Heading into 2009, Illinois junior catcher Aaron Johnson said the Illinois baseball team had two goals — win the Big Ten and get to the NCAA Tournament.
The Illini (32-16, 15-6 Big Ten) still have a chance to do both, as they find themselves trailing Minnesota by a half-game for first in the conference with only three regular-season contests remaining. The Orange and Blue will travel to Purdue this weekend.
The Illinois offense has been consistent all year, with seven players currently hitting above .300. Junior shortstop Brandon Wikoff leads the squad with a .373 average and has accounted for 38 RBIs on the season. Johnson has batted .328 with nine home runs and 48 RBIs, while senior third baseman Dominic Altobelli has hit .370 with eight home runs and a team-leading 51 RBIs.
But Johnson recorded arguably the biggest hit of the season on March 6. His two-run homer handed then-No. 1 LSU its first loss of the season in front of more than 10,000 Tiger fans at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.
The LSU series set the tone for the rest of the season, as the Illini went a respectable 5-5 against teams ranked in Collegiate Baseball’s top 30 poll. This included a series victory against then-No. 23 Minnesota in conference play.
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Illinois’ biggest struggles came in midweek games. The Illini went 4-5 in midweek contests after spring break. This included a 9-6 loss at Southern Illinois, who was 15-19 entering the game, as well as a ninth-inning collapse at Indiana State that resulted in an 11-10 defeat.
Despite the midseason ups and downs, Illinois is still in place for a potential NCAA Tournament bid. The Illini can get in automatically if they win the conference tournament but will be considered for an at-large bid even if they don’t. Their two victories against LSU will undoubtedly help their cause.
Johnson said he will always remember the series in Baton Rouge.
“I’ve been playing this game for so long, I’ve got a lot of memories (from it),” Johnson said. “I can’t pick just one. But beating the best team in the country, at their place, in front of 10,000 people is definitely up there.”
