Illinois Travels to Iowa for Weekend Series

Saturday, April 9

Iowa City, Iowa

1 PM CT

University of Illinois

Iowa

April 8, 2022 | Baseball

Preview

Illinois (13-13) at Iowa (15-10)
When	April 9-10, 2022
Where	Iowa City, Iowa / Duane Banks Field
Television	None
Live Video	B1G+
Radio	WDWS AM-1400
Live Stats	Sidearm Stats
Notes	Illinois
Shop	Online Store \| Auctions \| Publications
Social Media	@IlliniBaseball \| #Illini \| @IlliniBaseball \| Facebook \| YouTube

Probable Starting Pitchers
Day	Illinois	Iowa
Sat. 1 p.m. CT	LHP Kirschsieper	RHP Nedved
Sat. 4:30 p.m. CT	RHP Crowder	RHP Mazur
Sun. 1 p.m. CT	TBA	RHP Langenberg

PREVIEW

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The Illinois baseball team is set to travel to Iowa this weekend for a three game series at Duane Banks Field in Iowa City. The Illini won the last matchup against the Hawkeyes in 2021 while also winning the 2021 season series at Iowa. Illinois has won four of the last five series against Iowa.

Due to inclement weather on Friday, the two teams will now play a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. CT on Saturday followed by the series finale at 1 p.m. Sunday.

Illinois (13-13, 5-1) is coming off a 10-1 loss at Illinois State on Tuesday night. Last weekend, the Illini swept Purdue at Illinois Field to win their second Big Ten series of the season and improve to 5-1 in conference play.

All three games will be streamed on B1G+. Scott Beatty has the radio call on the Fighting Illini Sports Network.

SERIES HISTORY

vs. Iowa

• Record: 133-89-2 (H: 69-39-1; A: 60-50-1; N: 4-0)
• Last: W, 6-2 (5/16/21 at Iowa)
• Illinois won two of three at Iowa in 2021
• Iowa swept Illinois March 29-31, 2019
• Iowa has won four of the last five series

NOTES

• Illinois heads to Iowa for its third Big Ten series of the season. Illinois won the last game between the two teams, defeating the Hawkeyes 6-2 on 5/16/21 in Iowa City.
• Cam McDonald has reached base safely in every game this season (26 game on-base streak).
• Branden Comia has a team-high 13 multi-hit games this season.
• Illinois is averaging 6.73 runs per game in 26 games this season.
    » Illinois has scored 10+ runs eight times, going 7-1 in those games.
• Illinois has recorded 10+ hits in 17 of 26 (65%) games this season.
• Illinois has scored six or more runs in every win this season.
• Illinois ranks third in the Big Ten conference in team batting average (.287).
• Cam McDonald leads the Illini in batting average (.356), RBI (29), and SLG% (.571).
• Branden Comia leads the Illini in runs (25), OPS (.985), OBP (.424), and total bases (60).
• Danny Doligale ranks seventh in the Big Ten in stolen bases (9-for-10).
• Cam McDonald ranks seventh in the Big Ten in RBI (29) and tenth in batting average (.356).
• Cole Kirschsieper ranks seventh in the Big Ten in strikeouts (45), eighth in ERA (2.49), and fourth in innings pitched (43.1).
• Illinois is 5-1 to start Big Ten play for the first time since 2015.
• Illinois swept Purdue in a three-game series at Illinois Field (4/1-4/3).
    » The Illini have won the last six games against Purdue dating back to 2021.
• Illinois won the first Big Ten series of the season at Michigan State, taking two of three games from the Spartans (3/25-3/27).
• Illinois has scored 13 runs twice this season (vs. Butler on 3/15, vs. Wheaton on 3/23).
• Illinois won their first series of the season at Western Kentucky (3/11-3/13), taking two of three games against the Hilltoppers.
• Junior catcher Jacob Campbell began the season on a nine-game hit streak (eleven-game hit streak dating back to 5/29/2021).
• Sophomore LHP Payton Hutchings earned his first career start and first career win on February 20 against Kansas.
• D1Baseball Big Ten top 2022 MLB Draft prospects: No. 5 LHP Cole Kirschsieper, No. 17 RHP Riley Gowens, No. 20 SS Branden Comia, No. 27 1B Justin Janas.
• Baseball America Big Ten top 2022 MLB Draft prospects: No. 4 LHP Cole Kirschsieper.
• Perfect Game Preseason All-Big Ten team: 1B Justin Janas and C/OF Jacob Campbell.
• Perfect Game Big Ten top 2022 MLB Draft prospects: No. 4 LHP Cole Kirschsieper, No. 22 C Jacob Campbell, No. 24 INF Branden Comia.
• Illinois has 24 returners and 13 newcomers on the 2022 roster.
    » Four newcomers are transfers: OF Tyler Thompson (Carson-Newman), RHP Johnny Czeslawski (North Iowa Area C.C.), RHP Tommy Green (Mercer), and RHP Jack Wenninger (Murray State)
• Illinois' new $8-million, 26,000-square foot Susan and Clint Atkins Baseball Training Center is set to open in 2022.