| Probable Starting Pitchers |
| Day |
Illinois |
Texas State |
| Sat. 2:30 p.m. CT |
RHP Tyler Schmitt (0-0, 2.70) |
RHP Jackson Teer (0-0, 2.45) |
| Sun. 12 p.m. CT |
RHP Ben Plumley (0-0, 1.80) |
RHP Sam Hall (0-0, 4.50) |
| Sun. Game 2 |
RHP Julius Sanchez (0-0, 1.29) |
RHP Austin Eaton (1-0, 1.50) |
PREVIEW
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. --Â Illinois baseball continues its nine-game road trip to begin the season with a return to the Lone Star State to take on Texas State at Bobcat Ballpark in San Marcos.
The Illini claimed a series victory to open the 2025 campaign by taking two of three from Abilene Christian in Corpus Christi from Feb. 14-16.
Illinois will send RHP Tyler Schmitt (0-0, 2.70) to the mound in Saturday's opener, with RHP Ben Plumley (0-0, 1.80) and RHP Julius Sanchez (0-0, 1.29) to follow on Sunday's doubleheader.
SERIES HISTORY
vs. Texas State
- Record 0-3 (H: 0-0, A: 0-1, N: 0-2)
- Last: L, 1-2 (2/23/08 at Edinburg, Texas)
- First-ever three-game series between the two programs
- First meeting in San Marcos since March 15, 1995
NOTES
TEXAS STATE SERIES
Illinois baseball continues its season with a three-game series at Texas State in San Marcos.
The Illini enter the weekend on a two-game winning streak after taking the final two games of their three-game series vs. Abilene Christian at Whataburger Field in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Scott Beatty will call the action for the Illini on the Busey Bank Illini Sports Network (WDWS 1400-AM/93.9FM). Streaming, audio, and stats links are also available at FightingIllini.com.
ABOUT TEXAS STATE
Texas State has started the season 4-0, sweeping its opening series vs. Binghamton from Feb. 14-16 before claiming a midweek 4-2 victory over No. 19 Oklahoma State on Tuesday at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
INF/OF Ethan Farris is pacing the Bobcats at the plate through the first four games of the season, posting an overall slash of .500/.529/.688 to go along with two runs, a double, triple and six RBI.
On the mound, RHP Austin Eaton leads the Texas State rotation after posting a quality start on Feb. 16 vs. Binghamton. Eaton worked 6.0 innings and allowed just one run on five hits to go along with three strikeouts.
ALL-TIME SERIES INFO
The Illini and the Bobcats are facing each other in a three-game series for the first time, with Saturday's series opener marking the fourth time the two programs have met and the first since Feb. 23, 2008.
Illinois will playing Texas State in San Marcos for the first time since March 15, 1995, where the then Southwest Texas State Bobcats were victorious in a 6-0 contest.
The last two ballgames between the programs were played at neutral sites, with the Bobcats earning 2-1 victories on both March 14, 2004 and Feb. 23, 2008.
CORPUS CHRISTI SERIES WEEKEND RECAP
Illinois opened the season going 2-1 in its opening series vs. Abilene Christian at Whataburger Field in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Cameron Chee-Aloy led the team in average over the three games, batting .455 (5-11) with two doubles and four walks. Chee-Aloy extended his hitting streak to 18 games and his on-base streak to 22 games. Making his Illinois debut over the weekend, Nick Groves also shined at the plate, going 4-for-9 (.444) with four RBI and four walks, reaching base at a .600 clip.
Julius Sanchez turned in the finest outing of his career on Feb. 16, twirling 7.0 innings of one-run ball and striking out a career-high 10 batters. Ben Plumley also turned in a solid start on Feb. 15, the first of his career. The Chicago native allowed one run over 5.0 innings and amassed six strikeouts.
O CANADA
The Illini's Canadian triumvirate of Cameron Chee-Aloy, Nick Groves and Greg LaChance all sparkled offensively during the series against Abilene Christian.
The trio went a combined 14-for-33 (.424) with two doubles, nine RBI and nine walks, good for a .700 on-base percentage.
