Illini Baseball Set for First Pitch Invitational

Illinois vs. Florida State // Western Michigan // Michigan State
When	March 1-3
Where	Greenville, S.C. (Fluor Field)
Live Video	YouTube.com/@TheGreenvilleDrive
Radio	WDWS AM-1400 // FightingIllini.com
Live Stats	FightingIllini.com
Notes	Illinois | Florida State | Western Michigan | Michigan State
Shop	Online Store | Auctions
Social Media	@IlliniBaseball | @IlliniBaseball | Facebook | YouTube

PREVIEW

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois baseball heads to Greenville, S.C., for the First Pitch Invitational, played at Fluor Field.

Along with hosts Michigan State, the Illini are set to face Florida State and Western Michigan at the home of the Greenville Drive, the High-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.

Right-hander Jack Crowder will get the ball for the third-straight Friday and fellow righty Logan Tabeling will make his second start of the season on Saturday. Sunday's starter is to be determined.

All three ballgames can be viewed at YouTube.com/@TheGreenvilleDrive.

Friday and Saturday will feature scheduled first pitches at 1 p.m. CT and Sunday is slated to have a 9 a.m. CT start.

SERIES HISTORY

vs. Florida State

• Record: 0-6 (H: 0-0, A: 0-5, N: 0-1)
• Last: L, 4-6 (5/26/90 at Starkville, Miss.)

vs. Western Michigan

• Record: 21-12 (H: 20-10, A: 0-1, N: 1-1)
• Last: W, 13-3 (4/18/17 at Illinois Field)
• Illinois has won four-straight in the series.
• First neutral site matchup since March 30, 1959

vs. Michigan State

• Record: 88-72 (H: 49-30, A: 32-37, N: 7-5)
• Last: W, 10-3 (5/7/23 at Illinois Field)
• Illini have won three-straight and eight of last nine overall
• Illinois went 1-1 against Michigan State at this facility in 2018

NOTES

AT A GLANCE

Illinois baseball heads to Greenville, S.C., for the first time since 2021, where they began the Big Ten-only season with four games against Ohio State at Fluor Field, splitting the series against the Buckeyes.

The Illini are competing in the First Pitch Invitational for the first time since 2018, where they split two games against Michigan State and claiming a victory over Furman.

FIRST PITCH INVITATIONAL

Illinois baseball heads out on the road again, making the trip to Greenville, S.C., for the First Pitch Invitational, hosted by Michigan State at Fluor Field, home of the Greenville Drive, the High-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.

This marks the second-straight weekend that the Illini will play in The Palmetto State.

All games can be streamed on YouTube.com/@TheGreenville Drive.

Scott Beatty will call the action for the Illini on the Busey Bank Illini Sports Network (1400 AM/93.9FM). Streaming, audio, and stats links are also available at FightingIllini.com.

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS

Florida State enters the weekend 7-0, earning a 12-4 victory over South Florida on Tuesday in midweek action.

INF Cam Smith leads the Seminoles at the plate, going 15-for-30 (.500) with one HR and seven RBI while RHP Jamie Arnold leads on the mound with a 2-0 record and a 0.00 ERA (0 ER/11.0 IP) to go along with 20 strikeouts.

Western Michigan is 6-2 having swept Perpperdine in a four-game series last weekend in Malibu, Calif.

INF Cade Sullivan leads the Broncos at the plate, batting 19-for-34 (.559) with two home runs and 13 RBI.

Michigan State is 3-5 and coming off of 19-6 win in seven innings on Wednesday at Georgia.

C Christian Williams leads the Spartans at the plate, going 9-for-23 (.391) with two home runs and seven RBI. LHP Nick Powers has gone 1-1 with a 1.93 ERA (3 ER/14.0) with 11 strikeouts on the mound.

ALL-TIME SERIES INFO

The Illini are 0-6 all-time against the Seminoles, including 0-1 in neutral site contests, falling 6-4 in the last matchup between the two programs on May 26, 1990, in Starkville, Miss.

Illinois is 21-12 all-time against Western Michigan, winning the last ballgame, 13-3, between the two teams on April 18, 2017, in Champaign. The Illini have won four-straight against the Broncos.

The Orange and Blue are 88-72 against Michigan State overall, including 7-5 in neutral-site showdowns. The Illini swept the Spartans during Big Ten play last season, taking all three games at Illinois Field on May 5-7. Illinois has won eight of the last nine overall.

HOME SWEET HOME

The Fighting Illini won their home opener 12-2 over Eastern Illinois at Illinois Field on Tuesday. Illinois is now 8-3 in its last 11 home openers and the 12 runs scored ar the most since also scoring 12 in the 2021 home opener vs. Northwestern.

BACKSIDE DIESEL

INF Drake Westcott homered twice on Tuesday vs. Eastern Illinois, his first multi-homer game of the season.

