University of Illinois
Maryland
Big Ten Tournament Third Round: #1 Illinois vs. #5 Michigan State
May 22, 2015 | Baseball
Illini, Spartans Set for Elimination Game at Target Field
| No. 1 Illinois (46-7-1, 21-1 Big Ten) vs. No. 5 Michigan State (34-22, 14-10 Big Ten) - Big Ten Tournament | |
|---|---|
| Third Round | Friday, May 22, 2015 | 7:30 p.m. (BTN) |
| Location | Minneapolis, Minn. | Target Field |
| Television | Big Ten Network (Kevin Kugler and Scott Pose) |
| Live Stream | Watch on BTN2Go |
| Mobile Live Stats | Follow on Mobile |
| Gametracker | Follow on Desktop |
| Live Audio ($) | Listen Online |
| Radio | WDWS AM 1400 (Dave Loane and Jeff Huth) |
| Game Notes | Illinois | Michigan State |
| Probable Starters | ILL: Sr. RHP John Kravetz (4-0, 3.76 ERA) MSU: Jr. LHP Anthony Misiewicz (5-3, 3.95 ERA) |
| Series History | Illinois leads 76-65 |
| Season Series | Illinois won series, 2-1 |
| Last Meeting | Illinois won 13-9 (3/30/15) |
| Series Streak | Won 1 |
| Links | 2015 Big Ten Tournament Central | Bracket |
| Social Media | @IlliniBaseball  | #Illini | @IlliniBaseball  | Facebook  | YouTube  |
Quick Hits
Junior Tyler Jay was named a semifinalist for the 2015 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award, announced USA Baseball Friday. The Illini closer is one of 21 players up for the award given to the top amateur baseball player in the nation.
Illinois is the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten Tournament for the fourth time in program history (1998, 2005, 2011, 2015).
Playing in the Big Ten postseason for the 21st time, Illinois is 28-34 all-time in the Big Ten Tournament.
Illinois (46-7-1) has equaled its second-most wins in school history from 1985. The school record for victories is 49 in 1982.
Illinois boasts the No. 1 winning percentage (0.861) in NCAA Division I Baseball and has the fewest losses (7).
Illinois posted a Big Ten record 27-game winning streak from March 30-May 20, which is the longest winning streak in the country in 2015.
The Illini finished seven shy of the NCAA record winning streak of 34: Texas (1977) and Florida Atlantic (1999).
Illinois outscored its opponents 219-98 during its 27-game winning streak. The Illini boasted a .312 average and 2.88 ERA during that span. UI overcome a deficit in 17 of the games.
The 2015 Illini pitching staff (414 K) is just five strikeouts shy of the school record from 1998 (419 K). Their 2.54 ERA is on pace to shatter the school's ERA record (3.25) from last season.
The Illini also rank fourth in the country with a +3.5 scoring margin and fifth with 3.2 runs allowed per game.
