NORMAL, Ill. - Illinois State kicks off play in the Missouri Valley Conference on Friday afternoon, when the Redbirds host the Salukis of Southern Illinois in a two-day, three-game series.
Game 1 | Friday, March 30 | 2 p.m.
Live Video: None
Live Audio: None
Live Stats: Illinois State StatBroadcast
Illinois State Starting Pitcher: Brady Huffman, 1-3, 2.70 ERA
Southern Illinois Starting Pitcher: Michael Baird, 1-2, 3.89 ERA
Game 2 | Friday, March 30 | 5 p.m.
Live Video: ESPN3
Live Audio: None
Live Stats: Illinois State StatBroadcast
Illinois State Starting Pitcher: Brent Headrick, 1-2, 6.23 ERA
Southern Illinois Starting Pitcher: Jamison Steege, 3-1, 3.08 ERA
Game 3 | Saturday, March 31 | 2 p.m.
Live Video: None
Live Audio: WZND
Live Stats: Illinois State StatBroadcast
Illinois State Starting Pitcher: Colton Johnson, 2-1, 3.38 ERA
Southern Illinois Starting Pitcher: Brad Harrison, 3-1, 2.88 ERA
PROMOTIONS
Friday is "National Waffle Day", and in honor of the day, the Redbird concession stand will be offering red velvet waffles, with a cream cheese drizzle.
Saturday is Faculty and Staff Appreciation Game, where the first 50 faculty and staff members that show their ID at the marketing table will get an autographed team poster. Faculty and staff can also show their ID at the concessions stand to receive a faculty and staff meal deal, which includes a hot dog, chips, and a drink for just $6.
Finally, Saturday will be Mystery Easter Egg Day, where the first 100 fans get to pick an Easter egg, and win different prizes.
SCOUTING THE REDBIRDS
Illinois State has three regular players batting above .300 on the season, led by John Rave and his 11-game hitting streak, which has pushed his season average to .398. He also is tied for the team lead with four home runs, and is second on the team with 21 RBI's. Owen Miller is batting .356 with a team-leading 25 runs scored, as he has also knocked seven doubles and two home runs on the season. Collin Braithwaite bats .329 over his 20 games, with a team-best 22 RBI's while also leading the team with 22 runs driven in and 12 walks drawn.
The pitching staff has been led by Brady Huffman, who has a 2.70 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 33.1 innings of work, holding opponents to a .214 batting average on the season. Matt Walker has a 4.88 ERA and a 3-0 record with 25 strikeouts in 24 innings, as Brent Headrick is 1-2 with a 6.23 ERA. Colton Johnson, who has seen action in six games this season with two starts is 2-1 this year with a 3.38 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 18.2 innings of work.
SCOUTING THE SALUKIS
Southern Illinois comes into the weekend with an even 12-12 record on the season, and one of the speediest teams in the country, as the Salukis' 2.67 stolen bases per game rank third in the country. Connor Kopach leads the way for SIU with a .390 batting average, and has scored 29 times to lead the team, in addition to his NCAA-leading 18 stolen bases (on 26 attempts). In all, four players who have started at least 10 games are hitting over .300 on the season for Southern Illinois. Logan Blackfan has driven in a team-best 28 RBI's with five home runs and a .351 batting average.
The pitching staff is led by Brad Harrison, who is 3-1 on the year with a 2.88 ERA. He has 41 strikeouts in 34.1 innings of work, while holding opponents to a batting average of .186. Jamison Steege is also 3-1 this season, and his ERA of 3.08 is second-best on the team. Opening-game starter Michael Baird is 1-2 on the year with a 3.89 ERA, while opponents bat .263 against him.
