Big Ten Tournament Second Round: #1 Illinois vs. #4 Maryland
May 21, 2015 | Baseball
Illini, Terrapins to Meet for First Time since 1970
| No. 1 Illinois (46-6-1, 21-1 Big Ten) vs. No. 4 Maryland (37-20, 14-10 Big Ten) - Big Ten Tournament | |
|---|---|
| Second Round | Thursday, May 21, 2015 | 9 p.m. (BTN) |
| Location | Minneapolis, Minn. | Target Field |
| Television | Big Ten Network (Kevin Kugler and Danan Hughes) |
| 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 | Maryland |
| Probable Starters | ILL: r-Sr. RHP Drasen Johnson (9-2, 2.34 ERA) UMD: Fr. RHP Brian Shaffer (4-1, 5.19 ERA) |
| Series History | Tied 1-1 |
| Season Series | Did not play each other |
| Previous Games | Illinois won 11-10 (4/1/1970) and Maryland won 7-6 (4/3/1970) |
| Series Streak | Lost 1 |
| Links | 2015 Big Ten Tournament Central | Bracket | McDonnell-Milazzo Interview |
| Social Media | @IlliniBaseball  | #Illini | @IlliniBaseball  | Facebook  | YouTube  |
| 3-2 Game One Win | Recap | Highlights | Box Score | Postgame Press Conference | Photos |
Quick Hits
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 improved to 11-10 in opening round games at the Big Ten Tournament.
Illinois (46-6-1) 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 (0.877) in NCAA Division I Baseball and has the fewest losses (6).
Illinois is on a school-record 27-game winning streak, which is the longest ever by a Big Ten team and longest winning streak in the country in 2015. The NCAA record winning streak of 34 is owned by Texas (1977) and Florida Atlantic (1999).
Illinois has outscored its opponents 219-98 during its 27-game winning streak. The Illini boast a .312 average and 2.88 ERA during that span. UI has overcome a deficit in 17 of the games and has 23 total comeback wins on the year.
Closer Tyler Jay tied Jeff Richards (1987-90) for the Illinois school record with 23 career saves.
The 2015 Illini pitching staff (405 K) is 14 strikeouts shy of the school record from 1998 (419 K). Their 2.59 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.
Illinois won its 30th Big Ten Championship, which ranks second all-time in conference history behind Michigan (35).
It is the first Illini title since 2011 (shared with Michigan State) and first outright title since 2005.
Series History with Maryland
The Illini and Terrapins played their only two games against each other in 1970. Illinois won 11-10 on April 1 and fell 7-6 to Maryland on April 3.
Big Ten Tournament History
Illinois reached conference postseason play for the third year in a row and eighth time in 10 years under head coach Dan Hartleb. Illinois is 28-33 in 21 all-time appearances in the Big Ten Tournament and 9-12 in eight trips under Hartleb.
UI last won the event in 2011, when the Illini won a share of the regular season crown and were the No. 1 seed. The Illini have won four Big Ten Tournaments in the history of the event, also taking titles in 1989, 1990 and 2000.
In the opening round of the Big Ten Tournament, the Fighting Illini battled back for a 3-2 victory over Nebraska, setting the Big Ten Conference record with 27 straight wins. Illinois fell behind 2-0, but responded immediately with two runs in the sixth and pushed across the go-ahead run in the eighth.
