Illinois baseball suffered a 13-2 defeat against Indiana State today in the NCAA Tournament Lexington Regional. The loss was Illinois’ second in the regional, eliminating them from tournament play. 

The loss came after the Illini beat the Sycamores 4-1 in the first round of the tournament on Friday, but subsequently took a 6-1 loss against the Kentucky Wildcats yesterday. 

Today’s game started out slow, similar to the two teams’ matchup on Friday, with both remaining scoreless through two innings. Sophomore left-hander Sam Reed started on the mound for the Illini.

In the third inning, Indiana State picked it up rapidly, scoring 7 runs on 6 hits. Sycamores junior infielder Randal Diaz hit a single with the bases loaded, allowing their senior outfielder Adam Pottinger to score. Then, their senior outfielder Parker Stinson doubled to right, allowing their freshman infielder Riley Iffrig and senior infielder Josue Urdaneta to score, giving the Sycamores a 3-0 lead with runners on second and third.

Illinois made a pitching change to attempt to close out the inning, putting freshman left hander Regan Hall on the bump. Hall walked the second batter he faced, loading the bases, and then hit Indiana State’s senior outfielder Dominic Listi with a pitch, putting the Sycamores up 4-0 with the bases still loaded.

With only one out, Sycamores’ senior catcher Grant Magill grounded out to third, allowing Stinson to score. Then, Pottinger hit a single to right, bringing home both Listi and their senior infielder Mike Sears, bringing the tally to 7-0. Urdenata singled to right, but the Illini defense got Pottinger out at home to pick up a third out and end the inning.

Hall began the fourth hitting Diaz with a pitch and then picking up a strikeout. But after the Sycamores junior catcher Luis Hernandez singled to right and put runners on first and second, Illinois decided to make another pitching change, this time putting redshirt sophomore Ben Plumley on the mound. The Illini defense then made a double play to end the inning.

Plumley gave up no runs on zero hits with a strikeout in the fifth, but Indiana State extended their lead to 8-0 in the sixth when Hernandez homered to left. Plumley picked up a strikeout to end the sixth inning and put the Illini back on offense.

The score didn’t change until the bottom of the seventh, when Illinois redshirt senior infielder Brody Harding singled to right with the bases loaded, scoring redshirt senior Jacob Schroeder and cutting the deficit to 8-1. The inning ended, however, after junior infielder Coltin Quagliano grounded into a double play.

Illinois made another pitching change in the eighth, putting in senior right hander Will Lavin, but after Indiana State loaded the bases, Illinois put in redshirt senior right hander Joe Glassey. But the pitching change did not slow down the strong hitting performance by the Sycamores — Sears, the first batter Glassey faced after getting to the mound, hit a grand slam to center field, increasing their already large lead to 12-1. 

In the ninth, Indiana State’s Iffrig doubled to right, allowing Magill to score, and bringing the tally to 13-1. Glassey then picked up two strikeouts to put the Illini offense back at the plate. 

Down twelve with three outs to play, junior outfielder Ryan Moerman homered to center in the final frame, cutting the deficit to 13-2, but Indiana State picked up a quick two to finish their dominant performance and eliminate Illinois from the NCAA Tournament.

Indiana State must now beat Kentucky in back to back games to advance to the NCAA Super Regional. 

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Illinois baseball (35-20) took a 6-1 loss against Kentucky in the Lexington Regional of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday afternoon. The loss came after Illinois won their first round matchup against Indiana State with a score of 4-1 on Friday evening. 

The Illini will once again face off against Indiana State this afternoon for a chance to continue their tournament run. 

Friday’s game started slow, with both Illinois and Indiana State remaining scoreless in the first two innings. Senior right-hander Jack Crowder started on the mound for the Illini and picked up two strikeouts in the first two innings. 

Illinois took the first lead when junior infielder Drake Westcott hit a single in the third inning, bringing home senior infielder Cal Hejza and senior outfielder Connor Milton, going up 2-0. 

In the fourth inning, Indiana State got on the board when their junior infielder Randal Diaz hit a solo home run, bringing the tally to 2-1. Both teams then went into another scoring drought for the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. 

The Illini increased their lead to 3-1 in the top of the eighth when senior infielder Brody Harding connected on a single, bringing home Westcott. Illinois further increased the lead to 4-1 when Milton reached home on a passed ball after reaching base with a single. 

Redshirt senior right-hander Joe Glassey came to the mound in the ninth, throwing a perfect inning and securing the win for the Illini. Friday’s win marked Illinois’ first NCAA Tournament victory since 2015. The full box score of Friday’s contest can be found here. 

However, the Illini were dealt a 6-1 defeat Saturday afternoon against the Kentucky Wildcats.

Saturday’s matchup remained scoreless through the first, but Kentucky got on the board in the second inning after their graduate infielder Ryan Nicholson hit a two-run homer off of a pitch by Illinois redshirt junior left-hander Payton Hutchings, putting the Wildcats up 2-0.

At the end of three, the score still sat at 2-0. The Illini responded in the fourth when redshirt senior infielder Brody Harding hit a single, bringing home redshirt senior catcher Jacob Schroeder and decreasing their deficit to 2-1.

Kentucky furthered their lead in the fifth inning when their sophomore utility player James McCoy doubled to deep center, allowing the Wildcats’ junior outfielder Ryan Waldschimdt to score and bringing the tally to 3-1. Strong pitching performances from both teams led to a scoreless sixth.

In the top of the seventh, Kentucky’s senior infielder Grant Smith singled and subsequently scored on a fielder’s choice by their junior infielder Emilien Pitre, increasing the Wildcats’ lead to 4-1.

Illinois senior right-hander Jake Rons replaced Hutchings in the eighth, giving up a two run-homer by Waldschimdt in the ninth which secured the Kentucky win. The full box score of Saturday’s game is available here.

If Illinois avoids elimination by winning their second matchup against Indiana State this afternoon, they will again face Kentucky. In order to advance to the NCAA Regional Superfinal, Illinois must beat Kentucky in back to back games. 

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Illinois (34-19, 18-6) was eliminated by Michigan in the Big Ten tournament on Friday after losing 4-2. Illinois will turn its attention to a potential berth in the NCAA D1 baseball regionals. 

Illinois struggled to get anything going offensively, being no-hit through eight innings against Michigan junior pitcher Will Rogers. Rogers threw nine strikeouts against an Illinois team that has had major success at the plate this year. 

