Illinois Rolls 10-3 in Series Opener at Michigan

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Bren Spillane, Michael Massey and Doran Turchin all had three hits and multiple extra-base hits Friday to lead the Illinois baseball team to a 10-3 win over Michigan. Spillane hit two home runs to become the second Illini in history to reach 20 home runs in a season.

Illinois (28-16, 12-7 Big Ten) handed Michigan (31-15, 14-4 Big Ten) just its second home loss of the season (17-2). The Wolverines entered the day tied for the lead atop of the Big Ten standings with Minnesota.

The Illini scored five times in the second inning before cruising to the series-opening victory. Massey delivered the big hit in the second, a three-RBI double to the wall in center field with two outs.

Spillane hit opposite field homers in the fifth and sixth innings, a ball that nearly cleared the building in right field, for his fifth multi-homer game this season. He scored three runs, drove in three and cracked Illinois' single-season top-10 for total bases in a season (143, 8th).

Ben Troike also scored three runs, while extending his reached base streak to 49 games. 

Michigan was slowed by Illinois starter Quinn Snarskis, who settled in to throw six innings while allowing only one run on five hits. The Wolverines seven-run loss tied their largest margin of defeat this season. 

Illinois and Michigan are back Saturday at Ray Fisher Stadium for the second game of the series. 

Notes

• Six Illini are missing their graduation ceremonies this weekend: Jackson Douglas, Andy Fisher, Joey Gerber, Ryan Haff, Sean Leland, Mark Skonieczny
• Illinois is 20-1 when leading after four innings and 17-1 when leading after three.
• Bren Spillane became the second player in the 139-year history of Illinois baseball to hit 20 home runs in a season.
• Bren Spillane had his fifth multi-homer game this season.
• Bren Spillane's 143 total bases ranks eighth in Illinois history. The record of 188 was set by Josh Klimek in 1996.
• Bren Spillane is currently slugging .986. The last NCAA player to finish a year with a slugging percentage over .950 was Rickie Weeks (Southern U.) .995 in 2002.
• Bren Spillane is on pace to break Illinois' single-season and career slugging percentage records.
• Bren Spillane is on pace to break the Big Ten record for slugging percentage in a season (.913, Darrin Fletcher, Illinois, 1987).
• Ben Troike has reached base in all 44 games this season. His current reached base streak is 49 dating back to the final five games of last season, the longest active streak in the Big Ten.
• Ben Troike tied his career high with three runs.
• Michael Massey has more assists without an error than any player in the nation (133).