Chee-Aloy and groves each had two, two-hit games over the weekend and LaChance had a three-hit performance in the series finale on Feb. 16.
SANCHY STARS
Julius Sanchez, making his first start since May 19, 2023, was stellar in his 2025 debut, earning a quality start by tossing 7.0 innings of one-run ball, allowing just three hits and striking out a career-high 10 batters.
Sanchez started off his outing by allowing just two through his first 3.0 innings of work and then retired eight-straight batters from the third through fifth inning.
He is the first Illini pitcher since Cooper Omans on March 12, 2024, at Indiana State to fire at least 10 strikeouts in a game.
DAN HARTLEB'S 20TH SEASON
Illinois head coach Dan Hartleb begins his 20th season at the helm of the program in 2025.
The winningest coach in Illini baseball history has currently amassed 569 wins, three Big Ten championships, one Big Ten Tournament title, five NCAA Regional appearances and one NCAA Super Regional Appearance.
Along with being named Big Ten Coach of the Year two times, Hartleb was named Big Coach of the Decade (2010s), by D1Baseball.
As he enters his 35th season overall at Illinois, Hartleb has seen 148 players have earned Big Ten All-Conference honors under his watch, with 47 of those players earning first-team selections. He's also coached a total of 27 All-Americans and 96 players who have gone on to play professionally.
Among active Big Ten coaches, Hartleb is one of two coaches that have spent at least 20 seasons as head coach at their current school (John Savage, UCLA, 21st season in 2025).Â
2024 B1G CHAMPS
For the 31st time in program history, Illinois was crowned Big Ten champions after its 9-4 victory over Purdue on May 17, 2024. The Illini were able to claim an outright title with Nebraska's loss to Michigan State on May 18, 2024. Their 18-10 triumph later that day over the Boilermakers would have also solidified an outright title had the Huskers won.
The conference title was the program's third in the Dan Hartleb era (2006-pres.) and the first since 2015. Hartleb's three Big Ten championships are fifth-most in program history.
Illinois 31 conference titles are second-most all-time in the Big Ten.
ILLINI PLAY LONG BALL
During the 2024 campaign, the Fighting Illini launched 104 home runs, setting a new program record and shattering the previous of 91 (1998) in the process.
Illinois' 104 home runs were the most among Big Ten teams, slugging 21 more than second-placed Indiana (83). It also ranked 28th nationally and ninth among teams that played fewer than 60 games.
The Orange and Blue averaged 1.86 home runs per game, which was the 19th-highest mark in the country and the best in the Big Ten.
Five players tallied double-digit home runs last season (Brody Harding, Ryan Moerman, Jacob Schroeder, Vytas Valincius, Drake Westcott) and were the only team in the conference with more than four players in double figures.
The Illini return 54.8 percent (57/104) of their home run production in 2025.
FOUR IS THE MAGIC NUMBER
Illinois slugged at least four home runs in a single game seven times last season, winning each one of those contests.
Illinois had eight such games in 2023, going 7-1 in those ballgames. Since 2018, Illinois is 18-2 when they hit at least four homers in a single game.
HOME SWEET HOME
Illinois finished the 2024 season 20-3 at Illinois Field after taking two of three games from Iowa from May 10-12, 2024.
The Illini also went 8-0 during its season-long homestand from April 9-23, 2024.
It was the first time since 2015 that Illinois won at least 20 home games, with the Illini's .869 winning percentage is the highest mark in program history since 1940 (8-1, .889).
The Orange and Blue were victorious in all six home series last season, earning sweeps over Penn State, Northern Illinois and Northwestern. Overall, Illinois has won nine-straight home series, dating back to 2023.
Following the sweep of Northwestern from April 19-21, 2024, the Illini had won 12-straight Big Ten home games dating back to last season, four series sweeps, which was the longest such streak since the Orange and Blue won 18-straight such games from May 2, 2014, to March 26, 2016.
The Fighting Illini also won their home opener 12-2 over Eastern Illinois at Illinois Field on Feb. 27, 2024. Illinois is 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.
