| Probable Starting Pitchers |
| Day |
Illinois |
Bradley |
| Tue. 3 p.m. CT |
TBA |
TBA |
PREVIEW
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Fighting Illini baseball returns to Illinois Field to take on Bradley in a midweek showdown.
The game was slated to be played in Peoria, Ill., but forecasted inclement weather forced a relocation.
Illinois is coming off its third-straight series victory of the season after taking two games against Southern Illinois at The Plex in Booneville, Miss., on the campus of Northeast Mississippi Community College.
The starters for both teams in today's ballgame are to be announced.
SERIES HISTORY
vs. Bradley
• Record: 44-23-1 (H: 23-12-1; A: 18-11; N: 3-0)
• Last: W, 9-6 (4/27/22 in Peoria, Ill.)
• Illini have lost last four games in Champaign.
• The very first meeting ended in a 10-10 tie on 4/21/1927 in Champaign.
NOTES
• Illinois returns to Champaign to take on the Bradley Braves at Dozer Park in Peoria, Ill.
» The Illini won the last matchup between the two teams, 9-6, on April 27, 2022, in Peoria.
» Illinois have lost the last four games against Bradley in Champaign, with the last win at this facility coming on April 27, 2010.
» The Illini have won the last two games in the series and three of the last five overall.
• Illinois head coach Dan Hartleb is second on the program's all-time win list with 516. He is just three 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 took two of three games from Southern Illinois last weekend.
» Games were played at The Plex in Booneville, Miss., due to inclement weather in Champaign.
» All three games were decided by two runs or fewer.
• INF Branden Comia extended his on-base streak to 56 games, which dates back to last season, by going 4-for-13 with a run, double, home run and three RBI in the series.
» Comia is just seven games away from matching Cam McDonald's program record of 63-straight games reaching base safely.
» Recorded his 200th career hit on Friday's game by launching a two-run home run in the first.
» Drove in all three of the Illini's runs in Friday's 3-2 win.
• RHP Riley Gowens turned in one of the best starts of his career on Friday, tossing a career-high 8.0 innings and striking out 10 batters...allowed two runs on seven hits.
» Second time this season that Gowens has whiffed at least 10 batters in a game...first start this season without issuing a walk.
» Gowens has struck out a total of 39 batters in 27.0 innings this season (5 GS)...his 39 strikeouts rank tied for third among Big Ten arms.
• C Jacob Schroeder went 3-for-8 in the series with three runs, three home runs and four RBI.
» Homered twice in Saturday's game...first time doing so in his Illini career.
» Went deep in back-to-back games for the first time this season after homering on Sunday.
» Has five home runs in 31 at-bats...tied for the team lead (Westcott).
» Has posted an OPS of 1.352 this season... iff he qualified, would be second-highest OPS among Big Ten hitters.
• INF Drake Westcott also homered twice on Saturday, making him and Schroeder the first set of Illini teammates to homer twice in the same game since Jack Yalowitz and David Craan did so on March 4, 2017, at Florida Atlantic.
» Went 2-for-3 with four runs, two home runs, three RBI and two walks in Saturday's contest.
• C Cam Janik extended his on-base streak to 16 games...went 1-for-9 with two runs and three walks in the series against Southern Illinois.
• 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 Lincoln, Neb., on Friday to begin a three-game set against Nebraska to open its Big Ten slate.
