For the first time in more than a decade, Illinois has a top-10 win on the road.
Illinois blew out No. 6 Coast Carolina 14-5 on Sunday at the Coastal Carolina Tournament. It’s the program’s first win over a top-10 team away from Illinois Field since March 2015, and the highest ranked road win since the Illini knocked off No. 1 LSU on March 8, 2009.
The victory for the Illini (3-4) also marked head coach Dan Hartleb’s 600th since taking over in 2006.
After rough losses against Butler and Virginia Commonwealth,
it would only make sense that morale would be low for the Fighting Illini. Their final game in the tournament showcased a completely different team, a team that dominated the field.
Right off the bat, Illinois exploded with a 7-1 lead in just the first inning. Bases were loaded with two runs already on the board for the Illini when freshman AJ Putty hit a homer, resulting in a grand slam and a 6-0 score.
The momentum carried into the second inning, adding five more runs for Illinois and only two for Coastal Carolina. The Chanticleers were unable to score more than two runs in any of the innings.
Putty gained attention after his outstanding performance with three runs, five hits, seven runs batted in, and eight putouts. Putty, who was ranked No. 22 for overall prospects in Illinois for 2025, has been a major contributor for Illinois, an impressive feat for his first season playing Division I.
It is still too early to tell how far the Illini can go, but their execution in this game showed their capability and potential.
Stat stuffers
- Putty set a career-high with his three runs.
- Junior Kyle Remington had four strikeouts.
- Following behind Putty, Daniel Contreras had six putouts.
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Up next
The Illini will play Michigan State in the Greenville, S.C. Tournament at 1 p.m. Friday.
