CONWAY, Ark. - The Illinois State baseball team is set to conclude its 11-day road trip with a series at Central Arkansas from March 3-5.
SCHEDULE (AT CENTRAL ARKANSAS)
Friday at 6:00 p.m. CT | VIDEO | RADIO | LIVE STATS
Saturday at 4:00 p.m. CT | VIDEO | RADIO | LIVE STATS
Sunday at 1:00 p.m. CT | VIDEO | RADIO | LIVE STATS
ILLINOIS STATE PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS
To be announced.
ABOUT THE CENTRAL ARKANSAS BEARS
Central Arkansas (3-5) was 24-29 in 2022, going 15-13 at home. The Bears are 3-5 to start 2023, highlighted by a win at Vanderbilt. Central Arkansas is also scheduled to face common opponents with ISU: Missouri State, Arkansas State, Arkansas, Austin Peay. The Redbirds and Bears have met 5 times previously, with UCA leading, 9-4. Their first meeting was in 2014. ISU won the most recent 2/25/19 match-up. The game was scoreless through eight innings, but the Redbirds erupted for six runs in the 9th inning before the Bears got three runs in the bottom of the inning.
EXTRA-INNING BATTLE AT #3 ARKANSAS
In a wild 11-inning game in Fayetteville, Illinois State dropped a 10-9 decision against #3 Arkansas. Second-year sophomore Blake Stenger and fourth-year Greg Nichols provided key late home runs as the Redbirds forced extra innings after trailing 8-5 through seven innings. Pinch-running second-year sophomore JT Sokolove narrowly avoided the tag on a play at the plate in the 9th to tie the game, scoring an Arkansas error.
SERIES WIN AT ARKANSAS STATE
Illinois State took its second series of 2023 (matching its series win total from 2022), beating Arkansas State in the first two games before falling in the series finale.
Fifth-year senior Derek Salata threw six innings with 12 strikeouts in game one while five Redbirds had multi-hit games in game two to lead the Redbirds to victory. A lackluster defensive showing yielded a 14-run outburst for ASU on Sunday as the ISU's 10 runs weren't enough to sweep the series.
HOME RUNS FOR PACELLA
Highly-touted freshman Daniel Pacella struck in the 9th inning of 2/21's game at SIUE, smacking his first career home run to center field. He also provided a key insurance run with a home run to left-center in the 7th inning of 2/24's win at ASU. Pacella blasted a 398-foot, 109 MPH HR off the second deck in the 5th inning of Tuesday's game at Arkansas. Pacella is off to a strong start at the plate, hitting .281 (9-for-32) over seven starts and eight games played.
FOUR WITH TWO+ STEALS IN A GAME
Illinois State, which stole 37 bases in 2022 (.725 per game), already has 15 steals through eight games (1.9 per game) in 2023. Fourth-year junior Shay Kubo, third-year junior Auggie Rasmussen, and second-year sophomores Blake Stenger and Noah Rabin each have a game with multiple steals.
FLORES JUST KEEPS HITTING
Fourth-year junior Adrian Flores, traditionally a catcher, made his first career start on 2/19 at APSU. Flores, who saw limited time at DH and catcher in 2022, has been ISU's best hitter since breaking into the lineup, going 13-for-26 (.500) with a home run, seven RBI, and four runs scored.
HIGH K/9 EARLY
Illinois State has 87 strikeouts in 71.2 IP in 2023 (10.9 K/9), ranking 44th in the nation. Fifth-year senior Derek Salata has 17 strikeouts in 10 IP (15.3 K/9; T-33rd in the nation) while third-year junior Elijah Dale has 18 strikeouts in 10.2 innings (15.2 K/9; T-37th in the nation). Illinois State is one of three schools (Wake Forest, Iowa) with two pitchers in the top-37.
RETURNER HOME RUNS
Illinois State had just three home runs return from its 2022 roster, tied for the fewest in the nation with Kansas. Fourth-year junior Greg Nichols, second-year sophomore JT Sokolove, and fourth-year junior Adrian Flores all homered against Austin Peay, meaning Redbird returners hit three home runs in the series. Since, the Redbirds have five more home runs (four by newcomers and one more by Nichols).
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