Michigan’s offense got the scoring started in the third inning when graduate student outfielder Stephen Hurstich singled to right field, bringing freshman catcher Brock Leitgeb home from third base and putting Michigan up 1-0. 

Wolverine sophomore infielder Mitch Voit began the fifth inning with a triple into center field that helped set up Michigan’s next score. The payoff from this setup came from Hurstich, who hit a double into right to put Michigan up 2-0. 

In the eighth inning, Michigan extended its lead over Illinois when Rogers hit a double into left field. This double brought home their junior infielder Cole Caruso from second after a double to left field, bringing the score to 3-0.

Michigan’s final score came from a Voit solo shot to left center field. This score came in the top of the ninth inning and was Michigan’s final run of the game. Illinois finally broke up the no-hitter in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Illinois began the bottom of the ninth with two batters popping out. Illinois’s offense got a runner on base when Rogers walked senior outfielder Connor Milton. Rogers’ no-hitter was broken when junior catcher Camden Janik tripled to left field

The triple brought Milton home from first, cutting the Michigan lead to 4-1. Illinois redshirt junior infielder Drake Westcott singled in the bottom of the ninth to bring home Janik, cutting the deficit to 4-2. 

Michigan took out Rogers after these two scores, finishing his night with 8.2 innings pitched and nine strikeouts — both career highs — and replaced him with freshman pitcher Dylan Vigue. Illinois’ game ended when junior infielder Vytas Valincius grounded out.

With this elimination, Illinois joins a large group of number-one seeds eliminated before the finals of the tournament. Since the Big Ten expanded to 13 teams, only two number-one seeds have won the tournament: Maryland in 2023 and Minnesota in 2018.

Six of the last seven tournament teams seeded fourth or worse have made the tournament finals. Illinois has struggled in the tournament since 2018, having a record of 1-9, with the one win coming against Iowa on Thursday. 

Illinois’s postseason future is currently up in the air. Illinois was projected to be a three seed in the Lexington bracket in D1 baseball’s most recent projections for the NCAA baseball regionals, but will now have to await a potential playoff berth on Selection Monday, May 27 on ESPN 2. 

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Illinois baseball (34-18, 18-6) pulled through in the top of the tenth inning to get a 4-2 victory over Iowa this morning in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament. Both teams were facing elimination after losing their openers, but it was Illinois who came out on top in extra innings.

Illinois first got on the board in the top of the fourth inning when senior infielder Cal Hejza drew a walk with bases loaded, bringing home redshirt senior catcher Jacob Schroeder to put the Illini up 1-0. Illinois scored again in the top of the sixth inning when junior infielder Coltin Quagliano hit a sacrifice fly to bring in redshirt senior infielder Brody Harding.

Iowa responded in the bottom of the sixth inning when their sophomore infielder Gable Mitchell hit an RBI single to bring home senior infielder Michael Seegers. The Hawkeyes added another run as their senior catcher Cade Moss hit a sacrifice bunt to score junior infielder Ben Wilmes, bringing the score to a 2-2 tie.

The score did not change again until the 10th inning when Illinois pulled away from Iowa on the back of Quagliano. The Kewanee native hit a two-RBI single that helped Illinois extend their lead to 4-2, bringing both Harding and Schroeder home. 

“You know, just seeing the pitch, just looking for something I can drive,” Quagliano said. “I saw the infield was in. I had to get my job done, put it in the outfield, or hit the ball hard somewhere at least.” 

Iowa did not go away quietly, as they attempted to make a rally in the bottom of the 10th, starting with a lead-off double that came from their senior infielder Davis Cop. Illinois redshirt senior right-hander Joe Glassey subsequently walked Iowa’s redshirt freshman catcher Reese Moore, and then senior utility player Will Mulflur hit a single to left field, loading the bases.

With the winning run on first, Hawkeyes’ Seegers hit a fielder’s choice grounder, which initially scored a runner from third bringing the score to 4-3 with runners on the corners.

However, an umpire ruled that pinch runner Kyle Huckstorf committed runner’s interference on his way to second — which was confirmed upon review. The call negated the score and resulted in Iowa’s second out, returning Illinois’ two-run lead.

With runners still on second and third with two outs, Glassey ended the game by striking out Wilmes, completing the 4-2 victory

The game was Illinois’ first win in the Big Ten tournament since 2018 — previously losing eight straight games in that period.

“It doesn’t matter what happens in the regular season, anything can happen,” Quagliano said. “Just sticking with the group of guys you have, and something big happened for us.”

Illinois will take on the loser of today’s Michigan vs. Penn State game on May 24 at 7 p.m. The game will be live on the Big Ten Network.

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Illinois baseball traveled to Omaha, Nebraska this week for the Big Ten tournament, facing Penn State in the first round. Penn State won the contest eight runs to four. This is the Illini’s fourth straight first-round loss in the Big Ten tournament, with their last opening win coming against Indiana in 2018.

Penn State moves on to play Michigan, with Illinois set to face off against the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Starting on the mound for the Illini was senior right-hander Jack Crowder. Crowder allowed three runs on seven hits over five innings pitched, with five strikeouts and three walks. The Nittany Lions scored their first run in the first inning on a sacrifice fly ball and their next two runs on a single in the fourth inning.

In the fifth inning, junior infielder Coltin Quagliano scored the Illini’s first run on a sacrifice fly-ball that was hit by junior catcher Camden Janik, who was just named to the 2024 All-Big Ten first team. 

Sophomore right-hander Julius Sanchez came in to throw the next two innings, allowing two runs on three hits and striking out two batters. Penn State stretched the lead to 5-1 in the sixth inning with a 419-foot two-run homer.

In the bottom of the sixth, junior outfielder Ryan Moerman got on base with a single and scored after an error by the Nittany Lions’ first-baseman, bringing the score to 5-2 to start the seventh.

Senior infielder Cal Hejza was hit by a pitch in the seventh, but a grounder by Janik led to a fielder’s choice, forcing Hejza out. Redshirt junior infielder Drake Westcott, who was just named to the 2024 All-Big Ten third team, hit a single to put runners on the corners. Junior infielder Vytas Valincius hit a left-side ground out allowing Janik to score, bringing the game to 5-3.

Senior right-hander Jake Rons came in at the top of the eighth, giving up three runs on two hits, along with a walk. The Nittany Lions loaded the bases and scored their sixth run on a sacrifice fly-ball and their seventh and eighth runs on a line drive, extending their lead to 8-3. Redshirt sophomore right-hander Ben Plumley came in to secure the final two outs of the inning.

