Former Illinois State baseball star Neal Cotts was one of those student-athletes fortunate enough to land in that two percent. After three stellar seasons on the diamond for the Redbirds, Cotts was drafted No. 69 overall by the Oakland Athletics in the second round of the 2001 draft. He went on to pitch in Major League Baseball with the Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers and Minnesota Twins.
Award-winning teacher Joe Duda is one of 15 Illinois State alumni educators working in a Houston-area school district.
Add some Redbird fun to Fourth of July weekend plans with this baseball outing.
Redbirds can root for their favorite Chicago baseball team this summer with these alumni-favorite events.
Starting April 5, Illinois State alum Mark Grote’s relationship with the Cubs will come full circle when he joins the Cubs radio broadcasting team on Chicago’s WBBM.
The Illinois State University Alumni Association invites you to cheer on the Chicago White Sox as they host the Texas Rangers. The evening will begin at Chi-Sox Bar & Grill with a special Redbird pregame reception.
Chris Rongey ’99, M.S. ’01, isn’t easily ruffled. For the last eight seasons as the radio host of the Chicago White Sox pregame and postgame shows, he has answered the calls of impetuous fans whose hopes, complaints, and delusional trade demands originate from a fan base that has witnessed its 2005 World Series team fade to also-rans.
Neal Cotts’ recent return to the major leagues was as unlikely as his arrival. He didn’t think he had a shot at the pros until his junior year at Illinois State.
Texas Rangers relief pitcher Neal Cotts needed only a few minutes to get three consecutive outs May 21 against the top of the Oakland A’s order. What made it remarkable was that he was appearing in his first major league game in four years.
The Alumni Association invites you to cheer on the Chicago White Sox as they host their division rival, the Detroit Tigers, in August.
