Daily Herald Staff
Everything about the University of Illinois seemed right to Barrington senior left-handed pitcher Robby McDonnell.
A visit to the Champaign-Urbana campus this weekend reinforced McDonnell's impressions as he made a verbal commitment Sunday to accept a scholarship with the Fighting Illini. "I was definitely thinking about Illinois all along," McDonnell said. "I loved it and I'm very excited about it. Illinois seemed like the place to be."
McDonnell was a Daily Herald All-Area selection as a junior. He went 9-3 with a 2.10 ERA and had 99 strikeouts in 71 innings as he helped Barrington advance to the Class 4A baseball supersectional.
McDonnell said Illinois saw him pitch a couple of times this spring - including a sectional semifinal win over Libertyville - and this summer at tournaments with his Top Tier travel team.
Interest from the Fighting Illini picked up more than a month ago when pitching coach Ken Westray called McDonnell. The proximity, academics and opportunity to play in the Big Ten made it a perfect fit.
McDonnell said he also had interest from Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois-Chicago, Virginia Tech and Miami (Ohio). Illinois was 34-20 overall for its third straight 30-win season under head coach Dan Hartleb and 16-8 in the Big Ten.
"All of the coaches seem very baseball intelligent and know what to do and can make me a better player," McDonnell said. "And the facilities are pretty cool."
McDonnell said he could get a chance to pitch right away since Illinois has only one left-hander on its roster.
And now McDonnell, who has a 3.1 grade-point average and scored 25 on the ACT and plans to study business, can focus on having a big spring. Barrington hopes to continue last spring's postseason run with McDonnell, hard-hitting all-area center fielder Anthony Brignola, who committed to John A. Logan Community College, and senior right-hander Sean Buchholz.
"I'm definitely glad to finally be able to know where I'm going," McDonnell said. "I feel like I've prepared myself pretty well for next spring. I feel I got better by facing all of the better hitters."