In the bottom of the eighth, senior designated hitter Jacob Schroeder, who was also just named to the 2024 All-Big Ten first team, hit a single to right field and advanced to second after a ground out. Quagliano hit a double to bring Schroeder home, cutting the deficit to 8-4. 

At the top of the ninth, senior right-hander Korey Bunselmeyer came in to finish the game, giving up zero runs on one hit, along with a strikeout. The Illini offense was unable to cut the deficit in the bottom of the ninth, and the game ended with a final score of 8-4.

The Illini will continue tomorrow, playing the Iowa Hawkeyes at 10 a.m. CT. 

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Illini men’s baseball head coach Dan Hartleb has been named the 2024 Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year. It is Hartleb’s second time winning this award, earning the honor for the first time in 2015. Six Illini were named to the All-Big Ten teams.

Every year, the Big Ten Conference gives out individual awards following the regular season. Big Ten head coaches vote for a coach of the year, three all-conference teams, an all-freshman team and individual Sportsmanship Awards. 

The four teams consist of the best players at each position, with each lineup having four pitchers, one catcher, one first, second and third baseman, one shortstop, three outfielders, one designated hitter and one utility player. The Sportsmanship Award is given to “student-athletes who distinguished themselves through sportsmanship, ethical behavior, academics and citizenship.” 

Hartleb earned the Coach of the Year honor after leading the Illini to a successful regular season, finishing 33-18 overall and 18-6 in conference play. Last week, the Illini ended their regular season with a three-game sweep over Purdue to win the Big Ten Conference Championship, giving Hartleb his third Big Ten title. 

Hartleb joined the Illinois baseball coaching staff in 1991 as an assistant coach under former Illini baseball head coach Itch Jones, who Hartleb followed to Illinois from Southern Illinois University. Hartleb became the head coach in 2005, and in 19 seasons has earned a career record of 565-415-1 with a conference record of 271-200 for a 57% win rate.

Among players, junior catcher Camden Janik and senior designated hitter Jacob Schroeder were awarded first-team honors. Senior second-baseman Brody Harding and junior outfielder Ryan Moerman made the second team, and junior first-baseman Drake Westcott and freshman utility player Cameron Chee-Aloy were selected for the third team. 

Chee-Aloy also earned a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman team, with senior outfielder Connor Milton winning the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award. 

The Illini are facing off against Iowa tomorrow at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska, for the second round of the Big Ten baseball tournament after losing their opener to Penn State. The team will begin NCAA playoff games on May 31. 

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Illinois baseball (28-16) defeated Ohio State (23-22) in two out of three games, advancing to 18-2 at Illinois Field and 13-5 in the conference to take back first place in the Big Ten. After dropping the series opener 5-7 on Friday, the Illini battled back to win the next two games, 10-5 on Saturday and 12-2 on Sunday, to secure their seventh series win of the season.  

“It’s just staying together, some things didn’t go our way on Friday but it was a really good game … we just had to stay with it and stay with each other to come out and win the next two,” said graduate student second baseman Brody Harding. “If someone on the team isn’t swinging great, it’s all about passing the bat and believing in the guy behind you.”

Harding powered the Illini offense, going 8-11 across the weekend with seven RBIs, one double and a home run. The veteran infielder has recorded a hit in 12 of the last 14 games with eight multi-hit performances in that span. 

Taking a look at conference competitors, Nebraska, Purdue and Indiana all hold a 12-6 record behind Illinois. Indiana took two out of three games at Purdue this past weekend, and Nebraska picked up a series win at Minnesota but lost 2-6 in the series finale.  

Starting on the mound for the Illini on Friday was senior right-hander Jack Crowder, who worked six innings and tossed four strikeouts, allowing five runs on five hits. The Illini kicked off the scoring in the third inning with a triple down the right-field line from senior shortstop Cal Hejza. Ohio State got the run back in the fourth with a sacrifice fly ball, but junior left fielder Vytas Valencias put Illinois back on top with a towering solo shot that cleared the right field wall, conquering the breeze blowing in. 

The Buckeyes stole the lead in the fifth inning with a two-run double down the first base line followed by a sac-fly to deep left field to make it 4-2. With the bases loaded, Hejza poked a ground ball through the left side for an RBI to cut the deficit before a sac fly tied the game. After a pitching change, the Buckeyes walked the bases loaded again but the Illini could not convert and left three runners stranded. The Buckeyes added a run in the sixth inning with a runner tagging from third who narrowly beat the throw from Valencias in third, and Illinois Field erupted with disagreement. 

An RBI single from senior center fielder Connor Milton knotted the game at five, scoring Harding who got on base with a double in the right-center gap. The Buckeyes tacked on a run in the seventh and eighth, while the Illini couldn’t put any across, resulting in a 7-5 Buckeye lead to start the ninth inning. Senior right-handed pitcher Jake Rons closed the game with a scoreless ninth inning, but the offense came up short as only six Illini batters came to the plate in the final two frames. 

On Saturday, Illinois pushed a run across in their first at-bat with an RBI groundout. The Illini extended to a 5-0 lead going into the fifth inning with RBI singles from Valincius, Harding and Hejza. Graduate student left-handed pitcher Cooper Omans was given the start on Saturday and faced the minimum batters through the first four innings dealing six strikeouts. Ohio State went on a run in the middle of the game, putting a run on the board in the fifth inning and three in the sixth, but a two-run bomb from Milton cushioned Illinois’ lead. The Buckeyes added a run in the eighth inning before graduate student catcher Jacob Schroeder crushed a 447’ three-run homer to seal the 10-5 win and tie the series. 

“The great thing about baseball is that you get to play tomorrow,” Illinois head coach Dan Hartleb said. “Our guys bounced back Saturday and rolled into Sunday and did a really good job. They get along so well, they’ve had energy and support each other. We don’t have selfish guys, they are ready when they get an opportunity and it’s been a fun group to be around.” 

The Illini took an early lead on Sunday, mashing three runs in the second inning on RBI singles from Harding and junior third baseman Coltin Quagliano. Ohio State got on the board with a solo home run in the third, but junior first baseman Drake Westcott responded by sending one over the center field wall to earn the run back. The Buckeyes added another run in the fourth inning, and the Illini answered with an RBI double from junior catcher Camden Janik to restore the three-run lead. 

