CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois baseball volunteer coach Kyle Hudson has accepted a job to become the bench coach for the Lynchburg (Va.) Hillcats, a Class A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. Hudson, who completed his second year as a volunteer assistant in 2016, was a three-year letterwinner in both baseball and football at Illinois from 2005-08.

Illinois was 78-33-1 in Hudson's two seasons as volunteer coach. He was part of a record-setting 2015 season for Illini baseball, as the team won a program-record 50 games on its way to Illinois' first ever NCAA Super Regional. Hudson also finished his undergraduate degree at the University of Illinois while on the coaching staff.

Hudson shined on both the baseball and football fields as a student-athlete at Illinois before being drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the fourth round of the 2008 MLB Draft. His baseball accolades include an ABCA third-team All-America honor, ABCA first-team All-Region selections and unanimous All-Big Ten first-team honor in 2008. He also was a standout wide receiver, playing in the 2008 Rose Bowl and beginning his career as the Illini's Newcomer of the Year in 2005.

Hudson ranks second on Illinois' career batting average list with a .376 mark, behind only Darrin Fletcher's .392 average. He ranks third in school history in career steals (66) and fourth in career Big Ten batting average (.361). He holds the UI record for career steals in Big Ten play (36), steals in a Big Ten season (25) and the second-most steals in a season (40), a total that tied the school record at the time.

The 2017 Illini baseball team opens the season Feb. 17 against Milwaukee in Beaumont, Texas.