EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – For the first time in 349 days, the Illinois State baseball team will return to the diamond, opening its season on Tuesday with a doubleheader against SIUE in Edwardsville, Illinois.
The games are seven innings apiece.
DOUBLEHEADER INFORMATION
Illinois State (0-0, 0-0 MVC, 7-9 in 2020) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (0-0, 0-0 OVC, 8-7 in 2020)
Day: Tuesday, February 23
First Pitch: 2 p.m. CT for first game, second game to follow
City: Edwardsville, Ill.
Field: Simmons Baseball Complex
Radio: bit.ly/SIUERadio
PROJECTED PITCHERS FOR ILLINOIS STATE
Game 1: Cameron Mabee (2020 at Cal Poly Pomona: 3.67 ERA, 27 IP, 30 K)
Game 2: Jordan Lussier (2020 at Chandler-Gilbert CC: 1.67 ERA, 27 IP, 41 K)
SCOUTING THE COUGARS
SIUE was 8-7 in the 2020 campaign, winning three of its final four games. The Cougars played the MVC's Missouri State in 2020, falling 13-3. SIUE defeated Nicholls State (x2), George Washington, Texas-San Antonio, Central Arkansas, and Tennessee Tech (x3) in 2020.
The squad returns infielder Brett Pierson, who led the team with a .340 batting average and three home runs.
SERIES HISTORY
The Redbirds and Cougars have met 24 times in series history, dating back to 1970. Illinois State is 17-6-1 and has won the last five contests in Edwardsville.
LAST GAME
The Redbirds exploded for 22 hits and 16 runs in an 8-inning match-up at SIUE on 3/13/2019. ISU's entire lineup had at least one hit and the 'Birds had eight players with two or more hits, eight players with an RBI, and seven players with a run scored.
REIGNING CHAMPS
The Redbirds are technically reigning champions of the Missouri Valley Conference after splitting the conference title in 2019, ISU's third MVC title (2019, 2013, 2010).
Illinois State was picked to finish second in the MVC behind Dallas Baptist in the preseason poll.
THREE ALL-MVC REDBIRDS
A trio of student-athletes entering their fifth season competing for the Redbirds were named preseason All-MVC in a poll of the league's eight head coaches. Colton Johnson, Joe Butler, and Jordan Libman all received the honor.
For the latest updates on Illinois State Baseball, stay tuned at GoRedbirds.com, follow the Redbirds on Twitter (@RedbirdBaseball) and Instagram (isuredbirdbaseball), and like the team on Facebook (Illinois State Baseball).
GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App:Â Â Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