Rons relieved sophomore lefty Sam Reed in the third inning and held the Buckeyes scoreless in the fifth, allowing the Illini to extend their lead with a two-out, two-run homer from Harding that brought in Schroeder, who doubled right before. Freshman lefty Regan Hall took over on the mound in the sixth inning and held the Buckeyes scoreless to finish the game. Ohio State walked a run in with no outs in the seventh, and with the bases still juiced, Harding singled up the middle to bring two runs home. Carrying a 10-2 lead into the eighth inning, the Illini loaded the bases for junior right fielder Ryan Moerman who doubled to the right-center gap, driving in two runs and walking off the run-rule victory.

With tight competition between Big Ten leaders, Illinois must capitalize on home-field advantage before going on the road to close out the regular season. The team takes a break this week before hosting a series against Iowa over the weekend and finishing with three games at Purdue next weekend. 

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The Illini have surprised many in the Big Ten at 26-15 overall and 11-4 in conference play. The preseason coaches poll ranked their predicted top-six finishers in the league, with Illinois absent. But, the Illini are tied for the Big Ten lead with the Purdue Boilermakers and have nine games remaining, all against conference opponents. 

This weekend, the Illini host the Ohio State Buckeyes, mired in the middle of the standings with an overall record of 22-20 and a conference record of 7-8. Illinois has lost just one series since March 12, this one being at the hands of the Maryland Terrapins last weekend in College Park, Maryland.

The Illini walked it off in their last game against the No. 24 Indiana State Sycamores on a home run from senior outfielder Connor Milton. The homer came in the seventh inning, as the Illini run-ruled the Sycamores 21-11. This was one of seven homers the Illini hit in their midweek victory.

Junior infielder Ryan Moerman also had a standout performance against the Sycamores, crushing three home runs and taking over the lead in the Big Ten home run race with 15. Moerman and Illinois lead the conference in homers as well, and it’s not even close, with Indiana’s 62 the closest competitor to Illinois’ 83. 

The Illini also leads the conference in on-base plus slugging percentage at .941 and have a hefty advantage in the slugging category as well. As for the Buckeyes, they have a team OPS of .869 with 45 long balls to boot.

Last time out for the Buckeyes, they beat the Akron Zips 18-13 on Wednesday, pushing their win streak to three. Ohio State also beat Cincinnati and fellow Big Ten rival Michigan State on Tuesday and Sunday, respectively. The Buckeyes have struggled in road games, with an 8-12 record away from home, which could bode well for the Illini, who have a 16-1 record at Illinois Field.

Illinois’ 13-game home win streak is tied for the second-longest in the nation. Even more historic for Illinois, head coach Dan Hartleb’s offense is just eight home runs short of the program’s single-season record of 91 homers, set back in 1998. 

Friday’s series-opening first pitch is set for 6 p.m. as the Illini kick off their final homestand of the year, a six-game run at Illinois Field. Saturday’s game is set for a 3 p.m. start, with the Sunday matinee beginning at 1 p.m., all of which can be viewed on Big Ten Plus.

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After dropping their first series since March, Illini baseball (26-15) came back to Illinois Field with their eyes set on revenge. No. 24 Indiana State (31-10) knocked off Illinois 7-6 on March 12 this year, but that sparked an offensive explosion from Illinois in the ensuing weeks.

That game was played in Terre Haute, Ind., where the Sycamores are 11-1 on the season. But this time, the Illini hosted, and they’ve been just as dominant at home, with a 15-1 record entering the evening in Champaign. That home record improved for the Illini when they run-ruled the visiting Indiana State Sycamores 21-11.

The Illini offense responded well to a first-inning score from the Sycamores, as senior shortstop Cal Hejza sent the first pitch into the night for a solo homer. Junior catcher Camden Janik crossed the plate on a passed ball later in the inning to give Illinois a 2-1 lead. 

Hejza hit another home run in the bottom of the second, a two-out blast, and junior right-fielder Ryan Moerman piled the runs on several batters later. Illinois took an 8-1 lead heading into the third, but the scoring was far from done.

The Sycamores fought back in the third inning with three runs in the top half of the inning, forcing sophomore left-hander Sam Reed to give way to sophomore right-hander Julius Sanchez in relief. Reed recorded four punch-outs across 12 batters, allowing three earned runs.

Once again, the Illini responded in the bottom half of the inning, with another scoring outburst and another six runs on the board to take a 14-4 lead heading into the middle innings. But, similarly to the last few innings, the offenses reigned supreme. The Sycamores added six of their own runs in the fourth inning, cutting the Illini lead to 14-10.

Illinois went scoreless in the fourth inning, then held Indiana State to the same result in the fifth. But the bats woke up again and added another four runs to go up 18-10. Indiana State added a run in the sixth, but that was all it could muster. The Illini bats raked in another two runs in the sixth inning.

Senior outfielder Connor Milton walked it off for the Illini in the seventh inning via a solo shot. The Illini won 21-11 via the mercy rule as they head into the final stretch of the season.

Next game, Illinois will host the Ohio State Buckeyes. This is the beginning of Illinois’ nine-game stretch to close out the regular season, in which it will face Big Ten opponents only.

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Following an eight-game homestand where they swept their competition, the Illini (25-15, 11-4) took a trip to the East Coast for a Big Ten road series against the Maryland Terrapins (28–17, 8-10.)

Illinois entered the weekend No. 1 in the conference, leading the Big Ten in home runs and No. 5 in runs scored. The Illini’s hot streak at the plate continued, but they could not muster another, dropping the final two of the series, their first of the year in conference.

Game one featured senior right-hander Jack Crowder on the bump, who recorded yet another quality start, his third in a row. Crowder pitched six innings of two-run ball, giving up just two hits. Junior catcher Camden Janik and junior third baseman Coltin Quagliano both had two hits for the Illini, with the latter recording a home run to accompany Janik’s three runs batted in.

The Illini got on the board early and often, scoring runs in the first two innings and another trio of runs in the fourth. The Illini took game one 7-4, with graduate student left-hander Cooper Omans slated to start the second game of the series. Omans had pitched well in his last few outings, with just six earned runs across his last 17.2 innings of work, but the Terrapins got to him in game two.

Omans recorded only three outs as the Terrapins drove in four runs in the first inning off the left-hander, building up a big lead. But, the Illini responded in the second inning, scoring three runs to make it 4-3. However, the Terapins added another run, ending Omans’ day early. The Illini tied it in the third inning at 5-5, but the Terrapins took the lead for good after that.

Illinois recorded 15 hits in the game but left 10 runners stranded, while Maryland stood strong on the mound after a shaky start from junior left-hander Omar Melendez. The Terrapins took down the Illini in a 9-8 thriller, setting up a rubber match for the series on Sunday.

