After last weeks disappointing 16-11 loss to Missouri last Wednesday, head coach Jim Brownlee and his Illinois State baseball team are excited about their opportunity to even the score when they host the Tigers for a 3 p.m., non-conference match-up Wednesday at Redbird Field.
After last weeks game, we feel like we let a golden opportunity slip away, said Brownlee. I know that our guys are excited about the game and will come ready to play. Missouri is a very tough opponent that is coming off a series sweep of nationally ranked Kansas, so this would be a great RPI win for our program.
In the last meeting with the Tigers, Illinois State fell behind 8-0 in the first inning after Redbird starter Kyle Bloom allowed walks to Mizzous first seven batters. The Birds clawed their way back into the game over the next few innings and took their first lead of the game, 11-9, off a Jake Blair two-run homer in the sixth inning. However, closer Jeremy Accardo allowed seven runs in the bottom of the eighth and the Birds could not recover falling, 16-11.
The Birds are coming off a 2-2 series split with Creighton last weekend winning the last game of the series Sunday, 10-6. This will be the fifth game played at Redbird Field this season with Illinois State currently 2-2 at home.
Following the mid-week game againt Missouri, the Redbirds will head to Wichita, Kan., for a four-game series with the Shockers of Wichita State this weekend. The first game is set for Friday, March 28, at 7 p.m. All games in the series will be available via WJBCs webcast. Webcast can be accessed through either www.redbirds.org or www.wjbc.com.
