As is their nature, Illini athletic teams seem proficient in handling the small balls of spring as opposed to the larger, more valued balls of autumn and winter.
Come on, football and basketball, it's time to catch up.
Both men and women squads of golf and tennis have done their job so far, all four qualifying for the NCAA postseason play.
And Tyra Perry's 36-win softballers, fresh from a 6-2 home victory over Nebraska on Saturday, are poised for Big Ten tournament action as they carry an 11-for-12 winning streak into today's regular-season finale against the Cornhuskers.