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05/19/2012
Illini Fall to Minnesota on Senior Day, 8-3
Illinois Loses Game, Tiebreaker for Big Ten Tournament
05/18/2012
Kravetz Lifts Illini to 3-2 Win Over Gophers
Freshman Earns 8th Win with 7 Strong Innings
05/17/2012
Illini Score Twice in Eighth to Beat Gophers 7-5
Muck Tosses 3 2/3 Scoreless Innings of Relief; Illini Pound Out 15 Hits
05/16/2012
Illini Host Gophers in Final Big Ten Series
Illinois Makes Final Push for Big Ten Tournament
05/12/2012
Long Ball Does In Illini in 8-6 Loss to PSU
Penn State Uses 4 Homers to Win Series
05/06/2012
Honor & Serve Day - Illinois vs. Michigan State
Photos from Illinois' Honor and Serve Day and 8-6 win over Michigan State.
04/23/2012
Illinois vs. Ohio State
Photos from the Illini game vs. Ohio State at Illinois Field on April 22, 2012. (Photos by Mark Jones)
AT ILLINOIS
2011 - Freshman: Redshirted the 2011 season following a knee injury suffered during 2010 fall practice ... Played for the Rochester Honkers of the Northwoods League along with Illini teammate Kevin Johnson 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.
