NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State baseball is scheduled to conclude its 2024 home slate as the Redbirds host Belmont in a crucial series as both teams are vying for seeding in the upcoming Missouri Valley Conference tournament.
Saturday will be Senior Day for Illinois State, as the 'Birds will honor a group of athletes (postgame) for their time on and off the diamond with the program.
SCHEDULE (AT DUFFY BASS FIELD)
Thursday at 5:00 p.m. CT |Â ESPN+ |Â RADIOÂ |Â LIVE STATS
Friday at 3:00 p.m. CT |Â ESPN+ | RADIOÂ |Â LIVE STATS
Saturday at 12:00 p.m. CT |Â ESPN+ | RADIO |Â LIVE STATS
ILLINOISÂ STATEÂ PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS
Thursday: RHPÂ Cameron Mabee (5.12 ERA in 70.1 IP with 56 K over 13 starts)
Friday: RHPÂ Tanner Perry (5.63 ERA in 62.1 IP with 56 K over 12 starts)
Saturday: RHPÂ Carter Monke (6.75 ERA in 42.2 IP with 33 K over seven starts)
ABOUT THE BELMONT BRUINS
Belmont was 27-33 in 2023, going 9-15 on the road. The Bruins are 24-28 in 2024, including 11-13 in MVC play and 10-11 on the road.
Belmont comes to Normal after dropping a midweek at #1 Tennessee and picking up the series victory over Missouri State last weekend.
The Bruins currently sit seventh in the MVC standings ahead of this weekend, with a chance to finish anywhere from the fourth to eighth seed in the upcoming MVC Tournament (May 21-25) depending on weekend results across the Valley.
GOING BACK-TO-BACK
Illinois State sophomore Daniel Pacella and junior Noah Rabin hit back-to-back home runs in the 5-3 loss to Eastern Illinois on May 14.
It is the first time the Redbirds have hit back-to-back home runs in a game since May 3 versus Southern Illinois (Judah Morris and Rabin).
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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