OPENING DAY HISTORY
Illinois is 6-2 in their last eight season openers, following 2024's curtain-raising victory over Akron on Feb. 16...the Illini snapped a brief two-game losing streak in season openers 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 567 career wins.
CLEAN FIELDING
The Illini led the Big Ten in fielding percentage during conference play (.986) last season for the third-straight year and for the fifth time in the last six seasons overall.
The Illini posted a .979 fielding percentage overall and have posted a .970 overall fielding percentage or better in 12 of the last 14 seasons.
NEW YEAR, NEW FACES
Illinois has 17 returners and 18 newcomers on the 2024 roster.
  » Thirteen newcomers are transfers: LHP Zach Bates (Iowa Central CC), RHP Ryan Daly (St. Francis), RHP Mitch Dye (Lincoln Land CC), OF Nick Groves (Niagara), C/1B Will Johannes (Madison College), INF Greg LaChance (Jefferson College), LHP Reece Marley (Case Western Reserve), RHP Christian Morel (Tampa Unviersity), INF/RHP Grant Ross (Madison College), RHP Tyler Schmitt (UW-La Crosse), INF Kyle Schupmann (Cincinnati), OF Alexander Wright (George Washington), INF Jack Zebig (Marryville University)
ILLINI TRIO EARN BIG TEN PRESEASON HONORS
A trio of Illini baseball players were selected Big Ten Preseason Players to Watch, the conference announced today.Â
Right-hander Ben Plumley along with catcher Jacob Schroeder and first baseman Drake Westcott, were all named to the list.
Plumley is coming off of a breakout 2024 season, where he amassed 33 strikeouts in 35.1 innings of work last season over 23 relief appearances. He had a season-long six-game span (8.1 IP) without allowing an earned run from May 10 to June 1, striking out eight batters compared to three walks.
Schroeder, who earned 2024 College Baseball Foundation All-American Second Team and All-Big Ten First Team honors slashed .306/.434/.613 to go along with seven doubles, 14 home runs and 41 RBI. Schroeder ranked tied for ninth in the Big Ten in home runs and also ranked among conference leaders in slugging (8th) and OPS (1.047, 10th).Â
Westcott slashed .290/.421/.571 to go along with 11 doubles, 16 home runs and 52 RBI. He ranked among conference leaders in walks (T-3rd, 47) and home runs (T-4th). Westcott enters the 2025 campaign with 34 career dingers in the Orange and Blue, 14 away from matching Scott Spiezio's (1991-93) program record of 48.
ONES TO WATCH
D1Baseball Big Ten Top 2025 MLB Draft Prospects: No. 19 RHP Tyler Schmitt, No. 22 OF Nick Groves, No. 37 RHP Julius Sanchez
D1Baseball Big Ten Top 2026 MLB Draft Prospects: No. 10 OF Cameron Chee-Aloy
Perfect Game Preseason All-Conference Team: 1B Drake Westcott
Perfect Game Big Ten Top 2025 MLB Draft Prospects: No. 30 RHP Julius Sanchez, No. 38 Ben Plumley
Perfect Game Big Ten Top 2027 MLB Draft Prospects: No. 16 OF/LHP Brayden Mazzacano
ILLINI BASEBALL INKS SEVEN TO 2025 CLASS
"I am extremely excited about the group of great athletes that we have signed to join our Illini family," head coach Dan Hartleb said.Â
"We feel as if this group has the ability to help us to pursue future championships. In the changing times of college athletics, I feel as though our staff did a tremendous job of identifying great athletes and helping to secure their talents which will ensure our success moving forward."
Michael Farina / INF / Mundelein, Ill.
Aidan Flinn / LHP / Mokena, Ill.
Lucas Krebs / SS / Edwardsville, Ill.
Ryan Ohm / RHP / Rochester, Minn.
AJ Putty / 1B / McHenry, Ill.
Jack Wheeler / 3B/RHP / Morris, Ill.
Ike Young / RHP / Cisco, Ill.
UP NEXT
Illinois heads out west for the Las Vegas College Classic, where they will take on Texas Tech, Washington and Texas from Feb. 28 to March 2 at Las Vegas Ballpark.
