Feb. 25, 2015
| Game 12: #25 Illinois (6-0-1) at Coastal Carolina (5-2) |
| Game 12 | Monday, March 2, 2015 | 11 a.m. CT |
| Location | Conway, S.C. | Springs Brooks Stadium |
| Live Stats | Monday Gametracker |
| Live Video | Monday Stream |
| G12 Probables | ILL: TBA
CCU: TBA |
Series History | Series tied 2-2 |
| Last Meeting | Illinois won 5-4 (2/22/2014) |
| Streak | Won 1 |
Quick Hits
Illinois (6-0-1) is undefeated through seven games for the first time since 1986 when it started 7-0. It is the sixth time in school history an Illini team has not lost during its first seven games of the season.
The best start ever by Illinois was in 1910 when UI went undefeated with a 14-0 record.
Illinois is 1 of 28 teams without a loss in NCAA Division I baseball entering the third weekend.
Illinois entered the Top-25 rankings this week, checking in at No. 25 in the D1 Baseball poll. It is the first time the Illini have been ranked since the end of the 2009 season on May 4.
The Illini also remained ranked No. 26 in Collegiate Baseball's Top-30 poll, was No. 27 in the NCBWA poll and received votes in College Baseball Central's poll.
The Warren Nolan Power Index (NPI), which rates teams based on their winning percentage and strength of schedule, has the Illini ranked No. 2 overall behind only Ohio (6-0).
Illinois sits in the top 10 in the nation in three pitching categories: No. 3 in WHIP (0.83), No. 4 in hits allowed per nine innings (5.63) and No. 8 in strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.62).
Offensively, Illinois leads the Big Ten in average (.335), runs (50), hits (86), RBI (45), slugging percentage (.428), on-base percentage (.416), total bases (110), walks (36) and stolen bases (11).
In conference pitching categories, the Illini staff leads the Big Ten in ERA (1.97), strikeouts (60), opposing batting average (.179) and innings pitched (64).
At the season-opening Lamar Cardinal Classic, UI's four starting pitchers - Drasen Johnson, Rob McDonnell, John Kravetz and Tyler Jay - combined for a 0.34 ERA over 26.1 innings pitched with 25 strikeouts and only eight hits and three walks.
Illinois allowed a combined seven runs in its first four games, marking the fewest allowed to start the season since 1973 (also 7 runs in first four games).
Chanticleer Classic Preview
Illinois will play five games in four days at the Chanticleer Classic in Myrtle Beach, S.C. The Illini will open the weekend with games against Ball State on Friday and Saturday followed by a doubleheader on Sunday against Kent State and West Virginia, which will all be played at TicketReturn.com Field at Pelicans Ballpark. UI wraps up the event on Monday against Coastal Carolina at Springs Brooks Stadium.
Last Time Out
Illinois went 2-0-1 last weekend with a 13-2 win over Florida Gulf Coast, a 7-6 walk-off win in the first-ever meeting with Fordham and a 4-4 tie due to a travel curfew vs. FGCU.
First Tie Since 2005
Illinois finished in a 4-4 tie with Florida Gulf Coast on Feb. 22 due to a travel curfew on getaway day. Sophomore Pat McInerney notched an RBI single that plated senior Casey Fletcher as the tying run in the top of the ninth, but the two teams were unable to start an inning after 5:45 p.m. local time. It marked the first tie in 10 years under head coach Dan Hartleb. The last time a travel curfew forced an Illini tie was on March 6, 2005, when Illinois and Sam Houston State ended the game 1-1 after 14 innings.
Fletcher's Third Walk-Off
Senior Casey Fletcher earned his third career walk-off RBI in the 7-6 victory over Fordham (2/21) and didn't even have to swing the bat this time. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, a pitch ricocheted off his foot, allowing Jason Goldstein to score. Last season, the Illini right fielder had walk-off hits in consecutive games against Michigan State (May 3-4, 2014).
Jay Closes and Starts
Junior Tyler Jay is 2-0 with 13 strikeouts in four appearances (11 IP) in 2015. He picked up the save in his season debut on Saturday against New Mexico State (2/14) and won his first career start on Sunday against Lamar (2/15). He also collected the win in relief against Fordham (2/21). Jay is tied with Mike Munson (1985-87) for seventh in school history with 11 career saves. Jeff Richards (1987-90) holds the school record with 23 saves.
McDonnell Big Ten Award
Redshirt-senior Rob McDonnell was voted Big Ten Pitcher of the Week for the first time in his career on Feb. 16. He racked up a career-high 10 strikeouts in seven scoreless innings against New Mexico State (2/14). He needed just 77 pitches to work through the longest outing of his career.
Kravetz Reaches 20 Career Wins
Senior John Kravetz is the 13th pitcher in school history to win 20 or more career games. He is in a six-way tie for eighth place on the Illinois all-time list. Mark Dressen (1989-92) and current pitching coach Drew Dickinson (1999-02) hold the school record with 30 career wins.
Johnson Finally Gets Support
Last season, redshirt-senior Drasen Johnson received the lowest run support on the Illini with only 2.4 runs per game. The Chillicothe, Illinois, native threw 6.2 scoreless innings in his season debut, but the offense did not score a run during his outing. In his second start, the offense exploded for 10 runs over the seven innings he was on the mound, as Johnson earned his first win of the season.
Club 300
Seven out of nine players in Illinois' starting lineup are hitting above .300 through seven games. Senior David Kerian (.500) is leading the way with nine hits in 18 at-bats followed by Reid Roper (.464), Casey Fletcher (.417), Pat McInerney (.389), Ryan Nagle (.333), Adam Walton (.313) and Ryne Roper (.310).
Streaking Illini
Nine Illini are currently on a hitting streak, led by three players - Adam Walton, Casey Fletcher and Pat McInerney - with hits in each of the last six games. Reid Roper his hit in five straight, while David Kerian has a hit in his last four.
Who's Gone Yard?
Illinois has hit three home runs so far this season and has only allowed two homers. Sophomore Pat McInerney and junior Jason Goldstein went deep in the ninth inning at Lamar (2/15), while senior David Kerian crushed a bomb at Swanson Stadium against Florida Gulf Coast (2/22).
When Do the Runs Come?
The Illini are outscoring their opponents 50-19 on the season and have cumulatively scored a run in every inning 1-10. UI boasts nine runs in the ninth inning, which ranks as its highest scoring stanza this year. Defensively, the Orange and Blue have yet to allow a run in innings two, four and seven.
