The 2001 terrorist attacks and rain in 2002 kept the annual alumni game from being played for two years. Should the weather remain clear on Saturday, a 4:30 p.m. first pitch will begin a seven inning game between the Illini varsity baseball team and the alumni at Illinois Field.

"This is going to be the first year I think for a lot of guys to experience that," senior Vince DiMaria said. "It's going to be a good time I think. Hopefully, a lot of guys will come back."

Six current minor league players are scheduled to return to Illinois Field for Saturday's festivities. Events start with a 2:30 p.m. home run derby and the alumni baseball game concludes the day's events. Sandwiched between will be an old-timers softball game.

Current minor league players returning to Champaign-Urbana on Saturday will include Patrick Arlis (Florida Marlins-A), Chris Basak (New York Mets-AAA), Brandon Cashman (Texas Rangers-A), Drew Dickinson (Oakland A's-A), Sean Patrick (Baltimore Orioles-A) and Andy Schutzenhofer (St. Louis Cardinals-A).

Dickinson enjoys having the opportunity to return to the atmosphere of college baseball.

"I loved college baseball," Dickinson said. "It's different from pro ball in the sense that every game means that much more, you know every game means something. In pro ball, in the minor leagues, it's not so much about winning and losing where in college that's all it is about. How many wins, how many losses and you've got to win to get to the postseason.

"It (college baseball) was just fun. The excitement was always there every game. That's the only thing I miss, besides just the guys, is the excitement of every game."

During 2003, Dickinson pitched for the Kane County Cougars going 11-11 pitching 191.1 innings over 28 starts. Dickinson compiled a 3.15 ERA and 114 strikeouts.

Illinois head coach Itch Jones appreciates the players returning and serving as mentors for the day to the current Illini.

"I enjoy having the alumni back because I think it's good for your young kids here that are freshman and sophomores in school; they don't know what a college education means," Jones said. "Then you get some of these guys back and they're presidents of companies. They're very successful. They're in pro ball.

"They can get an idea from the pro players what pro ball is like. They get an idea from people that have gone back, played pro ball and now are out in the business world. Gives them an opportunity to see what their future has for them."

Freshmen will not be participating in Saturday's game due to NCAA regulations.

"I'll start the upperclassmen and let them play about half the game," Jones said. "Maybe after four innings or so and then regardless of the score, then we put the other kids in. We try to get everybody in the game. In a seven inning game this year, I don't know if we'll be able to do that, but we have in the past with a nine inning game."

Coaching the alumni team will be former Illinois head coach Lee Eilbracht who led the Illini from 1952 until 1978.

Additional alumni scheduled to participate Saturday include: Craig Marquie, Jim Jesso, Bill Antonacci, Aaron Nieckula, Wayne Webb, Tom Trayser, Derek Throneburg, Lee Eilbracht, Matt McCully, Craig Lechowicz, Josh Lane, Tom Knotts, Brady Ballard, Peter Frew, Bruce Romain and Rich Siemers.

DiMaria welcomes the chance to play a game on Saturday instead of going through the usual practice schedule.

"It's good just to get away from the whole practice every day, drills, same stuff over and over routine," DiMaria said. "It's good to break it up and get to see a live game. Hopefully, we'll get a bunch of fans out here and get some guys that haven't experienced that just yet to see it."