| Probable Starting Pitchers |
| Day |
Illinois |
Valparaiso |
| Tue. 6 p.m. CT |
RHP Ryan Schmitt (1-1, 5.48) |
LHP Michael Mommersteeg (1-0, 10.03) |
PREVIEW
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The Illinois baseball team continues its nine-game homestand Tuesday when Valparaiso comes to Illinois Field. It is the fifth game of the homestand that Illinois has started 4-0 as part of a five-game winning streak.
Illinois (23-8, 9-3 Big Ten), who has been without leading hitter Bren Spillane for two games, swept Rutgers over the weekend to move to third place in the Big Ten. The Illini are hitting .279 as a team and slugging .467, the 16th-best mark in the nation.
Valparaiso (11-19, 2-4 Missouri Valley) is coming off a weekend split against Michigan State. Valpo is hitting .291 as a team and scoring 6.9 runs per game, but the pitching staff has a 6.31 team ERA and .307 batting average against.
The game will be broadcast on BTN2Go. Dave Loane will have the radio call on the Fighting Illini Sports Network and WDWS 1400-AM.Â
NOTES
• Illinois and Valpo met 18 times from 1946-65 and only once since (1981).
• Illinois is 16-3 all-time against Valparaiso, including 12-1 in Champaign.Â
• Illinois has won 22 of its last 27 games.
• Illinois was No. 27 in the RPI as of Monday, one spot behind Indiana, the top RPI team in the Big Ten.
• Illinois is ranked No. 25 by Baseball America and No. 17 by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.
• Illinois is outscoring its opponents by two runs per game (6.8-4.8).
• Illinois has 12 fewer errors than any other Big Ten team (Illinois 21, Minnesota 33). Illinois' 21 errors are tied for the fourth-fewest in the nation behind Yale (16, USC (18) and Vanderbilt (20).
• Illinois is sixth in the nation in fielding percentage (.983). Michigan set the Big Ten fielding percentage record of .983 last season.
• Illinois is ninth in the nation in doubles per game (2.29) and 16th in home runs per game (1.19)
• Illinois is 16th in the nation in slugging percentage (.467).
• Illinois is tied for the Big Ten lead in home runs with Indiana (37).
• Illinois is 17-1 when leading after four innings.
• Illinois is 17-3 when scoring first.
• Illinois is 7-1 in one-run games.
• Illinois is 18-2 when scoring five or more runs and 22-4 when scoring three or more runs.
• Illinois is 16-1 when outhitting opponents and 7-7 when being outhit.
• Ben Troike has reached base in all 31 games this season. His current reached base streak is 36 dating back to the final five games of last season, the longest active streak in the Big Ten.
• Bren Spillane was named Perfect Game/Rawlings and D1Baseball Midseason National Player of the Year.
• Bren Spillane is the only Big Ten Player on the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List.
• Bren Spillane is one home run away from joining Illinois' single-season top-10 list. He already has 109 total bases, 30 away from Illinois' single-season top-10 list.
• Bren Spillane ranks among the NCAA leaders in nearly every major category: 1st slugging (1.038), 1st OPS (1.578), t-3rd HRs (14), 2nd batting average (.457), 3rd OBP (.540), t-15th doubles (15), t-14th RBIs (43)
• Bren Spillane entered the week as the Big Ten leader in batting average, slugging, OBP, OPS, homers, RBIs and total bases. He ranks second in doubles, fifth in hits, sixth in runs and sixth in steals.
• Ryan Thompson is t-5th in the nation in wins (7-2).
• Joey Gerber, who has been up to 97 MPH, is t-4th in the nation with 11 saves. His 11 saves ranks t-3rd most in an Illinois single season, three away from Tyler Jay's record of 14.
• Gerber's 19 career saves are fourth-best in Illinois history (Tyler Jay 24, Jeff Richards 23, Jeff Innis 21).
UP NEXT
Illinois has an eventful week planned with alumni weekend against Grand Canyon up next. Honor and Serve Day is scheduled for Saturday at 3 p.m. CT and the fan-favorite Bark in the Park is scheduled for Sunday at 11 a.m. CT.
