| Probable Starting Pitchers |
| Day |
Illinois |
Opponent |
| Fri. 9 a.m. CT |
RHP Jack Crowder (0-0, -.--) |
RHP Jared Schaeffer (0-0, -.--) - Akron |
| Fri. 1 p.m. CT |
LHP Cooper Omans (0-0, -.--) |
RHP Spencer Atkins (0-0, -.--) - Akron |
| Sat. 11 a.m. CT |
RHP Logan Tabeling (0-0, -.--) |
RHP Chase Burns (0-0, -.--) - Wake Forest |
| Sun. 9 a.m. CT |
TBA |
RHP Dominic Cunha (0-0, -.--) - Fordham |
PREVIEW
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The Illinois baseball team begins its 145th season on Friday with a trip to Winston-Salem, N.C. The Illini are scheduled to play four games in three days, with a doubleheader vs. Akron on Friday before taking on No. 1 Wake Forest on Saturday and Fordham on Sunday.
This season, the team has 21 players returning from the 2023 roster and welcomes 16 newcomers. Nine of the 16 newcomers are transfers.
Right-hander Jack Crowder will take the mound for the Illini in the season opener, with lefty Cooper Omans getting the ball in the second game of Friday's twin bill. Right-hander Logan Tabeling will get the ball on Saturday and Sunday's starter is to be announced.
Saturday's contest against No. 1 Wake Forest can be viewed on ACCNX.
SERIES HISTORY
vs. Akron
- Record: 6-1 (H: 4-0, A: 0-0, N: 2-1)
- Last: W, 7-6 (3/19/10 in Winter Haven, Fla.)
- Illinois has won the last six match ups between the two programs.
vs. Wake Forest
- Record: 2-4 (H: 0-0, A: 1-3, N: 1-1)
- Last: L, 1-10 (2/19/23 in Winston-Salem)
- Illini are 1-3 at David F. Couch Ballpark
- Faced off against Wake Forest in the 1998 South I Regional in Gainesville, Fla.
vs. Fordham
- Record: 1-0 (H: 0-0, A: 0-0, N: 1-0)
- Last: W, 7-6 (2/21/15 in Fort Myers, Fla.)
NOTES
• Illinois begins its 145th season of play with four games at David F. Couch Ballpark in Winston-Salem, N.C. The Illini will face the Akron Zips twice, while taking on the No. 1 Wake Forest Demon Deacons and Fordham Rams once.
» This marks the second-straight season that the Illini have opened their campaign at The Couch. Illinois defeated Youngstown State twice before suffering two losses to No. 6 Wake Forest.
» Saturday's contest will be the first time since 2020 that the Illini face the No. 1 ranked team in the country. The Orange and Blue went 3-3 overall against ranked opponents last season.
• Illinois is 5-2 in their last seven season openers...the Illini snapped a brief two-game losing streak in curtain raisers in their 9-6 victory over Youngstown State last year.
• 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.
• Illinois batters slugged a total of 89 home runs last season, falling just two dingers shy of matching the program record of 91, set in 1998.
» The Illini return 72 percent (64/89) of their home run production to the team this year.
» Slugged a program-record 46 home runs during Big Ten play last season.
» INF Drake Westcott crushed a team-leading 18 home runs in 2023, becoming the first Illini to hit at least 18 in single season since Bren Spillane in 2018.
• The Illini led the Big Ten in fielding percentage during conference play (.986) for the second-straight year and for the fourth time in the last five seasons overall. The Illini have had at least a .970 fielding percentage in 11 of the last 13 seasons.
• Illinois has 21 returners and 16 newcomers on the 2024 roster.
» Nine newcomers are transfers: OF Asher Bradd (Illinois-Springfield), LHP Evan Clark (Southern California), LHP Reed Gannon (Kentucky), RHP Will Lavin (Bemidji State), RHP Decker Mac Neil (Santa Barbara City College), LHP Cooper Omans (Nova Southeastern), LHP Sam Reed (Eastern Michigan), RHP Jake Rons (Long Beach State) and INF Vytas Valincius (John A. Logan CC).
• The Illini return one All-Big Ten selection: Ryan Moerman (2nd).
• Big Ten Preseason Players to Watch: RHP Jack Crowder, OF Ryan Moerman, RHP Logan Tabeling.
• D1Baseball Big Ten Top 2024 MLB Draft Prospects: No. 28 RHP Jack Crowder, No. 31 RHP Logan Tabeling, No. 34 C Camden Janik.
• D1Baseball Big Ten Impact Freshman: No. 20 RHP Parker Burgess, No. 22 LHP Regan Hall, No. 24 OF Cameron Chee-Aloy.
• Perfect Game Big Ten Top 2024 MLB Draft Prospects: No. 16 RHP Jack Crowder, No. 21 OF Ryan Moerman, No. 37 RHP Logan Tabeling, No. 41 INF Drake Westcott.
UP NEXT
Illinois will travel to Conway, S.C., to take on No. 18 Coastal Carolina, Ball State and Cincinnati at Springs Brooks Stadium from Feb. 23-24.
