| Probable Starting Pitchers |
| Day |
Illinois |
Northwestern |
| Fri. 3 p.m. |
RHP Quinn Snarskis (2-0, 3.46) |
LHP Quinn Lavelle (2-1, 2.37) |
| Sat. 2 p.m. |
LHP Andy Fisher (1-0, 3.60) |
RHP Hank Christie (2-2, 5.56) |
| Sun. 1 p.m. |
RHP Ty Weber (3-1, 2.97) |
LHP Jack Pagliarini (1-1, 3.26) |
PREVIEW
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. --Â The No. 24-ranked Illinois baseball team begins conference play this weekend with a trip to Northwestern. The Illini are looking to win their seventh straight series against Northwestern dating back to 2011.
Illinois (12-5) has not visited Evanston since 2014, a place where the Illini are 78-55 all-time. This will be Illinois' first trip to newly-renovated Rocky and Berenice Miller Park.
The Illini are one of the hottest teams in the nation offensively thanks to Bren Spillane, perhaps the hottest hitter in the NCAA. Spillane has hit .647 (11-17) in the last four games, including five homers, three doubles, 14 RBIs, 29 total bases, a .684 on-base percentage and a 1.706 slugging percentage, while claiming last week's Big Ten Player of the Week and Wednesday's D1Baseball.com Player of the Day awards.
Illinois is hitting .306 as a team with a .512 slugging percentage on 60 extra-base hits in the last 13 games. During the 11-2 run, the Illini are outscoring opponents by four runs per game (8.31-4.31).
Northwestern (7-8) has won four of its last five, including taking two of three from Central Michigan last weekend. The Wildcats lost two of three at Kansas and three of four at nationally-ranked Texas in their games against Power 5 competition
All three games will be streamed on BTN2Go and available on WDWS radio and the Fighting Illini Sports Network with Dave Loane on the call.Â
NOTES
• Illinois is ranked No. 24 in the nation by Baseball America and No. 22 by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. The Illini are unranked in the D1Baseball.com poll. Illinois is 34th in the RPI.
• Illinois is outscoring its opponents by 2.88 runs per game (7.35-4.47).
• Illinois' five losses have been by a combined nine runs. No loss has been by more than two runs.
• Illinois is ninth in the nation in fielding percentage (.983). USC leads the nation at .990.
• Illinois is fifth in the nation in doubles per game (2.71). Tennessee Tech leads the nation at 3.20.
• Illinois is 10-0 when leading after four innings.
• Illinois is 10-2 when scoring first.
• Illinois is 11-1 when scoring five or more.
• Illinois has scored in 38 percent of innings, including scoring 2+ in 20 percent of innings and 3+ in 13 percent.
• Illinois leads the Big Ten and is 21st in the nation in home runs per game (1.18).
• Illinois is issuing 3.82 walks per game after allowing 5.33 walks per game in 2017.
• Illinois in the last 13 games: 11-2 record, .306 team batting average, .512 team slugging percentage, 60 extra-base hits (42 doubles, 2 triples, 16 homers), seven errorless games, outscored opponents 108-56 (8.31-4.31)
• Illinois is right at the pace for the team record for doubles. The record is 153 set in 1998, so at the current pace (2.71) the Illini would need to play 57 games this season to eclipse the mark.
• Three of Illinois' top five players in the lineup have reached base in every game this season: Leadoff man Zac Taylor, No. 2 hitter Ben Troike and No. 5 hitter Michael Massey. Troike's and Massey's reached base streaks are both 22 games when going back to last season. Taylor's streak is 27 games when counting his final season at Houston (2016).
• Bren Spillane's last four games: .647 (11-17), 5 HR, 3 2B, 14 RBI, 29 total bases, .684 on-base percentage, 1.706 slugging percentage, Big Ten Player of the Week (March 19), D1Baseball.com Player of the Day (March 21)
• In the last four games, Spillane has had a three-homer game at SIU (first Illini since Casey Fletcher vs. SIU in 2014) and an eight-RBI game against CSUN (first Illini since Christ Robinson vs. MacMurray in 2004).
• Bren Spillane is the Big Ten leader and ranks in the top 15 in the nation in six major offensive categories (Big Ten/NCAA): .985 slugging (1/2), .439 batting average (1/15), 65 totals bases (1/5), 10 doubles (1/10), 8 homers (1/12), 29 RBIs (1/9)
• Ryan Thompson is tied for the 11th in the nation in wins (4-1). Indiana's Cal Krueger (5-1) is the only reliever in the nation with more wins than Thompson.
• Closer Joey Gerber, who has been up to 97 MPH, is 38th in the nation with four saves.
• The Illini have won three straight Big Ten Player of the Week awards for the third time in program history.
           » Spillane (3/19): 9-15, 3 HRs, 6 RBIs in four games, including 8-10 doubleheader and three-HR game at SIU
           » Turchin (3/12): Reached 12 of 15 times during three games in Greenville, S.C. (5 hits, 7 walks)
           » Massey (3/5): DQ Classic/Big Ten-Pac-12 Challenge MVP after hitting .500 in three wins
• The Illini are the fourth team ever to have three different players win Big Ten Player of the Week before the end of March, joining Indiana in 2014 (Kyle Schwarber, Casey Rodrigue, Dustin DeMuth), Purdue in 2011 (Barrett Serrato, Angelo Cianfrocco, Tyler Spillner) and Indiana in 2005 (Joe Kemp, Jay Brant, Zach Boswell).
UP NEXT
Illinois travels to Bradley for a nonconference game Tuesday before its first Big Ten home series Friday-Sunday against Iowa.
