| Probable Starting Pitchers |
| Day |
Illinois |
Southern Illinois |
| Sat. G1 |
RHP Quinn Snarskis (1-0, 2.70) |
RHP Michael Baird (1-1, 2.42) |
| Sat. G2 |
LHP Andy Fisher (1-0, 3.20) |
LHP Jamison Steege (1-1, 3.42) |
| Sun. |
RHP Ty Weber (2-1, 3.63) |
LHP Brad Harrison (3-0, 1.13) |
SCHEDULE
Note: Illinois and Southern Illinois were scheduled to play Friday, but the weather forecast forced the teams to reschedule to a Saturday doubleheader.
Saturday
12 p.m. CT - Illinois at SIU (doubleheader)
Saturday
1 p.m. CT - Illinois at SIU
PREVIEW
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The No. 24 Illinois baseball team takes a trip this weekend to Carbondale to face Southern Illinois in three games Saturday-Sunday. The series was originally scheduled for Friday-Sunday, but with rain in the forecast for Friday the teams opted for a Saturday doubleheader.
Illinois (9-4) has won eight of its last nine games, including a 9-4 home-opening win Wednesday over Milwaukee. The Illini are batting .286 as a team in the last nine games with 42 extra-base hits and six errorless games.
Illinois entered the Baseball America top 25 last week for the first time since its 50-win 2015 season. The Illini are No. 24 by Baseball America, No. 25 by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and receiving votes in the NCBWA poll.
Southern Illinois (8-9) owns a .285 team batting average and 4.05 team ERA but has allowed 23 unearned runs, compared to the Illini's four unearned runs allowed. The Salukis' starting pitching has been exceptional in 2018 with Michael Baird (1-1, 2.42 ERA), Jamison Steege (1-1, 3.42) and Brad Harrison (3-0, 1.13 ERA) getting the weekend starts. Baird, a tall right-hander, took a no-hitter into the ninth against Illinois in 2016 and beat Illinois again in 2017 by allowing just three runs in eight innings.
All three games will be streamed on ESPN3 and available on WDWS radio and the Fighting Illini Sports Network with Dave Loane on the call. It is the first road trip of the season for Loane, who is in the booth for his 30th season of Illini baseball.
NOTES
• Illinois head coach Dan Hartleb played at Southern Illinois and began his coaching career with the Salukis.
• Illinois is fourth in the nation in fielding percentage (.986).
• Illinois is seventh in the nation in doubles per game (2.69).
• Illinois is 8-0 when leading after four innings.
• Illinois is 7-1 when scoring first.
• Illinois leads the Big Ten and is 24th in the nation in home runs per game (1.08).
• Illinois in the last nine games: eight wins, .286 team batting average, .490 team slugging percentage, 42 extra-base hits, six errorless games
• Ryan Thompson is tied for the national lead in wins (4). Thompson (0.79 ERA, 11.1 IP) and Oregon's Parker Kelly (0.00 ERA, 14.0 IP) are the only relievers in the nation that are 4-0 this season.
• Bren Spillane is third in the Big Ten in slugging percentage (.735), Doran Turchin ranks sixth (.578) and Ben Troike ranks seventh (.577).
• Spillane is 17th in the nation in doubles per game (0.52).
• Closer Joey Gerber, who has been up to 97 MPH, is 24th in the nation with four saves.
• Illinois beat three of the last six NCAA champions in a span of four games Feb. 24-March 3. Feb. 24 vs. Coastal Carolina (2016), March 2 vs. UCLA (2013), March 3 vs. Arizona (2012)
• The Illini have won two Big Ten Player of the Week awards before the end of March for the third time since the conference began giving out nonconference season awards in 2002 (2009, 2010, 2018). Turchin won the award after reaching 12 of 15 times in Greenville, and Massey was the player of the week after earned DQ Classic/Big Ten-Pac-12 Challenge MVP honors by hitting .500 in three wins.
UP NEXT
Illinois plays two midweek games next week before a weekend trip to Northwestern to start Big Ten Play. The Illini travel Tuesday to Illinois State and host Cal State Northridge on Wednesday.
