Illinois (6-6) vs. Northwestern (7-4)
When	March 26-28
Where	Illinois Field
Television	None
Live Video ($)	Friday | Saturday | Sunday
Radio	Fighting Illini Sports Network | WDWS AM-1400
Live Stats	Live Stats
Notes	Illinois
Shop	Online Store | Auctions
Social Media	@IlliniBaseball | @IlliniBaseball | Facebook | YouTube

PREVIEW

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Illinois baseball team is set to open its home slate this weekend against Northwestern at 4 p.m. CT on Friday. The game on Friday will be the first at Illinois Field in 388 days.

Illinois (6-6) is coming off a four-game weekend split in Ann Arbor which they faced No. 13 Michigan and Michigan State for two games apiece. The Illini won their games on Friday and Sunday and dropped both ends of the doubleheader on Saturday.

Sophomore SS Branden Comia had a strong weekend at the plate. Comia hit .538/.600/.692 (7-for-13), with two doubles, two RBIs and four runs scored. He currently has a career-long 30-game on-base streak dating back to May 18, 2019 at Michigan State.

With this being the first three-game series of the season, the Illini have to make an adjustment to their weekend rotation. Sophomore RHP Andrew Hoffmann will get the ball on Friday, while Saturday will be sophomore RHP Ty Rybarczyk and freshman LHP Cole Kirschsieper will go to the hill on Sunday.

At this time, no fans are permitted in accordance with the local health department, campus, and Division of Intercollegiate Athletics COVID-19 operations restrictions. Two direct family members for each Illinois student-athlete will be allowed this weekend. The current policy will continue to be evaluated as the spring season goes along.

All three games this weekend will be broadcast on BTN+. Scott Beatty will have the radio call on the Fighting Illini Sports Network.

SERIES HISTORY

vs. Northwestern
• Record: 174-88 (Home: 92-32, Away: 81-55; Neutral: 1-1)
• Last: W, 4-2 (10 inn.) (3/25/18 at Evanston)
• Illinois has won 13 of 14 since 2013
• Illinois has won 18 of 20 since 2011
• Illinois has won seven straight series vs. Northwestern

