NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State baseball team is set to host Arkansas State for a three-game weekend series from March 26-28. The Friday and Sunday games will be on ESPN+.
SERIES INFORMATION
Illinois State (5-13, 0-0 MVC) vs Arkansas State (4-12, 0-3 Sun Belt)
Days/Times:
Friday, March 26 (5:00 p.m. CT)
Saturday, March 27 (5:00 p.m. CT)
Sunday, March 28 (1:00 p.m. CT)
City: Normal, Illinois
Field: Duffy Bass Field
Illinois State Radio: https://wznd.com/
Arkansas State Radio: https://astateredwolves.com/news/2017/7/18/211651962.aspx
ESPN+ (Game 1): https://www.espn.com/watch/player?id=b39eef02-1666-4e18-8024-b3f0e8d8c6f9
ESPN+ (Game 3): https://www.espn.com/watch/player?id=90ae3569-e410-4915-b59a-ba369afc573a
Live Stats: /bit.ly/ASUStats1, bit.ly/ASUStats2, bit.ly/ASUStats3
PROJECTED PITCHERS FOR ILLINOIS STATE
Friday: Colton Johnson (27.1 IP, 1.98 ERA, 33 K)
Saturday: Jordan Lussier (22 IP, 4.91 ERA, 18 K)
Sunday: Sean Sinisko (18.1 IP, 6.87 ERA, 13 K)
LAST TIME OUT
Illinois State fell short against Eastern Illinois at home on Wednesday, 9-7
Illinois State produced its second-highest output in hits (14) and total bases (23) led by three hits from third-year sophomore Hayden Jones.
The first four hitters in the Illinois State lineup (third-year sophomore Gunner Peterson, fifth-year junior Aidan Huggins, fifth-year senior Jordan Libman, and fourth-year junior Jack Butler) each had two hits.
First-year freshman Mason Burns, fifth-year junior Jacob Gilmore, and third-year sophomore Derek Salata each faced the minimum in their respective one inning relief appearances. Burns made his collegiate debut and struck out the side.
SERIES HISTORY
The Redbirds and Panthers have met 13 times in a series history with ISU leading, 9-4. The first game of the series was played in 1948. The most recent contest was on 2/18/2018.
Joe Butler, Owen Miller, Noah Sadler, Collin Braithwaite, and Joe Aeilts each recorded two RBIs in the 2/18/2018 contest. Colton Johnson was the winning pitcher, throwing three innings out of the Redbird bullpen.
SCOUTING THE RED WOLVES
ASU is 4-12 in 2021 with a 1-10 record on the road. The Red Wolves have a pair of wins against the MVC's Missouri State, in addition to a win at Oklahoma. A-State snapped a five-game skid with a win over Murray State on Tuesday.
Tyler Duncan leads the Red Wolves with .344 average, five home runs, and 20 RBI. A-State's team ERA is 10.09.
RANKED WINS
The Redbirds have won some notable games under third-year head coach Steve Holm. In 2020, the team defeated No. 23 Oklahoma and No. 13 Arkansas, both on the road. In 2019, the team defeated No. 1 Vanderbilt, the eventual National Champions. The team also beat No. 7 Louisville on the road in the NCAA Tournament.
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.
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).
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