Ryan Hastings

Classroom

Hastings was named Academic All-District by CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine in 2007 and was named Academic All-Big Ten in 2006 and 2007. He earned a bachelor’s degree in recreation, sport, and tourism in May 2007 with a 3.46 GPA and is currently enrolled in the sport management master’s program with plans to graduate in the summer of 2008. Hastings also received the George Huff Award in 2006 and 2007, which is an award given to student-athletes who have earned a varsity letter and maintained at least a 3.0 GPA in consecutive semesters. Hastings also completed a semester-long internship with the Champaign County Sports Commission to gain experience and also to fulfill a requirement for his bachelor’s degree.

Character

Hastings has proven his character repeatedly throughout his Illinois career, but possibly the most visible manifestation came in 2005. After a 2004 freshman season that was one of the best in Illinois history, Hastings entered 2005 as the starting second baseman. But only five games into the season, he had suffered a nagging wrist injury that kept him from playing to his potential. He underwent surgery and missed the rest of the season, a campaign that ended with the Illini leading the Big Ten race from start to finish and winning the Big Ten championship. Throughout the season, Hastings supported his teammates and helped out as much as he could, becoming practically another assistant coach in the process. He was one of the first off the bench to congratulate his teammates and also did the little things like track down foul balls behind the plate and return them to the umpire. Hastings also has displayed his character this season in returning for his fifth year, despite already having earned his bachelor’s degree and becoming engaged to be married during the summer of 2007. He has committed to spending time away from his future wife, who is a teacher at a school nearly three hours from Champaign, to return to the Illini baseball squad and be a team leader. He has shown his work ethic by juggling his baseball responsibilities with a loaded class schedule that will allow him to finish a three-semester graduate program in two semesters, often completing his hitting drills before having to leave practice early to get to class.

Community

In addition to his baseball and academic responsibilities, Hastings has dedicated a great deal of his time to different organizations in the Champaign-Urbana area. He helped host children from the Challenger Baseball League, a local baseball league for children with developmental and physical disabilities, when they have come to Illinois baseball games during his career. He also helped spearhead the baseball team’s efforts with the Big Brothers Big Sisters’ Angel Tree Project during the Christmas season. Hastings has participated in multiple Reading Nights at Robeson Elementary School in Champaign and also at the “Special Spectators” Tailgate before Illini football games for children from the pediatric oncology unit at Champaign’s Carle Foundation Hospital.

Competition

After a solid career to this point, Hastings will be counted on during his senior season to serve as a team leader for the Illini. A second baseman his whole career, Hastings could switch to first base this season. He also has hit in the sixth or seventh slot in the batting order much of his career, but could become a middle-of-the-order hitter for Illinois in 2008. Hastings has continued to improve statistically throughout his career, setting career highs as a junior in batting average (.330), slugging percentage (.487), home runs (6) and runs (38). He was named Big Ten Player of the Week on April 10, 2007, after going 6-for-7 (.857) with four runs and an RBI as Illinois split two games with No. 25 Ohio State. He also was 6-for-12 in a series against NCAA Regional participant Minnesota, scoring five runs and driving in three RBIs. In 2006, Hastings came back from his redshirt season with a vengeance and was named third-team All-Big Ten while starting all 58 games and leading the Illini in hitting (.368) and slugging percentage (.509) in Big Ten play. As a freshman, he was named a University of Illinois Male Newcomer of the Year finalist after hitting .315 overall with seven doubles and 20 RBI.