In the series-clinching game, Maryland got out to a fast start, taking a 2-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back. Illinois responded with a run in the second on an RBI single from Quagliano, but Maryland hit them right back with another run in the bottom half.

The Terrapins added four more in the third, holding a 7-1 advantage. The Illini fought back to make it 7-4 in the fifth inning, aided by a few scoreless innings from their pitching staff. 

Maryland added another run in the seventh inning to go up 8-4, but once again, Illinois battled back to shrink the deficit to 8-7 in the eighth inning. However, that was all Illinois could muster, as Maryland pulled away with three more runs in the bottom half of the inning, and redshirt senior Logan Berrier slammed the door shut in the ninth, giving the hosts an 11-7 win.

The series loss is the first for Illinois since being swept at Tennessee in March. The Illini are back home on Tuesday against the Indiana State Sycamores, who hosted the Illini in Terre Haute on March 12 and defeated them 7-6.

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“We play a lot of games on the road so we should be prepared,” head coach Dan Hartleb said. “You just have to take every game one at a time … our guys will be ready to go.”

Coming off of a 10-game road stretch, Maryland went 4-6 across this period but is 11-3 with home-field advantage this season. Maryland lost its series at Northwestern the weekend before Illinois swept Northwestern in Champaign. 

Illinois paces the Big Ten with only two losses against conference opponents, with its only defeats coming from Minnesota and Indiana. Sitting in ninth place in the conference, Maryland has a 6-9 record in the Big Ten with just one conference series win over Michigan State.  

Meeting 22 times in program history, the Illini have a 10-12 all-time record against the Terrapins but hold a 4-2 advantage when playing them on the road. The Illini lost 7-4 in their last matchup against the Terrapins in 2022.

Scheduled to take the mound for the Illini is senior right-hander Jack Crowder on Friday, and graduate student lefty Cooper Omans on Saturday, with Sunday’s pitcher still to be announced. 

Crowder improved to 3-1 on the season after dealing 6.2 innings with seven strikeouts in the win over Northwestern last Friday. The senior carries a 5.03 earned run average into the weekend and is on a streak of two consecutive quality starts with four on the season. 

Holding a 3.55 ERA and 4-1 record in 2024, Omans has struck out 43 batters in 45.2 innings of work. The lefty starter tossed seven innings in his last appearance, allowing just one run off of two hits in the win over Northwestern on Saturday. 

Maryland has redshirt senior right-hander Logan Koester (4-5, 6.44 ERA) set to take the mound on Friday, junior lefty Omar Melendez (3-1, 4.78 ERA) scheduled on Saturday and freshman righty Joey McMannis (0-1, 4.95 ERA) slated for Sunday. 

Junior infielder Eddie Hacopian spearheads the Terrapin offense with a .391 batting average and seven home runs on the season. His brother, freshman utility player Chris Hacopian, is the only other Terrapin regular with above a .300 batting average and has a team-best 10 dingers this season. The brothers follow in the footsteps of their father Derek Hacopian, who played ball for Maryland in the early 1990s. 

The Illini offense has been dominant in recent weeks, winning 19 of their last 22 outings and averaging 10 runs per game across that stretch. Alternating behind the plate, graduate student Jacob Schroeder and junior Camden Janik lead the Illini bats with .370 and .362 averages, respectively.

Senior outfielder Connor Milton had a breakout performance last weekend, going 9-for-12 across three games with two doubles, three home runs and eight RBI. 

First pitch of game one of the series is set for 4 p.m. on Friday and will be broadcast on Big Ten Network, with games two and three streaming on B1G+. Coming up, Illinois will host a rematch against Indiana State on Tuesday evening after losing 7-6 on the road in mid-March. 

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The Illini (24-13) hosted their final game of an eight-game homestand, looking to add to an impressive home record. In their way of a homestand sweep were the 8-28 Western Illinois Leathernecks.

As they have throughout the last several weeks, the Illini bats rose to the occasion, crushing the Leathernecks pitching staff en route to a 12-1 victory. This win pushed the win streak to a season-high eight games in a row. The home record also moved to 15-1, with the only Illinois home loss coming on Mar 17.

The midweek matchup featured seven different arms on the mound, with sophomore left-hander Sam Reed starting for the Illini. Reed recorded three strikeouts over seven batters, with just one hit. Senior right-hander Will Lavin also recorded three strikeouts, as did sophomore righty Jake Swartz. 

The offense was the story again, but it took a little bit to get going. The fifth inning arrived, and so did the offense. Illinois held a 1-0 lead off of junior infielder Coltin Quagliano’s solo shot in the third. But, a grand slam and three-run shot in the fifth, both with two outs, gave Illinois an 8-0 lead. Another two homers in the bottom of the sixth gave Illinois a 12-0 lead, assisted by a wild pitch advancing senior infielder Cal Hejza to the plate.

The pitching shut down the Leathernecks despite a shaky ninth inning from sophomore right-hander Julius Sanchez. Across the nine innings, the Leathernecks mustered just four hits and one ninth-inning run, as Illinois pitchers posted 11 strikeouts over 37 batters. Lavin recorded his third win of the season as the Illini recorded a full sweep across the eight-game homestand.

Offensively, the Illini have refused to kneel to opponents, and that was no different on this homestand. Illinois outscored its four opponents during this stretch by a total of 97-39. The Illini have been on fire since the Ides of March, winning six straight series after being dominated by the Tennessee Volunteers. Since losing to the Vols, the Illini have won 19 of their last 22 games, scoring less than five runs just twice. 

Next on the Illini schedule are the Maryland Terrapins for a Big Ten matchup, as the conference-leading Illini look to build on their impressive run. This is the third road conference matchup of the season for Illinois, having won both series against Indiana and Minnesota earlier this year.

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After seven straight wins, the 23-13 Illini will close their season-long home stand in a duel with the 8-27 Leathernecks from Western Illinois. The Big Ten’s current leader, Illinois, has won every single game in the homestand, with the bats continuing to add runs in an already high-octane offense.

The Illini have been a force to be reckoned with at home, posting a 14-1 record while the Leathernecks are 5-17 in road games. Illinois has won 12 straight games in Champaign, and the current seven-game win streak tied the season-high. 

Last time out, the Illini won their ninth-straight series, including single-game matchups. One week after posting 52 runs in three games, Illinois “cooled” off a little, scoring 23 runs in a three-game sweep over Northwestern.

