NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State baseball team will make the short trip to Champaign-Urbana for a midweek game at No. 17 Illinois Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.
The Redbirds (11-10) enter Tuesday's contest following a three-game sweep of Eastern Kentucky over the weekend at Duffy Bass Field. Illinois (17-5-1) took two out of three from South Florida, losing in extra innings Sunday while going for the series sweep, this past weekend.
"Illinois is playing incredibly well this season and is very deserving of its top-20 ranking," said Illinois State head coach Bo Durkac. "As good as they are in most statistical categories, the one that stands out is the fact that they have scored more than twice as many runs as they have allowed. We will have to be at our absolute best if we expect to beat them tomorrow."
Illinois State and Illinois have met 80 times on the baseball diamond, with Illinois holding a 47-33 edge in the all-time series. The two teams split a pair of meetings in 2014, with each squad winning on its home turf.
The Redbirds and the Illini have had two scheduled games every year since 2010. ISU hosts Illinois at Duffy Bass Field on April 14.
Illinois State will look to junior right-hander Steve Heilenbach to start Tuesday's game. Heilenbach is 0-1 with a 4.30 ERA in five appearances covering 14.2 innings, including one start, this spring. Illinois will go with left-hander Rob McDonnell, who is 1-1 with a 1.35 ERA in five appearances, all starts.
After Tuesday's game, Illinois State will prepare for its first Missouri Valley Conference games of the season, this weekend at No. 15 Dallas Baptist. The three-game series begins Friday.Â
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