NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State baseball team will be playing at home for the first time this season this weekend, as the 'Birds face off against the Central Michigan Chippewas in a three-game series at Duffy Bass Field. ISU will take on Central Michigan at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 16, in the first game of a scheduled doubleheader, and will play Sunday at 1 p.m.
Illinois State Redbirds (10-5)
Illinois State won its two mid-week matchups earlier this week against SEMO and SIUE. The Redbirds defeated the Redhawks 18-6 and the Cougars by a score of 16-9 to get to double-digit wins on the season. Illinois State ranks eighth nationally in batting average (.320) and ninth in scoring with 8.9 runs per contest. The Redbirds have also stolen 29 bases through 15 games this season, which is more than the 27 they swiped all of last season.
Central Michigan Chippewas (12-4)
Central Michigan is coming off a 2-1 weekend, after defeating Mount St. Mary's 13-1 last Friday and splitting a two-game series against Villanova on Saturday and Sunday. The Chippewas lead the country in doubles (47) and doubles per game (2.94) and are also in the top-five nationally in scoring (9.5 runs per game).
Series History
Illinois State leads Central Michigan in the all-time series, holding a 37-17-1 advantage. The two teams last played in 2016 at the Snowbird Classic, with the Redbirds defeating the Chippewas 13-7.
Game Information
Live stats along with radio coverage on 103.3 FM WZND will be available for all three games of the series online at GoRedbirds.com. Fans can also stream Saturday's first game and Sunday's finale on ESPN+ ($). For updates on Illinois State baseball, follow the Redbirds on Twitter (@RedbirdBaseball) and Instagram (@isuredbirdbaseball).
GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App:Â Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
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