But the most notable performance came on the pitching mound. Saturday’s starter, graduate left-hander Cooper Omans, pitched a gem against the Wildcats. Omans allowed just six baserunners in seven innings of work. One run crossed the plate against Omans, who recorded four punch-outs as his earned run average shrunk to 3.55, the best amongst the rotation.

Junior infielder Coltin Quagliano also had a nice weekend, recording his first four-hit game against Northwestern in Sunday’s sweeping effort. Senior outfielder Connor Milton added to the list of players with career-best performances, hitting home runs in consecutive games for the first time in his career. Overall, the Illini offense has been as hot as anybody in the nation the last few weeks. 

The Illini offense is one of the nation’s elites. The lineup has scored 291 runs in 36 games, an average of eight per game. Meanwhile, the Leathernecks are below the 200 mark, with just 178 runs in 35 games, which could bode well for the Illini who have still struggled with run prevention. 

Illinois’ ERA as a pitching staff sits at 5.98, with Omans leading the way, and senior right-hander Jack Crowder following. Crowder posted his fourth quality start of the season and second in a row on Friday. As for Western Illinois, the pitching has been lit up all season, posting a team ERA of 9.85. 

Tuesday’s mid-week matchup will feature the fourth straight in-state opponent for Illinois. Throughout the home stand, the Illini have proven themselves to be the kings of the state, at least amongst their in-state opponents. Tuesday evening’s in-state clash is set for 6 p.m. at Illinois Field, and fans unable to attend can watch on Big Ten Network Plus.

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Illinois baseball (23-13) swept Northwestern (12-23) in three games, winning 5-3 on Friday, 7-1 on Saturday and 11-7 on Sunday. The Illini reached a seven-game win streak, advancing to a record of 14-1 at Illinois Field this season. 

The Wildcats jumped on a 2-0 lead early on Friday before graduate student designated hitter Jacob Schroeder started up the Illini bats with a solo home run in the second inning. An RBI single from junior catcher Camden Janik tied the game up in the third. 

Senior right-handed pitcher Jack Crowder started on the mound and retired 14 straight batters after allowing hits to the first two he faced. This kept the Illini in the game and provided a comfortable lead as Schroeder put one across on an RBI single. Junior third baseman Coltin Quagliano brought a run in on a groundout and senior center fielder Connor Milton drove a run in on a base knock to put Illinois up 5-2. 

The Wildcats added a run in the fifth inning and threatened multiple times down the stretch with runners in scoring position, but Crowder and the Illini bullpen left them stranded and put up a goose egg in the final four frames. Crowder advanced to 3-1 on the season with his fourth quality start and seven strikeouts across 6.2 innings of work. 

The start was given to graduate left-handed pitcher Cooper Omans on Saturday who worked 7.0 innings allowing only one run in the eighth inning and two hits from the Wildcats. The Illini got on the board with an RBI double from Quagliano. Senior shortstop Cal Hejza scored Quagliano on a single to put the Illini up 2-0 in the second inning. 

The Illinois lead was extended with a two-run bomb from Milton in the fourth inning. An RBI single from junior first baseman Drake Westcott and another two-run homer from Milton capped off the scoring and gave Illinois the 7-1 win. 

Freshman outfielder Cameron Chee-Aloy has been Illinois’ leadoff hitter since the Southern Indiana tournament in mid-March but was replaced in centerfield by Milton this weekend. Chee-Aloy went 6-9 at the plate last weekend against Northern Illinois, and Milton filled his shoes abundantly by going 9-12 with three home runs this weekend.

“(Chee-Aloy) is a little bit banged up from last week; just wanted to get him out of the lineup for a couple (of) days and get healthy, and Connor made that easy,” head coach Dan Hartleb said. “He had an unbelievable weekend and I’m really proud of him.” 

On Sunday, Northwestern got on the board first on a passed ball. Quagliano shot a ball up the box and drove in Schroeder to tie the game at one. Quagliano put Illinois in front in the fourth inning with another RBI single. Milton followed it up with his third home run of the weekend, a three-run bomb over the left field wall. 

A looping single from Schroeder into shallow right field brought another runner home in the fifth inning and gave the Illini a 6-1 lead. The Wildcats cut into the Illini lead with a two RBI-double in the left-center gap to make it 6-3 in the sixth. The Illini pulled ahead in the bottom of the sixth and loaded the bases with a single from Quagliano, a double from Milton down the right field line and Hejza was hit by a pitch. Janik cleared the bases with a line drive grand slam over the left field wall to put the Illini up 10-3.

Northwestern added a run in the eighth inning with a towering solo home run, but Illinois answered with an RBI single from Quagliano that brought in graduate second baseman Brody Harding who got on base with a double. The Wildcats made a final push in the ninth inning, scoring on a two-RBI double and an RBI groundout, but it was not enough as the Illini took the 11-7 victory to secure their third series sweep of the season.

Illinois baseball plays one more game at Illinois Field on Tuesday evening before heading to Maryland for a three-game Big Ten series.  

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Illinois baseball (20-13) continues its homestand of in-state opponents with a series against Northwestern (12-20) at Illinois Field. The team is coming off of a series sweep over Northern Illinois, outscoring the Huskies 52-21 across three games and crushing 15 home runs. Head coach Dan Hartleb and the Illini offense are on a tear, winning 13 of their last 15 games and putting up double-digit runs in 11 of those outings. 

“We can’t get complacent, every game is a new game,” Hartleb said. “We have just got to continue to be very focused and stay locked in every outing.” 

With a 7-2 record against conference opponents, Illinois currently leads the Big Ten standings. Northwestern holds a 2-7 conference record at the bottom of the rankings. Northwestern is coming off of a series win, taking two games over Maryland, but was swept by Penn State the weekend before. Three weeks ago, the Illini swept the Nittany Lions at Illinois Field and put up 43 runs in three games. 

Two Illini booked a record last weekend, graduate student catcher Jacob Schroeder and redshirt junior first baseman Drake Westcott each crushed three home runs on Sunday, becoming the first set of teammates to record a same-game homer hat trick in Illinois baseball history.

Schroeder has recently emerged as a key force in the Illini offense and earned recognition across the nation. He was named Big Ten Player of the Week for the second time this season while also picking up the NCAA Player of the Week honor and leading the Illini with a .372 batting average and a .808 slugging percentage.

Powerful cleanup hitter Westcott leads Illinois and is tied for the Big Ten lead in home runs with 12 on the season and boasts a 1.123 on-base plus slugging percentage. The Illini pace the Big Ten with 61 home runs on the season and are the only squad in the conference with more than 50. 

