The Major League Baseball draft will be July 17th-19th, and as it stands right now, there aren’t any true, sure-fire first round prospects in the Big Ten. Not that MLB mock drafts are gospel by any means, but when you take a look at them, all you see projected in the first round are SEC and high school players.
That makes sense for the Big Ten, as the league is having a down year. Maryland is the only sure fire NCAA Tournament team in the conference, although Rutgers should likely get in too.
That said, the Illini are the #4 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, which begins Wednesday, and will be televised on BTN. Illini baseball finished in a three way tie for second place in the conference. They also have a fair amount of talent on the roster that will eventually get drafted and play pro ball, so let’s take a look at the bluest of the blue (and orange) chips on the 2022 roster.
LHP Cole Kirschsieper
The “Friday guy,” he’s the one who always takes to the hill to open a given series. Baseball America and Perfect Game rank him the 4th best MLB Draft prospect in the Big Ten.
Shortstop Branden Comia
The cover boy of Illini baseball’s 2021 record book, the Orland Park native and Carl Sandburg high school graduate majors in business and hopes to become a financial adviser once his playing career is over. During our exclusive with him last season, we discussed how the cryptocurrency craze had swept the team.
Perfect Game ranks him the #20 overall MLB Draft prospect in the Big Ten while Baseball America has him the No. 24 INF. D1Baseball slots him the No. 20 prospect in the Big Ten.
He had a very significant hitting streak earlier this season, and so far Comia has 16 multi-hit games for the 2022 campaign.
C Jacob Campbell
Named to the Buster Posey Catcher of the Year Award Watch List in 2021, Campbell was selected in the 36th round of the 2018 MLB Draft by the Chicago Cubs. He came back to school and worked on his versatility, as he’s played both LF and RF in his collegiate career.
Perfect Game ranks him #22 on their list of Big Ten top 2022 MLB Draft prospects.
Others to watch on this Illini baseball team include RHP Riley Gowens who is #17 and 1B Justin Janas who is #27 in the D1Baseball Big Ten top 2022 MLB Draft prospects list.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and he co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast, part of Edge of the Crowd Network. Follow him and the website on Twitter and Instagram.