University of Illinois
Southern Illinois
Four Straight Home Games Start Tuesday
April 30, 2018 | Baseball
| Illinois (25-14, 10-5 Big Ten) vs. Southern Illinois (24-20, 7-5 Missouri Valley) | |
|---|---|
| When | May 1 at 6 p.m. CT |
| Where | Champaign, Illinois | Illinois Field |
| Tickets | Free |
| Live Video | BTN2Go ($) |
| Radio | Fighting Illini Sports Network | WDWS AM-1400 |
| Live Stats | FightingIllini.com |
| Notes | Illinois | Southern Illinois |
| Shop | Online Store | Auctions | Publications |
| Social Media | @IlliniBaseball  | #Illini | @IlliniBaseball  | Facebook  | YouTube  |
| Probable Starting Pitchers | |||||||||
| Day | Illinois | Southern Illinois | |||||||
| Tue. 6 p.m. CT | RHP Cyrillo Watson (0-1, 5.68) | RHP Dylan Givens (4-0, 2.50) | |||||||
PREVIEW
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The Illinois baseball team welcomes Dan Hartleb's alma mater Southern Illinois to Illinois Field for a nonconference game Tuesday. It is the first of four straight home games this week.
Illinois (25-14, 10-5 Big Ten) is in need of a tune-up after dropping six of its last eight ahead of a big weekend series against visiting Ohio State. The Illini have scored only 2.28 runs per game in their last seven games.
The weekend is a big one because both teams are fighting for an NCAA tournament bid and could remain in the race for the Big Ten title. Illinois sits in fourth place of the Big Ten, one game ahead of sixth-place Ohio State.
Southern Illinois (24-20, 7-5 Missouri Valley) has won four straight games, including a three-game sweep of Evansville over the weekend. The Salukis are one of the fastest teams in the nation with 107 steals in 130 attempts.
Illinois beat SIU twice in a three-game series in Carbondale earlier this season. Bren Spillane went 8-for-13 with a three-homer game against the Salukis.
The game will be broadcast on BTN2Go. Dave Loane will have the radio call on the Fighting Illini Sports Network and WDWS 1400-AM.
PROMOTIONS
Tuesday 6 p.m. CT » Thirsty Tuesday concessions deal
Friday 6 p.m. CT » Hickory River Bleacher Bum BBQ, free BBQ for the first 500 fans, beer sales, Star Wars Night, postgame fireworks
Saturday 3 p.m. CT » Hail to the Orange Day, Little League Day, free t-shirts for the first 200 fans
Sunday 1 p.m. CT » Kids Club Day, free mini bats for the first 500 fans
NOTES
• Illinois is 37-39 all-time against Southern Illinois.
• Illinois won two of three at SIU March 17-18, 2018
• Illinois coach Dan Hartleb played at SIU
• Hartleb is 19-14 vs. SIU as a head coach
• Illinois dropped to No. 48 in the RPI from No. 27 after going 2-6 in the last eight games. SIU is No. 134.
• Illinois is 18-1 when leading after four innings and 15-1 when leading after three.
• Illinois is 18-4 when scoring first.
• Illinois is 9-3 in one-run games.
• Illinois is 18-3 when scoring five or more runs and 24-7 when scoring three or more runs.
• Illinois is 17-3 when outhitting opponents and 8-11 when being outhit.
• Ben Troike has reached base in all 39 games this season. His current reached base streak is 44 dating back to the final five games of last season, the fifth-longest active streak in the nation.
• Bren Spillane's 16 home runs are tied for the most by any Illini outside of the 1990s and tied for fifth all-time.
• Bren Spillane ranks among the NCAA leaders in nearly every major category: 3rd batting average (.425), 1st slugging (.969), 1st OPS (1.528), 3rd HRs (16), 5th OBP (.522), 7th total bases (123), t-21st doubles (17), t-25th RBIs (48)
• Bren Spillane entered the week as the Big Ten leader in batting average, slugging, OBP, OPS, doubles (tied), homers (tied) and RBIs (tied). He ranks fifth in runs, ninth in hits and 10th in steals.
• Bren Spillane is on pace to break the Big Ten record for slugging percentage in a season (.913, Darrin Fletcher, Illinois, 1987). Only 10 players in NCAA history have slugged 1.000 or better for a season and none since 1998 (Kevin Mench, Delaware). Pete Incaviglia (Oklahoma St.) owns the NCAA record of 1.140 in 1985.
• Ryan Thompson is t-20th in the nation and second in the Big Ten in wins (7-3).
• Joey Gerber, who has been up to 97 MPH, is t-4th in the nation with 13 saves. His 13 saves ranks second-most in an Illinois single season, one away from Tyler Jay's record of 14.
• Gerber's 21 career saves are tied for third-best in Illinois history (Tyler Jay 24, Jeff Richards 23, Jeff Innis 21).
UP NEXT
Illinois starts the weekend Friday with the annual Bleacher Bum BBQ. There will be free BBQ courtesy of Hickory River for the first 500 fans and also beer sales at Illinois Field.
