| Probable Starting Pitchers |
| Day |
Illinois |
Indiana State |
| Wed. 3 p.m. CT |
TBA |
TBA |
PREVIEW
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The Illinois baseball team returns home to Champaign to take on the Indiana State Sycamores in the 2023 home opener at Illinois Field.
The Illini split two games with Coastal Carolina in Conway, S.C., over the weekend before Sunday's rubber match was canceled due to inclement weather.
The Orange and Blue starter for the Illinois Field curtain raiser is to be announced.
The game against Indiana State can be viewed on BTN+.
SERIES HISTORY
vs. Indiana State
• Record: 39-38-2 (H: 27-17-1, A: 12-21-1, N: 1-0)
• Last: W, 6-3 (5/3/22 in Champaign)
• Illini have won eight-straight at Illinois Field
• No road wins in series by either team since 2007
• Illinois has won five of last seven overall
NOTES
• Illinois hosts the Indiana State Sycamores at Illinois Field for the 2023 home opener.
» The two teams have split their home-and-home matchups in 2022 and 2019.
» Illinois has won the last eight meetings in Champaign...last loss to Indiana State at Illinois Field came on March 27, 2007, a 4-0 defeat.
» Last home opener win for the Illini came on March 16, 2019, vs. Southern Illinois.
• Illinois head coach Dan Hartleb is second on the program's all-time win list with 513. He is just five wins away from passing Lee Eilbracht (518) for the most in program history.
» Hartleb reached 500 career wins on May 7, 2022, with a win over Miami (0H).
• Illinois split two games against Coastal Carolina at Springs Brooks Stadium last weekend, with Sunday's series finale getting canceled due to inclement weather.
» Illinois collected a season-high 14 hits in Saturday's contest and matched a season-high with 13 runs scored.
• RHP Joe Glassey turned in one of the best relief outings in his career on Saturday, earning the win after working 4.2 scoreless frames, allowing just three hits to go along with a career-high nine strikeouts.
» Entered the game in the fifth with one out and the bases loaded, struck out both batters faced in that frame.
» At one point during his outing, had five-straight outs recorded via a looking strikeout.
• INF Cal Hejza led the way offensively for the Illini in the two-game set, going 4-for-9 at the dish with a run, double and four RBI.
» His four hits were the most by an Illinois batter in the two games against Coastal Carolina.
» Had a three-RBI performance in Saturday's game, his third multi-RBI game of the year.
» Had back-to-back two-hit games and has five such games this season...had eight such games in 2022.
• INF Drake Westcott went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and two walks against Coastal Carolina.
» Westcott extended his hitting streak to eight games (9-for-31) and has three home runs, nine RBI and eight walks during that span...longest active streak on the team.
» Has walked in eight of 12 games this season...has drawn free passes in seven of his last eight.
» His 10 walks on the season rank second on the team...is getting on base at a .393 clip.
• C Camden Janik had his 10-game hitting streak snapped in the series opener, but he responded on Saturday by going 2-for-4 with two runs, a home run and an RBI.
» Was his third home run of the season, setting a new season-high total in his Illini career...homered twice in 13 games in 2022.
» Has reached base safely in all 12 games this season, one of two Illini batters that have done so.
» Ranks second on the team with 16 total hits while leading Illinois starters in average (.348).
• INF Branden Comia extended his on-base streak to 52 games, which dates back to last season.
• Illinois has 22 returners and 14 newcomers on the 2023 roster.
» Eight newcomers are transfers: RHP Korey Bunselmeyer (Rend Lake), RHP TJ Constertina (St. Thomas), LHP John Lundgren (North Alabama), INF Coltin Quagliano (Illinois Central), C Jacob Schroeder (John A. Logan), OF Christian Smith (Vanderbilt), RHP Logan Tabeling (Wright State) and INF Drake Westcott (Louisville).
• The Illini return three all-Big Ten selections: Branden Comia (2nd), Cam McDonald (2nd) and Danny Doligale (3rd).
• Big Ten Preseason Honors: RHP Jack Crowder, RHP Riley Gowens, OF Cam McDonald.
• D1Baseball Big Ten top 2023 MLB Draft prospects: No. 23 RHP Jack Crowder
• D1Baseball top players:
» RHP Riley Gowens - SP No. 167
» INF Branden Comia - 3B No. 29
» OF Danny Doligale - OF No. 102
» OF Cam McDonald - OF No. 145
• Perfect Game Preseason Big Ten All-Conference: OF Cam McDonald.
• Perfect Game Big Ten top 2023 MLB Draft prospects: No. 24 Cam McDonald, No. 34 Branden Comia.
• Illinois' new $8-million, 26,000-square foot Susan and Clint Atkins Baseball Training Center opened in
September 2022.
UP NEXT
Illinois is set to face Southern Illinois in a three-game series starting on Friday, with the current location and times of the games to be announced.
