The daily pitch from Sports Editor Matt Daniels: July 2, 2024

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Sports Editor Matt Daniels with a look at what’s going on around the area:

Three reasons we love sports today

➜ 1. Always good to have an Illinois football presence in the Chicagoland area. Especially when it comes to recruiting . The 24/7/365 pursuit of top talent in the state continues on Tuesday night, with Bret Bielema belting out the seventh-inning stretch at Wrigley Field during the Cubs-Phillies game.

➜ 2. Bielema isn’t the only Illinois football connection who will have a prominent place in Wrigley Field on Tuesday night . Former Illini running back standout and current BTN analyst Howard Griffith will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

➜ 3. Three weeks from today, Bielema and likely three Illinois players — who they are is still to be determined — will head to Indianapolis for Big Ten Media Day.

Numbers game: 43

Illinois football players on the 2024 roster who call the Land of Lincoln home, like Atwood native and running back Kaden Feagin . That, not surprisingly, is the most of any Big Ten team. Northwestern is next with 24, followed by Iowa (19), Wisconsin (13), Minnesota (nine), Michigan (eight), Purdue (seven) and Indiana (six). Michigan State, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oregon and Rutgers each have two, Penn State and Washington have one apiece, while Maryland, Southern California and UCLA boast none.

Crowd control

Three events I’m paying attention to

➜ 1. John Deere Classic . The PGA Tour makes its first and only stop in Illinois this year, with the 152-player field descending upon TPC Deere Run in Silvis. Current Illini Jackson Buchanan , along with former Illini Adrien Dumont de Chassart and Nick Hardy , are set to tee off on Thursday.

➜ 2. Wimbledon . Former Illini Aleks Vukic is on to the second round in singles after a thrilling five-set first-round win against Sebastian Ofner on Monday that took almost four hours to finish. Up next, for Vukic on Wednesday? Reigning Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz .

➜ 3. Danville Post 210 baseball . The Speakers host an eight-team, three-day, 15-game tournament starting Friday in Tilton.

Coach’s corner

Three questions with Danville boys’ track and field coach Tyler Arnholt:

➜ 1. My favorite sports team is ... the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Before, during and after the Tom Brady era.

➜ 2. Three coaches I’d like to have dinner with are ... George Barnett, Bruce Arians and Dave Astrauskas.

➜ 3. My biggest pet peeve is ... excuses — especially bad ones.