| Probable Starting Pitchers |
| Day |
Illinois |
Opponent |
| Thu. 9 p.m. CT |
TBA |
Michigan - TBA |
| Fri. TBA |
TBA |
Maryland or Indiana |
PREVIEW
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Illinois baseball team travels to Omaha, Nebraska, this week for the 2022 Big Ten Baseball Tournament at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. The Illini are the No. 4 seed and will face No. 5-seeded Michigan in their first game Thursday at 9 p.m. CT.
Illinois (31-20, 17-7 Big Ten) is making its 24th Big Ten Tournament appearance and will look for its fifth tournament title (1989, 1990, 2000, 2011). The conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament goes to the winner of the eight-team, double-elimination Big Ten Tournament.
Illinois' Thursday matchup with Michigan (28-25, 12-12 Big Ten) will be the first matchup of the season between the two teams. The winner of the Thursday night game will face the winner of No. 1 seed Maryland vs. No. 8 seed Indiana on Friday.
All Big Ten Tournament games will be televised nationally on Big Ten Network. Scott Beatty will have the radio call for the entirety of the tournament on the Fighting Illini Sports Network.
NOTES
• Illinois heads to the Big Ten tournament in Omaha, Neb. This is the first conference tournament since 2019.
• Illinois and Michigan did not play during the 2022 season. The last matchup between the two teams was on 5/2/21 when the Illini lost to the Wolverines. The two teams went 3-3 against each other in 2021.
• Illinois went 0-2 in the most recent 2019 tournament, losing to Maryland and Michigan. The Illini last won the Big Ten tournament in 2011.
• Illinois has won nine of the last ten games heading into the tournament and has swept two of the last three series.
• Illinois finished 17-7 in the Big Ten and tied for second in the conference. 17-7 in the B1G is the Illini's best conference record since 2015.
• Illinois finished the season 16-4 at Illinois Field. This is the Illini's best record at home since 2015.
• Cam McDonald has reached base in every game this season (has reached base in 62 games dating back to 5/8/21). He set the Illinois on-base streak program record, reaching base in his 58th consecutive game against Nebraska on May 14.
• Illinois is averaging 7.24 runs per game in 51 games this season.
» Illinois has scored 10+ runs 13 times, going 12-1 in those games
• Illinois has recorded 10+ hits in 30 of 51 (59%) games this season.
• Illinois is hitting .293 as a team which ranks third in the Big Ten. The Illini are second in the Big Ten in fielding percentage (.978).
• Illinois head coach Dan Hartleb reached 500 career wins on 5/7/22 with a win over Miami (0H).
• Cam McDonald leads the Illini in batting average (.369), RBI (58), and hits (75). His .369 batting average ranks fifth in the Big Ten.
• Justin Janas leads the Big Ten in on base percentage (.505). He also ranks second in the conference in HBP (23) and tenth in batting average (.355).
• Cole Kirschsieper leads the team in ERA (3.17), IP (82.1), strikeouts (85), and starts (14). His 3.17 ERA ranks sixth in the Big Ten and 82.1 innings pitched ranks fourth.
• Illinois pitchers Cole Kirschsieper, Ty Rybarcyzk, and Ryan Kutt threw a combined two-hitter in a 19-1 win over Maryland on 4/22.
• Illinois won on a walk off for the second time this season on May 15 to win the Nebraska series.
» The game took seven hours and forty-five minutes to complete as a result of two separate rain delays totaling four hours and fifty-three minutes.
• Illinois won six of eight B1G series this season and swept three B1G series (Purdue, Northwestern, and Penn State).
• Illinois swept Penn State in a three-game series at Penn State (5/19-5/21).
» This was the first road sweep of the season.
• Illinois swept Miami (OH) in a three-game series at Illinois Field (5/7-5/8).
» The sweep was the Illini's third of the season (Purdue, Northwestern).
• Illinois swept Northwestern in a three-game series at Illinois Field (4/15-4/17).
» The Illini have won eight of the last nine series against Northwestern
• 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).
• Junior catcher Jacob Campbell began the season on a nine-game hit streak (eleven-game hit streak dating back to 5/29/2021).
• 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.
