Chambana Sun

Illinois baseball saw two of its players selected in the 2024 MLB Draft. Right-handed pitcher Jack Crowder was picked by the Baltimore Orioles, while catcher Camden Janik was chosen by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Jack Crowder, a senior from Romeoville, Illinois, was selected in the ninth round as pick number 279 by the Orioles. During his final season with Illinois, Crowder achieved a record of 7-2 with an ERA of 4.88 over 90.1 innings pitched in 16 starts. He recorded 80 strikeouts and held opponents to a .217 batting average. Notably, he delivered six quality starts and had a streak of three consecutive quality outings from April 12 to April 26.

Crowder's performance peaked during the NCAA Lexington Regional against Indiana State on May 31, where he pitched eight innings allowing only one run on three hits with five strikeouts and no walks, leading Illinois to a victory.

Over his collegiate career spanning four years, Crowder accumulated a record of 15-6 with an ERA of 6.23 across 51 games and struck out 158 batters over 182 innings.

Camden Janik was drafted in the twelfth round as pick number 354 by the Pirates. The Wauconda native earned recognition as a member of both the ABCA/Rawlings All-America Third Team and All-Big Ten First Team in his junior year. Janik finished his season with a batting slash line of .356/.440/.533 including fifteen doubles, seven home runs, and forty-nine RBIs.

Janik demonstrated resilience at bat with only eleven strikeouts in two hundred twenty-five at-bats—placing him among top catchers nationally for lowest strikeout rates. Defensively strong behind the plate, he allowed just nine stolen bases while cutting down seven runners.

Throughout his time at Illinois over three seasons, Janik maintained a batting line of .336/.441/.533 across one hundred twenty-one games hitting eighteen home runs along with seventy-nine RBIs.

Both players have expressed excitement about their future professional careers following their selections in this year's draft.