PREVIEW
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. --Â Illinois baseball returns to Illinois Field in Champaign as the Fighting Illini are set to host the Aurora Spartans today. This contest is set to be the earliest outdoor home opener in program history, narrowly beating out last season's home curtain raiser on Feb. 27, 2024.
The Orange and Blue claimed a series victory, their second-straight to begin the 2025 campaign, last weekend at Texas State to improve to 4-2 on the season.
Illinois went 20-3 at Illinois Field last season, marking the first time since 2015 that the Illini won 20 home games in a single season.Â
Due to Fighting Illini men's basketball vs. Iowa tonight, parking is limited to gravel lots at Illinois Field and at Atkins Tennis Center. Concessions will also not be available for today's game.
Fans should refer to the gameday guide for parking maps and updated Illinois Field policies.
SERIES HISTORY
vs. Aurora
- Record 3-0 (H: 3-0, A: 0-0, N: 0-0)
- Last: W, 7-5 (3/15/85 at Champaign)
NOTES
MIDWEEK ACTION AT ILLINOIS FIELD
Illinois baseball is set for its 2025 Illinois Field debut with a midweek showdown vs. Aurora University.
The Illini enter the ballgame coming off of a series win at Texas State from Feb. 22-23, taking two of three games from the Bobcats in San Marcos, Texas.
Alec Gilmore will call the action for the Illini on B1G+. A stats link will also be available at FightingIllini.com.
ABOUTÂ AURORA
Aurora has started the season 0-2, dropping both games of a doubleheader to Wash U on Feb. 23.
INF Kyle Mack is leading the Spartans at the plate, having gone 3-for-7 (.429) and has also reached base at a .429 clip.
On the mound, LHP Justin Zimmerman turned in the best start for Aurora over the weekend, tossing 5.0 innings of one-run ball, allowing four hits while striking out eight.
Last season, the Spartans went 34-11, including 18-6 in conference play.
ALL-TIME SERIES INFO
The Illini and the Spartans will be facing each other for the fourth time overall and for the first time since March 15, 1985, where Illinois came away with a 7-5 victory at Illinois Field.
All three of the previous matchups between the two programs have been played in Champaign.
TEXAS STATE WEEKEND RECAP
Illinois earned its second-straight series win to begin the 2025 season by taking two of three games from Texas State at Bobcat Ballpark in San Marcos, Texas.
Grant Ross led the team in average over the weekend, going 3-for-6 (.500) with three runs scored, a double, an RBI and five walks. Ross reached base at a .727 clip and slugged .667 to post a 1.394 OPS. He also recorded at least one hit, one run and one walk in all three games of the series. Nick Groves went 4-for-10 (.400) with four runs scored, two RBI and three walks, and has now reached base safely at least twice in all six games this season. Vytas Valincius continued his solid play to begin the year, going 3-for-11 (.273) with two doubles, a home run and eight RBI.
Tyler Schmitt turned in his first-career quality start at the DI level in Saturday's series opener by allowing three runs over 6.0 innings of work, collecting three strikeouts. Julius Sanchez continued his stellar start on the mound by allowing just two runs over 5.0 innings in Sunday's doubleheader finale to earn his first win of the season. Jake Swartz worked 3.0 scoreless innings of relief on Saturday to pick up his first-career save and Ryan Daly twirled 2.1 scoreless in Sunday's series finale to earn his first save in the Orange and Blue.
O CANADA
The Illini's Canadian triumvirate of Cameron Chee-Aloy, Nick Groves and Greg LaChance continued to sparkle offensively during the series at Texas State.
While the trio went just 8-for-33 (.242) at the plate against Bobcat pitching, they scored eight runs, drew a total of nine walks, two hit by pitches and drove in nine runs.
The group all starred during the 15-3 series-opening victory with Chee-Aloy going 1-for-5 with a run, two RBI and a walk, Groves going 2-for-3 with four runs, two RBI and two walks, and LaChance going 1-for-4 with a run, four RBI and a walk.
CLUTCH HITTING
Through six games this season, the Illini have delivered in big spots at the plate, posting a team average of .306Â with runners in scoring position as well as a team average of .347 with two outs in an inning. This has led to a total of 26 two-out RBI, which accounts for 52 percent (26/50) of runs scored by the offense this season.
Five different players (Chee-Aloy, LaChance, Schupmann, Valincius, Zebig) lead the team with three hits with runners in scoring position, while Vytas Valincius leads the squad with five hits with two outs. Valincius also leads the team with eight two-out RBI.
Illinois has also been successful at moving runners over in their plate appearances, doing so at a .469 clip (60/128).
SANCHY STARS
Julius Sanchez, making his first start since May 19, 2023, was stellar in his 2025 debut on Feb. 16, 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 was the first Illini pitcher since Cooper Omans on March 12, 2024, at Indiana State to fire at least 10 strikeouts in a game.
The LaSalle, Ill., native, followed that up by earning his first win since May 17, 2024, at Purdue, by tossing 5.0 innings of two-run ball on Sunday's doubleheader finale at Texas State.
Sanchez currently leads all qualified pitchers on staff with a 2.38 ERA and also leads qualified arms with a .182 average against.
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 571 wins, three Big Ten championship, four Big Ten Tournament titles, 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 571Â 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 on Feb. 12.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.
