| Probable Starting Pitchers |
| Day |
Illinois |
Northwestern |
| Fri., 7 p.m. CT |
RHP Ty Weber (2-3, 4.34) |
LHP Cooper Wetherbee (1-1, 2.19) |
| Sat., 3 p.m. CT |
RHP Cyrillo Watson (1-2, 5.61) |
RHP Hank Christie (1-4, 6.38) |
| Sun., 1 p.m. CT |
TBA |
LHP Matt Gannon (0-2, 4.74) |
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- A three-game series between the Illinois baseball team and Northwestern kicks off Friday with a 7 p.m. CT showdown on Big Ten Network. The series finishes with single games Saturday (3 p.m. CT) and Sunday (1 p.m. CT).
Illinois (12-18, 1-5 Big Ten) is in the midst of its best stretch of the season, winning six of its last eight games. The young Illini team, which will start two freshmen pitchers in the first two games this weekend, won its first Big Ten game last Sunday over No. 18 Michigan.
Freshmen Ty Weber and Cyrillo Watson will start on the mound for the Illini Friday and Saturday, a change to the Illinois rotation. It will be Weber's first career Friday night start and Watson's first Saturday start.
Weber has been the Illini's most consistent pitcher all year. He leads the team in innings pitched (47 2/3) and strikeouts (32) and has the best ERA (4.34) among starters.
Watson has been some of the best numbers of the Illini in the last month. Since starting the season with a 9.82 ERA through six outings, Watson has going 18 1/3 innings, allowing eight earned runs for 3.93 ERA in the last month.
Northwestern (12-20, 2-4 Big Ten) has had a similar year to the Illini, as it got off to a slow start but has won six of the last eight games. The Wildcats take a four-game winning streak to Illinois Field, including a series win over Iowa last weekend.
All three games of the series can be heard on WDWS 1400-AM and FightingIllini.com After Friday's game on BTN, Saturday and Sunday will be live streamed on FightingIllini.com.
BUNNY AT THE BALLPARK
• Illinois Athletics will host "Bunny at the Ballpark" Saturday at Illinois Field. The Fighting Illini Bunny will be in attendance for pictures and more fun! Directly after the game, Illinois Athletics will invite all families to join the Bunny in an egg hunt on the field.
• The Fighting Illini Bunny will be in attendance again at Illinois Field on Sunday. The Bunny will be hosting postgame wiffle ball for all youth Illini fans.
NOTES
• Illinois has won six of its last eight games, the best stretch of the season for the Illini.
• The Illini have won eight straight games over the Northwestern and 13 of the last 14 dating back to 2011. Illinois has won each of the last five series between the teams.
• 234 1/3 of Illinois' 263 innings pitched have been by freshmen or sophomores (89.1%).
• 189 of Illinois' 262 hits have been by freshmen or sophomores (72.1%). Freshmen have 58 hits, all by Michael Massey and Ben Troike.
• Illinois has outhit opponents or hits have been even in 18 of 30 games.
• Illinois is 5-15 when scoring six or fewer runs. Five of the last six wins have come with six or fewer runs.
• The Illini are 7-8 in games decided by two or fewer runs, but have won five of their last six two-run games.
• Pat McInerney NCAA ranks: home runs per game (10th, 0.37); home runs (14th, 11); slugging percentage (30th, .678); total bases (55th, 78) He is second in the Big Ten in those categories.
• McInerney has already surpassed his home run total from last year (7) with 11 homers in 2017. He has 24 career home runs (freshman 1, sophomore 5, junior 7, senior 11).
• Illinois has already hit 32 home runs in 2017 after hitting 27 in all of 2016.
• The Illini ranks 33rd in the nation and third in the Big Ten in home runs per game (1.07). Michigan State leads the Big Ten at 1.10.
• Illinois has started freshman shortstop Ben Troike and freshman second baseman Michael Massey during every game. Troike and Massey are the only Illini to start every game at the same position.
• Michael Massey ranks third in the nation among freshmen in strikeout rate (15.0 AB/SO) and is the 25th toughest player to strikeout in the nation.
• Ben Troike ranks 14th in the nation in strikeout rate among freshmen (10.0 AB/SO).
• Illinois is 25th in the nation and third in the Big Ten with 1.03 in double plays per game.
UP NEXT
Illinois hosts Western Michigan next Tuesday before a trip to West Lafayette, Indiana, to face Purdue during the weekend.
