Probable Starting Pitchers |
Day |
Illinois |
Opponents |
Fri. 4:30 p.m. CT |
LHP Fisher (1-0, 2.31) |
CCU - RHP McCambley (1-0, 4.82) |
Sat. 4:30 p.m. CT |
RHP Weber (0-0, 0.00) |
NU - RHP Dufault (1-0, 16.20) |
Sun. 11 a.m. CT |
RHP Watson (1-0, 2.45) |
UCONN - LHP Feole (-) |
Mon. 10 a.m. CT |
RHP Snarskis (0-0, 9.00) |
NU - LHP Mellen (0-0, 1.80) |
SCHEDULE
FRIDAY, 4:30 p.m. CTÂ at Coastal Carolina (Springs Brooks Stadium)
SATURDAY, 4:30 p.m. CTÂ vs. Northeastern (Springs Brooks Stadium)
SUNDAY, 11 a.m. CTÂ vs. Connecticut (TicketReturn.com Field)
MONDAY, 10 a.m. CTÂ vs. Northeastern (Springs Brooks Stadium)
PREVIEW
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The 6-0 Illinois baseball team travels to Conway, South Carolina, and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, this weekend for four games Friday-Monday against a talented trio of 2018 NCAA Tournament teams. The Illini will play 2016 national champion Coastal Carolina, Northeastern (two times) and Connecticut, who won two of three games against No. 4 Louisville during the season's opening weekend.Â
No. 25 Illinois (6-0) is off to a perfect start for the first time since going 6-0 to begin the historic 2015 season, when the Illini won a program-record 50 games and advanced to the NCAA Super Regional for the first time. A win Friday would give Illinois its first 7-0 start since 1986 and tie the Illini for the fourth-best start in program history.Â
Illinois has outscored opponents 43-24 and outplayed its opposition in nearly every facet. The Illini have a .314 team batting average while limiting opponents to a .232 batting average en route to a 3.27 team ERA. Illinois has also fielded it well with a .981 fielding percentage, slightly ahead of last year's .979 mark that set the all-time program record.
The Illini have played a solid schedule to date, featuring a win at No. 20 Wake Forest and a sweep at Florida Atlantic, which was coming off a sweep of its own over Cincinnati. But there is no question that the trip to South Carolina is the toughest nonconference weekend on the Illini's slate and the opening matchup against Coastal Carolina is perhaps the marquee nonconference game on Illinois' schedule before Coastal makes a return trip to Champaign for two games in early April.
Friday will be Illinois' first ranked-vs.-ranked game since the 2015 NCAA Super Regional against Vanderbilt and the first ranked-vs.-ranked regular season game since No. 6 Illinois swept a series at No. 23 Ohio State in May 2015.Â
The weekend does not get any easier after seeing Coastal, with powerful Northeastern and Connecticut on deck. There is not much series history between the Illini and either team, but both offer a chance for Illinois to get wins against teams that are predicted to finish near the top of their conference.
Scott Beatty has the radio call for all four games on the Fighting Illini Sports Network and WDWS 1400-AM.
No. 20 COASTAL CAROLINA (7-2)
Coastal Carolina started 7-0 before falling 7-6 in 11 innings Sunday to North Carolina State and 8-5 Wednesday at Charleston. Coastal, which was picked to win the Sun Belt East, is hitting .336 and has a team ERA of 3.95.
NORTHEASTERNÂ (4-2)
The Huskies have won three straight after a 1-2 start, including two last weekend against South Dakota State. Northeastern, which is located in Boston, also had a 6-0 exhibition loss last Friday to the Boston Red Sox spring training team. NU was picked to finish second in the CAA behind Elon.
CONNECTICUTÂ (3-3)
UConn opened up with an impressive series win over No. 4 Louisville but dropped two of three at College of Charleston last weekend. Connecticut was picked to finish third in the AAC behind ECU and Houston. AAC Preseason Pitcher of the Year, All-American and USA Baseball Collegiate National Team left-hander Mason Feole has yet to pitch for UConn this season due to an injury, but is scheduled to start Sunday against the Illini.
NOTES
• Illinois is off to a 6-0 start, its first 6-0 start since the 50-win team in 2015 and the eighth 6-0 start in the 140-year history of the program.
   » 2015 - 6-0 (7-0-1)
   » 1986 - 7-0 (9-0-1)
   » 1935 - 8-0
   » 1930 - 6-0
   » 1915 - 12-0
   » 1910 - 11-0 (finished 11-0)
   » 1909 - 7-0
• Illinois has led or been tied after 48 of 55 innings in 2019.
• Illinois is ranked 14th in the nation in STEALS per game (2.67). Taylor ranks third in the Big Ten with eight stolen bases, two back of the national lead of 10.
• Illinois is second in the Big Ten in RUNS per game (7.2). Taylor is second in the Big Ten in runs created (8.44), behind Ohio State's Brady Cherry (8.58), and Michael Massey is 10th (5.79).
• Zac Taylor leads Illinois' offense in batting average (.429), hits (12), runs (7), doubles (4), slugging (.679) and stolen bases (8-8). Taylor has reached base in every game and has multiple hits in five of six games this season.
• Five Illini have reached base in all six games this season: Branden Comia, Michael Massey, Cam McDonald, Zac Taylor and Jack Yalowitz. Both Comia and Massey have hit safely in all six.
• Michael Massey, a Preseason All-American, has been unable to play defense this season due to an injury but has still started every game at DH and is slashing .391/.500/.435.
• Freshmen are hitting .329 (24-73) with 15 runs and 13 RBIs for the Illini with true freshmen Branden Comia (.357, 10-28) and Cam McDonald (.348, 8-23) leading the way along with redshirt freshman Kellen Sarver (.353, 6-17).Â
• Illinois has a fielding percentage of .981, slightly ahead of last year record-setting pace. Illinois set the single season program record for fielding percentage of .979 last season.
UP NEXT
Illinois travels to Phoenix for a three-game series at Grand Canyon.Â