| Probable Starting Pitchers |
| Day |
Illinois |
Tennessee |
| Fri. 5Â p.m. CT |
RHP Jack Crowder (0-0, 7.07) |
RHP AJ Causey (2-0, 1.23) |
| Sat. 12Â p.m. CT |
RHP Logan Tabeling (0-1, 5.40) |
RHP Drew Beam (2-0, 2.16) |
| Sun. 12Â p.m. CT |
TBA |
TBA |
PREVIEW
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. --Â Illinois baseball heads to Knoxville, Tenn., for a three-game series at No. 8 Tennessee at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Right-hander Jack Crowder is slated to get the start Friday and fellow righty Logan Tabeling is set to make his third start of the season on Saturday. Sunday's starter is to be determined.
All three ballgames can be viewed on SECN+.
Friday features a scheduled first pitches of 5 p.m. CT while Saturday and Sunday are slated for 12 p.m. CT starts.
SERIES HISTORY
vs. Tennessee
- Record: 3-0-1 (H: 0-0, A: 2-0-1, N: 1-0)
- Last: W, 13-1 (2/27/93 at Orland, Fla.)
- First matchup in Knoxville since April 14, 1914. Contest ended in a 1-1 tie.
NOTES
AT A GLANCE
The Illini are set to play their first three-game series against a single opponent this season when they take on the No. 8 Tennessee Volunteers at Lindsey Nelson Stadium in Knoxville. This will be the first three-game set between the two programs ever and it marks the first matchup in Knoxville since 1914.
Illinois is set to face a Top-10 opponent in a three-game series for the first time since 2015, when the Illini traveled to Stillwater, Okla., to face Oklahoma State. The Orange and Blue took two of three games in that series.
Overall, the Illini are 0-2 against ranked opponents this season and went 2-3 in such contests last season.
ON THE ROAD IN KNOXVILLE
Illinois baseball wraps up this six-game road trip as they head to Knoxville, Tenn., for a three-game series against No. 8 Tennessee at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
All games can be streamed on SECN+.
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 OPPONENT
Tennessee enters the weekend 13-1, coming off of a pair of midweek wins vs. Kansas State (15-5, Tue.) and Southern Indiana (2-1, Wed.).
OF Kavares Tears leads the Volunteers at the plate, batting .429 (18-for-42) with four home runs and 12 RBI while RHP AJ Causey leads on the mound with a 2-0 record and a 1.23 ERA (2 ER/14.2 IP) to go along with 18 strikeouts and just two walks.
Tennessee went to the College World Series for the sixth time in their history last season, going 44-22 overall.
ALL-TIME SERIES INFO
The Illini are 3-0-1 all-time against the Vols, including 2-0 on the road in Knoxville. Friday's contest will be the first between the two programs in Knoxville since April 14, 1914, where the ballgame ended in a 1-1 tie.
This is the first meeting overall since Feb. 27, 1993, where Illinois was a 13-1 victor in a game played in Orlando, Fla.
B1G PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Redshirt junior infielder Drake Westcott has been named Big Ten Co-Player of the Week, the conference announced Monday.
Westcott went 7-for-13 (.538) with seven runs scored, a double, three home runs, seven RBI and seven walks over four games, posting a .667 on-base percentage while slugging 1.231.
The Edwardsville, Ill., started the week by going 3-for-4 with three runs, two home runs and four RBI vs. Eastern Illinois in the Illini's home opener on Tuesday. It was Westcott's first multi-HR game of the season and the fourth such game of his career.
This past weekend at the First Pitch Invitational, Westcott went 3-for-9 (.333) with a double, home run, three RBI and six walks in three games.
Westcott has walked 13 times on the season, which is second-most among Big Ten hitters and his 1.216 OPS ranks third among conference batters. He also ranks among Big Ten leaders in home runs (4, T-2nd) and slugging (.727, 3rd).
TABLE TOP
Logan Tabeling turned in the best start of his career on March 2 vs. Western Michigan, working a career-high 5.0 innings and allowing two runs while striking out seven.
After making no starts in the first 33 games of his collegiate career, Tableling has made two this season, with appearance out of the bullpen. In his two starts, the Tuscola, Ill., native, has racked up 16 strikeouts in 9.0 innings.
Overall, the senior has amassed 18 strikeouts in 10.0 innings of work, holding opposing hitters to a .167 average.
NO RONS ALLOWED
Jake Rons turned in two scoreless outings during the First Pitch Invitational last weekend over a combined 3.0 innings, picking up two strikeouts.
The Long Beach State transfer earned his first win of his Illini career against Western Michigan on March 2, tossing 2.0 scoreless frames. Rons helped send the game to extras by stranding an inherited runner on second with no outs in the bottom of the ninth before shutting the door in the 10th.
Rons worked a scoreless ninth vs. Michigan State on March 3 to help the Illini to a 12-6 win over the Spartans.
HOME SWEET HOME
The Fighting Illini won their home opener 12-2 over Eastern Illinois at Illinois Field on Feb. 27. Illinois is now 8-3 in its last 11 home openers and the 12 runs scored are the most since also scoring 12 in the 2021 home opener vs. Northwestern.
BACKSIDE DIESEL
INF Drake Westcott homered twice on Feb. 27 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 Feb. 27 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 the game at No. 25 Coastal Carolina on Feb. 23, 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 RBIÂ 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.
While Chee-Aloy's eight-game hitting streak came to an end on March 2 vs. Western Michigan, the freshman reached safely four times in the ballgame (2 BB, 2 HBP) and has reached base safely in all 11 games this season.
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 ATÂ 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).
ILLINIÂ TRIOÂ EARNÂ BIGÂ TENÂ PRESEASONÂ HONORS
A trio of Illini baseball players were selected Big Ten Preseason Players to Watch, the conference announced on Feb. 14.Â
Right-handers Jack Crowder and Logan Tabeling, as well as outfielder Ryan Moerman, were all named to the list.Â
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.Â
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.Â
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).Â
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 returns to Illinois Field for a three-game series against Southern Indiana, the first weekend series of the season in Champaign. First pitch of Friday's opener is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.
