Feb. 8, 2015
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Fighting Illini baseball team will begin the 2015 season at the Lamar University Cardinal Classic on Friday, Feb. 13 in Beaumont, Texas. Before the Illini take the field, we will preview each position with how Illinois will look across the diamond. Next up: outfielders.
CF Will Krug (Sr., R/R - Park Ridge, Ill.)
• Second-team All-Big Ten outfielder in 2014
• Started all 53 games in center field and posted a .993 fielding percentage last season
• Led the Illini with 69 hits and 23 multi-hit games while hitting .307 with 24 RBI in 2014
• Ranked fourth in the Big Ten with a team-high 20 stolen bases and tied for 10th in the conference with a team-best 41 runs last season
• Walk-on turned starter is a career .302 hitter with 31 stolen bases
RF Casey Fletcher (Sr., L/R - Oakwood, Ill.)
• Third-team All-Big Ten outfielder in 2014
• Led the Illini with six home runs, which ranked fourth in the Big Ten last season
• Tied for 12th in the Big Ten with a team-high slugging percentage of .450 along with ranking third on the team with a .308 average and fourth with 27 RBI in 2014
• Headlined the Louisville Slugger National Players of the Week list from Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, was recognized as a Week 12 Top Performer on NCAA.com and was selected as the Big Ten Player of the Week on May 6, 2014
• Transfer from Kankakee Community College started 45 games in right field as a junior
LF Ryan Nagle (Jr., L/R - Streator, Ill.)
• Made 52 starts during his first two seasons, taking over as the primary left fielder last season (41 starts)
• Hit .295 with 23 RBI and 16 multi-hit games in 2014
• Scored 26 runs, tallied nine doubles and had eight stolen bases last season
• Big Ten Co-Player of the Week on March 3, 2014
• Career .273 hitter with 28 RBI in 70 games
Other Illini who could see action in the outfield include sophomores Matthew James and Pat McInerney, who will provide depth for the corner outfield positions. Redshirt-junior Trevor Murphy, sophomore Anthony Drago and redshirt-freshman Dan Rowbottom also are outfield options.
