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05/18/2013
Illini Drop Season Finale to Minnesota, 2-0
Illinois Will Be No. 5 Seed in Big Ten Tournament; Set to Play No. 4 Seed Minnesota Wednesday
05/16/2013
Duchene Ties School Record in 6-2 Win over Minnesota
Duchene Improves to 8-1, Equals Most Wins Ever by an Illini Freshman
05/14/2013
Illinois to Play Final Big Ten Series at Minnesota
Illini Look to Qualify for Big Ten Tournament to Remain in Minneapolis
05/12/2013
Illini Complete Sweep of PSU with 5-4 Comeback Win
Roper Knocks in Game-Winning RBI Single in the Eighth after Failed Pick Off
05/11/2013
Illini Score Early, Hold Off Penn State, 8-6
Illinois Reaches 30 Wins for Fifth Time under Coach Hartleb
05/13/2013
2013 Illinois Baseball Cards
2013 Illinois Baseball Cards
04/03/2013
Illinois vs. Oakland
Photos from Illinois vs. Oakland baseball doubleheader
04/02/2013
Illinois vs. Missouri at Busch Stadium (4/2/13)
Photos of the Illini playing Mizzou at Busch Stadium in St. Louis
03/29/2013
Illinois vs. Nebraska
Photos from Illinois vs. Nebraska baseball
05/06/2012
Honor & Serve Day - Illinois vs. Michigan State
Photos from Illinois' Honor and Serve Day and 8-6 win over Michigan State.
AT ILLINOIS
2012 - Redshirt Freshman: Named a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball as a multiple-position player ... Named to the John Olerud Award watch list, which is given to the nation's top two-way player ... Played in and started 52 games on the season: 48 at second base, three at shortstop and one at pitcher ... Ranked seventh in the Big Ten in fielding double plays with 43 ... His 0.98 WHIP led all Illini pitchers with more than five innings pitched ... Allowed only two base runners in 5 1/3 innings during Big Ten play ... Opposing batters hit only .196 against him, .154 as a reliever ... He didn't allow a hit with two outs on the season ... He allowed only 2-of-13 leadoff hitters he faced to reach base ... The only earned run he allowed as a reliever came at Bradley (3/28) ... Made only three errors in Illinois' last 31 games ... Doubled and homered in his first two career at bats, respectively, going 2-for-2 with three RBIs, two runs and two walks in the season-opener against Notre Dame (2/17) ... Pitched a perfect ninth inning with two strikeouts against No. 27 St. John's (2/19), his first collegiate pitching appearance ... Earned the win at Lamar (2/26) with 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief ... Went 6-for-14 (.429) on Spring Trip with one RBI and four runs ... Was 4-for-8 with two RBIs and four runs in the two games he played of the Mississippi Valley State series ... Named Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week on 4/9 after hitting .467 (7-for-15) over previous four games ... Went 4-for-7 in the first two games of the Purdue series ... Recorded his first career three-hit game against Illinois State (4/17), going 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run ... Notched his first collegiate save against Michigan State (5/6) with a perfect ninth inning ... Struck out one in a perfect ninth inning against Minnesota (5/17) to earn a save ... Notched a save against Minnesota (5/18), keeping Illinois' postseason hopes alive ... Academic All-Big Ten selection ... Played for the Rochester Honkers of the Northwoods League along with Illini teammates Kevin Johnson, Jordan Parr and Justin Parr during the summer.
HIGH SCHOOL
Drafted in the 29th round as a catcher by the Atlanta Braves in the 2010 MLB First-Year Player Draft ... Ranked the No. 5 overall prospect in the state by Prep Baseball Report ... PBR lists him as the No. 2 defensive infielder and No. 6 hitter in the state ... Four-year starter hit .504 with 10 home runs in 2010 while going 12-0 on the mound with a 0.84 ERA ... Led Harrisburg to an IHSA Class 2A state runner-up finish in 2010 ... Named a Louisville Slugger All-American in 2010 ... Earned first-team All-State honors from the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association, the Chicago Tribune and Prep Baseball Report ... Hit .412 in 2007, .478 with six home runs and 13 doubles in 2008, and .425 with 46 walks in 2009 ... Four-time All-Southern Illinois selection by the Southern Illinois Baseball Coaches Association ... Four-time All-Southern Illinois River-to-River Conference selection ... Led Harrisburg to three consecutive SIRR conference championships from 2008-10 ... Member of Team Illinois ... In football, quarterbacked Harrisburg to SIRR (Ohio) conference championships and playoff appearances in 2008 and 2009 ... Led the Harrisburg basketball team to a regional title in 2008 as he made 73 three-pointers that season ... Also guided the Bulldogs to a basketball regional title in 2010 ... Earned 10 high school letters - four in baseball and three each in basketball and football.
PERSONAL
Born Feb. 14, 1992 ... Parents are Jeff and Diana Roper ... Has one brother, Ryne ... Enrolled in the general curriculum ... Father, Jeff, played baseball at Southeastern Illinois Junior College in 1984 ... Lists hitting a game-tying grand slam and beating eventual 4A state champion New Trier in 2009 and pitching in the state semifinal game against Illinois Valley Central in 2010 as his biggest thrills in sports ... Honor roll student at Harrisburg H.S. ... Great-uncle Larry "Moose" Calufetti played baseball at Southern Illinois from 1970-73 for former SIU and Illinois head coach Richard "Itch" Jones ... Earned first place in the chemistry division at the WYSE (Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering) competition ... Was an academic peer tutor for math, chemistry and physics at Harrisburg ... Led Benton Junior High School to a state championship in eighth grade, striking out 17 in the title game ... Finished in the top five in the nation in the Elks "Hoop Shoot" free throw contest in 2005 ... Favorite athlete is Derek Jeter.
