Illinois Baseball signs 8 on National Signing Day
The class includes five high school seniors and three junior college players
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) – Illinois baseball has signed eight players who will join the program for the 2027-28 academic year, head coach Dan Hartleb announced Wednesday.
The class includes five high school seniors and three junior college players.
“This group of student-athletes addresses many of our needs,” Hartleb said. “Our coaching staff has done a great job of identifying and recruiting a great group of players. All of these recruits are skilled, competitive, and winners.”
The junior college signees are infielder Gavin Awbrey, right-handed pitcher Chase Harrison, and left-handed pitcher Jaden Kogutkiewicz.
Awbrey, an Orion, Illinois, native, hit .364 with 19 home runs and 75 RBIs as a freshman at Southeastern Community College in 2026. He also scored 77 runs and earned second-team all-region honors.
Harrison, of Oakwood, Illinois, appeared in seven games as a freshman at Kankakee Community College. He struck out four batters over four innings of one-run ball against Milwaukee Area Technical College in April.
Kogutkiewicz, a Muskego, Wisconsin, native, struck out 58 batters in 48⅔ innings as a freshman at Rock Valley College. He made 11 appearances, including 10 starts.
The high school signees are outfielder Cole Brent, right-handed pitchers Graydon Leonard and Wade Ozment, infielder Carson Trivellini, and infielder and right-handed pitcher Kash VanHouten.
Brent, of Bloomington, is a three-year letter winner at Normal University High School. Prep Baseball Report ranks him as the No. 6 outfielder in Illinois.
Leonard, of Gibson City, is Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley High School’s career pitching wins leader. He is a two-time honorable mention all-state selection in baseball and helped the team finish fourth in Class 1A in 2024.
Ozment, of Crystal Lake, posted a 1.80 ERA with 62 strikeouts in 52 innings for Crystal Lake Central High School in 2026. He was part of the school’s 2024 Class 3A state championship team.
Trivellini, also of Crystal Lake, is ranked by Prep Baseball Report as the No. 2 shortstop in Illinois and No. 67 nationally in the class of 2027. The Crystal Lake South High School athlete was named the Northwest Herald’s 2026 Baseball Player of the Year and Male Athlete of the Year.
VanHouten, of Canton, is a two-time first-team all-state selection and three-time first-team All-Mid Illini Conference honoree. He hit .386 with six home runs and 22 RBIs as a junior.
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