Note: This story was edited from its original version after the schedule was altered (last edit: Thursday 2:30 p.m. CT)
| Probable Starting Pitchers |
| Day |
Illinois |
SIU |
| Sat. 12 p.m. CT |
LHP Fisher (2-1, 3.52) |
LHP Harrison (2-1, 2.08) |
| Sat. G2 |
RHP Weber (0-0, 1.80) |
RHP Givens (2-1, 2.59) |
| Sun. 1 p.m. CT |
RHP Watson (2-0, 2.70) |
LHP Begner (2-1, 4.26) |
SCHEDULE
Friday's home opener has been postponed to a doubleheader Saturday beginning at noon. The schedule was originally planned for three games Friday-Sunday.
SATURDAY, 12 p.m. CT (doubleheader) vs. Southern Illinois - Free schedule keychain giveaway
SUNDAY, 1 p.m. CT vs. Southern Illinois - Free schedule keychain giveaway
PARKING
The grass lot next to Illinois Field will be closed this weekend. Parking is available at State Farm Center and the Bielfeldt Athletics Administration building.
PREVIEW
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The Illinois baseball team opens its home schedule this weekend with Southern Illinois visiting Champaign. The Illini started 10-3 during the first four weeks on the road.
Illinois already has three weekend sweeps, marking the first time sweeping three of the first four weekends since beginning to regularly play February games in 1982. The Illini are off to their best start since the historic 50-win 2015 season when they began 10-2-1.
Southern Illinois is a familiar foe for Illinois and head coach Dan Hartleb, who played baseball for the Salukis. Illinois is 21-14 against SIU in Hartleb's 14 years as Illini head coach, including wins in three of four meetings last season.
Dave Loane will return to the booth Saturday for his 31st season on the radio call for Fighting Illini baseball on the Fighting Illini Sports Network. It will be Loane's opener after Scott Beatty called the first 13 games while Loane finished his duties as play-by-play for the Illinois women's basketball team.
Both days will be streamed on BTN Plus (subscription required).
NOTES
• Illinois has swept three of its first four weekend series for the first time since beginning to regularly play February games in 1982.
• Illinois' 10-3 start is its best through 13 games since starting 10-2-1 in 2015.
• Illinois' 10-3 start is tied for the 22nd-best 13-game start in the 140-year program history. Illinois has won 10+ of its first 13 games 37 times.
• Illinois is 9-0 when holding opponents to six or fewer runs.
• Illinois hitters are reaching 46.2 percent of the time when leading off an inning (54/117).
• Illinois started the season 6-0 and was ranked No. 25 by D1Baseball last week before dropping three of four games against No. 20 Coastal Carolina (0-1), Connecticut (0-1) and Northeastern (1-1) to start March.
• Illinois is currently ranked No. 29 by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.
• Jack Yalowitz is coming off a huge series at Grand Canyon. He went 7-for-12 with a double, two homers and six RBIs to lead Illinois to the series sweep. Yalowitz had his second career two-homer game Friday to hand GCU its first Friday loss of the season (wins against Wichita State, No. 18 TCU and USC).
• Zac Taylor is the only player in the nation hitting .400 with multiple homers, 12+ steals and 12+ runs. He leads Illinois' offense in average (.400), slugging (.760), hits (20), doubles (7), triples (1), homers (3), runs (15) and stolen bases (12). Taylor was a home run away from the cycle Sunday at Grand Canyon before but had to be removed from the game after injuring his ankle while trying to make a catch at the wall.
• Kellen Sarver leads Illinois in on-base percentage (.478). Sarver, who started the season in a battle for playing time at first base, leads Big Ten freshmen in average (.368) on-base percentage (.478).
• 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.
• 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 Saint Louis University for a two-game series Tuesday-Wednesday before returning home to host Illinois State in a three-game series March 22-24.