Westcott had three such performances in 2023, including back-to-back multi-home run games against Michigan State on May 6 (3) and May 7 (2).

Two of the Edwardsville, Ill., native's big flies this season have gone to the opposite field. Westcott hit eight of his 18 dingers last season the opposite way.

FOUR IS THE MAGIC NUMBER

Illinois slugged four home runs on Tuesday vs. Eastern Illinois, a season-high mark. The Illini had eight such games last season, going 7-1 in those contests. Since 2018, Illinois is 12-2 when they hit at least four homers in a single game.

BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK

In the first inning of Friday's game at No. 25 Coastal Carolina, INF Coltin Quagliano, INF Drake Westcott and OF Ryan Moerman all homered in consecutive at-bats. They became the first set of Illini to slug back-to-back-to-back home runs since April 24, 1998.

FEELING THE CHEE-SIEST

OF Cameron Chee-Aloy had a big first weekend in the Orange and Blue, going 4-for-13 (.308) with six runs scored, three home runs, six RBI  and two walks from Feb. 16-18.

    » Had a pair of go-ahead two-run homers during the doubleheader against Akron on Feb. 16...the first of his career in the opener proved to be the game winner.

Chee-Aloy picked up a single on Tuesday vs. Eastern Illinois to extend his hitting streak to eight games.

QUALITY AND QUANITY

Illinois got two quality starts during the opening weekend, with RHP Jack Crowder picking up the first of his season in game one of the doubleheader vs. Akron on Feb. 16 and LHP Regan Hall recording the first one of his career on Feb. 18 vs. Fordham.

Crowder did not factor into the decision but went on to strikeout nine over 6.0 innings, allowing one run on three hits in the Illini's season-opening victory.

Hall turned in a stellar collegiate debut, as the freshman earned the first win of his career by holding the Rams to just one run on the three hits in 6.0 innings, punching out nine along the way. Hall retired 14 of the final 16 batters he faced.

OPENING DAY HISTORY

After defeat Akron to opening the campaign, Illinois is now 6-2 in their last eight season openers...the Illini snapped a brief two-game losing streak in curtain raisers in their 9-6 victory over Youngstown State in 2023.

DAN HARTLEB, THE WINNINGEST COACH AT ILLINOIS

Illinois head coach Dan Hartleb earned win No. 519 on April 2, 2023, against Michigan, passing Lee Eilbracht for the most in program history...currently has 534 career wins.

THEY HAVE THE POWER

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.

CLEAN FIELDING

The Illini led the Big Ten in fielding percentage during conference play (.986) last season for the second-straight year and for the fourth time in the last five seasons overall.

The Illini have had at least a .970 overall fielding percentage in 11 of the last 13 seasons.

NEW YEAR, NEW FACES

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).

ILLINI TRIO EARN BIG TEN PRESEASON HONORS

A trio of Illini baseball players were selected Big Ten Preseason Players to Watch, the conference announced on Feb. 14. 

Right-handers Jack Crowder and Logan Tabeling, as well as outfielder Ryan Moerman, were all named to the list. 

Crowder earns preseason honors for the second-straight year. The senior amassed 35 strikeouts in 42.1 innings of work last season over 17 games, six starts. 

Tabeling is coming off his first season in the Orange and Blue, where he made 14 relief appearances, whiffing 13 batters over 16.0 innings. 

Moerman is named to the list after earning All-Big Ten Second Team honors in 2023. The junior slashed .300/.372/.547 to go along with 12 home runs and 44 RBI. Moerman ranked among team leaders in batting average (2nd), RBI (T-2nd) and home runs (T-3rd). 

ONES TO WATCH

• 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.

ILLINI BASEBALL INKS EIGHT TO 2024 CLASS

"I am extremely excited about our 2024 signing class," head coach Dan Hartleb said. "We have four very athletic and competitive baseball student-athletes. This group has excelled against some of the best competition in the country."

"We have filled some big needs with very quality athletes who have a high ceiling. Our staff did a great job of identifying and securing commitments from this sought-after class. We are looking forward to working with the entire group."

Mitch Dye / RHP / Springfield, Ill.

Will Johannes / C // 1B / Mukwonago, Wis.

Greg LaChance / INF / Whitby, Ontario, Canada

Luke Landrus / C / St. Joseph, Ill.

Reece Marley / LHP / Clearwater Beach, Fla.

Brayden Mazzacano / OF / Schaumburg, Ill.

Grant Ross / INF // RHP / Pewaukee, Wis.

Luke Weber / RHP / Highland Park, Ill.

UP NEXT

Illinois heads to Knoxville, Tenn., to take on No. 8 Tennessee for a weekend series at Lindsey Nelson Stadium, starting on Friday, March 8.