Fresh off a two-out, bottom of the ninth, game-winning rally that left the Purdue Boilermakers stunned and defeated, the Illinois State Redbirds look to carry the momentum from Wednesdays win into a critical three-game series with Missouri Valley Conference foe Evansville this weekend at Redbird Field. The first game of the series will be under the lights, with the first pitch set for 6:00 p.m.
Down to their final strike against Purdue, Lee Fischer hit a two-out single that brought in Brian Davis and Blake Schoonover and set off an eruption in the Redbird dugout. The 7-6 win snapped a five-game losing streak.
I was really excited for the kids, said Redbird head coach Jim Brownlee. We havent left a team on the field in a long time, and to do it with a two-out rally really got our guys going. We werent playing great and hopefully a win like that gets us over the hump and back to playing good baseball.
The Redbirds (13-18, 0-6) continue to run the gauntlet of the Valley schedule this weekend as they host the University of Evansville (28-8, 7-2), which currently sits at second in the league. ISU opened the Valley slate against Creighton and played at Wichita last weekend, the first and third place teams in the league respectively. No other Valley team begins the league with three top teams the first three weeks. Creighton, Wichita State and Evansville have a combined 83-25 record and are all receiving votes in national polls.
The Purple Aces come into the game winners of 16 of their last 20 games. They took two of three games from SMS and at Wichita State before sweeping Northern Iowa last weekend.
I think they are the hottest team in the league right now, said Brownlee. Theyre getting good pitching and they can really hit. But anything can happen in this league. If we take care of the little things like throwing strikes and playing the defense we are capable of, we could have a very good weekend.
Brownlee, now in his third year at the helm of the Illinois State program, knows many of the Purple Aces very well. Prior to coming to Illinois State, Brownlee was the head coach of Evansville for 23 years, recruiting many of the upperclassman on this years Evansville squad.
Most of the juniors on that team were in our last recruiting class, so I am truly happy for the success that they are having, said Brownlee. But Ive been far enough removed from that program now that most of their players dont know me and I dont know them. So it wont be like it has been the past two years, with me knowing most of their guys. Im always happy for them when they win except for when they are playing Illinois State.
Brownlee has set his rotation for the weekend as senior Matt Fowles (3-2) on Friday, sophomore Dan Frega (2-6) on Saturday and senior Ned Schauff (3-3) on Sunday.
All three games this weekend will be broadcast on www.wjbc2.com. Additionally, Gametracker will be available for all three games. Both services are free and can be accessed by going to the baseball schedule at www.redbirds.org.
