NORMAL, Ill. - Illinois State (30-18, 10-8 MVC) concludes the home portion of its 2014 season schedule with a three-game Missouri Valley Conference series versus Wichita State (26-26, 10-8 MVC) beginning Thursday night at Duffy Bass Field. First pitch Thursday is set for 6:05 p.m., Friday will be a 6:00 p.m. start and the series conlcudes with Senior Day Saturday, set for a 1:00 p.m. start.
Pitching Probables
Thur.
Dan Savas (ISU) RHP, 7-4, 2.08 ERA
A.J. Ladwig (WSU) RHP, 3-6, 1.20 ERA
Fri.
Dylan Craig (ISU) LHP, 5-2, 2.45 ERA
Sam Tewes (WU) RHP, 7-3, 3.57 ERA
Sat.
TBA
TBA
The Opposition: Wichita State Shockers (26-26, 10-8 MVC)
• Wichita State University is located in Wichita, Kan. The public university was established in 1895 and currently enrolls 14,898 students.
• WSU baseball dates back to 1899 and the Shockers have been members of the Missouri Valley Conference since 1945.
• Wichita State won the College World Series in 1989 and has appeared in the College World Series a total of seven times (1982, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1996).
• The Shockers have had 54 All-Americans, including Joe Carter, Darren Dreifort and Doug Mirabelli.Â
• Wichita State is guided by first-year head coach Todd Butler. He replaced veteran skipper Gene Stephenson, who had accumulated more than 1,800 wins and a national title for WSU during his lenghty tenure (1977-2013).Â
• Illinois State is 21-99 all-time versus Wichita State and lost three-of-four games versus the Shockers last spring.
Last Time Out
Illinois State was swept in a three-game series at Evansville. Friday night's game was rained out, leading to a Saturday doubleheader.
Kyle Freeland (9-1) fired a shutout as Evansville topped Illinois State, 12-0, in seven innings in game one. Freeland scattered four hits, walked none and struck out five for the win. Dan Savas (7-4) allowed seven runs, five earned, in four innings for the loss. Ben Hecht and Cam Verbeke combined to allow five runs over the final two innings to secure the run-rule loss. Illinois State mustered just four hits and committed four errors.
Despite a strong performance from Redbird starter Dylan Craig (5-2), Illinois State fell in game two, 3-1, to suffer a series-loss at Evansville. Craig worked seven innings of three-run ball, struck out eight and walked zero. Will Headean worked a scoreless eighth inning with two strikeouts in relief. Cole Isom (6-4) earned the victory for Evansville. He allowed one run on six hits over seven innings. Brent Jurceka pitched a scoreless eighth inning and Sam Johns (10) faced the minimum in the ninth for the save.
ISU jumped ahead to an early 4-0 lead, but a five-run fourth inning swung the game for good as Evansville rallied to defeat Illinois State, 12-5, Sunday to complete the sweep.
In his shortest start of the season, Jeremy Rhoades (6-4) was chased from the game in the fourth inning. He finished with three-plus innings and allowed five runs, four earned, on five hits. Rhoades struck out three and walked one. Conor Gilligan (3-0) worked two scoreless innings for the win in relief and Brent Jurceka (2) pitched the final three innings for the save.
Rare Valley Sweep
Sunday's 12-5 defeat at Evansville marked the first time Illinois State has been swept in a three-game Valley series since Mark Kingston took over Redbird baseball in prior to the 2010 season. The Redbirds were last swept in a three-game conference series, May 1-3, 2009 when Creighton won three games at Duffy Bass Field in Normal, Ill. Illinois State dropped a rain-shortened two-game series at Missouri State April 13-14, 2012 in Springfield, Mo.
Senior Salute
Illinois State will close the 2014 regular season with a three-game series versus Wichita State at Duffy Bass Field. It will be senior weekend for five Redbirds. Pitchers JD Learnard and Cam Verbeke are fifth-year members of Illinois State and won conference championships in 2010 and 2013. Senior catcher Mike Hollenbeck is the lone four-year player, and will appear in his 200th-career game Saturday. He was sthe starting catcher on last season's conference championship team. Redshirt senior Cody Voelker and closer David Suarez will also be honored in a pregame ceremony Saturday.
Home Field Advantage
Illinois State is 11-3 this season at Duffy Bass Field and will close the 2014 regular season with a three-game set versus Wichita State Thursday-Saturday. The Redbirds average 5.3 runs-per-game at home and are hitting .240/.377/.336 with 22 doubles, five triples and four home runs at Duffy Bass Field. ISU pitchers own a 2.10 ERA with 149 strikeouts and just 52 walks in 133.0 innings pitched at home. Redbird pitchers have a 5.23 ERA in 184.0 innings pitched in away games.
NCAA Leaders In Strikeouts-Per Nine Innings
Illinois State pitching currently leads the NCAA in strikeouts-per nine innings with a team-stat of 9.4. North Carolina State (9.3), Vanderbilt (9.1), Duke (8.9), and Cal Poly (8.8) round out the top five. Valley-foe Dallas Baptist (8.6) ranks sixth nationally. Missouri State is ranked 22nd at 7.8.
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