University of Illinois Graduate

2024 All-Big Ten Second Team

NIL Opportunities

Career Highs

• Hits: 4, 2x, last: at Purdue, May 18, 2024
• Doubles: 3, at Purdue, May 18, 2024
• Triples: --
• Home runs: 2, vs. Penn State, March 30, 2024
• Total bases: 8, vs. Penn State, March 30, 2024
• RBI: 5, vs. Ohio State, May 5, 2024
• Runs scored: 3, 3x, last: vs. Ohio State, May 3, 2024
• Walks: 3, 3x, last: vs. Youngstown State, Feb. 18, 2023
• Hit by pitch: 1, 15x, last: vs. Northwestern, April 21, 2024
• Sac fly: 1, 3x, last: vs. Michigan State, May 5, 2023
• Sac bunts: 2, 2x, last: vs. Fordham, Feb. 18, 2024
• At bats: 6, 3x, last: at Purdue, May 18, 2024
• Stolen bases: 2, vs. UT Martin, May 18, 2023 
• Field chances: 9, 3x, last: vs. Northwestern, April 21, 2024
• Putouts: 6, vs. Ohio State, March 5, 2021
• Assists: 6, 2x, last: vs. Indiana, April 15, 2023

Redshirt Senior - 2024

• All-Big Ten Second Team.
• Academic All-Big Ten.
• Started all 56 games for the Illini...slashed .316/.394/.512.
• Set career-high marks in nearly every offensive category...runs (45), hits (66), doubles (11), home runs (10), RBI (40), slugging (.512) and OPS (.906).
• Slugged a career-high 10 home runs on the season...entered the 2024 season with just three home runs in his first 412 at-bats.
• Had first-career two-home run game on March 30 in the first game of the doubleheader vs. Penn State...second home run gave the Illini a 17-6 run-rule walk-off win in eight innings.
• Hit a grand slam on April 5 at Minnesota.
• Went 8-for-11 (.727) with five runs scored, a double, home run and seven RBI during the Illini's three-game series vs. Ohio State from May 3-5...had multi-hit performances in all three games...career-high five RBI on May 5 in the series finale.
• Tallied the second four-hit game of his career on May 18 at Purdue...had career-high three doubles.

Redshirt Junior - 2023

• Slashed .273/.394/.371/.765 in 50 games, 43 starts.
• Had eight doubles, two home runs and 21 RBI.
• Ranked fifth on the team with 24 walks.
• Committed just two errors in 193 total chances in the field.
• Set season-high hit mark on March 5 at Sam Houston...matched on March 26 at Nebraska and on April 2 vs. Michigan.
• Season-high six-game hitting streak from March 25 - April 4.
• Set a career-high with four RBI on April 2 vs. Michigan.
• Slugged his first home run of the season on April 2 vs. Michigan.

REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE - 2022

• Academic All-Big Ten
• Slashed .253/.393/.347/.740 with 10 doubles, two home runs and 14 RBI in 52 games
• Drew a team-high 36 walks
• Posted a career-high four hits on March 11 at Western Kentucky

Freshman - 2021

• Academic All-Big Ten
• Played in 22 games with 17 starts at second base in 2021
• .204/.368/.315, 3 2B, 12 BB
• Ended the season with a career-high 11-game on-base streak
• Hit his first career home run at Rutgers 5/29/21

Freshman - 2020 (COVID-19 Shortened)

• Started all 13 games at second base
• Team-best eight walks
• One error in 61 chances
• Assisted on three double plays in a 4-2 win over No. 23 Oklahoma State 2/29/20
• No. 19 impact freshman in the Big Ten by D1Baseball

High School

• No. 2 shortstop in Illinois by Prep Baseball Report
• No. 51 shortstop in the nation by Prep Baseball Report
• No. 9 recruit in Illinois by Prep Baseball Report and No. 18 by Perfect Game
• No. 322 recruit in the nation by Prep Baseball Report and No. 453 by Perfect Game
• Four-year letterwinner
• Played for head coach Craig Schimmel at Moline
• Two-time all-conference
• Two-time All-Metro
• 2018 WWBA World Championship All-Tournament Team
• 2018 WWBA Kernels Foundation Championship All-Tournament Team
• 2017 WWBA Midwest Underclass Qualifier All-Tournament Team
• 2017 WWBA 16u Underclass National Championship All-Tournament Team
• 2016 WWBA 15u Underclass National Championship All-Tournament Team
• Honor Roll
• Student Council
• National Honor Society
• Also played basketball at Moline, leading the team to the Sweet 16 as a junior
• All-conference in basketball
• Played with fellow Illini signees Grant Leader and Andrew Pogue for the Reds Scout Team
• Played with fellow Illini Cam McDonald on the Quad City Hitmen summer team
• Chose Illinois over Iowa, Minnesota, UCF, Pepperdine, TCU, and New Mexico State

Personal

• Born Jan. 1, 2001
• Son of Scott and Shannon Harding
• Father, Scott, played baseball at St. Ambrose
• Mother, Shannon, played basketball at St. Ambrose
• Uncle, Quinn Murphy, played in the Cleveland Indians organization
• Uncle, Dustin Murphy, played baseball at North Carolina State
• One younger brother, Brock
• Plans to major in business
• Chose Illinois because, "The coaching staff is amazing and the campus felt like home from the first time I visited."