Quick Hits
Illinois earned the No. 6 overall seed in the 2015 NCAA Baseball Championship, becoming the second Big Ten team in conference history to earn a national seed. Indiana was No. 4 overall in 2014.
UI is one of a conference-record five Big Ten teams (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan) to qualify for an NCAA Regional.
Illinois will host an NCAA Regional for the first time in school history.
This season marks Illinois' 11th NCAA Tournament appearance (1947, 1948, 1962, 1963, 1989, 1990, 1998, 2000, 2011, 2013, 2015), including its third in the past five years. UI is 14-19 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
UI boasts the No. 1 winning percentage (0.848) in NCAA Division I Baseball and has the fewest losses (8).
Illinois (47-8-1) is two wins shy of the school record for victories (49 in 1982). UI is 9-3 all-time against Ohio, winning the most recent meeting in 2013. The 11 previous meetings were played between 1904 and 1952.
Illinois is 38-25 all-time against Notre Dame and 1-0 all-time against Wright State, notching a 5-4 victory in 2002.
The Fighting Illini won their 30th Big Ten Championship in 2015, which ranks second all-time in conference history behind Michigan (35).
Illinois swept the top three Big Ten individual awards for the first time in school history: David Kerian (Player of the Year), Tyler Jay (Pitcher of the Year) and Dan Hartleb (Coach of the Year).
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 is 22-2 at home in 2015, and its current 16-game home winning streak is the longest active home streak in the nation.
The Illini also boast the second-longest active road winning streak (10) and best road record (17-2-1) in the nation.
The 2015 Illini pitching staff (423 K) broke the school record for strikeouts from 1998 (419 K). Their 2.46 ERA is on pace to shatter the school's ERA record (3.25) from last season.
Illinois was the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten Tournament for the fourth time in program history (1998, 2005, 2011, 2015).
The Illini won their first conference title since 2011 (shared with Michigan State) and first outright title since 2005.
UI won a Big Ten record 20 straight conference contests and became the first Big Ten team to ever record seven straight conference series sweeps.
The 2015 Fighting Illini finished in first place at 21-1 overall, equaling the 2014 Indiana Hoosiers (21-3) for the most wins during a 24-game Big Ten season (began in 2009).
UI is a consensus Top 5 team in every poll for the third consecutive week, checking in at No. 3 by Perfect Game and Collegiate Baseball, No. 4 by the NCBWA and Baseball America and No. 5 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll and on D1Baseball.com. It is the sixth straight week the Illini are ranked in the Top 10.
Illinois was ranked No. 2 in the Collegiate Baseball poll for two weeks (May 11 & 18), which marks the highest ranking in program history.
UI sits in the Top 4 in the nation in four pitching categories: No. 4 in ERA (2.46), walks allowed per nine innings (2.09) and WHIP (1.11) and No. 5 in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.55).
The Illini also rank fourth in the country with a +3.3 scoring margin and fifth with 3.2 runs allowed per game.
Three Illini - Tyler Jay (First Team), Kevin Duchene (Second Team) and David Kerian (Second Team) - were named Louisville Slugger All-Americans by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. It is the first time Illinois has garnered three All-America honors in one season in program history.
Series History with Ohio
UI is 9-3 all-time against Ohio, winning the most recent meeting in 2013. In that game, then-sophomore David Kerian reached base all five times he stepped to the plate, going a career-best 4-for-4 with a walk and two RBI to lead Illinois to an 11-6 victory over Ohio. Kerian was one of five Illini to record multiple hits on a day that Illinois scored in six of eight innings and matched its season high with 16 hits. Freshman Kevin Duchene earned his first career victory as an Illini. The 11 prior meetings between Illinois and Ohio were played between 1904 and 1952.
Illinois in NCAA Tournament
Illinois is 14-19 all-time in the NCAA Tournament and last reached the event in 2013. The Illini have qualified an NCAA Regional in three of the past five season, marking the best five-year stretch in program history.
Last Time Out - Big Ten Tournament at Target Field
Illinois went 2-2 at the 2015 Big Ten Tournament at Target Field despite posting a 0.51 ERA. The Illini opened with a 3-2 comeback win over Nebraska for a Big Ten record 27-game winning streak. The streak was snapped in a 2-0 loss to Maryland, with both runs being unearned. Senior John Kravetz's first career complete game shutout in a 2-0 win over Michigan State kept the Illini alive. UI allowed five unearned runs and fell 5-3 to Michigan, ending its tournament run. All seven runs were unearned in Illinois' two losses.
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 29-35 in 20 all-time appearances in the Big Ten Tournament and 10-14 in eight trips under Hartleb.
30th Big Ten Championship Clinched vs. Nebraska
With their 25th straight win on May 14, the Fighting Illini clinched the 2015 Big Ten regular season championship, marking the 30th conference title in program history. Illinois defeated Nebraska 6-3 at Illinois Field and surpassed Texas A&M for the longest winning streak in the nation in 2015.
Following a 2:41 rain delay on May 15, Illinois displayed its resilience yet again with a 10-9 comeback victory for win No. 26 in a row, equaling the all-time Big Ten winning streak record. The Illini scored their 10 runs in the first five innings and overcame a 4-2 deficit before closer Tyler Jay stymied the late Husker surge. The series and regular season finale against Nebraska was rained out.
Home Sweet Home
The Orange and Blue have won 16 consecutive games at Illinois Field, which is the longest active home winning streak in the NCAA, and are 22-2 at home this season, which broke the school's best record from 1998 (went 20-5 at home).
