| Probable Starting Pitchers |
| Day |
Illinois |
Southern Illinois |
| Tue., 6 p.m. CT |
RHP Cole Bellair (3-2, 6.95) |
LHP Jamison Steege (1-1, 7.23) |
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois will play its final midweek game of the season Tuesday when it travels to Carbondale, Illinois, to face Southern Illinois. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT at Itchy Jones Field on ESPN3.
Illinois (18-23, 5-10 Big Ten) is coming off a series win at Minnesota, which entered last weekend second in the Big Ten. The Illini blew up for 17 runs over a four-inning stretch to sweep a Saturday doubleheader and claim the series 2-1.
The Illini went 11-7 in April after a 5-11 mark in March and 2-5 record in February. The young lineup has started to turn things around, including Michael Massey who is hitting .439 during his current 13-game hitting streak. Massey has won two straight Big Ten Freshman of the Week awards, becoming just the fifth player since 2011 to win the honor in back-to-back weeks.
Southern Illinois (23-22, 6-6 Missouri Valley) is looking to stay above .500 and complete a three-game season series sweep of Illinois. The Salukis beat Illinois twice earlier in the season at Illinois Field.
NOTES
• Illinois head coach Dan Hartleb played and coached at Southern Illinois.
• Southern Illinois' field is named after former SIU and Illinois head coach Itch Jones.
• SIU has won three straight over Illinois.
• Illinois is 35-38 all-time against SIU.
• Michael Massey is on a career-best 13-game hitting streak. He is hitting .439 (25-57) with four doubles, two homers and 12 RBIs during the streak and also has six three-hit games.
• Illinois has outhit opponents or hits have been even in 25 of 41 games.
• Jack Yalowitz Big Ten ranks: batting average (5th, .340), home runs (5th, 10), RBIs (5th, 40), slugging (2nd, .617), total bases (2nd, 100), triples (5th, 3), runs (9th, 35).
• Pat McInerney Big Ten ranks: home runs (2nd, 12), slugging percentage (5th, .563), total bases (5th, 89)
• 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 last Tuesday was his first since April 2.
• Illinois has already hit 45 home runs in 2017, the third-most for an Illini team since 2000 (58 in 2005, 54 in 2015).
UP NEXT
Illinois has three Big Ten weekend series remaining. This weekend the Illini are home against Maryland, before a trip to Rutgers and a series against Iowa at Illinois Field to end the regular season.
