University of Illinois
Clemson
Illinois Begins the Road to Omaha Friday Against Clemson
May 29, 2019 | Baseball
| Illinois (36-19) vs. Clemson (34-24) | |
|---|---|
| When | Friday, May 31 at 3 p.m. CT |
| Where | Oxford, Miss. | Swayze Field |
| Tickets | via Ole Miss |
| Television | ESPNU |
| Live Video | Watch ESPN | ESPN App |
| Radio | Fighting Illini Sports Network | WDWS AM-1400 |
| Live Stats | Regional Central |
| Notes | Illinois | Clemson |
| Shop | Online Store | Auctions | Publications |
| Social Media | @IlliniBaseball  | #Illini | @IlliniBaseball  | Facebook  | YouTube  |
| Probable Starting Pitchers | |||||||||
| Day | Illinois | Opponent | |||||||
| Fri. 3 p.m. CT | RHP Weber (4-2, 2.97) | CLEM - LHP Hennessy (4-1, 3.72) | |||||||
| Sat. 12 p.m./6 p.m. | TBA | Ole Miss or Jacksonville State | |||||||
PREVIEW
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Illinois baseball team will make its 12th NCAA Tournament appearance this weekend at the Oxford Regional, starting Friday against Clemson at 3 p.m. CT on ESPNU. Illinois will appear in its fourth regional in the last nine years, the best run in program history.
No. 2 seed Illinois (36-19) brings a balanced pitching and hitting attack to the Oxford Regional, along with one of the nation's top defenses. The Illini set the Big Ten's conference games fielding percentage record on their way to Illinois' first NCAA Tournament appearance since winning the 2015 NCAA Champaign Regional and advancing to the program's first-ever Super Regional.
Illinois' pitching is 25th in the nation in ERA (3.66) and third in hits allowed per nine innings (7.09), led by starting pitchers Ty Weber (4-2, 2.97) and Andy Fisher (7-1, 2.57). The Illini will go with Weber in the Friday opener against Clemson lefty Jacob Hennessy (4-1, 3.72).
No. 3 seed Clemson (34-24) has a wealth of postseason experience, having made 32 NCAA Tournament appearances in the last 33 seasons. The Tigers are led by a pair of players with 15 homers in Grayson Byrd (.315, 15 HR, 56 RBIs) and Logan Davidson (.296, 15 HR, 55 RBIs). Davidson, Clemson's shortstop, is the No. 19 MLB Draft prospect in the nation according to Baseball America.
Dave Loane and Jeff Huth have the radio call for the entirety of the Oxford Regional on the Fighting Illini Sports Network.
TELEVISION INFO
The ESPN family of networks will broadcast all games of the Oxford Regional with Richard Cross and Lance Cormier on the call. Saturday, Sunday and Monday TV designations (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU or ESPN3) have yet to be announced. Friday's Illinois vs. Clemson game will air on ESPNU at 3 p.m. CT.
TICKET INFO
• Public tickets sales will begin Wednesday, May 29 at 8 a.m. CT via Ole Miss.
• All-session book prices are:
» General Admission - $60
» Grandstands - $70
CLEAR BAG POLICY
Ole Miss has a clear bag policy for fans entering Swayze Field. The following bags are allowed.
• Bags that are clear and do not exceed 12" x 6" x 12"
• One-gallon clear plastic freezer bags
• Small clutch bags, with/without a handle, that do not exceed 4.5" x 6.5"
NOTES
• Illinois is in the NCAA Tournament for the 12th time in program history (1947, 1948, 1962,1963, 1989, 1990, 1998, 2000, 2011, 2013, 2015) and the first time since 2015.
• Illinois is 17-21 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, including 0-1 against Clemson (2000 Clemson Regional).
• Illinois is 0-3 all-time against Clemons, 19-6 against Ole Miss and 0-1 against Jacksonville State.
• Illinois is making its fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in the last nine years, the best stretch in program history.
» Head coach Dan Hartleb has made as many NCAA tournaments in 14 seasons as head coach (4) as the previous 42 Illini seasons combined. Pitching coach Drew Dickinson has been with Hartleb for all four of those NCAA tournaments, while on staff for 10 of Hartleb's 14 seasons as head coach (8 years as pitching coach, 2 years as volunteer assistant).