NOTES

• Illinois hosts a game at Illinois Field for the first time in 388 days on Friday (March 3, 2020 vs. Chicago State, 11-8 W). 
• The Illini's offensive rankings in the Big Ten through 12 games...
     » 1st hits (113)
     » T-1st doubles (27)
     » 2nd walks (52)
     » 4th batting average (.272)
     » 4th OBP (.372)
• Illinois hit 11 doubles last weekend in Michigan after having 16 through the first two weeks of the season.
• Illinois has scored at least six runs in all of their wins. The Illini are 6-1 when scoring 6 runs or more in a game.
• Illinois is 12-for-14 (85.7%) on stolen bases through two weekends. The Illini went 15-for-21 (71.4%) in 2020.
• Illinois has 24 returning players and 11 newcomers. 86% of last season's hits and 83% of runs are back in the lineup.
     » Three of the four transfers on the team this season are coming from John A. Logan CC (RHP Andrew Hoffmann, C Ryan Hampe, INF Zak Hartleb). INF Jackson Raper transferred from Catawba College.
• C Ryan Hampe leads the team in doubles (5) and is tied for the team lead in hits (16). He is batting .340/.354/.511 (16-for-47) with five doubles, HR, six RBIs and six runs through his first 11 games.
• CF Taylor Jackson had career highs of four hits, two doubles and four RBIs last Friday against Michigan.
     » Tied for the team lead in hits (16)
• SS Branden Comia currently has a career-long 30-game on-base streak dating back to May 18, 2019 at Michigan State.
     » Comia hit .538/.600/.692 (7-for-13), with two doubles, two RBIs and four runs scored last weekend in Michigan.
• SS Branden Comia was the only underclassmen shortstop in the nation who hit .400+ with an OPS of 1.200+ in 2020.
• SS Branden Comia Big Ten ranks in 2020...
     » 3rd OBP (.526)
     » 5th slugging (.702)
     » 5th batting average (.426)
• Dan Hartleb won his 450th game as a head coach on Feb. 28, 2020 against #13 Texas A&M to become the third coach in Illinois history to reach the milestone. Hartleb could pass Illini legend Itch Jones for second place on the all-time wins list this year.
• Head coach Dan Hartleb has made as many NCAA tournaments in his first 15 seasons as head coach (4) as the previous 42 Illini seasons combined.
• Illinois is picked to finish fifth in the conference by Baseball America, sixth by D1Baseball and sixth in the Big Ten preseason coaches poll.
• Illinois won both games of their doubleheader on March 13, their first DH sweep since April 14, 2019 at Minnesota.
• The combination of RHP Andrew Hoffmann, LHP Nathan Lavender and RHP Ryan Kutt struck out 13 Minnesota batters on March 12, the most by the Illini in a 9-inning game since April 16, 2019 vs. Bradley (15 SO). 
     » It was the most in a 9-inning conference game since March 25, 2016 vs. Penn State (13 SO) and the highest total in a 9-inning conference game away from Illinois Field since April 4, 2014 at Northwestern (14 SO).
• On March 7, the Illini pitched a three-hit shutout. It was their first shutout in a conference game since May 3, 2019 vs. Indiana (4-0) and the first in a conference game away from Illinois Field since May 22, 2015 vs. Michigan State (2-0) in the Big Ten Tournament in Minneapolis.
     » The three hits allowed were the least in a conference game since May 4, 2019 vs. Indiana (3) and the least in a conference game away from Illinois Field since May 7, 2016 at Maryland (3).
• Illinois returned to play on March 5 against Ohio State for the first time in 362 days (8-7 win on March 8, 2020 at Elon).
    » The Big Ten suspended all sports beginning March 12, 2020 due to COVID-19. The fast-spreading virus was deemed a pandemic by the World Health Organization, prompting most collegiate and professional leagues in the United States to suspend all activities. The suspension of Big Ten sports ended Illinois' baseball season after only 13 games.
• Illinois' new $8-million, 26,000-square foot Susan and Clint Atkins Baseball Training Center is set to open in 2022.
• D1Baseball Big Ten top 2021 MLB Draft prospects: No. 11 SS Branden Comia, No. 17 RHP Aidan Maldonado, No. 27 C Ryan Hampe
• D1Baseball Big Ten Impact Freshmen: No. 17 LHP Payton Hutchings and No. 21 RHP Jack Crowder
• Baseball America Big Ten top 2021 MLB Draft prospects: No. 10 RHP Aidan Maldonado, No. 13 C Jacob Campbell, No. 17 SS Branden Comia, No. 20 RHP Andrew Hoffmann
• Perfect Game Preseason All-Big Ten team: SS Branden Comia and C Ryan Hampe
• Perfect Game Big Ten top 2021 MLB Draft prospects: No. 19 C Jacob Campbell, No. 22 RHP Andrew Hoffmann, No. 24 RHP Aidan Maldonado, No. 25 C Ryan Hampe, No. 29 SS Branden Comia, No. 32 INF Jackson Raper
• SS Branden Comia preseason awards: Perfect Game Preseason All-Big Ten team, No. 4 shortstop in the nation by D1Baseball, No. 11 MLB Draft prospect in the Big Ten by D1Baseball, No. 17 MLB Draft prospect in the Big Ten by Baseball America, "Best Defensive Infielder" in the Big Ten by Baseball America, Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award watch list
• Illinois opened the new decade last season following its best decade in program history. 
     » Two Big Ten titles (2011, 2015) in the decade.
     » Four NCAA Regionals (2011, 2013, 2015, 2019), tied for the second-most in the Big Ten in the 2010s (IND 6, NEB 4).
     » Program record 50 wins in 2015 and the team's first ever Super Regional.
     » Head coach Dan Hartleb was named D1Baseball's Big Ten Coach of the Decade.
• Illinois finished in second at the Frisco Classic in 2020 with wins against #13 Texas A&M and #23 Oklahoma State.
     » SS Branden Comia and C Jacob Campbell were named to the Frisco Classic All-Tournament Team. 
     » Comia had the game-winning hit Feb. 28 in a 1-0 win over #13 Texas A&M and a triple and homer against #23   
    Oklahoma State on Feb. 29. He also doubled against #1 UCLA.
     » Campbell had two hits against #23 Oklahoma State and added a big caught stealing behind the plate.

UP NEXT

Illinois will be at home for a second consecutive weekend and host Nebraska in a three-game series at Illinois Field.