NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State is set to host traditional Missouri Valley Conference power Dallas Baptist in a weekend series at Duffy Bass Field. The Friday game is scheduled to be broadcasted on ESPNU and the Sunday game is scheduled to be broadcasted on ESPN+.
GAME INFORMATION
Illinois State (15-21, 3-6 MVC; 197th in RPI) vs Dallas Baptist (25-15, 5-4 MVC; 2nd in RPI)
Day/Time (CT):
Friday, April 29; 7:00 p.m. CT
Saturday, April 30; 3:00 p.m. CT
Sunday, May 1; 12:00 p.m. CT
City: Normal, Ill.
Field: Duffy Bass Field
ESPNU/+: https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/d252cceb-7d87-4e42-8b7a-9362d92801a0 (ESPNU - Friday) - https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/6ab600fc-f2e5-45d6-a2b1-b1abf69a02db (Sunday)
Radio: https://wznd.com/
Live Stats: bit.ly/RedbirdStats
PROJECTED ILLINOIS STATE STARTING PITCHERS
LHP Jared Hart (1.31 ERA, 34.1 IP, 34 K, 8 BB)
RHP Derek Salata (4.14 ERA, 58.2 IP, 57 K, 13 BB)
LHP Sean Sinisko (5.40 ERA, 35 IP, 19 K, 12 BB)
ABOUT THE PATRIOTS+ SERIES HISTORY + LAST MEETING
DBU went 41-18 overall during the 2021 campaign, going 6-3 on the road. The Patriots are 25-15 so far this season, including an 8-7 road record, and enter this weekend coming off a mid-week win over #6 TCU in Fort Worth. Dallas Baptist and Illinois State have no common opponents this year outside of the MVC. series history.
Dallas Baptist holds a commanding 23-3 series lead over Illinois State. Their first meeting was in 2014 when DBU officially joined the conference. The Patriots swept the Redbirds in a four-game series down in Dallas, Texas during the 2021 season by way of two walk-off wins on the Saturday. ISU's last victory over the Patriots was a 9-8 win on Friday, April 26, 2019 at DBU.
In the last meeting, led by two hits from fifth-year junior Kyle Soberano, the Redbirds fell in the series finale at Dallas Baptist by a 3-0 scoreline on Sunday, May 9, 2021. Head coach Steve Holm has never faced DBU in a regular season game in Normal, Ill. (2019/21 on the road, 2020 COVID) ISU played DBU in Normal (lost 9-7) in the 2019 MVC Tournament at Illinois State
OWEN MILLER IN THE MLB
Redbird baseball alum Owen Miller is making a splash in the MLB for the Cleveland Guardians. Entering 4/26, Miller led the MLB in average (.455), OPS (1.361) and SLG (.848). (currently does not meet PA min.)
SIUE, INDIANA LOSSES
Third-year sophomore Ryan Cermak hit HR #15 to become the first 'Bird to hit 15 since 1999 in ISU's loss at SIUE before the 'Birds went cold against IU. Third-year sophomore Keegan Gagliardo threw 4 IP w/o an ER vs IU.
HART AND HIS FIRST START
Fifth-year Jared Hart, who recorded a combined 8 starts at Temple College and Wabash Valley College (both JUCO), prior to coming to ISU, made his first Redbird start at DBU back on 5/7/2021
• 2021 starts (1): 40.50 ERA, 2.2 IP, 11 H, 12 ER, 4 K, 3 BB
• 2022 starts (2): 0.69 ERA, 13 IP, 6 H, ER, 8 K, 3 BB
• ISU stretched out the bullpen ace on 4/15, making his first start of 2022 (against Valparaiso).
• Hart took a no-hitter into the 6th inning, finishing with six scoreless innings, one hit, and an HBP on just 65 pitches.
CER-SMACK: NATIONAL POW x4 (QUICK HITS ON RYAN CERMAK'S WEEK - 4/11)
- Named National Player of the Week from Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, Perfect Game, D1Baseball, and NCBWA
- 11-for-21 (.524)
- .600 OBP
- five home runs, two doubles
- home runs in four-straight plate appearances (hit 470-foot home run for fourth-straight home run)
- three home run game on 4/6 with grand slams in back-to-back innings
- 14 RBIs; broke a 37-year old school RBI record on 4/6 (10 now - was nine by Mike Prior in 1985)
- nine runs scored; tied the school record for runs scored in a game on 4/6 (five - most recent was Brett Kay in 2012)
- recorded 100th career hit via home run on 4/10
- scaled the center-field wall and appeared to have taken away a home run on 4/10
- celebrated the honors by lining a HR over the LF wall to lead off 4/12's game at 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.
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