NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State baseball team held its first team practice ahead of the 2016 season Friday at Duffy Bass Field and inside Horton Field House.
Thirty-five players, including 17 players new to the program, reported for the first day of practice Friday, which was led by Illinois State second-year head coach Bo Durkac.
"After three weeks of individual workouts, we are excited to begin team practices today," Durkac said. "The weather this weekend looks good enough to practice outside, and that is a very rare occurrence for us in late January most years. We have three weeks to prepare our players to take on a very challenging 2016 schedule, and everyone is ready to get going."
Illinois State returns five position players who started a majority of the team's games last spring, along with seven pitchers that saw game action in 2015. Among the returners are 2015 All-Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Year, Jacob Hendren, a left-handed pitcher who was also named a Louisville Slugger Third-Team All-American, and 2015 All-MVC Second-Team second baseman Joe Kelch.
The Redbirds will have just 21 days before their first game of the 2016 season. Illinois State will open the 2016 campaign in Nashville, Tennessee, with a three-game series at Belmont, Feb. 19-21. The team will play a four-game series at Oregon the following weekend, Feb. 25-28, before playing eight games in nine days in Florida, March 4-12. Illinois State's home opener is set for March 18 against Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
The 2015 Redbirds posted a 27-27 overall record, including a 9-12 mark in MVC play.
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