• Illinois' four NCAA appearances is tied for the second-most in the Big Ten this decade (Indiana 6, Nebraska 4).
• Illinois will play Clemson in the NCAA Tournament for the second time (L, 9-3, 5/27/2000 at the Clemson Regional).
• Illinois is 18-6 all-time in Oxford, Mississippi, with 21 of those games coming prior to the end of World War II. Illinois last visited Oxford in 1987 and dropped two games to Ole Miss. All of Illinois' 24 games in Oxford have been against Ole Miss.
• Illinois hosted an NCAA Regional (won) and NCAA Super Regional (0-2 vs. Vanderbilt) in 2015 for the first time in program history. The 2015 Illini team went 50-10-1, setting a program record for wins.
• Sean Leland (Louisville) is the only Illini with NCAA Tournament playing experience. Leland pitched twice in the 2015 NCAAs... Regional: 0.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R vs. Michigan 5/31 ... Super: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R vs. Fullerton 6/7. Zac Taylor (Houston), Ryan Haff (Illinois), and Quinten Sefcik (Illinois) were all on Regional teams in 2015 but did not play in games.
• Illinois is No. 28 in the RPI, the best in the Big Ten.
• Illinois has won 14 of its last 20 games, but dropped three of its last four.
• Illinois went 14-4 in its last 18 Big Ten games. After starting conference play 1-5, Illinois finished 15-9.
• Illinois was 11-6 against the RPI top 50, ranking No. 6 in the nation in top 50 winning percentage among teams with 10+ games. The Illini were t-22nd in top 50 wins.
• Illinois was No. 4 in the nation in nonconference RPI with the No. 15 nonconference strength of schedule.
• Illinois won six straight Big Ten series to end the regular season (at MINN, PSU, at NEB, IND, PUR, at MSU).
• Illinois has series wins against every top-five Big Ten team played (at Minnesota, at Nebraska, Indiana).
• Illinois is 5-2 against ranked teams (D1Baseball Poll). The five wins are tied for the most in the Dan Hartleb era (2009, 2015). Illinois has won two season series against ranked teams (Coastal Carolina, Indiana) for the third time in the Dan Hartleb era, joining 2009 (LSU, Minnesota) and 2015 (Oklahoma State, Ohio State).
• Illinois is 10-5 in one-run games and 18-7 in games decided by one or two runs.
• Illinois regularly starts four freshmen: SS Branden Comia, 1B Kellen Sarver, C Jacob Campbell, LF Cam McDonald. The freshmen class was ranked No. 22 in the nation by D1Baseball.com and No. 24 by Baseball America as recruits, Illinois' first-ever top-25 recruiting class. Campbell (No. 25) and RHP Aidan Maldonado (No. 49) were both among the top 50 freshman in the nation according to Baseball America.
• Illinois has won despite major injuries all season, with the top three hitters in the order all dealing with injuries.
» Gold Glove 2B Michael Massey did not play the field for 29 games (back).
» Big Ten steals leader and team home run leader CF Zac Taylor missed 14 games (ankle).
» SS Ben Troike has been out for the season (thumb) since being hit by a pitch vs. Indiana 5/4/19.
• Illinois' bullpen is 19-12 with a .194 batting average against, 3.93 ERA and 225 strikeouts in 206 1/3 innings.
• Opponents are hitting .195 with runners in scoring position against Illinois this season (97-497).
• Illinois is 35-11 when scoring more than two runs.
• Illinois is 33-8 when issuing fewer than seven walks. The Illini are 3-11 when walking seven or more (of those 14 games, 11 have been on the road and one has been a neutral site game.)
• Illinois is outscoring opponents 38-11 in the first inning. Illinois has allowed only a .193 batting average against and eight earned runs in the first inning for a 1.31 team ERA in the opening frame. The Illini have allowed more than one run in the first inning only one time this season.
• Illinois set the Big Ten record for fielding percentage in Big Ten games (.987). Illinois made only 12 errors in 24 Big Ten games to break the old record of .986 set by Illinois in 1981.
• Illinois is t-4th in the nation in fewest errors per game (0.7), behind only Navy (0.6), Omaha (0.6) and Creighton (0.7)
• Illinois is third in the nation in fielding percentage at .982, behind only Omaha (.984) and UCLA (.982). The .982 mark is slightly ahead of last year's Illinois single-season program record of .979. Nebraska set the Big Ten record of .981 in 2013.
