Dan Hartleb’s Fighting Illini baseball team only got to play 13 games in 2020 before COVID-19 decided to throw a wrench into their 8-5 start, which included wins over No. 13 Texas A&M and No. 23 Oklahoma State.
Close to a year later, the Illini are pleased to have their 2021 schedule, something that was a major work in progress for many months among Big Ten coaches.
“We needed to work through a lot of different things,” Hartleb said. “We needed to change our game manual with the things we can and can’t do.”
Illinois released the schedule on social media on Wednesday. It features 44 Big Ten games – the NCAA limited teams to a maximum of 44 games – in a pod format. The pod format features at least three teams in one location on weekends. Opening day is March 5 against Ohio State and the final game of the season is scheduled for May 30 against Rutgers.
The pods allow Big Ten teams to schedule all 13 other conference members (Wisconsin doesn’t have a baseball team), and prevents one league member from having a bye week. The pod system also more easily allows for teams to alter their schedule should a team have to go on pause, due to positive COVID tests.
Big Ten coaches also decided to do away with the Big Ten Tournament. Instead, teams will play their final regular season game on the last weekend in May and then head to the NCAA Tournament – if selected – to compete for the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.
“We are just trying to give every athlete in the Big Ten, that plays baseball, the opportunity to play as many games as possible,” Hartleb said. “This will allow everyone to play three-four games on that last weekend.”
Without nonconference games – something that Hartleb is a fan of because he can schedule premier teams in the country – Big Ten teams will be forced to look at new pitchers and younger players in important games.
“We’re not going to be able to play teams early in the year and experiment a little bit,” Hartleb said. “I mean we’re still going to experiment, but every game counts for the conference.”
Part of the experimenting will be with the Illini’s pitching rotation. The pod system the Big Ten is using this season is new, and Hartleb isn’t sure on how the Illini will attack the weekend. He is however confident in the pitchers his team has.
“I think we have a chance to be very good on the mound,” Hartleb said. “We have some new guys and some guys who are a year older. When I say that, a year older and more mature. They have done a great job changing their body types and their endurance.”
Illinois only played 13 baseball games last season, and are only scheduled to play 44 this season. Hartleb’s biggest focus in 2021 – and throughout the pandemic – has been on maximizing his players’ experience in an Illinois uniform.
“You look at the players, they have such a short window to compete at a high level,” Hartleb said. “They are the ones I really feel for. Their window really is being cut down.”
