University of Illinois
Ohio State
Games 45-47: #6 @IlliniBaseball at #23 Ohio State
April 30, 2015 | Baseball
Big Ten Series Showdown Set for Columbus This Weekend
| #6 Illinois (37-6-1, 13-1 Big Ten) at #23 Ohio State (31-10, 12-3 Big Ten) | |
|---|---|
| Game 45 | Friday, May 1, 2015 | 5:35 p.m. CT |
| Game 46 | Saturday, May 2, 2015 | 2:05 p.m. CT |
| Game 47 | Sunday, May 3, 2015 | 12:05 p.m. CT |
| Location | Columbus, Ohio | Bill Davis Stadium |
| Mobile Live Stats | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| Gametracker | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| Live Video | Friday on BTN Plus | Saturday on BTN Plus | Sunday on BTN Plus |
| Radio | WDWS AM 1400 |
| Live Audio | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| Game Notes | Illinois | Ohio State |
| Friday Starters | ILL: Jr. LHP Kevin Duchene (7-1, 0.74 ERA) OSU: So. LHP Tanner Tully (4-2, 2.76 ERA) |
| Saturday Starters | ILL: r-Sr. RHP Drasen Johnson (6-2, 2.11 ERA) OSU: So. RHP Travis Lakins (3-2, 3.31 ERA) |
| Sunday Starters | ILL: Sr. RHP John Kravetz (4-0, 2.92 ERA) OSU: Sr. LHP Ryan Riga (5-2, 1.87 ERA) |
| Series History | Ohio State leads 101-96-2 |
| Games in Columbus | Ohio State leads 55-41-2 |
| Last Meeting | Illinois won 6-5 in Big Ten Tournament (5/22/2014) |
| Series Streak | Won 1 |
| Interviews | Coach Hartleb | Coach Dickinson |
| Social Media | @IlliniBaseball  | #Illini | @IlliniBaseball  | Facebook  | YouTube  |
Quick Hits
Illinois is off to its best start in school history with a 37-6-1 record. The previous best UI mark after 44 games was 34-10 in 1989 under Augie Garrido.
Illinois boasts the No. 1 winning percentage (0.852) in NCAA Division I Baseball and third-most wins (37) and behind Texas A&M (38-7) and LSU (38-7). The Illini also own the third-best road record (14-2-1).
With 37 wins, the Illini have equaled their seventh-most wins in a season. The school record for victories is 49 in 1982.
Illinois is on a school-record 18-game winning streak, which is the longest active winning streak in the country. It is the second-longest streak in the NCAA this year behind Texas A&M (24).
The Illini are more than halfway to the NCAA record winning streak of 34 owned by Texas (1977) and Florida Atlantic (1999).
Illinois has outscored its opponents 141-57 during its 18-game winning streak. The Illini boast a .296 average and 2.35 ERA during that span. UI has overcome a deficit in 11 of the 18 games.
Illinois also has won 12 consecutive conference games and started Big Ten action 13-1 for the second time in school history. The only other time both those feats were accomplished was in 1911 under head coach George Huff.
The Illini sit in first place atop the Big Ten standings at 13-1 followed by Iowa (13-2) in second and Ohio State (12-3) in third.
With their 7-5 win at SIU on Tuesday (April 28), the Illini finished a perfect 16-0 in April and notched an unblemished 9-0 mark in midweek tilts.
Illinois is ranked No. 6 in the Perfect Game Top 25, marking the highest ranking in program history. It is the third straight week the Illini are ranked in the Top 10.
UI also is ranked No. 7 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll and No. 8 by D1Baseball.com, NCBWA, Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball, meaning Illinois is ranked in all six polls for the sixth straight week.
UI sits in the top 10 in the nation in four pitching categories: No. 2 in walks allowed per nine innings (1.88) and No. 3 in strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.07), No. 4 in WHIP (1.09) and No. 5 in ERA (2.31).
The Illini also rank third in the country with 3.0 runs allowed per game and fifth with a +3.5 scoring margin.
Illinois is tied for first in the Big Ten with 38 home runs, while senior David Kerian is the top B1G player with 10 homers. UI leads the conference with a .424 slugging percentage and 661 total bases.
