Mike Williams Associate Athletic Director/Communications | Illinois State University Athletics Website
Mike Williams Associate Athletic Director/Communications | Illinois State University Athletics Website
The Illinois State Baseball Team has announced details for its fifth annual Dugout Club Dinner, scheduled for January 31. The event will take place in the Brown Ballroom at the Bone Student Center in Normal, Illinois. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., with dinner and the program starting at 6:30 p.m.
This year's program will feature Peoria native and five-time MLB All-Star Jim Thome. Thome, who retired with 612 home runs, is one of only nine MLB players to join the 600 HR club. His career highlights include winning the Roberto Clemente Award in 2002 and a Silver Slugger award in 1996. Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018, Thome's number 25 is retired by the Cleveland Guardians, where he spent a significant portion of his career. Since February 2022, he has served as President of the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association.
In recent performance news, Illinois State's Daniel Pacella led six Redbirds to All-MVC honors during the 2024 season. Pacella was named First Team All-MVC after hitting .328 with 12 home runs and 61 RBIs across 53 games. This recognition marks him as the first Redbird on the First Team since Ryan Cermak in 2022.
The team also sees returns from Honorable Mention All-MVC honorees Judah Morris and Joe Husak. Morris concluded the season with a .287 average, along with 14 home runs and 50 RBIs. Pitcher Joe Husak recorded a 5-3 record with seven saves over his appearances.
Illinois State completed its season with a record of 30-27, achieving their most wins under coach Steve Holm since his inaugural season in 2019 when they finished at 36-26. The Redbirds reached the final day of competition in the MVC Championships before losing to Evansville.
The Dugout Club Dinner will include live and silent auctions to benefit Redbird Baseball directly. A Grand Slam VIP Package is available for $1,250, offering perks such as a pre-event cocktail hour invitation and prime seating for eight guests alongside a student-athlete from Redbird Baseball. Individual tickets are priced at $125 each.
For further details or ticket purchases, contact Sam Williams, Development Graduate Assistant, via email at swill20@ilstu.edu.
Updates on Illinois State Baseball can be found on GoRedbirds.com or through their social media channels on X (@RedbirdBaseball), Instagram (isuredbirdbaseball), and Facebook (Illinois State Baseball).
Alerts Sign-up