Illinois Rolls Nebraska to Clinch Series

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Every Illinois starter had a hit Friday in a 13-6 rout of Nebraska at Illinois Field. The Illini clinched the three-game series ahead of Saturday's regular-season finale at 3 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network.

Illinois (31-17, 15-8 Big Ten) scored five in the fourth, three in the fifth and four in the sixth to open a 13-1 lead. Five had multiple hits for Illinois, including Jeff Korte tying a career high with three. The Illini hit .417 (10-24) with runners on and .500 (8-16) with runners in scoring position.

Zac Taylor crushed his 10th homer of the year and Bren Spillane hit his 21st home run of 2018. Spillane is now five back of Josh Klimek's Illinois record of 26 home runs set in the 1996 season. He passed Darrin Fletcher (1987) for sixth on the single-season total bases list with 149.

Andy Fisher (6-2) had a quality start with one run allowed on six hits in six innings. It was Fisher's fourth quality start in his last five outings.

Illinois moved up a spot to fourth place in the Big Ten standings. The Illini will be either the third, fourth or fifth seed in the Big Ten Tournament  and play at 9 a.m. CT or 9 p.m. CT on Wednesday in Omaha, Nebraska.

Nebraska (23-28, 7-14 Big Ten) was eliminated from Big Ten Tournament contention with Michigan State's win earlier in the day. The Spartans control their own destiny for the eighth and final tournament spot.

Saturday is the final game of the season at Illinois Field. Seniors Jackson Douglas and Mark Skonieczny will be honored during a pregame ceremony.

Big Ten Tournament Schedule - Wednesday, May 23

9 a.m. CT - No. 3 vs. No. 6 
1 p.m. CT - No. 2 vs. No. 7
5 p.m. CT - No. 1 Minnesota vs. No. 8
9 p.m. CT - No. 4 vs. No. 5

Notes

• Illinois is 23-1 when leading after four innings.
• Illinois is 30-10 when scoring three or more runs.
• Illinois is 20-4 when scoring first.
• Ben Troike has reached base in all 48 games this season. His current reached base streak is 53 dating back to the final five games of last season, the second-longest active streak in the nation.
• Bren Spillane's 21 home runs are the second-most in Illinois history behind Josh Klimek's 26 in 1996. 
• Bren Spillane passed Darrin Fletcher for sixth on Illinois' single-season total bases list with 149. Josh Klimek owns the record of 188 in 1996.
• Bren Spillane's slugging percentage is .943, the best in the nation. The last NCAA player to finish a year at .943 or better was Rickie Weeks of Southern University (.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 in a season (.913, Darrin Fletcher, Illinois, 1987).