BASEBALL • 1985-87

Darrin Fletcher earned First-Team All-America honors in 1987 after setting an Illinois hitting record of .497 batting average that still stands today. A catcher during his career, Fletcher earned All-Big Ten honors in both 1985 and 1986, and first-team recognition in 1987. A native of nearby Oakwood, Ill., he was the team’s MVP in 1986 and 1987, while being named the Big Ten Player of the Year in 1987. Fletcher was drafted in the sixth round of the 1987 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers and enjoyed a 14-year big league career with the Dodgers, Phillies, Expos and Blue Jays. He made one MLB All-Star Game appearance in 1994 as a member of the Expos, and finished with a career batting average of .269 with 124 home runs. His best batting season came in 2000 when he hit .320 with 20 homers for the Blue Jays. Darrin was the middle of three generations of Fletchers to play baseball at Illinois, following his father, Tom (1962), and preceding his son, Casey (2014-15). His grandfather, Glenn, was a long-time minor league baseball player. Fletcher currently lives in Oakwood.