| Probable Starting Pitchers |
| Day |
[7] Illinois |
Opponent |
| Tue. 2 p.m. CT |
RHP Jack Wenninger (6-3, 4.62) |
[2] Indiana - LHP Ben Seiler (1-3, 5.45) |
| Wed. 7 p.m. CT |
TBA |
[3] Iowa // [6] Michigan (if L on Tue.) |
| Thur. 2 p.m. CT |
TBA |
[3] Iowa // [6] Michigan (if W on Tue.) |
PREVIEW
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Fighting Illini baseball (25-25, 12-12) travels to Omaha, Neb., for the 2023 Big Ten Baseball Tournament at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. The Illini are the No. 7 seed and will face No. 2-seeded Indiana (40-16, 16-8) in their first game Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. CT.
Illinois is making its 25th 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.
The Illini's matchup with Indiana will be the fourth game of the season between the two teams. The winner of that contest will face the winner of No. 3 seed Iowa vs. No. 6 seed Michigan on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. CT.
All games throughout the tournament will be broadcast nationally on Big Ten Network.
NOTES
• Illinois heads to Omaha, Neb., for the 2023 Big Ten Tournament.
» The Illini have made the Big Ten Tournament in four-straight seasons (no tournament in 2020 or 2021).
» The Illini are looking for their first win at the Big Ten Tournament since 2018.
» Have been eliminated in two games in each of the past two tournaments.
• Illinois faces Indiana for the fourth time this season...went 1-2 against the Hoosiers at Illinois Field this season...Indiana eliminated Illinois in last year's tournament...the Illini defeated the Hoosiers twice in the 2018 tournament.
» Illini won 7-5 in series opener on April 14, thanks to a go-ahead three-run home run by Jacob Schroeder in the eighth inning.
» Illinois went 1-2 against Michigan this season...earned lone win against the Wolverines on April 2 at Illinois Field...the win was No. 519 in head coach Dan Hartleb's Illini career...Illinois lost to Michigan in the opening round of the 2022 Big Ten Tournament.
» Illinois did not face Iowa this season...went 2-1 against the Hawkeyes in 2022.
• Illinois head coach Dan Hartleb earned win No. 519 on April 2 against Michigan, passing Lee Eilbracht for the most in program history...currently has 532 career wins.
» Hartleb reached 500 career wins on May 7, 2022, with a win over Miami (0H).
• Illinois wrapped up the regular season by winning two of three games against UT Martin.
» Was first ever meeting between the two programs.
» Slugged four home runs in regular season finale.
• INF Branden Comia went 2-for-4 with three runs, a double, home run, four RBI and one walk in the series finale against UT Martin on May 20.
» Finished the series going 5-for-12 (.417) with six runs, two doubles, one home run, six RBI and two walks.
» Hit his second grand slam of the season in the fifth inning.
» Extended his season-high hitting streak to 11 games...is batting .408 (20-for-49) with five doubles, four home runs and 13 RBI during that span.
» Has seven multi-hit games during that span.
» Has scored six runs in his last three games.
• OF Cam McDonald now has 253 hits in his Illini career, which ranks eighth in program history.
• C Camden Janik went 2-for-3 with two runs, a double, two walks and was hit by a pitch in the UT Martin series finale.
» Finished the series going 7-for-12 (.583) with three runs, a double, a home run, three RBI and three walks.
» Reached base safely in his first three plate appearances of the game on May 20...after going 5-for-5 on May 19, was a stretch of eight-straight plate appearances reaching base safely.
• RHP Logan Tabeling worked 2.0 scoreless innings in the ballgame on May 20, an Illinois career-high mark.
» Has allowed one run in his last 8.0 innings of work, spanning six games...has seven strikeouts during that stretch.
• Illinois batters hit a total of 46 home runs during Big Ten play this season, setting a new program record for a 24-game conference slate...previous record was 30.
» Have hit a total of 89 home runs this season, ranks third in the Big Ten...trail single-season program record by two (91).
• Branden Comia, TJ Constertina, Danny Doligale, Joe Glassey, Brody Harding, Zak Hartleb, John Lundgren, Cam McDonald, Ryan O'Hara, Alex Vera and Xavier Watson were all honored during Senior Day festivities.
» Student-managers Diego Acosta and Darahn Magnus were also honored.
• 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.
