Saint Patrick High School senior Mike Giller signed a National Letter of Intent to play baseball next season on a scholarship at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana on November 9, 2005. Giller, who hails from St. Hilary parish, will join head coach Dan Hartleb and the Fighting Illini after an outstanding career on the baseball field for the Shamrocks.

As a junior, Giller came into his own as one of the top hitters in the Chicagoland area, leading Saint Patrick to a 23-17 record. Giller led the Shamrocks in nearly every offensive category. In 35 games Giller batted .439 with 50 hits, 10 doubles, three triples, 10 home runs, 40 runs scored and 39 runs batted in. On the mound, Giller posted a record of 3-2 and an earned run average of 2.80 in eight appearances, covering 30 innings pitched. Giller was named to the All-East Suburban Catholic Conference team following the 2005 season.

Giller joins a program that has established itself as one of the best in the Midwest. The Illini posted a record of 32-23 in 2005, including a Big Ten best 20-12 record in conference play. Coach Hartleb takes over as the Head Baseball Coach at Illinois this season for Richard “Itch” Jones. Hartleb served as an assistant coach under Jones for the past 15 seasons.