CHAMPAIGN — The Illinois outfield was noticeably quieter when center fielder Zac Taylor was on the bench with an ankle injury for a 14-game stretch earlier this spring.
The redshirt senior is fairly vocal — whether it’s directing traffic from his outfield spot or celebrating a good play.
Illinois managed without Taylor for most of March and its first series of April.
Freshman Cam McDonald shifted to center field. Regular designated hitter Michael Michalak brushed off his glove and took over in left field, with Andrew Dyke occasionally spelling him.
The Illini even went 9-5 in those games with the only real blemish the three-game sweep it suffered in its opening Big Ten series at Iowa.