Hometown Feature: Brothers In Arms

What happens when arguably two of the best baseball players in southern Illinois in the last five years, play for arguably the best baseball team in Illinois?

Those two worlds collided early last week when brothers, Reid and Ryne Roper and the University of Illinois baseball team took on Southern Illinois University at Itchy Jones Stadium.

At the time, both Ropers were helping the Illini to an 18-game winning streak with a 7-5 win over the Salukis.

By the end of the weekend, Illinois had rattled off 21 straight with a 6-2 victory over Ohio State on the road.

The Fighting Illini continued their best start in program history (40-6-1) and maintained the No. 1 winning percentage in the NCAA (.862). It is the fastest Illinois has ever reached 40 wins, which is already the seventh-most victories on the school's all-time list.

UI won a program-record 15 straight Big Ten tilts and remained ahead of Iowa (15-3) in first place atop the conference standings at 16-1, marking Illinois' best Big Ten record through 17 games in school history. Five Big Ten series sweeps also broke the school record of four from last season.

Illinois' school-record 21-game winning streak is the longest active streak in the NCAA and second-longest this season behind Texas A&M (24). The NCAA record winning streak (34) is owned by Texas (1977) and Florida Atlantic (1999).

Both brothers are playing pivotal roles for the Illini this season as Reid is a redshirt senior, playing second base, while Ryne is in his sophomore season, manning third base for the Orange and Blue.

It's a season in which both brothers are realizing that their playing days together are coming to a close, but the win-streak and run the Illini are on right now heading into the post season make that ride all that much more sweeter to share together.

The elder Roper, Reid, a 2010 graduate of Harrisburg High School, isn't getting caught up in the notion that his career his coming to an end, but instead relishing in the opportunity he is having to get to play with his little brother, Ryne.

"It's a definitely been a blessing to get to play with Ryne," Reid said. "To be able to go to the same Division I school like Illinois is a big deal and we don't take it for granted. I'm thankful for the opportunity and it's been a lot of fun with Ryne, to be living with him and continue to the Harrisburg Bulldog tradition, if you will in the infield, but it's been great representing the school, the community, the town of Harrisburg."

An ACL injury allowed Reid another season at Illinois, it also allowed him one more year with Ryne, something the two did not have in high school when the two only played one season together.

At Champaign, Ryne has been a sponge around Reid, taking in as much information as he can.

"It's been really cool to play with Reid, especially the last two years. I've learned so much from him these past two years, not just from the game of baseball, but also the game of life. I'm very thankful for the opportunity that I had to play with him. Yeah, it's all coming to an end and it's kind of surreal to me. We got to play one year together in high school and now two years here at Illinois. It's been great, but I wouldn't trade it for anything."

On a mild night in Carbondale last Tuesday, the two took some playful jabbing from teammates as a considerable portion of fans behind the Illini dugout were "the town of Harrisburg" as family, friends and former coaches came out to see not only the Ropers, but one of the best college baseball teams in the nation.

Reid finished 0-for-3 at the plate with a pair of walks and a run scored, while Ryne went 1-for-4 against the Salukis.

Illini head coach Dan Hartleb, who has coached brothers at the same time before, said that Reid and Ryne are a special bunch that don't come along very often.

"To have the Ropers, has been fun." Hartleb said. "They feed off of each other, they help each other and when you can get two great athletes out of one family, it's rare, but its been fun to have them as part of the program."

Teammates fed off the fact that the two had such a large quality and let each brother know, especially when they were up at bat.

"The guys were joking before the game about us having the entire town of Harrisburg behind our dugout," Ryne said. "The guys play a long with it really well and when we're batting they'll say stuff to us like, "One time for the 'Burg, right here." They have fun with it."

For Reid, it was the final time in his career, digging into the dirt collegiately in southern Illinois and took time to enjoy the setting.

"It's great to be back and have the fan support," he said. "It's great too because our team is doing so well, so to be able to come back and play in front of your family and friends is really fun. For me, it's the last time this is going to take place, so this was a great way to end the day. "

While things may be coming to an end for Reid, younger brother Ryne is off to a stellar two-year start. However, without his older brother, Ryne's not sure all of what he has been able to accomplish would have manufactured the way it did.

"When I first got here, everything was really fast," Ryne said. "Reid just helped get me in this mindset where everything slows down and let things come to me. It was also important that I not try to do too much, something else that he taught me. It was just all going out and having fun, not getting too high or too low."

In the midst of the win streak and like most things in sports, especially baseball, superstitions become the focal point.

For Reid, he said it's not something he puts a lot of emphasis on, but does admit to have a pre-game ritual with his shortstop.

"There are some, but I think they come with the game of baseball," Reid said. "It's not something we put a lot of emphasis on. Myself and the short stop have something that we do in the first inning before the game starts. I don't personally have any, but some of the other guys do, and again, I think that's part of what makes this bunch of guys so much fun to be around."

Ryne didn't discredit the notion that Tacos were important to his win streak, especially on Tuesday, but physically he's not going to change one part of his look that he's had since the beginning of the year.

"Yeah, I know, the hair is long. I haven't cut it since January and I guess until we lose, I'll just have to go with it."

Which makes sense, because the Illinois baseball team has gone with whatever has been working as well.

Michael Dann covers prep and college sports for the Harrisburg Daily Register. Follow him on Twitter: @spydieshooter.