Jim Brownlee, head baseball coach at Illinois State, is anxious to get outside and see some baseball as his Redbirds head down to Bowling Green, Ky., to open their season in a three-game series against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at Nick Denes Field.
We are just glad to have the opportunity to play and get outside, said Brownlee. This will give our coaching staff a chance to see where the team is at and how they respond in a competitive situation. Everyone is anxious to start playing, and I think these next few weeks will be important in determining what our attitude will be heading into the conference portion of the season.
The Redbirds are scheduled to play a game on Friday, February 21, at 2 p.m., another on Saturday, February 22, at 1 p.m. and wrap up the series on Sunday, February 23, with a 1 p.m. match-up.
Last season, the Birds finished 24-30 and failed to qualify for the Valley post-season tournament with a seventh-place conference finish. Senior Jon Peacock, the Valleys batting leader last season, returns for Illinois State, along with junior Jeremy Accardo at shortstop, who also recorded eight saves in 2002 as the teams closer.
Illinois State opened their 2002 season with a series against the Hilltoppers and dropped all three games, 5-4, 11-0 and 10-3. Western Kentucky finished the 2002 season with a record of 38-20 and a first place finish in the Sun Belt Conference. The 2003 Hilltoppers return 14 letterwinners from 2002, including four starters.
