| Probable Starting Pitchers |
| Day |
Illinois |
Michigan |
| Fri., 3 p.m. CT |
RHP Cole Bellair (1-2, 6.91) |
LHP Oliver Jaskie (4-1, 3.38) |
| Sat., 1 p.m. CT |
RHP Ty Weber (2-2, 3.80) |
RHP Ryan Nutof (2-1, 5.84) |
| Sun., 12 p.m. CT |
TBA |
LHP Michael Hendrickson (3-0, 2.94) |
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The Illinois baseball team will take its four-game winning streak to Ann Arbor, Michigan, this weekend to face No. 18 Michigan in a three-game series. It will be the Illini's first Big Ten action in two weeks.
Illinois (10-16, 0-3 Big Ten) swept Indiana State last weekend and beat Missouri on Tuesday for the team's first winning streak of the season. The Illini's pitching staff has led the way, allowing only 2.5 runs per game over the last four wins. All four wins have been when Illinois scored six or less runs after the team started the year 0-14 when scoring less than six.
Michigan (23-6, 4-2 Big Ten) is riding a seven-game winning streak and a four-game winning streak in Big Ten games. The Wolverines lost their first two conference games of the year to Maryland, before bouncing back to win Game 3 against the Terrapins and follow with a sweep of Penn State last weekend.
Pitching has key for Michigan, as the team has a 3.07 ERA. Opponents hit just .228 against the Wolverines.
Illinois will start Cole Bellair and Ty Weber for the first two games of the series, but have a hole in its third starting spot after Luke Shilling left his last start with an injury. Shilling's status for Sunday is uncertain so that starting spot is to be announced.
All three games in Ann Arbor will be aired on WDWS 1400-AM with audio also available on FightingIllini.com. Saturday's and Sunday's games will be broadcast on BTN Plus (subscribe).
NOTES
• Illinois visits Ann Arbor, Michigan, for the first time since 2011 to take on the nationally-ranked Wolverines.
• Illinois is looking for its first series win at Michigan since 2003, when the Illini took three of four games. Illinois split 2-2 with Michigan in 2007 and 2009 and has lost series in Ann Arbor in 2004 and 2011.
• Illinois was one of the charter members of Big Ten baseball, playing during the 1896 season along with Chicago, Michigan and Wisconsin.
• Illinois is second all-time with 30 Big Ten titles, behind only Michigan's 35.
• Illinois is 50-23 in Big Ten games in the last three years.
• Illinois has won four straight games, its first time winning multiple games in a row this season.
• 206 2/3 of Illinois' 228 innings pitched have been by freshmen or sophomores (90.6%).
• 165 of Illinois' 228 hits have been by freshmen or sophomores (72.4%). Freshmen have 52 hits, all by Michael Massey and Ben Troike.
• Illinois has outhit opponents in 16 of 26 games.
• Illinois is 4-14 when scoring six or fewer runs. All four of those wins have been in the last four games.
• The Illini are 5-7 in games decided by two or fewer runs, but have won three straight.
• Pat McInerney NCAA ranks: home runs per game (4th, 0.42); home runs (6th, 11); slugging percentage (14th, .727); total bases (40th, 72); RBIs per game (95th, 1.00). He leads the Big Ten in homers and slugging.
UP NEXT
Illinois travels to Normal, Illinois, next Tuesday to face Illinois State. The Illini host Northwestern April 14-16 at Illinois Field.