Scheduled to work on the mound this weekend are senior right-handed pitcher Jack Crowder on Friday and graduate student lefty Cooper Omans on Saturday. Crowder is 2-1 on the season with a 5.36 earned run average and Omans holds a 3-1 record with a 3.96 ERA.

Northwestern has senior left-handed pitcher Nolan Morr scheduled to start on Friday, who is 1-4 on the season with an 8.64 ERA. Leading at the plate for the Wildcats is junior catcher/first baseman Bennett Markinson, who bats .354 with a .858 OPS. Junior utility player Preston Knott is another bat to watch out for with a .329 average and 1.047 OPS. 

History favors the Illini, who hold a 179-92 all-time record over Northwestern and swept the last series played at Illinois Field in 2022. Winning 23 of their last 30 games against the Wildcats, the Illini have been dominant at home throughout the all-time series with a 93-34 record in Champaign. 

First pitch is slated for 6 p.m. on Friday, 4 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday. Coming up, the Big Ten leaders will host one more game at Illinois Field on Tuesday against Western Illinois before a three-game road series at Maryland next weekend. 

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After a weekend sweep over Northern Illinois, the Illini (20-13) take their four-game win streak into their fifth-straight home game, with another in-state program coming to Champaign. The Southern Illinois Edwardsville Cougars (13-23) have not been to Champaign since 2009, and they’ll look to cool down a blazing Illini lineup.

The Illini hit 15 home runs over the weekend, scoring 52 runs in a three-game series against the Huskies. A team batting average of .439 and 24 walks contributed to an utterly dominant weekend. The sweep marked Illinois’ 13th win in its last 15 outings, moving to 11-1 at home as well.

In the Sunday finale, the Illini hit eight home runs, three coming from redshirt junior infielder Drake Westcott and three from graduate catcher Jacob Schroeder. The power surge led Schroeder to his second Big Ten Player of the Week nod in the last three weeks. Illinois is also the only team in the Big Ten to have over 50 home runs in 2024 and multiple hitters with at least 10.

The Cougars split four games last week, taking a road win against the Missouri Tigers, but dropping two of three against the Eastern Illinois Panthers. They’ve been hitting well overall, with a .277 batting average as a team, but have had issues maintaining a consistent winning pattern with the pitching staff struggling.

The Cougars’ pitching staff carries an earned run average of 8.31, and their walks and hits per innings pitched of 1.97. On the basepaths, SIUE is a threat, with a success rate of 75% on 65 steal attempts. Meanwhile, the Illini rarely take their bags, stealing just 18 bases on 26 attempts.

The Illini batters have boosted their team average to .295, with an on-base plus slugging percentage of .903. They’ve scored 268 runs in 33 games, but the pitching has still struggled throughout the season. The pitching staff has an ERA of 6.26 and WHIP of 1.57, but as long as the offense can produce the way it has, head coach Dan Hartleb will have plenty of time to work with his pitching staff to get their command and efforts under control.

The Big Ten leading Illini will throw the first pitch to the Cougars on April 16 at 6 p.m. at Illinois Field. The probable starters are sophomore left-hander Sam Reed for the Illini and left-hander Garrett Helsel for the Cougars. Following this matchup, the Illini will host the Northwestern Wildcats for a Big Ten weekend series and close their season-long nine-game home stand with a fifth and final in-state program, the Western Illinois Leathernecks.

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Ken Holtzman, who threw two no-hitters for the Chicago Cubs after pitching for the University of Illinois, died late Sunday night at age 78, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch announced Monday.

The St. Louis native was inducted into the Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame in 2023 after previously being elected to the Chicagoland Sports and St. Louis Sports Hall of Fames. 

Holtzman only spent one season with the Illini in 1965, during which he led the team in wins, innings pitched and strikeouts.

He was drafted by the Cubs in the fourth round that same year and spent just two months in the minor leagues before making his major league debut that September. Holtzman then spent parts of nine seasons with the Cubs, throwing no-hitters in 1969 and 1971. 

After the 1971 season, he was traded to the Oakland A’s, where he made the All-Star team twice. He spent time with the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees before returning to the Cubs to finish his career in 1978. 

Holtzman retired following the 1979 season. Across his 15 MLB seasons, he won 174 games, captured three World Series titles and accrued 27.3 wins above replacement, the most of all Illinois alumni. On top of that, 174 wins also make Holtzman the winningest Jewish pitcher in MLB history, with nine more wins than the legendary Sandy Koufax. 

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Illinois baseball (20-13) continued its nine-game homestand with a series sweep over Northern Illinois (11-24). The Illini were electric at the plate, booking 50 hits and 15 home runs across the weekend. Winning by double-digits in each game, scores read 15-5 on Friday, 16-5 on Saturday and 21-11 on Sunday. 

The visitors connected early on Friday with their first two batters going yard to start the game. A northern breeze favored offenses this weekend and aided the onslaught of dingers. Starting on the mound for Illinois was senior right-handed pitcher Jack Crowder who worked six innings, letting up four runs on four hits and striking out three batters. 

Junior third baseman Coltin Quagliano began the action for Illinois and powered a line drive off the center field wall with the bases loaded, scoring two runs. The Illini passed the bat to piece together hits and put up seven runs in the second inning. 

An RBI groundout added a run for the Huskies in the third inning before Crowder ended the inning with a backward K. The bats kept rolling into the fourth inning as junior right fielder Ryan Moerman shot a solo home run, and Quagliano put one out to add two more Illinois runs. A double down the left field line from Moerman in the fifth inning set up graduate student designated hitter Jacob Schroeder’s two-run bomb. 

Northern Illinois hit its third solo home run to lead off the sixth inning. The Illini kept slugging with a double from Wescott to the left-center gap, scoring senior shortstop Cal Hejza from first. A line drive to center field from junior left fielder Vytas Valincius powered Illinois to a 15-4 lead. 

Another solo home run added a run for the Huskies before sophomore right-handed pitcher Julius Sanchez relieved Crowder, struck out two batters and fielded his position on a hard-hit grounder to complete the seventh inning. Redshirt sophomore lefty pitcher Reed Gannon closed out the game for the Illini with three strikeouts as Illinois took a 15-5 victory.

“We know everybody in our lineup is going to rake,” Quagliano said. “You just go out there and do your job and if you don’t, then you have a guy that’s gonna pick you up.”  

On Saturday, the Illini grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first inning before Northern Illinois evened the score in the second. The start was given to graduate student left-handed pitcher Cooper Omans who tossed 5.2 innings with seven strikeouts, allowing four runs on six hits. 

