CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – The Illinois State baseball program opened the 2026 campaign with a doubleheader sweep over SEMO, Friday at Capaha Field in Cape Girardeau, Mo. The Redbirds captured 12-1 (7 inn.) and 7-6 victories over the Redhawks to start the season.
GAME ONE RECAP
Illinois State moved past SEMO in the opening contest of the 2026 season, off the back of five home run blasts to secure a 12-1 victory in seven innings. The home run total marks the most for the Redbirds in a contest since an 11-4 win over Indiana State on May 15.
The Redbirds move to 6-2 in season-opening contests under eighth-year head coach Steve Holm. Illinois State's margin of victory is the most in the first game of the season since the Redbirds 13-2 opening day win over Austin Peay in 2023.
Junior Graham Mastros recorded three home run blasts in the contest to become the first Redbird since teammate Brayden Bakes last season to tally three home runs in a contest. Mastros' home run total marks a career-high in a contest and the first multi-home run game of his collegiate career. Mastros notched five RBIs in the contest, marking the first time in his career that he has tallied five or more runs batted in.
Redbird's Opening Day starter Thomas Harper limited the Redhawks to just one run through 5.0 innings pitched to record the win. The one run is the fewest Harper has allowed in a start since April 4 a season ago against Valparaiso. Harper added three strikeouts to open his senior season.
Junior Michael Addari entered in relief in the sixth inning and recorded two scoreless innings to secure the Redbirds' win. Addari added three punchouts in his 2026 debut.
The Redbirds jumped out of the gates, as Junior Ryan Bakes opened the first contest with a solo blast in his first at-bat as a Redbird to move Illinois State in front, 1-0 in the opening frame.
Illinois State continued its momentum early in the second inning as Graduate transfer Camden Karczewski singled for his first hit as a Redbird. Moments later, Senior transfer Kannon Coakley would reach and advance to second on an error as Karczewski moved to third. With runners in scoring position, Junior Josh Outlaw would drive in both runners with a single to center to move the Redbirds' lead to 3-0.
The Redhawks would claw back in the bottom of the second frame, loading the bases and pulling one run back with a sacrifice fly to cut the Redbirds' lead to 3-1.
To open the fourth inning, Mastros led off the inning with a solo shot to right-center field to extend Illinois State's lead to 4-1. The home run marks Mastros' fifth blast as a Redbird. Outlaw later in the inning reached on a single to capture his second hit of the contest. With Outlaw on-base, Junior Luke Stulga delivered a two-run blast to move the Redbirds advantage to 6-1 in the top of the fourth.
Mastros followed with his first blast, with his second of the day in the top of the sixth inning to move Illinois State's lead to 7-1.
After a trio of base hits from the Redbirds to open the opening half of the seventh inning, Sophomore Eric Machej would drive in two runs on a single to move Illinois State's lead to 9-1. Mastros later stepped up and delivered his third home run of the contest to extend the Redbirds' lead to 12-1.
GAME TWO RECAP
The Redbirds secured their second win of the day and the series win with a 7-6 victory over SEMO. Illinois State's two victories mark the first time since 2023 that the Redbirds have begun the season 2-0, and clinches the third 2-0 start in the Steve Holm era.
Junior Luke Stulga paced Illinois State in game two with a 4-of-5 performance with two triples, marking the first four-hit performance in the Tinley Park, Ill. native's career. Stulga becomes the first Redbird since Chad Hinshaw against Missouri State on April 7, 2012, to record two triples in a game.
Sophomore Eric Machej added a three-hit performance, including his first career home run. The multi-hit performance is the first of his career.
Sophomore Carson Cormier picked up his first win as a Redbird, pitching in 4.0 innings. Cormier allowed just two runs and recorded four strikeouts.
The Redbirds continued their momentum into game two as Stulga opened the contest with a lead-off triple. Redshirt Sophomore Brayden Bakes later drove Stulga home to give Illinois State a 1-0 lead in the opening frame.
Machej and Karczewski opened the second inning with base hits and moved to scoring position following a sacrifice bunt from Coakley. With runners on second and third, Stulga delivered his second triple of the contest to move the Redbirds' lead to 3-0.
In the bottom half of the second inning, the Redhawks connected for three consecutive hits, including a double, to pull a run back, making the score 3-1. SEMO later capitalized with runners in scoring position to add another run to make the score 3-2 at the end of the third inning.
The Bakes brothers added two base hits in the top of the fifth, as Mastros continued his impressive day with a double to drive in two runs to extend the Redbirds' lead to 5-2. In the bottom half of the frame, the Redhawks worked themselves into a bases-loaded opportunity and capitalized with a single to bring in one run to move the score to 5-3. Cormier, in his debut as a Redbird, worked out of the jam, striking out two Redhawks batters to end the inning. Cormier later followed with a 1-2-3 shutout inning, including a punchout, to maintain the Redbirds' lead entering the seventh inning.
Machej added to his strong performance throughout the day with a two-run home run in the seventh inning to increase the Redbirds' advantage to 7-3. The blast is Machej's first career home run, and his third hit of the day, marking his first career three-hit performance.
The Redhawks added a run to close the gap to 7-4 in the bottom of the eighth with a bunt single. In the ninth, SEMO used a two-run blast to pull within one run of the Redbirds to make the score 7-6.
Graduate transfer Reece Clapp entered the contest with the tying run in scoring position and recorded two strikeouts to secure the victory for Illinois State. Clapp, a Columbia, Mo. native, returns to his home state and records his first save as a Redbird.
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