Chambana Sun

A trio of Illinois baseball players has been recognized as Big Ten Preseason Players to Watch, according to an announcement from the conference. The selected players include right-hander Ben Plumley, catcher Jacob Schroeder, and first baseman Drake Westcott.

Plumley is receiving preseason honors for the first time in his career. The redshirt junior had a standout 2024 season, recording 33 strikeouts over 35.1 innings in 23 relief appearances. He maintained a six-game streak without allowing an earned run from May 10 to June 1, striking out eight batters and walking three. Plumley, a native of Chicago, is ranked No. 38 by Perfect Game among Top Big Ten 2025 MLB Draft prospects.

Schroeder also makes his debut on the conference's preseason watch list. The graduate student was named to the 2024 College Baseball Foundation All-American Second Team and All-Big Ten First Team. He achieved a .306/.434/.613 slash line with seven doubles, 14 home runs, and 41 RBIs last season. Schroeder tied for ninth in the Big Ten in home runs and was among conference leaders in slugging percentage (8th) and OPS (10th). Hailing from Homewood, Illinois, he was twice named Big Ten Player of the Week and once NCAA Player of the Week during Week 9.

Westcott joins the list after earning All-Big Ten Third Team honors in 2024. The redshirt senior posted a .290/.421/.571 slash line with 11 doubles, 16 home runs, and 52 RBIs. He ranked among conference leaders in walks (T-3rd) and home runs (T-4th). Westcott begins the upcoming season with a total of 34 career home runs for Illinois, needing just 14 more to match Scott Spiezio's program record of 48 set between 1991-93. Originally from Edwardsville, Illinois, Westcott was also named to Perfect Game's Preseason All-Conference Team.

The Fighting Illini are set to start their 146th season against Abilene Christian at Whataburger Field in Corpus Christi, Texas. The game is scheduled for Friday at 1 p.m. CT.