Series History with Ohio State
Illinois won 6-5 in the last meeting with Ohio State, knocking the Buckeyes out of the 2014 Big Ten Tournament at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska. UI and OSU did not meet during the 2014 regular season. The Illini have won 9 of the last 14 meetings dating back to 2010, including three series victories from 2010-12. Ohio State won the last series between the two teams in 2013, taking two out of three in Columbus. Head coach Dan Hartleb is 14-14 in 28 career games against OSU.
Last Time Out
In its final midweek game of the year, No. 6 Illinois completed a perfect month and extended its school-record winning streak to 18 games with a 7-5 victory over Southern Illinois. The Illini finished 16-0 in April and notched an unblemished 9-0 mark in midweek tilts. The Orange and Blue tallied their seven runs and 10 of their 11 hits in the first five innings. On his birthday, starter Rob McDonnell improved to 6-1 with six strikeouts over six solid innings.
School-Record Winning Streak
By winning its last 18 games, the 2015 Fighting Illini set the single-season winning streak program record. The longest winning streak across seasons in Illinois baseball history is 19 games spanning 1909-11.
Stats Behind the Streak
Senior Casey Fletcher is hitting a team-high .397 with 20 runs and 10 RBI during the 18-game winning streak. Jason Goldstein (.382) and David Kerian (.348) each have hit four homers during the streak, while the Illini have hit 18 as a team. Ryan Nagle (.329) and Adam Walton (.301) are both hitting over .300 during it.
Best UI Record after 44 Games
Illinois is off to its best start in school history with a 37-6-1 record after 44 games. Below are the previous top-five records at this point in the season and the overall record at the end of that year.
1. 37-6-1: 2015
2. 34-10: 1989 (Finished 42-16)
3. 32-12: 1985 (Finished 46-21)
4. 30-14: 1982 (Finished 49-23)
30-14: 1990 (Finished 43-21)
30-14: 2002 (Finished 32-19)
7th-Most UI Wins in a Season
Through 44 games, Illinois is tied for the seventh-most wins in program history. Below is a list of the winningest seasons in school history. Illinois, which boasts 10 all-time NCAA Tournament appearances, reached a regional in four of those years.
1. 49-23: 1982
2. 46-21: 1985
3. 43-21: 1990 (South II Regional)
4. 42-21: 1998 (South I Regional)
42-16: 1989 (Northeast Regional)
6. 41-23: 2000 (Clemson Regional)
7. 37-6-1: 2015
37-22: 1996
Hartleb Nearing Huff in Wins
University of Illinois 10th-year head coach Dan Hartleb has coached in 540 games as an Illini and currently ranks fourth in school history with 313 wins. He earned his 300th career win in a 17-2 rout of Northwestern on April 5 and is now one win shy of tying George Huff for third on the school's all-time list. The top-four winningest coaches at Illinois are listed below:
1. Lee Eilbracht 518-395-6 (27 seasons: 1952-78)
2. Itch Jones 474-373-1 (15 seasons: 1991-05)
3. George Huff 314-97-4 (23 seasons: 1896-19)
4. Dan Hartleb 313-226-1 (10 seasons: 2006-present)
Home Sweet Home
The Orange and Blue have won 11 consecutive games at Illinois Field and are 17-2 at home this season. The Illini have six more home games scheduled, which would equal the most games played (25) at Illinois Field in a season from 1998.
Duchene, Jay on National Pitcher of the Year Watch List
Junior starter Kevin Duchene (0.74) and closer Tyler Jay (0.78) rank second and third, respectively, in the NCAA in ERA. Both Illini hurlers were named to the National College Baseball Hall of Fame initial watch list for the Pitcher of the Year award. Jay also leads the nation in WHIP at 0.63.
Illini Pitchers in Big Ten Stats
Five Illinois pitchers rank in the Big Ten's Top 12 ERA leaders. Kevin Duchene leads the conference with a 0.74 ERA followed by Tyler Jay (0.78) in second, Rob McDonnell (2.05) in sixth, Drasen Johnson (2.11) in seventh and John Kravetz (2.92) in 12th.
Four Illinois pitchers rank in the Big Ten's Top 15 opposing batting average leaders. Tyler Jay (.163) leads the league followed by Rob McDonnell (.212) in fourth, Drasen Johnson (.236) in 12th and Kevin Duchene (.238) in 15th.
