April 10, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
NORMAL, Ill. -
Junior Kevin Dubler and the Illinois State baseball team (13-14, 3-6 MVC) will look to get back in the hunt in the Missouri Valley Conference when first-place Northern Iowa comes to town for a three-game series, beginning Friday at 6 p.m. at Duffy Bass Field. The series against UNI will kick off an eight-game homestand for the Redbirds, as they will play five more home games next week.
Head coach Jim Brownlee feels that the Redbirds will have an opportunity to get back into the thick of the conference race with a strong showing against Northern Iowa, who enters the weekend 17-10 overall and 5-1 in the MVC.
"Northern Iowa is off to a really good start to conference play, and every game is important in the Missouri Valley Conference," said Brownlee. "You can't give away any games in the league. We dug ourselves into a hole at the beginning of the season, and we were able to dig ourselves out of it a little bit last weekend. This weekend, we have the chance to get back to .500 in the league. We also have a chance to send a message; I hope that we can play fundamental baseball and throw strikes. I think we're getting better, as our roles in the bullpen have solidified."
The Redbirds will send sophomore Ryan Copeland to the mound in Friday's opener, as the left-hander looks to capture his fifth win of the 2008 season. Copeland leads the team with a 2.31 earned-run average (ERA) in seven starts. Copeland also ranks among the nation's best in walks allowed per nine innings, as he ranks No. 6 with a 0.77 ratio. UNI will send right-hander Guido Fonseca to the mound Friday. Fonseca is 6-0 with a 4.93 ERA in 42 innings of work.
Senior Tyler Cox will take the ball Saturday, after he combined with senior Eric Theisen to throw a two-hit shutout (7-0) last weekend at Evansville. Cox is 3-0 with a 3.77 ERA in seven appearances (three starts). Cox will face fellow left-hander Taylor Sinclar, who is 3-1 with a 5.04 ERA. Freshman Corey Maines will get the start in Sunday's finale. Maines has posted a 2-3 record and a 6.53 ERA in five starts this season.
Friday's game is the "Third Annual Jimmy Buffett Day" at Duffy Bass Field. All students will receive free admission to the game, and beads will be given out before the game. A prize will also be given to the fan with the best Jimmy Buffett outfit.
