UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Illinois secured its third straight Big Ten series win with a 6-0 road victory over Penn State on Sunday afternoon.
Aidan Flinn and Reed Gannon combined for the three-hit shutout as the Fighting Illini improved to 6-6 in Big Ten play this season. Gannon earned the win, throwing five innings while only allowing one hit and striking out three. Flinn got the start and went four innings with three strikeouts.
At the plate, J.R. Nelson went 3-for-4 with two RBI, while Will Johannes posted a 2-for-3 day with two runs scored and an RBI. Michael Farina and Nick Groves accounted for the Illini's other two RBI.
Johannes opened the scoring with a double in the second. In the home half of the fourth, after the Nittany Lions loaded the bases, Flinn forced an inning-ending double play to keep the hosts scoreless.
The Illini carried the momentum into the fifth, scoring twice to extend their lead to 3-0. That advantage then grew to five with RBI from Nelson and Groves in the seventh before Nelson capped off his big day with a run-scoring single in the eighth.
GAME NOTES
- