University of Illinois
Washington
Illini Set for Big Ten Series at Washington
April 17, 2025 | Baseball
Preview
| Illinois at Washington | |
|---|---|
| When | April 18-20 |
| Where | Seattle, Wash. |
| Radio | WDWS 1400-AM, 93.9 FM // FightingIllini.com |
| Live Video | B1G+ | Fri. | Sat. | Sun. |
| Live Stats | FightingIllini.com |
| Notes | Illinois | Washington |
| Shop | Online Store | Auctions |
| Social Media | @IlliniBaseball  | @IlliniBaseball  | Facebook  | YouTube  |
| Probable Starting Pitchers | |||||||||
| Day | Illinois | Washington | |||||||
| Fri. 9:02 p.m. CT | RHP Tyler Schmitt (3-1, 4.34) | RHP Max Banks (4-2, 3.29) | |||||||
| Sat. 9:02 p.m. CT | RHP Ben Plumley (3-3, 6.14) | RHP Jackson Thomas (3-3, 4.35) | |||||||
| Sun. 1:32 p.m. CT | LHP Regan Hall (4-2, 5.77) | TBA | |||||||
PREVIEW
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois baseball heads to the Pacific Northwest for its first-ever Big Ten series at Washington. First pitch in Friday's series opener at Husky Ballpark is set for 9:02 p.m. CT.
The Orange and Blue, winners of seven of their last nine contests, earned a second-straight run-rule victory with a 17-6 win over SIUE on Tuesday at Illinois Field. The Illini have scored 32 runs in their last two ballgames.
RHP Tyler Schmitt (3-1, 5.12) is set to get the ball in Friday's opener with RHP Ben Plumley (3-3, 6.14) and LHP Regan Hall (4-2, 5.77) set to follow in the rotation.
SERIES HISTORY
vs. Washington
- Record: 4-1 (H: 0-0, A: 0-0, N: 4-1)
- Last: W, 10-9 (3/1/25 at Las Vegas, Nev.)
- First-ever meeting that's not at a neutral site
- First-ever three-game series between the two programs
NOTES
ILLINI RETURN TO BIG TEN PLAY AT WASHINGTON
Illinois baseball heads to the Pacific Northwest for its first-ever Big Ten series against newcomers Washington. The two teams met earlier this season in the Las Vegas College Baseball Classic, where the Illini came away with a 10-9 victory on March 1.
Scott Beatty will call the action for the Illini on the Busey Bank Illini Sports Network (WDWS 1400-AM/93.9FM).
All three games can be streamed on B1G+.
Streaming, audio, and stats links are also available at FightingIllini.com.
ABOUT THE OPPONENT
Washington comes into the contest with a 19-19 record, including a 9-6 mark in Big Ten Play.
The Huskies are coming off a 22-0 win on Tuesday vs. Seattle and have gone 9-5 at Husky Ballpark this season. In its last conference series, Washington dropped two of three games at No. 10 UCLA.
INF/OF Casen Taggart leads the Huskies at the plate, slashing .327/.500/.510, good for a 1.010 OPS. Taggart has tallied 24 runs scored, six doubles, four home runs and 24 RBI. INF Sam DeCarlo paces Washington with seven home runs and INF Trevor Cole leads the team with 25 RBI.
RHP Max Banks leads the team's qualified arms, going 4-2 with a 3.29 ERA (14 ER/38.1 IP) in seven games/starts, amassing 36 strikeouts. In the bullpen, RHP Peysen Sweeney has gone 1-2 with a 2.18 ERA (5 ER/20.2 IP) 13 relief appearances, striking out 17 and holding opponents to a .213 average.
The Huskies went 19-31-1 in 2024 with a 10-20 mark in Pac-12 play.
ALL-TIME SERIES INFO
Illinois and Washington meet for the first time as conference foes, with the previous five meetings in the all-time series taking place at neutral sites.
The two sides met earlier this season at the Las Vegas College Baseball Classic on March 1 in a non-conference showdown, where the Illini came back from a 9-3 deficit after five to win 10-9.
Prior to this season, the programs last met on March 4, 2018, where the Illini came away with a 7-1 win in Minneapolis at US Bank Stadium in the Big 10/Pac-12 Challenge.
The Orange and Blue hold a 4-1 series advantage with all four of the previous games being played at neutral sites.
SIUE RECAP
Illinois earned its second-straight run-rule victory with a 17-6 triumph in seven innings over SIUE on Tuesday.
The Illini exploded for six runs in the first inning, with Will Johannes bringing in four of those runs with a two-out grand slam.
The Orange and Blue would go on to homer five times in the ballgame, with Collin Jennings, Coltin Quagliano, Greg LaChance and Drake Westcott also going yard.
Luke Weber got the win in relief by tossing a 1-2-3 third inning, picking up one strikeout. Four different Illinois arms would make a scoreless appearance in the contest, highlighted by Payton Hutchings striking out the side on just 12 pitches in the seventh to clinch the win.
Illinois is now 12-2 at home this season and has gone 32-5 in Champaign since 2024.
HOME COOKING
After going 20-3 in 2024 at Illinois Field, the Illini have continued their stellar play at home, posting a 12-2 record in Champaign this season.
Illinois is outscoring its opponents 155-74 in its 14 home contests, averaging 11.1 runs per game.
The Fighting Illini have scored at least 10 runs in nine of those ball games after having 14 such games during the 2024 season.
V FOR VALINCIUS
Vytas Valincius continued his surge at the plate against SIUE on Tuesday, going 3-for-3 with two runs, a double and three RBI.
From April 11-13 vs. Indiana, Valincius went 6-for-13 (.462) with four runs scored, three doubles, a home run and 10 RBI.
The senior began the Indiana series by going 2-for-4 with a run, home run and three RBI and capped it by going 3-for-5 with three runs, three doubles and seven RBI.
Valincius enters Friday on a nine-game hitting streak, where he has gone 20-for-35 (.571) with eight doubles, a home run and 18 RBI. He has seven multi-hit games during that span, raising his season average from .305 to .377, which now ranks fourth among Big Ten hitters.
The Lockport, Ill., native, now has 48 RBI on the season, which leads the Illini and also ranks fourth among Big Ten hitters.
INDIANA WEEKEND RECAP
Illinois took two of three games over Indiana from April 11-13 to claim its second-straight series win over the Hoosiers and the first in Champaign since 2009.
The Illini came away with 4-2 win in the opener on April 11 before suffering a 12-3 defeat on April 12. The Orange and Blue turned in an emphatic victory in the finale on April 13, a 15-1 run-rule triumph in seven innings.
As a team, Illinois slashed .296/.405/.469, scoring 22 runs on four doubles, two triples and three home runs, while drawing 14 walks.
Vytas Valincius led the offense by going 6-for-13 (.462) with four runs scored, three doubles, one home run and 10 RBI over the three games. In the series finale on April 13, the senior doubled a career-high three times and collected a career-high seven RBI. Kyle Schupmann also went 6-for-13 (.462) over the weekend, scoring twice and adding a home run and four RBI.
Illini arms went 2-1 with a 5.04 ERA (14 ER/25.0 IP), amassing 13 strikeouts.
Tyler Schmitt kicked off the series with a quality start on April 11, tossing 7.0 innings and allowing one run, unearned, on three hits, punching out six. Regan Hall tossed the first complete game of his career on April 13, spinning 7.0 innings of one-run ball, giving up just four hits. Zach Bates earned his third save of the season by allowing one run in two innings of work on April 11, striking out three.
KINGS OF THE HILL
The Fighting Illini got another solid turn through their starting rotation against the Hoosiers last weekend, helping Illinois to a series win.
Tyler Schmitt fired the best start of his Illinois career in the series opener on April 11, earning the win by tossing 7.0 innings and allowing one run, unearned, on three hits to go along with a season-high six strikeouts. It marked his second quality start of the season and first since Feb. 22 at Texas State.
Regan Hall twirled his second-straight quality start, turning in a 7.0-inning complete game in the series finale on April 13. Hall allowed one run on four hits to go along with a strikeout.
HALL MONITOR
Regan Hall tossed his third quality start of the season, and second-straight, in the series finale vs. Indiana on April 13.
Hall earned the first complete game of his career by tossing 7.0 innings and allowing just one run on four hits to go along with one walk and one strikeout. He is the first Illini pitcher to turn in a complete-game effort since Jack Wenninger (9.0 IP) on April 29, 2023, at Ohio State.
In his last two starts, the Albuquerque, N.M., native, has gone 2-0 with a 0.68 ERA (1 ER/13.1 IP) allowing just eight hits and striking out seven. He has also lowered his season ERA from 9.00 to 5.77.
CLUTCH HITTING
Through 34 games this season, the Illini have delivered in big spots at the plate, posting a team average of .320 with runners in scoring position as well as a team average of .320 with two outs in an inning. This has led to a total of 136 two-out RBI, which accounts for 45.3 percent (136/300) of runs scored by the offense this season.
