| Probable Starting Pitchers |
| Day |
Illinois |
#18 UCLA |
| Fri. 6Â p.m. CT |
RHP Tyler Schmitt (4-2, 4.88) |
LHP Ian May (6-2, 4.38) |
| Sat. 6Â p.m. CT |
LHP Regan Hall (6-3, 4.96) |
RHP Michael Barrett (8-1, 4.70) |
| Sun. 12Â p.m. CT |
TBA |
RHP Landon Stump (4-0, 5.23) |
PREVIEW
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. --Â Illinois baseball begins its final home series of the 2025 season with a three-game set vs. No. 18 UCLA. First pitch from Illinois Field on Friday is set for 6 p.m. CT.
The Orange and Blue kicked off their four-game homestand with a 6-4 win over Bradley on Tuesday. The Bruins will be the first ranked opponent Illini have faced in a series in Champaign since taking on No. 24 Maryland from April 22-23, 2022.
RHP Tyler Schmitt (4-2, 4.88) is set to get the ball with Friday's opener with LHP Regan Hall (6-3, 4.96) slated to get the ball on Saturday. Sunday's starter is TBD.
Admission to Illinois Field is free all season long. State Farm Center lots are available on Sunday only and will not be open Friday and Saturday. Fans should refer to the gameday guide for more parking information and updated Illinois Field policies.
PROMOTIONS
ALL WEEKEND
Warrior Weekend: Illinois will be dedicating the series vs. No. 18 UCLA to former pitching coach Mark Allen, who passed away following his battle with cancer on Feb. 5, 2025.
FRIDAY
Postgame Fireworks Show: Stay after the game for a postgame fireworks show at Illinois Field.
SATURDAY
Senior Day: Celebrate our nine Illinois baseball seniors that will be honored in a pregame ceremony. The first 350 fans will also receive a pint glass giveaway featuring our senior class.
KAMSÂ Ks for Cover:Â If the Fighting Illini pitchers record seven strikeouts in the game, the first 250 fans 18 and older will receive a free cover wristband for KAMS.
SUNDAY
Mother's Day: Illinois baseball moms will be honored pregame and will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
SERIES HISTORY
vs. UCLA
- Record: 2-2 (H: 0-0, A: 1-1, N: 1-1)
- Last: L, 14-1 (3/1/20 at Frisco, Texas)
- First three-game series between the two programs
- First-ever matchup in Champaign
NOTES
ILLINI SET FOR ILLINOIS FIELD FINALE VS. NO. 18 UCLA
Illinois baseball is set to face No. 18 UCLA for the final three home games of the season at Illinois Field. First pitch in Friday's series opener is set for 6 p.m. CT.
Scott Beatty will call the action for the Illini on the Busey Bank Illini Sports Network (WDWS 1400-AM/93.9FM).
Friday and Sunday's games can be streamed on B1G+, while Saturday's contest will be broadcast nationally on Big Ten Network.
Streaming, audio, and stats links are also available at FightingIllini.com.
ABOUTÂ THE OPPONENT
No. 18 UCLA comes into the contest with an 34-14 record, including a 17-7 mark in Big Ten play.
The Bruins are coming off a midweek defeat at Long Beach State on Tuesday and enter Friday on a season-long three game losing streak, having lost the final two games in their last conference series vs. No 25 USC.
Golden Spikes Midseason Watch List nominee INF Roch Cholowsky leads UCLA at the plate this season, posting an overall slash of .367/.511/.728 to go along with 15 doubles, one triple, 16 home runs and 53 RBI. 1B Mulivai Levu leads the team with 61 RBI.
LHP Ian May leads the starters, going 6-2 with a 4.38 ERA (25 ER/51.1 IP) over 18 games, nine starts, to go along with 35 strikeouts, while holding opponents to a .234 average. RHP Jack O'Connor is leading arm out of the bullpen, going 2-0 with a 1.56 ERA (3 ER/17.1 IP) in 16 relief appearances, firing 14 strikeouts.
The Bruins went 19-33 last season, including a 9-21 mark in Pac-12 play.
ALL-TIME SERIES INFO
 The all-time series between the two programs is tied, 2-2, with Illinois going 1-1 on the road and 1-1 at neutral sites.
This is the first-ever meeting as conference opponents and Friday's ballgame will be the first game in the series played in Champaign.
The two teams last met on March 1, 2020, at Riders Field (Dr. Pepper Ballpark) in Frisco, Texas, in the Frisco Classic. No. 1 UCLA defeated Illinois 14-1 in that contest.
VS. BRADLEY RECAP
Illinois snapped a three-game losing skid with a 6-4 win over Bradley on Tuesday at Illinois Field to sweep the season series over the Braves.
Vytas Valincius reached base safely in all five of his plate appearances, going 3-for-3 with a run, an RBI, two walks, while also swiping a career-high three bases, including a steal of home in the seventh.
Ryan Daly got the start on the mound for the Illini and worked 5.0 innings, giving up just two runs on four hits and striking out four. Zach Bates picked up his seventh save of the season by working a scoreless ninth inning.
AT RUTGERS RECAP
For the first time since March 29-31, 2019, at Iowa, Illinois was swept in a three-game series in Big Ten plat, as the Illini dropped all three games at Rutgers from May 2-3.
The Illini lineup was held in check, posting a team slash of .206/.374/.351, scoring 17 runs on 20 hits, with six of those hits going for extra bases (2 2B, 4 HR).
Cameron Chee-Aloy, Nick Groves and Vytas Valincius all went 3-for-10 (.300) at the plate over the weekend to lead squad qualifiers. Chee-Aloy led the team in home runs (2) and was tied with Will Johannes for the team lead in RBI (4).
