NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State baseball will play host to Northern Illinois on Wednesday, April 23 at Duffy Bass Field in Normal with the first pitch scheduled for 5 p.m.
SCHEDULE
Wednesday at 5 PM |Â VIDEO | STATS | RADIO
ABOUT THEÂ NORTHERN ILLINOIS HUSKIES
Northern Illinois sits at 14-24 in 2025, including 4-14 in MAC play, and 10-14 on the road. The Huskies visit Normal after a road game at Valparaiso on Tuesday, April 22.
The Redbirds and NIU have met 140 times previously, as Illinois State leads the series, 81-58-1. Their first meeting was in 1930.
In 2024, Illinois State pounded out 13 hits while scoring 16 runs in a 16-12 win over NIU. Seven different players tallied a hit during the contest, marked by Judah Morris who totaled four RBIs with a double and home run.
GROWING THEIR REDBIRD LEGACY
Illinois State junior Daniel Pacella continues to be a strong contributor in the Redbird offense.
As of April 22, the Mundelein native has totaled a team-best 46 RBIs this year and has recorded 163 total RBIs at Illinois State, third most in program history.
Pacella also sits tied for second all-time in career HRs with 41 alongside Frank Mustari (1985-87).
On the mound, senior Joe Husak moved his career save total as a Redbird to 11 after closing the door against Evansville on April 13.
Husak is tied with Jacob Gilmore (2017-20*) for third all-time in career saves.
WIN NO. 150
Illinois State head coach Steve Holm picked up career win no. 150 on April 5, thanks to an 18-3 win over Valparaiso.
The Redbird offense was led by Pacella who finished 2-for-4 on the day with five RBIs and a home run.
The Redbirds also saw multiple hits from senior Kyle Gibson, freshman Brayden Bakes, senior Daniel Contreras, and senior Noah Smith.
AMONG THE VALLEY BEST
As of April 22, Illinois State sits second in team batting average (.304), fourth in team ERA (6.24), and third in team fielding percentage (.974).
Meanwhile, individually, Daniel Pacella leads the Missouri Valley Conference in the following categories: batting average (.400), slugging percentage (.773), OPS (1.251), and hits (60)
ILLINOIS STATE TO HOST MVC TOURNAMENT
The 2025 Missouri Valley Conference Championships will take place from Duffy Bass Field in Normal, Illinois.Â
The eight-team tournament opens on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, and is scheduled to run through Saturday, May 24, 2025.
This is the first time Illinois State will host the MVC Championships since 2019.
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at goredbirds.com/tickets.
ON DECK
Illinois State travels to Carbondale, Illinois, for a weekend MVC series against the Southern Illinois Salukis from April 25-27.
For the latest updates on Illinois State Baseball, stay tuned at GoRedbirds.com, follow the Redbirds on X (@RedbirdBaseball) and Instagram (isuredbirdbaseball), and like the team on Facebook (Illinois State Baseball).
GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App:Â Â Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Athletic Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
