Redbirds Head to Florida for Eight Games Over 10 Days

NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State baseball team will head to Florida for eight games over 10 days, beginning Friday.

The Redbirds will play three games at the Snowbird Classic in Port Charlotte, Florida, March 6-8, before playing an away game at No. 24-ranked Florida Atlantic in Boca Raton, Florida, on March 10. The Redbirds will then finish the trip with four games at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational in Winter Haven, Florida, March 11-15.

"February was a rough month for the Midwest weather-wise, so we are very excited to get to the Sunshine State for Spring Break. With eight games in 10 days, we can start to get into the flow of the season and to begin to solidify roles within our team," said Illinois State head coach Bo Durkac. "We have played well at times this year, and we have played poorly at times this year. I am waiting for this group to develop the consistent, day-to-day approach that good teams have, and this trip will be a great opportunity to do just that."

Illinois State (4-5) will open the trip with games against St. Joseph's (1-5), Georgetown (1-6) and Bucknell (5-2) on consecutive days, beginning Friday, at the Snowbird Classic.

The Redbirds will then head from the Gulf Coast to the Atlantic Coast, to Boca Raton, Florida, for a true road game at No. 24 Florida Atlantic (11-2) on March 10.

From there, the team will travel to Central Florida, to play four games over five days at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational. The Redbirds will open up against Bowling Green (3-3), before taking on Maine (4-9), LIU-Brooklyn (2-1) and Butler (1-9) to finish out the trip.

The Redbirds' game against Georgetown will mark the first-ever meeting between the two schools on a baseball diamond. The Redbirds own a winning all-time record against six of their other seven upcoming opponents – with the exception of St. Joseph's – with a combined mark of 25-6 against the seven teams.

The Redbirds will play their first game at Duffy Bass Field upon their return, on March 18, when they will welcome in Illinois-Chicago for a 3 p.m. game.

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