Monticello’s Ike Young commits to Illinois baseball: ‘I’m super excited’

MONTICELLO — Ike Young went on an official visit to the University of Illinois a couple weeks ago, and Illini baseball coach Dan Hartleb wasted no time getting the Monticello star on board.

“The first thing we did was sit down in the clubhouse, and he offered me,” Young said. “I was sitting there with my mom and dad, and we heard it at the same time. It was a pretty cool experience.”

Just like Hartleb, it didn’t take Young long to make a decision. Last weekend, he verbally committed to Illinois.

“It’s exciting. It’s also relieving,” Young said. “Just knowing how much hard work I’ve put in, it’s like a reward. It’s an achievement, and I’m super excited.”

This was a moment Young had been working toward for the last three years. He’s always been a multi-sport athlete — Young is also a key member of the Sages’ football and boys’ basketball teams — but there was something special about baseball. After his freshman season, he realized he had potential, and playing college ball became “something I strived for.”

Young recently wrapped up his junior year at Monticello, during which he helped lead the baseball team to some school history. The Sages started the season 22-0, the best start of the program’s 38-year existence. They ended the season with a Class 2A regional title, a sectional championship appearance and a 31-5 record, the winningest campaign the program has ever seen.

“We all just worked well together. We all had the same goals in mind, and we came to practice every day and worked hard,” Young said. “It’s not an easy job to get to the sectional championship, so I was pretty happy with it.”

Young played a big role in the Sages’ success, pitching a team-high 48 ⅔ innings with a 5-1 record, 2.16 ERA and 60 strikeouts, catching the Illini’s attention.

He’ll be joining former St. Joseph-Ogden rival Luke Landrus in Champaign, and the two of them will be following up area talents like Connor Milton from Champaign Central, Logan Tabeling from Tuscola and Asher Bradd from Monticello.

“The talent around here is amazing,” Young said. “Our conference, I think, is the toughest conference around our area. It’s definitely cool, and it’ll be a fun experience to play with some of the guys I’ve been playing against.”

Before that, however, Young has some unfinished business at Monticello. He’s hoping to have added a little more hardware to the Sages’ trophy case by this time next year.