NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State baseball team is set to travel to Southern Illinois and the nation's top-winning percentage for a four-game series from Friday-Sunday to open its Missouri Valley Conference slate. All match-ups will be on ESPN3.
GAME INFORMATION
Illinois State (8-14, 0-0 MVC) at Southern Illinois (19-3, 3-1 MVC)
Days/Times (CT):
Friday, April 2, 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 3, 2:00 p.m. (7 innings), 5:00 p.m. (9 innings unless 2:00 game goes into extras, then 7)
Sunday, April 4, 1:00 p.m.
City: Carbondale, Illinois
Field: Itchy Jones Stadium
TV (ESPN3): bit.ly/SIUVideo1, bit.ly/SIUVideo2, bit.ly/SIUVideo3, bit.ly/SIUVideo4
Live Stats: bit.ly/SIUStats
Radio: bit.ly/SIURadio
PROJECTED ILLINOIS STATE STARTING PITCHERS
LHP Colton Johnson (1-0, 33.2 IP, 38 K, 2.41 ERA)
TBD
RHP Jordan Lussier (2-1, 26.0 IP, 23 K, 4.85 ERA)
LHP Sean Sinisko (1-3, 20.0 IP, 15 K, 7.65 ERA)
LAST TIME OUT
The Illinois State baseball team topped Eastern Illinois, 4-3, in a 7-inning, rain-shortened contest at Monier Field. The game was the Redbirds' final tune-up before traveling to Southern Illinois Friday-Sunday to begin Missouri Valley Conference play.
The Panthers (13-11 overall) threatened in the 7th and final inning by reducing their deficit to one run with the bases loaded, but the 'Birds escaped on a ground ball induced by third-year sophomore Derek Salata.
Fourth-year junior Jack Anderson threw five innings, giving up just two hits and one earned run to get the win for Illinois State (8-14 overall). Anderson retired the last 11 batters he faced.
Fifth-year junior Aidan Huggins recorded was 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and two runs scored while fourth-year junior Tyson Hays had two hits and drove in Huggins twice.
SERIES HISTORY
The Redbirds and Salukis have met 183 times in a series history with ISU leading, 92-90-1. SIU is ISU's third most common opponent behind Bradley (225 meetings) and Indiana State (197). The first game of the series was played in 1948.
The teams most recently met in the MVC Tournament on 5/22/2019, played at Duffy Bass Field. ISU won, 4-1. Jordan Libman had two hits while current ISU assistant coach Derek Parola also had two hits, including a home run. Colton Johnson recorded two scoreless innings to record his third save of the season.
SCOUTING THE SALUKIS
SIU is 19-3 overall and 3-1 in MVC after facing Evansville in a four-game series earlier this year. The Salukis are second in the country with 40 home runs. The Salukis are in the midst of a stretch in which an astounding 23-of-24 of their games will be played at Itchy Jones Stadium.
NEW CONFERENCE SCHEDULING MODEL
The Missouri Valley Conference has elected to return to a previously-used scheduling model for the 2021 season. Each institution will play four games against each conference foe, as opposed to three. The teams will play doubleheaders on Saturdays. The Redbirds haven't played 28 conference games in one season since 2004.
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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