| Probable Starting Pitchers |
| Day |
Illinois |
Minnesota |
| Fri., 4 p.m. CT |
RHP Ty Weber (2-4, 4.03) |
LHP Lucas Gilbreath (4-0, 2.55) |
| Sat., 1 p.m. CT |
RHP Cyrillo Watson (1-4, 6.94) |
RHP Brett Schulze (3-2, 5.06) |
| Sat., Game 2 |
RHP Matthew James (0-1, 6.06) |
RHP Toby Anderson (4-4, 7.12) |
Schedule Change: Illinois and Minnesota will play Friday at 4 p.m. CT and a Saturday doubleheader at 1 p.m. CT.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Second-place Minnesota is up next for the Illinois baseball team. The Illini travel to take on the Gophers Friday-Sunday at Siebert Field in a three-game series.
Illinois (16-22, 3-9 Big Ten) is looking to get back in the Big Ten after dropping three games at Purdue a week ago. The Illini rebounded with an 8-6 win Tuesday at Bradley, which included home runs from Doran Turchin and Pat McInerney.
Minnesota (24-12, 8-4 Big Ten) was off to a 7-0 start in Big Ten play before losing its final two games against Indiana two weeks ago and losing two out of three last weekend at home to Nebraska. The Gophers have been balanced with a 3.93 team ERA and .291 team batting average.
NOTES
• Illinois is 9-6 in April after going 2-5 in February and 5-11 in March.
• Minnesota beat Illinois two out of three games in 2016.
• Illinois has won three straight series at Minnesota (2006, 2008, 2013)
• Illinois scored only four runs in three games at Purdue last weekend. The Illini stranded a season-high 14 base runners in Friday's 4-2 loss to Purdue.
• Nine of the Illini's last 10 wins have been decided by three or fewer runs and eight of 10 have been decided by two or fewer.
• Illinois has won eight of its last 10 two-run games. The Illini are 10-10 in games decided by two or fewer runs.
• 295 2/3 of Illinois' 334 2/3 innings pitched have been by freshmen or sophomores (88.3%).
• 245 of Illinois' 338 hits have been by freshmen or sophomores (72.5%). True freshmen have 77 hits, all by Michael Massey and Ben Troike.
• Illinois has outhit opponents or hits have been even in 23 of 38 games.
• Pat McInerney Big Ten ranks: home runs (2nd, 12), slugging percentage (2nd, .603), total bases (3rd, 88), RBIs (11th, 30).
• McInerney has already surpassed his home run total from last year (7) with 12 homers in 2017. He has 25 career home runs (freshman 1, sophomore 5, junior 7, senior 11). His homer Tuesday was his first since April 2.
• Jack Yalowitz Big Ten ranks: batting average (11th, .333), home runs (6th, 8), RBIs (8th, 32), slugging (3rd, .592), total bases (4th, 87), triples (4th, 3), runs (14th, 31).
• Illinois has already hit 41 home runs in 2017, the fourth-most for an Illini team since 2000 (58 in 2005, 54 in 2015, 44 in 2000).
UP NEXT
Illinois plays its final midweek game of the season Tuesday at Southern Illinois. Maryland visits Illinois Field next weekend for a three-game set that features Lou Boudreau Day and the Bleacher Bum BBQ Friday and Sunday's Honor and Serve Day.
