NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State baseball is set to open the Missouri Valley Conference baseball season with a weekend series at Indiana State. Games on all three days will be streamed on ESPN3.
GAME INFORMATION
Illinois State (9-9, 0-0 MVC; 66th in RPI) at Indiana State (13-7, 0-0 MVC; 79th in RPI)
Day/Time (CT):
Friday, April 1; 2:00 p.m. CT (pushed up from 5:30 p.m. CT due to weather)
Saturday, April 2; 1:00 p.m. CT
Sunday, April 3; 12:00 p.m. CT
City: Terre Haute, Ind.
Field: Bob Warn Field
ESPN3: https://es.pn/3NOCH9J (FRIDAY); https://es.pn/3K2avxC (SATURDAY); https://es.pn/3K1gFya (SUNDAY)
Live Stats: https://bit.ly/INSBSBStats
PROJECTED ILLINOIS STATE STARTING PITCHERS
TBA
TBA
TBA
SERIES HISTORY + SCOUTING THE SYCAMORES
Indiana State went 31-21 in 2021, going 5-3 at home and 14-10 in the MVC. Indiana State is 13-7 in 2022. Common opponents for Indiana State and Illinois State in 2022 outside of the MVC include Kansas, Indiana, Purdue, and Illinois. Indiana State is hitting .316.
The Redbirds and Sycamores have met 202 times previously, with Indiana State up 114-88. The first game of the series was played in 1948. Indiana State gave Illinois State its first loss of the 2021 MVC Tournament in a 5-2 decision. The Sycamores won four-of-five against the Redbirds in 2021.
2-1 LAST WEEK
Illinois State moved to 3-1 at home after going 2-1 last week. Fifth-year senior Colin Wyman retired all nine batters he faced to earn the win against UIC on Wednesday as third-year sophomore Ryan Cermak homered twice. ISU beat Saint Louis 15-7 before falling 8-2. Fifth-year senior Nick Gile and fifth-year junior Jake McCaw each homered twice in 3/25's win.
BIG INNING
Illinois State exploded for nine runs in the 2nd inning against Saint Louis in Friday's 15-7 win. Nine runs in an inning are the most in a Redbird home game since 2010 when ISU plated 10 runs in one inning against Illinois and the most for ISU since the Redbirds scored 16 runs in the 11th inning against Belmont to open 2019. Nine runs is the most ISU has scored in the 2nd inning specifically since at least 2000.
WEATHER ISSUES
Illinois State has had five games canceled due to weather in 2022, including 3/29 vs Iowa and 3/30 vs Eastern Illinois.
TOP-2 TAKEDOWN
Illinois State took down second-ranked Arkansas to open the 2022 campaign by a 3-2 score. Arkansas had not previously lost a home or season opener since 1994. The 11 runs the Razorbacks scored were tied for the fewest plated by an SEC team and tied for the third-fewest scored by a top-25 (D1Baseball top-25).
The 'Birds were competitive all series, outhitting the Razorbacks in game two and trailing by a run in the 8th inning of game three.
Illinois State is no stranger to the national stage, upending #1 Vanderbilt and #7 Louisville in 2019 as the team made the program's first NCAA Regional final. Likewise, ISU is no stranger to success in Fayetteville as the 2020 team knocked off the 13th-ranked Razorbacks, 8-7.
TOUGH TESTS IN 2022
Illinois State is scheduled to play six games against preseason ranked opponents (three at No. 2 Arkansas, three vs No. 22 Dallas Baptist). Purdue has also exceeded expectations in 2022, earning a No. 19 ranking from Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and was bumped up to 17th after taking two-of-three from ISU. Illinois State is also scheduled to play a program-record 16 games against Power Five schools, including 10 contests against the Big Ten. 2022 marks the first time ISU has opened against a Power Five since 2004 (win at Louisville). 2022 marks the first time ISU has ever opened against a ranked opponent.
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: Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