School-Record Winning Streak
By winning 27 games in a row from March 30 to May 20, the 2015 Fighting Illini set the single-season and overall winning streak program record, which also broke the Big Ten winning streak record of 26 straight by Nebraska (1983). The previous best single-season streak was 16 in 1959 and 1989, while the previous longest winning streak across seasons was 19 games spanning 1909-11.
Stats Behind the Streak
Illinois did not lose over a span of 52 days, including 15 wins at home, 10 on the road and two at neutral sites. Senior David Kerian hit a team-high .400 with seven home runs and 29 RBI during the 27-game winning streak. Jason Goldstein (.367) had six homers and a team-high 31 RBI during the streak, while the Illini totaled 30 home runs over the 27 games. Ryan Nagle (.367), Casey Fletcher (.351) and Adam Walton (.314) each hit over .300 during it.
2nd Most UI Wins in a Season
Through 56 games, Illinois owns the second-most wins in program history. Below is a list of the winningest seasons in school history, as the Illini have now exceeded 40 wins seven times. Illinois, which boasts 11 all-time NCAA Tournament appearances, reached a regional in five of those years, including hosting for the first time this year.
1.   49-23   1982
2.   47-8-1   2015 (Champaign Regional)
2.   46-21   1985
4.   43-21   1990 (South II Regional)
5.   42-21   1998 (South I Regional)
42-16Â Â Â 1989 (Northeast Regional)
7.   41-23   2000 (Clemson Regional)
Jay on Final Golden Spikes Award Watch List
Fighting Illini baseball junior Tyler Jay was named a semifinalist for the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award. The Illini closer is one of 21 players on the list recognizing potential candidates for the award given to the top amateur baseball player in the nation.
Jay leads the nation in WHIP at 0.62 and ranks second in the country with a 0.64 ERA while boasting a 5-1 record as the closer. He has a career-high 13 saves, giving him 23 for his career, which are both tied for the school record.
The Lemont, Illinois, native has 26 scoreless appearances out of 28 total to go along with 65 strikeouts and six walks (10.83-to-1 ratio), which ranks third in the nation. He's limiting opponents to a .155 average in 56.1 innings pitched.
His 1.52 career ERA is the best in Illinois history and fifth among active NCAA players, while he boasts the fourth-fewest hits allowed per nine innings (5.17) for his career.
Hartleb No. 3 in UI History
University of Illinois 10th-year head coach Dan Hartleb has coached in 552 games as an Illini and currently ranks third in school history with 323 wins. He earned his 300th career win in a 17-2 rout of Northwestern on April 5 and moved past George Huff with career win No. 315 in a 6-5 comeback victory at Ohio State on May 2. The top-four winningest coaches among the 10 all-time coaches at Illinois are listed below:
1. Lee Eilbracht   518-395-6 (27 seasons: 1952-1978)
2. Itch Jones   474-373-1 (15 seasons: 1991-2005)
3. Dan Hartleb   323-228-1 (10 seasons: 2006-present)
4. George Huff   314-97-4 (23 seasons: 1896-1919)
Duchene, Jay Both Named Dick Howser Trophy Semifinalists
Junior closer Tyler Jay (0.64) and starter Kevin Duchene (1.30) rank second and seventh, respectively, in the NCAA in ERA. Both Illini hurlers were named NCBWA Dick Howser Trophy semifinalists and to the National College Baseball Hall of Fame watch list for the Pitcher of the Year award.
Illini Pitchers in Big Ten Stats
Four Illinois pitchers rank in the Big Ten's Top 5 ERA leaders. Tyler Jay leads the conference with a 0.64 ERA followed by Kevin Duchene (1.30) in second, Drasen Johnson (2.34) in fourth and Rob McDonnell (2.19) in fifth.
Five Illinois pitchers rank in the Big Ten's Top 14 opposing batting average leaders. Tyler Jay (.155) leads the league followed by Rob McDonnell (.211) in fourth, Kevin Duchene (.229) in ninth, Drasen Johnson (.246) in 12th and John Kravetz (.254) in 14th.
Duchene's Dominant on Friday
Junior Kevin Duchene sits seventh in the nation with a 1.30 ERA, 14th with a 7.08 strikeout-to-walk-ratio and 20th with 1.20 walks allowed per nine innings. He has fanned eight or more five times, including a season-high 10 punch outs against Northwestern. His 10-1 record ranks eighth in the nation and is the first double-digit win season by an Illini since Brian Blomquist (10-3) in 2005. His 85 strikeouts are tops on the team and third in the Big Ten. Duchene's 1.96 career ERA ranks second in school history, while his 23-3 (.885) career record is the fourth-best winning percentage all-time by a UI 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 9-3 with a 2.17 ERA and leads the Big Ten with 107.2 innings pitched over a team-high 15 starts. He two of Illinois' three 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 eighth in school history with 272 innings pitched.
Career Numbers for Kravetz
Senior John Kravetz is 24-7 with 332.1 innings pitched in his career. He ranks eighth on the Illinois all-time wins list and second 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 ninth in games started (55), 19th in innings pitched (332.1) and 18th in wins (24).
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 had his 17-game hitting streak snapped in the Big Ten Tournament, which was the fifth time an Illini has reached double figures this year.
Kerian, Illini Dig the Long Ball
Illinois has hit 30 more home runs than last season (21 HR in 53 games) and is first in the Big Ten with 51 home runs (24th in NCAA). Senior David Kerian leads the Big Ten with a career-high 14 bombs (23rd in NCAA), which is the most by an Illini since Dusty Bensko hit 16 in 2005. Reid Roper is in second with nine HR (T-5th in Big Ten) and Jason Goldstein is third with eight HR (T-7th) in Big Ten.