Zach Bates continued to turn in great outings on the mound, going 1.2 scoreless on May 3, whiffing three batters. Evan Clark and Christian Morel also turned in shutout appearances in relief.Â
FEELING THE CHEE-SIEST
Cameron Chee-Aloy turned in another solid weekend at the plate from May 2-3 at Rutgers, going 3-for-10 with six runs scored, a double, two home runs, four RBI and four walks.
Chee-Aloy homered in both games of the doubleheader on May 2, marking the first time this season that the sophomore has homered in back-to-back games and it was the second such instance in his career.
Chee-Aloy has hit safely in 10 of his last 11 games and has gone 12-for-40 (.300) during that span with 10 runs scored, a double, a triple, two home runs, seven RBI and six walks.
Chee-Aloy has also hit safely in 20 of his last 24 games overall, to raise his season average from .214 to .269.
ZACH BATES DOMINATES
Zach Bates extended his scoreless innings streak to 7.0 innings by earning his seventh save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning vs. Bradley on Tuesday.
In his last 15.1 IP (11 G), the sophomore has allowed just one earned run (0.59 ERA) on seven hits, with just one going for extra bases, striking out 19 batters and holding opponents to a .135 average. The Columbia, Mo., native, also converted all seven of his save chances during that span.
On the season, his 18 appearances and 1.66 ERA (4 ER/21.2 IP) lead the bullpen and his seven saves rank fifth among Big Ten arms. His opponent's average of .137 and WHIP of 0.88 are also the lowest marks among Big Ten pitchers that have tossed at least 21.0 IP.
41-HOMER CLUB
Drake Westcott moved another spot up Illinois' all-time home run leaderboard after slugging the 41st homer in his Illini career in the series finale on April 27 at Purdue.
Westcott is now alone in second place all-time in program history, trailing only Scott Spiezio (1991-93), who slugged 48 homers in his Illinois career.
The Edwardsville, Ill., native reached the 40-homer mark on April 22 at Indiana State with his two-home run performance, becoming the third Illini in program history to reach 40 dingers.
It was the first multi-HR game of the season for Westcott and the eighth such performance of his career.
HALL MONITOR
Regan Hall finished April strong by earning his fourth-straight win by tossing a career-high 8.0 innings on April 26 vs. Purdue, allowing just one run on six hits to go along with four strikeouts.
On April 20, Hall held Washington to just one run over 5.1 innings of work, striking out four batters.Â
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 became 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 four April starts, the Albuquerque, N.M., native, went 4-0 with a 1.03 ERA (3 ER/26.2 IP) allowing 21 hits and striking out 14. He has also lowered his season ERA from 9.00 to 4.53.Â
HOME COOKING
After going 20-3 in 2024 at Illinois Field, the Illini have continued their stellar play at home, posting a 14-3 record in Champaign this season.
Illinois is outscoring its opponents 168-99 in its 17 home contests, averaging 9.9 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.
CLUTCH HITTING
Through 46 games this season, the Illini have delivered in big spots at the plate, posting a team average of .317 with runners in scoring position as well as a team average of .304 with two outs in an inning. This has led to a total of 157 two-out RBI, which accounts for 42.8 percent (157/367) of runs scored by the offense this season.
Vytas Valincius leads the team with 25 hits with runners in scoring position, while Collin Jennings leads the squad with 26 two-out RBI. Kyle Schupmann and Valincius are tied for the team lead with 21 hits with two outs.
Illinois has also been successful at moving runners over in their plate appearances, doing so at a .501 clip (477/953).
CLOSE CALLS
After Tuesday's game vs. Bradley by a margin of two runs, Illinois is now 1-4 on the season in games decided by one run and 6-4 in games decided by two runs, good for an overall record of 7-8 in contests decided by two runs or fewer.
Illinois played its narrowest series of the season at Washington from April 18-20, getting outscored by just one run, 8-7. All three games were decided by two runs or fewer, with the Illini splitting the ballgames decided by two runs on April 18 and 20, while dropping the one-run ballgame on April 19.
In 2024, the Fighting Illini went 3-3 in one-run ballgames and 5-1 in two-run games, compiling an 8-4 record in close contests.
CATCH THEM IF YOU CAN
Through 46 games this season, the Illini have stolen 64 bases in 78 attempts more than doubling their 2024 total of 25 stolen bases.
2025 marks the first time since 2018 (62) that Illinois has swiped at least 60 bags in a single season and the 64 stolen bases are also the most in a single campaign since 2015 (67).
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 14 stolen bases in 18 attempts, which also ranks tied for sixth 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.
Collin Jennings (6-for-6), Greg LaChance (5-for-5) and Jack Zebig (3-for-3) are also all perfect in multiple stolen base attempts.
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 April 15 vs. SIUE, Illinois plated six runs in the first inning, a season-high mark for the opening frame.
From April 25-27 vs. Purdue, the Illini scored in the first inning in all three games, using their early advantages on Friday and Saturday to lead throughout those contests.
Four the fourth-straight game on April 29, the Orange and Blue scored in the opening frame, plating two runs against Bradley.
The Illini extended that streak to five games in the first game of the doubleheader on May 2 by scoring twice at Rutgers. That run was snapped in the second game but Illinois got on the board in the first inning of the contest on May 3.
For the seventh time in its last eight games, Illinois got on the board in its first trip to the plate by scoring once vs. Bradley on Tuesday.
Overall, Illinois is outscoring its opponents 40-39 in the first inning this season.
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 594Â 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
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 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 594Â 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).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
The Fighting Illini heads to Columbus, Ohio, for the final Big Ten, and regular season, series of the season at Ohio State. First pitch in Thursday's opener is set for 5 p.m. CT.
