NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State baseball team will make the quick trip to Peoria this weekend for a key three-game Missouri Valley Conference series with Bradley.
Friday's opener is set for a 6 p.m. start, followed by a 2 p.m. game Saturday and a 1 p.m. finale Sunday.
This weekend's series will play a major role in conference tournament seeding, with each team having just three games left on its schedule after this weekend. Bradley (31-13, 9-6 MVC) currently sits in third place in the league standings, while the Redbirds (24-22, 6-9) are tied for fifth.
"Bradley is playing really well this year. Any time a MVC team has a top-20 RPI this late into the year, you know that the team has won a lot of games against good competition," said Illinois State head coach Bo Durkac. "Bradley has the look of an upper-level MVC team with offensive balance, speed, good defense, a pitching staff that has tossed eight shutouts, and a lights-out closer in Matt Dennis. We have a huge challenge in front of us this weekend."
The Redbirds can't catch conference leaders No. 14 Missouri State (35-10, 12-3) and No. 15 Dallas Baptist (37-9, 13-5), although Bradley could with a strong finish and help. Illinois State could move to as high as a three-seed by the time the MVC Tournament begins on May 20, in Wichita, Kansas.
Durkac will look to lefties Will Headean (4-3, 3.93 ERA) and Jacob Hendren (9-1, 3.12), and right-hander Steve Heilenbach (1-2, 4.17), to start this weekend's games. Bradley has announced right-hander Elliot Ashbeck (9-3, 3.31) as its starter for Friday's game, but has not named its starters for Saturday or Sunday's contests.
After the weekend series in Peoria, the Redbirds will have three days off before welcoming Indiana State to Duffy Bass Field for both teams' final series of the regular season. The three-game set begins Thursday at 6 p.m. Graduating seniors Dennis Colon, Paul DeJong, Logan Leverett and Mason Snyder will be recognized before the final game of the series, on May 16 at 1 p.m., as part of Senior Day festivities.
Colon, DeJong, Leverett and Snyder will participate in this Saturday morning's commencement ceremony at Redbird Arena before heading to Peoria for the second game of this weekend's series at Bradley.
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