Redbirds Offense Erupts To Move Past Alabama A&M 14-2 In Seven Innings

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. –   The Illinois State baseball team earned its sixth victory of the season with a 14-2 victory in seven innings over Alabama A&M at Bulldog Baseball Field on Wednesday afternoon. 

With the win, Illinois State improves to 6-2 to open the 2026 campaign, marking the best start through the first eight games to begin a season since 2014. 

The Redbirds' offense erupted, scoring the most runs in a contest since Illinois State's 14-4 win over Indiana State last season on May 20. Four players recorded two hits in the performance. Redshirt Sophomore Brayden Bakes earned his fourth multi-hit contest of the season with a 2-for-4 performance, including a three-run home run in the sixth inning. Junior Graham Mastros added four RBIs in the win, marking his second contest this season with four or more RBIs. 

The Bulldogs struck first in the contest, after a walk with the bases loaded in the second inning gave them a 1-0 advantage. In the following frame, the Redbirds capitalized on an Alabama A&M error with the bases loaded to take a 2-1 lead. 

In the top of the fourth. Illinois State extended its advantage after an RBi double from Senior Josh Outlaw drove home Graduate Camden Karczewski to make the score 3-1. Later in the inning, Junior Luke Stulga brought Outlaw into score on an RBI single, moving the Redbirds' lead to 4-1.  

Karczweski later extended the Redbirds' lead to 5-1 in the top of the fifth inning, after he drove Sophomore Eric Machej on an RBI double. In the bottom half of the frame, Alabama A&M pulled one run back with an RBI double to move the score to 5–2. 

In the sixth inning, Redshirt Sophomore Brayden Bakes drove in three Redbird runs with a home run to extend Illinois State's lead to 8-2.  

The Redbirds erupted for six runs in the seventh inning, extending their lead to 14-2. In the frame, Stulga and McHarg tallied their second base hits of the contest to bring in three runs for Illinois State. Later in the inning, the Redbirds added three runs following a triple from Junior Graham Mastros and a double from Machej. 

In the bottom of the seventh, Freshman Jackson Natanek made his collegiate debut, entering the contest in relief. Natanek earned his first collegiate strikeout in the frame to close out the victory. 

NOTES 

• Illinois State's 6-2 record to open the 2026 season marks the program's best start through the first eight games since 2019, and matches the best start in the Steve Holm era. 

• The Redbirds' 14 runs are the most scored in a contest this season and the most since Illinois State's 14-4 win in eight innings over Indiana State on May 20, 2025. 

• Illinois State's six-run seventh inning is the most scored in a frame this season, and the most since the Redbirds scored eight in the eighth inning against Indiana State on May 20 last season. 

• Senior Tresdon Rybarczyk made his second start of 2026, tallying three strikeouts in the outing. Rybarczyk's punchout total matches a career best. 

• With an RBI double in the fourth inning, Senior Josh Outlaw extended his hitting streak to six games. 

• Junior Luke Stulga and Graduate Payton McHarg moved their hitting streaks to five games, joining Outlaw as the second and third Redbirds this season to record a hitting streak of five or more games. 

• Redshirt Sophomore Brayden Bakes earned his fourth multi-hit performance of the season with a 2-for-4 outing, including his three-run home run in the sixth inning.  

• Outlaw, Stulga, and Bakes lead the Redbirds with four multi-hit games this season. 

• Junior Graham Mastros recorded his fourth multi-RBI performance with four RBIs in the contest of the season and leads Illinois State with the total. 

• Junior transfer Hunter Stencil made his first career Division I start behind home plate. 

• After scoring on an RBI double in the fifth inning, Sophomore Eric Machej leads the Redbirds with 10 runs this season. Machej became the first Redbird in 2026 to tally double-digit runs scored. 

• Junior Luke Stulga moved his hitting streak to five games, joining Outlaw as the second Redbird this season to record a hitting streak of five or more games. 

• Sophomore Eric Machej notched his third multi-hit performance of the season with a 2-for-4 day in the batter's box. Machej has recorded at least two hits in two of the previous three games. 

• Freshman two-way player Jackson Natanek made his collegiate debut on the mound after entering in relief in the seventh inning and recorded his first career strikeout in the frame. 

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