Jay's Midseason Accolades
Junior closer Tyler Jay was picked to the NCBWA midseason Stopper of the Year watch list, midseason USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award watch list and named a midseason All-American on D1Baseball.com. He ranks third in the nation with a 0.78 ERA and boasts a 5-1 record as the closer. He also has eight saves (2nd in Big Ten), giving him 18 for his career, which is third-most in school history.
The Lemont, Illinois, native has 19 scoreless appearances out of 21 total to go along with 53 strikeouts and four walks (13.25-to-1 ratio), which ranks fourth in the nation. He is limiting opponents to a .163 average in 46 innings pitched. His 1.68 career ERA is the best in Illinois history and sixth among active NCAA players, while he boasts the third-fewest hits allowed per nine innings (5.33) for his career. His 18 career saves is 31st among active players in the NCAA.
Illini Starting Rotation Stats
Illinois' weekend rotation - Kevin Duchene, Drasen Johnson and John Kravetz - is 17-3 with a combined 1.94 ERA (44 ER in 203.2 innings pitched). They also have a combined 159 strikeouts compared to 23 walks for a 6.9 ratio.
Duchene's Dominant on Friday
Junior Kevin Duchene sits second in the nation with a 0.74 ERA, third with a 13.40 strikeout-to-walk-ratio and fifth with 0.74 walks allowed per nine innings. He has fanned eight or more five times, including a season-high 10 punch outs against Northwestern. His 7-1 record is tops on the team and third in the Big Ten, while his 67 strikeouts sit second in the conference. Duchene's 1.84 career ERA ranks second in school history, while his 20-3 (.870) career record is the third-best winning percentage all-time by an Illini pitcher.
Johnson Eats Up Innings
Redshirt-senior Drasen Johnson has been a workhorse for the Illini starting staff after moving into the rotation last season. Johnson is 6-2 with a 2.11 ERA and leads the Big Ten with 81 innings pitched over 11 starts. He has the teams only two complete games this year. The Chillicothe, Illinois, native made every start last season and led the Illini with 96 innings pitched. He spent his first two seasons in the bullpen, throwing 39 innings in 2012 and 29.1 innings in 2013. He is 12th in school history with 245.1 innings pitched.
Career Numbers for Kravetz
Senior John Kravetz is 23-7 with 318 innings pitched in his career. He ranks eighth on the Illinois all-time wins list and third in career innings pitched. Mark Dressen (1989-92) and current pitching coach Drew Dickinson (1999-02) hold the school record with 30 career wins, while Kevin Johnson owns the top spot with 334 IP. Among active players in NCAA Division I Baseball, Kravetz ranks 10th in games started (52), 12th in innings pitched (318) and 13th in wins (23).
Double-Digit Hitting Streaks
Four Illini have turned in career-best double-digit hitting streaks this season: David Kerian (18), Ryan Nagle (15), Jason Goldstein (15) and Casey Fletcher (12).
Kerian, Illini Dig the Long Ball
Illinois has blown by its home run total from last season (21 HR in 53 games) and is tied for first in the Big Ten with 38 home runs. Senior David Kerian leads the Big Ten with a career-high 10 bombs (35th in NCAA), which is the most by an Illini since Willie Argo hit 12 in 2009. Kerian also leads the team with a .587 slugging percentage (2nd in Big Ten).
Reid Roper and Jason Goldstein are next with six homers followed by Pat McInerney and Matthew James with four dingers, Adam Walton and Casey Fletcher each with three and Ryne Roper and Ryan Nagle with one.
Walton on Wallace Watch List
Redshirt-sophomore Adam Walton was named to the initial watch list for the 2015 Brooks Wallace Shortstop of the Year Award. Walton is hitting .302 with 38 runs (8th in Big Ten), three home runs and 21 RBI to go along with 132 assists (6th in Big Ten) in the field.
Dual Threat Reid Roper
Redshirt-senior Reid Roper is hitting .303 as the starting second baseman while also tallying a save in four appearances out of the bullpen. He leads the team with 38 RBI (4th in Big Ten), four triples (T-4th in Big Ten) this year and is tied for eighth in school history with 11 career saves.
Fletcher B1G Player of the Week
Senior Casey Fletcher was named Big Ten Co-Player of the Week, announced the conference office April 27. Fletcher hit a team-high .500 (8-of-16) with five walks during Illinois' perfect 4-0 week (April 20-26).
Ohio State
