| Probable Starting Pitchers |
| Day |
Illinois |
Southern Illinois |
| Fri. 3 p.m. CT |
RHP Riley Gowens (0-0, 5.21) |
RHP Ben Chapman (1-0, 6.41) |
| Sat. 1 p.m. CT |
RHP Julius Sanchez (0-2, 5.65) |
RHP Easton Dermody (1-1, 5.85) |
| Sun. 12 p.m. CT |
RHP Jack Wenninger (2-0, 5.02) |
TBA |
PREVIEW
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The Illinois baseball team returns to action Friday in Booneville, Miss., where they face the Southern Illinois Salukis for three games at The Plex on the campus of Northeast Mississippi Community College.
The series was slated to be played in Champaign, but forecasted inclement weather forced a relocation.
The Illini fell in their home opener on Wednesday, 7-3, to Indiana State in extra innings, following their season-long 13-game road trip.
The Orange and Blue will send right-hander Riley Gowens to the mound for the in the series opener. Gowens took no decision in his fourth start of the season on March 10 against the Coastal Carolina, working 5.0 innings and allowing four runs, two earned, on four hits to go along with six strikeouts.
Freshman right-hander Julius Sanchez gets the ball again Saturday, making his third start of the season. Sanchez last worked on March 11 at Coastal, taking no decision after 4.1 innings of three-run ball.
Right-hander Jack Wenninger gets the call for Sunday's series finale. Wenninger worked a scoreless ninth inning in relief against Indiana State. He was also slated to get the ball in the series finale against Coastal Carolina.
All three games against Southern Illinois can be viewed on BTN+.
SERIES HISTORY
vs. Southern Illinois
• Record: 43-42 (H: 18-17; A: 19-22; N: 6-3)
• Last: L, 7-5 (3/20/22 at SIU)
• Illinois won six of eight from 2018-19
• Illinois coach Dan Hartleb played at SIU
• Hartleb is 25-17 vs. SIU as a head coach
NOTES
• Illinois travels to Booneville, Miss., to take on Southern Illinois at 'The Plex' on the campus of Northeast Mississippi Community College.
» Series was relocated from Champaign due to forecasted inclement weather.
» SIU took two of three games when the programs faced off last season in Carbondale, Ill.
» First neutral site game between the two teams since March 18, 2013, in Marion, Ill.
» First game played between the two teams outside the state of Illinois since March 14, 1992, in Coral Gables, Fla. Illinois won that contest 8-4.
» Illinois head coach Dan Hartleb played for two seasons for the Salukis before joining as a graduate assistant in 1989 under the tutelage of SIU and Illinois legend Itch Jones.
• 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 fell in its 2023 home opener on Wednesday to Indiana State, 7-3, in extra innings.
• INF Branden Comia extended his on-base streak to 53 games, which dates back to last season, by going 1-for-4 with a run, double and RBI.
» Comia is just 10 games away from matching Cam McDonald's program record of 63-straight games reaching base safely.
• C Cam Janik has also reached safely in all 13 games this season, going 1-for-5 with a double against Indiana State.
» Leads Illini starters with a .353 average (17-for-51)...tied for team lead with three home runs.
• INF Drake Westcott went 2-for-4 with a walk in Wednesday's game.
» Westcott extended his hitting streak to nine games (11-for-35) and has three home runs, nine RBI and nine walks during that span.
» Has walked in nine of 13 games this season...has drawn free passes in eight of his last nine.
» His 11 walks on the season rank second on the team...is getting on base at a .410 clip.
• INF Brody Harding went 2-for-2 with a pair of singles and a pair of walks.
» Has multi-hit games in two of his last four and has hit safely in three of his last four.
• RHP Jake Swartz made the first start of his career against Indiana State, allowing two runs, one earned over 3.1 innings of work to go along with four strikeouts and no walks.
» Scattered five hits and also hit two batters.
• 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 heads to Peoria, Ill., for mid-week action against Bradley at Dozer Park.
