Tuesday it was announced that five Illini were chosen by the Big Ten to its All-Big Ten squads. Here is the official announcement from the conference office.
While I’m biased of course, I certainly feel these five are definitely deserving.
Justin Janas 1B
Second team
Last year’s conference batting leader didn’t stop hitting. He hit .355 which is second on the team. And get this, his OBP surpassed .500 at .505!
And after this season, Janas has plenty of bruises. He was hit by the pitch 23 times, second in the Big Ten. Regardless, that helped his team-leading OPS of 1.059.
Branden Comia 3B
Second team
It seems that Branden Comia is asked to play a different position every season. He’s moved from second base to shortstop to this year, third base. And he does it without skipping a beat.
Hitting .329, Comia leads the Illini attack with 53 runs scored, 19 doubles and is tied with seven homers.
Cam McDonald OF
Second team
I know there was a fair amount of competition in the conference but McDonald’s second team honor falls in the “What does a guy have to do?” category. Cam not only got on base EVERY game this regular season but batted .369 (fifth in the B1G) while doubling 17 times and tying for the team lead with 7 homers.
Cam isn’t done yet. He takes his 62-game on-base streak which dates back to May 8th, 2021 into the Big Ten Tournament.
Cole Kirschsieper SP
Second team
There is no doubt Illinois would have gotten as far as they did without ColeK on the mound every Friday night. He was a lights-out, reliable workhorse who made pitching coach Mark Allen’s life a lot easier.
Kirschsieper ranks 4th in wins (7), and sixth in both ERA (3.17) and strikeouts (85) in the Big Ten.
Danny Doligale OF
Third team
I was happy to see Doligale get this honor. With his speed, a walk or a single was as good as a double. Not only did he steal 18 bases but he was only caught stealing once all season.
Doligale could certainly hit too. He’s third on the team with a nifty .351 average. His speed and average helped him to 51 runs scored, second on the Illini. I’m looking forward to seeing more from Danny in the future!
Taylor Jackson OF
Sportsmanship Award
Finally, Taylor Jackson was a deserved honoree for this award. Known as a fleet-footed, defensive gloveman, Jackson stepped up his slugging in 2022. He doubled his HR output from the previous year.
Congratulations to all honorees!
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