Another seven-run second inning for Illinois broke the game open as graduate student second baseman Harding went yard to spark the long frame. The Huskies walked a run in, and Moerman cleared the bases with a decisive grand slam. 

Two runs each were traded in the third inning before Illinois extended its lead with another bomb from Moerman and an RBI single from freshman center fielder Cameron Chee-Aloy. The Illini added a run in their final three at-bats, capped off by senior outfielder Connor Milton, who crushed a solo shot in the eighth inning for his first career home run, sealing the 16-5 victory.   

Sophomore right-handed pitcher Jake Swartz took the mound to begin the series finale on Sunday. Both redshirt junior infielder Drake Westcott and Schroeder homered three times on the day leading to the 21-11 Illinois win, its first 20-plus run game since 2015. 

The Huskies came out slugging in the first inning with three dingers totaling six RBI. Freshman left-handed pitcher Regan Hall finished the first inning after Swartz struck out two batters. 

Firing up the Illini dugout, Chee-Aloy led off with a triple that was followed by a base hit from Hejza to bring him in before Westcott homered to left for two RBI. 

Northern Illinois brought in two runs in the second inning with a double before Harding saved a run and ended the inning with a diving play to second base. The Illini battled back in the second with a single from Quagliano to drive in Harding and a three-run homer from Hejza. Westcott left no doubts for his second home run in his second at-bat of the game, a solo nuke to tie the game at eight runs. 

A scoreless third inning from both sides was booked and then the Huskies added a run in the top of the fourth on a wild pitch. Westcott kept raking and hit his third consecutive home run of the game for two RBI. Illini bats continued to connect as Schroeder shot a two-run homer to put the team up 12-9. 

Holding Northern Illinois scoreless in the fifth, Illinois kept its foot on the gas as Chee-Aloy led off with a solo home run to the opposite field. Moerman came up to bat with the bases loaded and was walked to bring in a run. With the bases still juiced, Schroeder launched his second home run of the day straight to center for a grand slam and an 18-9 Illinois lead. 

After a scoreless sixth inning from the Huskies, Schroeder sent another ball to dead center that went out for his third home run of the game with the Illini up 21-9. Northern Illinois would put up two runs in the seventh but the Illini held on to hit the run rule and win 21-11 after seven innings. 

Illini baseball continues their home stand with a Tuesday night game against Southern Illinois Edwardsville before hosting Northwestern for three games this weekend.

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Illinois baseball (17-13) took down Illinois State (17-12) in a 10-6 victory on Tuesday, including a seven-run third inning from the home team. Winning ten of its last 12 games, Illinois has scored double-digit runs eight times in this stretch.

Illinois State traveled down to Champaign for the only meeting between the in-state rivals this season after last week’s game in Bloomington was canceled. Last year, the programs split their two matchups, with each team taking a win on the road. The Illini defended their home turf as Illinois Field was blessed with some perfect baseball weather with partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the mid-60s.

Three-hit performances came from junior left fielder Vytas Valincius, junior designated hitter Camden Janik and redshirt junior first baseman Drake Westcott. Valincius produced a season-high four RBI, helped by a three-run bomb, and junior third baseman Coltin Quagliano recorded two hits, including a solo home run. The win was earned by senior right-handed pitcher Will Lavin, who delivered 1.1 shutout innings and allowed just one hit.

Head coach Dan Hartleb gave the ball to sophomore lefty pitcher Sam Reed to start the game, who worked 4.2 innings on the mound allowing three runs off of three hits. The Illini got on the board in their first at-bat with a two-out base hit from Valincius that drove in senior shortstop Cal Hejza.

Illinois State grabbed two runs in the top of the third to take a 2-1 lead before the Illini determined the game with seven runs in the bottom of the frame. An RBI base hit from Westcott evened up the ball game, and Valincius came up to bat next and cleared the basepaths with his three-run nuke. The Illini kept pounding and scored off of an error before freshman center fielder Cameron Chee-Aloy brought in two more runs with a base hit to give Illinois an 8-2 lead.

The Redbirds added another run in the fifth inning and held the Illini scoreless for three frames. The Illini found their groove again in the seventh inning as Quagliano sent one out, and Janik doubled down the left field line to drive a run in. Illinois State made a final rally in the ninth inning to score three runs, but Illinois stopped the bleeding and took a 10-6 victory.

Coming up, the Illini will take a break from the Big Ten play as they host Northern Illinois for a three-game series this weekend.

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Illinois baseball (16-13, 7-2) returns home for a midweek competition against Illinois State (17-11) after winning two out of three games at Minnesota last weekend. This is the first and only time the Illini will meet the Redbirds after last week’s game in Bloomington was canceled.

In their third Big Ten series win of 2024, the Illini outscored Minnesota 21-14 across three games with 40 total hits. Illinois has won 11 of its last 14 games and just lost a seven-game win streak in the series finale at Minnesota.

Illinois State is coming off a series sweep, outscoring Valparaiso 20-2 over three games, including an 11-1 victory on Friday. Sitting a few games above the Illini, the Redbirds have posted more efficient offensive statistics with a .307 cumulative batting average compared to the .277 Illinois average. Successful at home, Illinois State holds a 6-2 record at Duffy Bass Field and the Illini are 4-8 on the road this season.

Leading at the plate for the Redbirds is senior infielder Luke Cheng with a .373 batting average and sophomore outfielder Daniel Pacella with a .355 average. Illinois State has four other qualified players batting over .300 this season and a cumulative slugging percentage of .487 compared to the .457 held by Illinois. Junior right-handed pitcher Tanner Perry is a leading arm for Illinois State with a 4.26 ERA, 4-3 record on the season and 41 strikeouts.

The ball will be in the hands of Illinois’ sophomore left-handed pitcher Sam Reed, who is 1-1 on the season with an 11.49 ERA. Reed recorded six strikeouts in four innings of work against Cincinnati earlier this season. Illinois State’s pitchers have performed slightly better this season than Illinois with a 6.03 cumulative ERA compared to Illinois’ 6.32.

History favors the Illini, who hold a 60-35 all-time record over the Redbirds, including a record of 29-17 on the road. The programs split their pair of games last season, with both teams taking a loss at home. In their last meeting, Illinois brought home the win by a 16-5 score. The Illini have won 11 of their last 14 games against Illinois State since 2015, and 10 of the last 11 that have been played at Illinois Field.

Fans can tune into B1G+ to catch this evening’s action and look forward to a three-game series at Illinois Field this weekend against Northern Illinois (10-21).

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