NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State softball team (11-20, 5-0 MVC) will play its first mid-week game of the season when it heads to Champaign, Illinois to take on the Illini on Wednesday night. First pitch between the Redbirds and the Illini is set for 5 p.m. at Eichelberger Field.
SERIES HISTORY
Illinois holds a 14-8 series advantage over Illinois State, winning the last five contests against the Redbirds. Illinois State's last set of victories against the Illini came during the 2011 and 2012 seasons, and the Redbirds are 5-6 at Eichelberger Field.
SCOUTING ILLINOIS
Illinois enters Wednesday's contest with an overall record of 22-9 and a 5-2 mark at Eichelberger Field. The Illini have three wins over top-25 teams in Wisconsin twice and Oklahoma State, and are coming off of a 2-1 series loss to Big Ten foe Nebraska. Illinois is led at the dish by Annie Fleming and Bella Loya, who are each batting over .400, while Loya has a team-best 38 RBI. In the circle for the Illini, Sydney Sickels has a team-best 2.94 ERA with a record of 14-4 and 75 strikeouts in 95.1 innings pitched.
LAST TIME OUT
Illinois State extended its win streak to five games and kept an unblemished conference record with a pair of wins at Indiana State on March 23. Out-scoring the Sycamores 22-3, the Redbirds opened the series with an 8-1 win, before taking the second game of a doubleheader, 14-2, limiting Indiana State to just a single earned run in the series. The last time the Redbirds opened Missouri Valley Conference play with a perfect 5-0 record dates back to 2017, while ISU's 57 runs scored through its first five league games is a program high. Senior Allison Spence was named the MVC Player of the Week on Monday, as the infielder went a team-leading .750 at the plate with a 1.375 slugging percentage and .750 on-base percentage against the Sycamores. ISU's 15 hits in game two marked a season-high.
ON DECK
The Redbirds will resume Missouri Valley Conference play this weekend, and open an eight-game home stretch, when UNI travels to Marian Kneer Stadium for a three-game series scheduled to start on Saturday, April 6. Admission to all softball home games is free.
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