Vytas Valincius leads the team with 21 hits with runners in scoring position, while Jack Zebig leads the squad with 23 two-out RBI. Valincius also holds the team lead with 18 hits with two outs.
Illinois has also been successful at moving runners over in their plate appearances, doing so at a .519 clip (377/727).
CATCH THEM IF YOU CAN
Through 33 games this season, the Illini have stolen 50 bases in 59 attempts doubling their 2024 total of 25 stolen bases.
2025 marks the first time since 2019 (59) that Illinois has swiped at least 50 bags in a single season.
As a team, Illinois has stolen a game-high six bases three times this season, doing so on Feb. 15 vs. Abilene Christian, Feb. 25 vs. Aurora and April 6 vs. Maryland.
Nick Groves leads the Illini with 12 stolen bases in 15 attempts, which also ranks tied for second among Big Ten players.
On Feb. 25 vs. Aurora, Cameron Chee-Aloy set the single-game program record with five stolen bases in the contest.
Greg LaChance (5-for-5), Collin Jennings (5-for-5), Kyle Schupmann (3-for-3) and Jack Zebig (2-for-2) are also all perfect in multiple stolen base attempts.
AT ILLINOIS STATE RECAP
Illinois had its season-long four-game winning streak snapped on April 8 when Illinois State handed the Illini a 14-4 run-rule defeat, in eight innings, at Duffy Bass Field on Tuesday.
Collin Jennings and Jack Zebig tallied RBI hits in the contest while Vytas Valincius put together a two-hit effort.
Payton Hutchings worked 1.2 scoreless innings in relief with Nolan Girard, Christian Morel and Ryan Daly also posting scoreless outings.
QUICK STARTS
In all three games of its series vs. Maryland from April 5-6, Illinois got off to some fast starts, scoring run in the first inning of each game while also keeping the Terrapins off the board.
In the doubleheader opener on April 5, the Illini plated a pair of runs and in the doubleheader nightcap and the finale on April 6, the Orange and Blue jumped out to 5-0 leads.
On Tuesday vs. SIUE, Illinois plated a six runs in the first inning, a season-high mark for the opening frame.
WALK IT OFF
The Illini earned back-to-back walk-off run-rule victories over the Terrapins to earn a series sweep from April 5-6.
In the doubleheader nightcap on April 5, Jack Zebig crushed his second walk-off home run of the season, a three-run blast in the eighth inning to give Illinois a 15-3 win.
On April 6, Collin Jennings put the finishing touches on the series sweep with a three-run shot of his own in the seventh to give the Orange and Blue the 11-0 victory.
Illinois earned its first walk-off victory of the season in the second game of the doubleheader on March 15 vs. Valparaiso thanks to Zebig's seventh-inning grand slam to lift the Illini to a 14-4 run-rule win over the Beacons.
The Orange and Blue recorded four walk-off wins last season, three of which came via a run rule.
D1BASEBALL WEEK 6 RANKINGS
Two Fighting Illini found themselves on D1Baseball player ranking lists in the outlet's week six update in late March.
Jack Zebig is ranked as the No. 44 shortstop in the country and Kyle Schupmann is ranked to the No. 45 third basemen.
Zebig, at the time of ranking, started all 22 games at short, has slashed .361/.476/.651 with six home runs and a team-high 29 RBI, which ranks 10th among Big Ten players.
Kyle Schupmann, at the time of ranking, appeared and started in 20 games during the campaign, all at third base. The Geneva, Ill., native, is slashing .325/.419/.675 with a team-high seven home runs and has also driven in 20 runs.
Neither player was featured in D1Baseball's preseason rankings.
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.
The Illini did so for the first time in the 2025 campaign in the first game of the doubleheader vs. Valparaiso on March 15, but suffered a rare defeat when hitting that mark.
The Illini crushed a season-high five home runs in the second game of the doubleheader on March 21 at Northwestern to defeat the Wildcats 11-6.
The Orange and Blue reached the four-HR mark for the first time at home this season on Tuesday vs. SIUE, slugging five.
Illinois had eight such games in 2023, going 7-1 in those ballgames. Since 2018, Illinois is 20-3 when they hit at least four homers in a single 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 588 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).
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 6-3 in their last nine season openers, following 2025's curtain-raising defeat to Abilene Christian on Feb. 14...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 588 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.
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).
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.
"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
The Fighting Illini head to Terre Haute, Ind., for a midweek contest on Tuesday, April 22. First pitch from Bob Warn Field is set for 5:30 p.m. CT.