• Illinois ranks third in the nation in hits allowed per nine innings (7.09), behind only UCLA (6.16) and Georgia (6.24).
• Illinois has played error-free in 13 of the last 20 games. Illinois has only nine errors in the last 20 games.
• Illinois finished the regular season second in the Big Ten in batting average (.282) and ERA (3.58).
• Zac Taylor led the Big Ten in steals (20) during the regular season and leads Illinois with 10 homers despite missing 14 games with an injury. Taylor is the first player in Illini history with back-to-back seasons of 10+ homers and 10+ steals.
• Michael Massey, a Preseason All-American, was unable to play defense for the first 28 games of the season due to an injury. Massey started the first 28 games at DH and homered in three straight games 3/9-3/16/2019. He has been back in the lineup full time since April 16 (21 games).
• Michael Massey was eighth in the Big Ten in batting average (.323) during the regular season.
• Michael Massey has only one error in his last 92 starts at second base dating back to 4/23/2017 (a dropped feed at second from shortstop on a fielder's choice at Michigan 5/13/2018).
• Grant Van Scoy was sixth in the Big Ten in batting average (.337) during the regular season.
• Andy Fisher was named NCBWA National Pitcher of the Week 5/7/19 after throwing eight shutout innings and striking out nine while allowing only three hits to No. 19 Indiana 5/3/19, the national leader in home runs.
• Andy Fisher was fourth in the Big Ten in batting average against (.205), fourth in innings (88.1), eighth in strikeouts (85) and sixth in ERA (2.65) during the regular season.
• Garrett Acton leads the nation in saves (19) and has set the Illinois and Big Ten single-season records. Acton broke the Big Ten record held previously held by Ohio State's Jake Hale in 2009 (18). Only 26 players in NCAA history have 20+ saves in a season, led by David Berg's 24 for UCLA in 2013.
• Ty Weber was ninth in the Big Ten in ERA (2.86) and eighth in average against (.219) during the regular season.
• Illinois started the season 14-3, tied for the best start through 17 games in the last 60 years (Started 16-1 in 1959).
• Illinois swept five of its first six weekends. The Illini swept three of its first four weekends for the first time since beginning to regularly play February games in 1982. Illinois swept a total of seven weekends on the year.
• Illinois went on a six-game foreign trip to Curaçao and Aruba over Thanksgiving Break in November. The Illini went 0-2-1 against the Curaçao National Team before winning the Aruba Cup with two wins in three games against a group of Aruba amateur and professional players.
ILLINOIS NCAA TOURNAMENT RESUME
• No. 28 in the RPI, the best in the Big Ten
• 11-6 vs. the RPI top 50
• No. 6 in the nation in top 50 winning percentage among teams with 10+ games
• No. 22 in the nation in top 50 wins
• 18-15 vs. RPI top 100
• Nonconference RPI No. 4
• Nonconference strength of schedule No. 15
• Overall strength of schedule No. 56
• Six straight Big Ten series wins to end the regular season (at Minnesota, Penn State, at Nebraska, Indiana, Purdue, at Michigan State).
• Series wins against every top-five Big Ten team played (at Minnesota, at Nebraska, Indiana).
• Series win over Big Ten champion Indiana (RPI 36)
• Series sweep over MVC co-champion Illinois State (RPI 26)
• Series win at Nebraska (RPI 35)
• Series sweep at Conference USA champion FAU (RPI 37)
• Big Ten conference games fielding percentage record (.987)
• No. 2 in the Big Ten in batting average and ERA during the regular season
• No. 1 in the Big Ten in fielding percentage during the regular season
TOP 500 MLB DRAFT PROSPECTS AT THE OXFORD REGIONAL
by Baseball America
No. 19 Logan Davidson, SS, Clemson
No. 104 Thomas Dillard, OF/C, Ole Miss
No. 108 Cooper Johnson, C, Ole Miss
No. 125 Grae Kessinger, SS, Ole Miss
No. 188 Michael Massey, 2B, Illinois
No. 234 Parker Caracci, RHP, Ole Miss
No. 277 Will Ethridge, RHP Ole Miss
No. 283 Ryan Olenek, OF/INF/RHP, Ole Miss
No. 419 Cyrillo Watson, RHP, Illinois
