CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Illinois State baseball program earned a 13-6 victory over Illinois Tuesday evening at Illinois Field in Champaign. The Redbirds improve to 23-17 overall in 2026.
The Redbirds secured their third straight win in the series to record their first three-win streak since the Redbirds claimed three straight wins between 2002-05. The win also marks the first season sweep over the Fighting Illini since 2010.
The Illinois State offense exploded for a season-best 19 hits in the victory. Six Redbirds tallied two or more hits as all nine starters notched a hit in the win for the second time this season and the first since at Saint Louis on March 10.
The Redbirds struck first with a two-out rally in the opening frame as Junior Luke Stulga tripled to right-center field to score Junior Graham Mastros to give the Redbirds an early 1-0 lead. Moments later, Sophomore Louis Bussard followed Stulga's triple with an RBI double to extend the Illinois State advantage to 2-0 after the road half of the first.
In the second, the Redbirds rallied with two outs for the second consecutive inning as Junior Ryan Bakes delivered a two-run blast to give Illinois State a 4-0 lead. Redshirt Sophomore Brayden Bakes followed his brother's home run with a double to set up a Mastros' RBI single to push the Redbird advantage to 5-0.
With singles from Sophomore Louis Bussard and Senior Josh Outlaw, Sophomore Eric Machej delivered his third home run of the season to move the Redbirds' lead to 8-0. Following the Redbirds' second home run of the contest, Junior Michael Carrano Jr. doubled to set up Brayden Bakes for an RBI single to give the Redbirds a 9-0 advantage in the third.
In the home half of the third, the Fighting Illini clawed into the Redbird advantage after a walk and a single set up a three-run home run to cut the Illinois State lead to 9-3.
Following the response from Illinois, the Redbirds bounced back in the top of the fourth as Bussard tallied his second double of the contest to place a runner in scoring position for Illinois State. Moments later, following a walk from Outlaw, Machej recorded his third hit of the contest with an RBI double to make the score 10-3. With two runners on, Carrano Jr. singled up the middle to score a pair of runs and give Illinois State a 12-3 lead.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Fighting Illini pulled a run back with an RBI single after a double earlier in the frame to make the score 12-4.
After a scoreless sixth, the Redbirds added a run in the seventh as Ryan Bakes doubled to center to place a runner in scoring position for Illinois State. Brayden Bakes stepped up and added his third double of the game to score his twin brother to give Illinois State a 13-4 lead.
In the ninth, Illinois clawed two runs in the bottom of the ninth to make the score 13-6 and rallied to load the bases, but former Fighting Illini pitcher Nolan Girard secured the final two outs to secure the Redbird victory.
NOTES
- With the win, Illinois State secures its first season sweep over Illinois since 2010.
- The Redbirds improve to 2-1 against the Big Ten in 2026 in their third matchup of eight with the Big Ten this season.
- First three-game win streak against Illinois since the Redbirds claimed three wins between 2002-05.
- The Redbirds have tallied 45 hits combined in their last three games versus Illinois.
- Illinois State improves to 20-1 in contests with a hit total that surpasses double digits this season.
- The Redbirds recorded 19 hits in the game to surpass 400 hits as a team throughout the 2026 campaign.
- Illinois State's hit total marks a new season-high for a single game.
- With 11 strikeouts, the Redbirds secured their 14th contest with a double-digit strikeout total.
- All nine starters recorded a hit in the contest for the second occasion this season after the Redbirds accomplished the feat earlier this season against Saint Louis.
- Six Redbirds notched two or more hits in the contest
- Sophomore Eric Machej recorded his first four RBI game of his career with three hits. Machej's hit total matches a new career high total.
- Redshirt Sophomore Brayden Bakes tallied his 20th multi-game of the season with four hits in the contest. Brayden Bakes becomes the first Redbird in 2026 to reach 20 multi-hit games.
- With four hits, Brayden Bakes matched a career-best total for hits in a single game and his third four-hit game in 2026.
- Brayden Bakes tallied a career-high double total with three in the game.
- Junior Ryan Bakes delivered his ninth home run of the campaign with a two-run home run in the second inning.
- Sophomore Louis Bussard extended his reached base streak to 11 games with three hits in the game. Bussard matched a career-best with two doubles in the contest.
- Bussard tallied his fifth multi-game of the campaign with his hit total.
- With an RBI triple in the opening frame, Junior Luke Stulga tallied his fifth triple of the campaign. Stulga leads all Missouri Valley Conference hitters with the total this season.
- Freshman Jackson Natanek notched a season-high three strikeouts in the contest.
- Graduate Camden Karczewski, Redshirt Sophomore Brayden Bakes, and Junior Graham Mastros tallied their 40th starts and remain the only Redbirds to start in all contests in 2026.
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