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Sports Editor Matt Daniels with a look at what’s going on around the area:
Illinois athletics
Illinois baseball will play top-ranked Wake Forest at its home ballpark on Saturday morning.
Three reasons we love sports today
➜ 1. Illinois fans have a fondness for what Dee Brown and Co. did to top-ranked Wake Forest and Chris Paul 20 years ago. Different sport on Saturday, but the Illini baseball team has a chance to beat the top-ranked Demon Deacons on their home field. First pitch is at 11 a.m.
➜ 2. Want to listen to every Illini baseball game this season? You’re in luck. Scott Beatty is back for his fourth season handling play-by-play duties, with games on WDWS 1400-AM and 93.9-FM.
➜ 3. The home opener for the Illinois baseball team — initially scheduled for March 15 — is now Feb. 27. Eastern Illinois, coached by former Illini standout Jason Anderson, will visit Illinois Field for a 3 p.m. first pitch later this month.
Former Illini Michael Massey played in 129 games with the Kansas City Royals during the 2023 season. The Royals have their first full squad spring training workout on Monday in Surprise, Ariz.
Numbers game: 129
Games former Illini Michael Massey played with the Kansas City Royals last season, his first full one in the majors. The 25-year-old had a slash line of .229/.274/.381 (that’s average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage) during the 2023 season, hitting 15 home runs with 55 RBI. He is expected to open the season as the Royals’ starting second baseman again, with Monday the first full squad workout for Massey and his Kansas City teammates in Surprise, Ariz.
The Illini men’s basketball team will try to slow down Maryland forward Julian Reese and the rest of the Terrapins today at XFINITY Center in College Park, Md.
Crowd control
Three events I’m paying attention to
➜ 1. Illinois at Maryland men’s basketball. Can Brad Underwood get his first road win against the Terrapins? He needs to if Illinois wants to stay within reach of first place in the Big Ten.
➜ 2. Speaking of the Big Ten men’s basketball title chase, Purdue is leading the second-place Illini by 2 1/2 games. But if Illinois wins at Maryland and Ohio State upsets the Boilermakers on Sunday afternoon … well, there’s a chance for the Illini.
➜ 3. Indiana at Illinois women’s basketball. The 1 p.m. tip on Monday at State Farm Center has a national audience (Fox is handling the broadcast) and a chance for the Illini to earn a signature win (the Hoosiers are ranked 14th in the country).
St. Thomas More boys’ swimming coach Erin Mitchell
Coach’s corner
Three questions with St. Thomas More boys’ swimming coach Erin Mitchell before her Sabers compete Saturday in the Centennial Sectional.
➜ 1. My favorite sports teams are … the Illini and USA Swimming.
➜ 2. Three coaches I’d like to have dinner with are … Lou Henson, Andy Reid and Will Barker.
➜ 3. My biggest pet peeve is … the fact we do not have enough pools in this community. We normally practice at the Urbana Aquatic Center, but it has been out of commission since late January. Luckily, the entire swim community, Champaign Heat and the YMCA have been incredible and so helpful.
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