NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State baseball plays host to Eastern Illinois for its final non-conference game of 2024 as the teams will meet for the first time in over three years.
The 'Birds are coming off an impressive weekend showing, taking a series victory over the UIC Flames in Chicago.
SCHEDULE (AT ILLINOIS STATE)
Tuesday at 5Â p.m. CT |Â ESPN+Â |Â LIVE STATS
ABOUT THEÂ EASTERN ILLINOIS PANTHERS
Eastern Illinois is 16-32 in 2024, including 8-19 on the road. The Panthers finished 38-21 in 2023 including 26-15 on the road.
The Redbirds and Panthers have met 178 times previously, with Eastern Illinois leading, 91-86-1, as the series dates back to 1907.
The last meeting (March 2021) saw ISU top Eastern Illinois, 4-3, in a seven-inning, rain-shortened game at Monier Field.
GOING BACK-TO-BACK
Illinois State redshirt junior Judah Morris and junior Noah Rabin hit back-to-back home runs in the 10-0 win over Southern Illinois on May 3.
It is the first time the Redbirds have hit back-to-back home runs in a game since May 2022 (Ryan Cermak and Jake McCaw).
DANIEL PACELLA: RBI after RBI
Sophomore Daniel Pacella led the way for the Redbirds in the series finale at UIC on May 12.
The sophomore finished 4-for-5 at the plate with six RBIs, including his ninth home run of the season.
Pacella becomes the first Redbird with six RBIs in a game since Luke Lawrence did so last May at Valparaiso.
'BIRDS FLYING ALL DIRECTIONS
The 2024 season sees six scheduled meetings between Illinois State and the "directional" schools of Illinois (Northern Illinois, Western Illinois, Southern Illinois, Eastern Illinois).
The 'Birds are a combined 359-321-4 versus NIU, WIU, SIU, and EIU prior to the 2024 season.
'BIRDS WITH TWO-HOMER GAMES
Since 2004, there have been 24 instances where a Redbird has hit for two home runs in a game.
Of the previous 24 instances, only one Redbird has hit two home runs in the same inning: senior Auggie Rasmussen at Indiana on March 13.
Rasmussen joins Daniel Pacella, Ryan Cermak, Zach Amrein, and Ryan Court as the only Redbirds to have a two home-run game on multiple occasions since 2004.
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