied for the team lead this weekend, and had one double on the weekend for a .778 slugging percentage. He also drew two walks and was hit by a pitch for a .750 on-base percentage. He was 6-for-8 with runners on base and 3-for-4 with runners in scoring position, and also was 3-for-4 with two outs.

It is the second career honor for Dittman, who also was named Big Ten Player of the Week on April 13, 2009, after hitting .545 with four RBIs and four runs in a series against Michigan.