NORMAL AND DeKALB, Ill. - The first of back-to-back weeks with five days of games is expected to get underway on Tuesday for the Illinois State baseball team as the Redbirds are scheduled to host Milwaukee before traveling to DeKalb to face Northern Illinois Wednesday. The Redbirds also play at Bradley April 21-23.
SCHEDULE (AT ILLINOIS STATE, AT NORTHERN ILLINOIS)
Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. CT (at Illinois State) | VIDEO | RADIO | LIVE STATS
Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. CT at Northern Illinois | VIDEO | LIVE STATS
ILLINOIS STATE PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS
Tuesday: RHP Thomas Harper (9.00 ERA in 15 IP with 15 K over eight appearances, four starts)
Wednesday: TBD
ABOUT THE MILWAUKEE PANTHERS
Milwaukee was 20-30 in 2022, going 12-16 on the road. The Panthers are 16-16 in 2023 with a 10-15 mark on the road. MKE is also scheduled to face common non-conference opponents with ISU: Iowa, Northern Illinois
The Redbirds and Panthers have met 35 times previously, with Illinois State leading, 26-9. Their first meeting was in 1965.
Milwaukee and Illinois State played at Franklin Field in 2022, which was led-off with an inside-the-park home run by current Tampa Bay Rays prospect Ryan Cermak. Jake McCaw blasted a home run in the 10th inning to put the Redbirds up while current sixth-year senior Jared Hart tallied the save.
ABOUT THE NORTHERN ILLINOIS HUSKIES
Northern Illinois was 14-40 in 2022, going 7-13 at home. The Huskies are 7-25 in 2023 with a 3-5 mark at home. NIU is also scheduled to face common non-conference opponents with ISU: Milwaukee, Minnesota
The Redbirds and Huskies have met 137 times previously, with Illinois State leading, 78-58-1. Their first meeting was in 1930.
Northern Illinois and Illinois State played a two-game series in Murray in 2022 (was originally scheduled to be three games). The Redbirds won 10-2 on 4/23/2019 in Normal behind 15 hits as current assistant coach Derek Parola and current KC Royals prospect John Rave each had two hits, two RBIs, and a run scored.
BARK IN THE PARK
Illinois State hosted "Bark in the Park" on Saturday at Duffy Bass Field, drawing its second-largest home crowd of the season (669 fans) as 28 dogs were also in attendance.
SWEPT BY MURRAY STATE
Illinois State stranded 16 runners on Friday, led 7-6 through five innings on Saturday, and had the potential go-ahead run at the plate in the 5th inning of Sunday's game but came up short in all three contests to fall into a tie for 9th in the MVC with UIC.
Third-year junior Elijah Dale produced three electric innings in relief to keep the Redbirds within striking distance on Sunday, striking out four, and allowing just one hit on a fieldable ground ball. Freshman Daniel Pacella also hit his team-leading ninth home run in Sunday's game, 397 feet to left-center.
SERIES AT INDIANA STATE
The Redbirds dropped a trio of contests in tight fashion at Indiana State with the Sycamores adding a key run in the 8th inning of all three contests.
Illinois State trailed 1-0 through seven on Friday, led 3-2 through seven on Saturday, and were tied 3-3 through seven on Sunday (after leading 3-2 through four innings.)
LINDGREN MAJOR LEAGUE DEBUT
Redbird baseball alum Jeff Lindgren was called up on April 16 for the Miami Marlins and made his MLB debut in relief against the Minnesota Twins. The Champaign, Ill. native threw five innings, allowing four runs. Lindgren's final two innings were scoreless.
HEADRICK CALLED UP
Redbird baseball alum Brent Headrick was called up on April 16 for the Minnesota Twins and is expected to serve in a long relief role. Headrick did not pitch on Sunday and the Twins' next game is Tuesday at 6:10 p.m. CT in Boston. Headrick joins Lindgren, St. Louis Cardinal Paul DeJong, and Milwaukee Brewer Owen Miller as Redbirds on MLB rosters.
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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