Game Notes | Live Video | Live Audio | Live Stats
NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State baseball team will host a three-game series with Xavier, beginning Friday, at Duffy Bass Field.
Friday's series opener is set for a 4:30 p.m. start, followed by a 2 p.m. game Saturday and a 1 p.m. start Sunday. Admission to all Illinois State baseball games at Duffy Bass Field is free.
Illinois State (7-17) looks to end a nine-game losing streak when it hosts the Musketeers. After winning the final three games of its annual spring trip, Illinois State has not won since its return home from Florida. The winless streak is Illinois State's longest in 20 years, dating back to an 11-game skid during the 1996 season.
Illinois State suffered a 2-1 loss to Eastern Illinois in its most recent outing, Tuesday at Duffy Bass Field.
The Redbirds will look to end the losing streak as Steve Heilenbach (3-1, 3.05 ERA) gets the start in Friday's opener. David Meade (2-1, 3.31) will start Saturday and Jacob Hendren (1-5, 7.68) will get the nod on Sunday.
Illinois State's offense looks to provide better run support for its starting rotation, as the Redbirds have not scored more than five runs in a game over the nine-game losing streak. Shortstop Owen Miller has been the Redbirds' most productive player in the batter's box, as he leads the team with a .308 batting average, 11 doubles, four home runs and 24 RBIs.
Xavier (8-17) will go with the rotation of Zac Lowther (2-3, 3.41), Brad Kirschner (3-1, 4.91) and Damien Richard (1-1, 3.00). The Musketeer lineup has been anchored by leadoff hitter Will LaRue, who is batting a team-high .326 with 20 stolen bases, the third most among all Division I players.
Illinois State owns an edge in a limited history between the two programs. The Redbirds are 4-1 against Xavier, dating back to 1994. The teams last met five years ago, when the Redbirds earned a 7-6 walk-off win at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational, in Winter Haven, Florida, on March 5, 2011.
Links for live video, audio and stats for Tuesday's game can be found at GoRedbirds.com. Fans can also receive live updates from the games via Twitter, by following @RedbirdBaseball.
GoRedbirds.com: Your online source for Illinois State Athletics tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
