NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State baseball program is set to open conference play as it hosts Belmont in a three-game series beginning on Friday, March 20, at Duffy Bass Field.
The Redbirds begin Missouri Valley Conference play in 2026 after recording a 15-12 record last season. The win total marks the first time in program history that Illinois State has tallied 15 or more wins in league play.
Last season, the Redbirds captured two wins in a three-game set to secure the regular-season series before Belmont defeated Illinois State 7-3 in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament in Normal last May. Since the Bruins joined the MVC, the Redbirds have led the series 13-11, while the all-time series is even at 14-14.
Illinois State enters Valley play after extending its winning streak to six games with a 6-5 mid-week victory over SIUE on Wednesday afternoon at Duffy Bass Field. In the win, Redshirt Sophomore Brayden Bakes tallied a season-best hit total with four hits and stood a double shy of hitting for the cycle. Bakes leads all Redbirds with 13 games with two or more hits. Junior Luke Stulga added a pair of hits in the victory, including his second home run of the season with a three-run home run in the first inning.
Redshirt Sophomore Carson Cormier earned his first victory in Illinois State colors after tossing a career-best 4.2 innings in relief out of the Redbird bullpen. Cormier added a career-high six strikeouts to earn the win.
Belmont heads to Normal following a 7-2 defeat to Western Kentucky on Wednesday. 29th-year head coach Dave Jarvis leads the Bruins and has recorded over 800 victories during his tenure. Senior infielder Charlie Davis headlines the Bruin offense with a team-best .356 batting average and 32 hits this season.
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