The Illini might play in Illinois, but they've got a strong following across the Mississippi in St. Louis, too.
That's where Illinois head basketball coach John Groce was Friday night. More specifically, he was at Busch Stadium, where he threw out the first pitch ahead of Friday night's Cardinals game.
And, for a basketball coach, the pitch was pretty darn good. Maybe the Illini baseball team's incredible success is rubbing off on everyone in Champaign.
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[MORE BIG TEN: Illini host Notre Dame, rest of B1G/ACC Challenge announced]
And for those Illini fans who support the Cubs and aren't too happy about seeing Groce hanging with the Redbirds, here's Groce belting out "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" while rocking a Cubs hat last summer at Wrigley Field.