| Probable Starting Pitchers |
| Day |
Illinois |
Indiana |
| Fri. 5:05 p.m. CT |
LHP Andy Fisher (3-1, 3.98) |
RHP Jonathan Stiever (5-1, 2.48) |
| Sat. 1:05 p.m. CT |
RHP Quinn Snarskis (4-1, 3.40) |
LHP Cameron Beauchamp (4-0, 2.97) |
| Sun. 1 p.m. CT |
RHP Ty Weber (4-1, 3.00) |
TBA |
PREVIEW
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The Illinois baseball team travels to No. 15 Indiana for a three-game series Friday-Sunday to start the last half of Big Ten play. The Illini face three of the top five teams in the league over the next three weeks (at Indiana, vs. Ohio State, at Michigan).
Illinois (24-12, 9-3 Big Ten) has fallen back to the NCAA tournament bubble after spending four of the previous seven weeks in the top 25. The Illini went 14-3 in March but are 7-6 in April, including four losses in the last five games.
Indiana (29-9, 7-4 Big Ten) is tied for fifth in the Big Ten with Purdue, who the Hoosiers lost to Wednesday in a nonconference game, and one game back of third-place Illinois in the loss column. Indiana has lost three straight, going 1-2 at Ohio State last weekend.
It will be an interesting matchup in Bloomington, Indiana, as the Hoosiers lead the nation with a 2.45 team ERA and Illinois' Bren Spillane is among the national leaders in nearly every offensive stat category. Spillane leads the nation in batting average (.444), slugging percentage (1.026), OPS (1.564) and ranks in the top five in home runs (3rd, 16), on-base percentage (3rd, .538) and total bases (4th, 120).
There is plenty of other firepower outside of Spillane, as Illinois' Doran Turchin and Zac Taylor both rank in the top eight of the Big Ten in home runs. Turchin has eight to rank fifth and Taylor has seven to rank eighth. Illinois has a Big Ten leading 41 home runs as a team, one ahead of Indiana's 40.
The Friday and Saturday games will be broadcast on BTN2Go and Sunday's game will be televised nationally on Big Ten Network. Dave Loane has the radio call for all three games on the Fighting Illini Sports Network and WDWS 1400-AM.
NOTES
• Illinois is 115-77-1 all-time against Indiana, including 48-43-1 in Bloomington.
• Illinois is 7-7 against Indiana since 2012.
• Illinois lost two of three at Indiana in 2016, the teams' last meeting.
• Illinois has lost three straight series at Indiana dating back to 2008.
• Illinois dropped to No. 57 in the RPI from No. 27 after going 1-4 in the last five games.
• Illinois is 11th in the nation in fielding percentage (.981). Michigan set the Big Ten fielding percentage record of .983 last season.
• Illinois has 10 fewer errors than any other Big Ten team (Illinois 27, Minnesota 37).
• Illinois is 19th in home runs per game (1.14) and 27th in the nation in doubles per game (2.11).
• Illinois leads the Big Ten in home runs (41), one ahead of Indiana (40).
• Illinois is 30th in the nation in slugging percentage (.448).
• Illinois is 18-1 when leading after four innings and 15-1 when leading after three.
• Illinois is 18-4 when scoring first.
• Illinois is 8-2 in one-run games.
• Illinois is 18-3 when scoring five or more runs and 23-7 when scoring three or more runs.
• Illinois is 16-3 when outhitting opponents and 8-9 when being outhit.
• Ben Troike has reached base in all 36 games this season. His current reached base streak is 41 dating back to the final five games of last season, the longest active streak in the Big Ten.
• Bren Spillane's 16 home runs are tied for the most by any Illini outside of the 1990s and tied for fifth all-time.
• Bren Spillane ranks among the NCAA leaders in nearly every major category: 1st batting average (.444), 1st slugging (1.026), 1st OPS (1.564), 3rd HRs (16), 3rd OBP (.538), 4th total bases (120), t-20th doubles (16), t-24th RBIs (46)
• Bren Spillane entered the weekend as the Big Ten leader in batting average, slugging, OBP, OPS, homers and total bases. He ranks second in RBIs, second in doubles, fourth in runs and sixth in steals.
• Bren Spillane is on pace to break the Big Ten record for slugging percentage in a season (.913, Darrin Fletcher, Illinois, 1987). Only 10 players in NCAA history have slugged 1.000 or better for a season and none since 1998 (Kevin Mench, Delaware). Pete Incaviglia (Oklahoma St.) owns the NCAA record of 1.140 in 1985.
• Ryan Thompson is t-14th in the nation and second in the Big Ten in wins (7-2).
• Joey Gerber, who has been up to 97 MPH, is t-4th in the nation with 12 saves. His 12 saves ranks third-most in an Illinois single season, two away from Tyler Jay's record of 14.
• Gerber's 20 career saves are fourth-best in Illinois history (Tyler Jay 24, Jeff Richards 23, Jeff Innis 21).
UP NEXT
Illinois is home for four games next week starting Tuesday against Southern Illinois. The Illini host Ohio State next weekend in a three-game series with the Friday, May 4 game scheduled as the annual Bleacher Bum BBQ. Beer will be sold at the Bleacher Bum BBQ for the first time.
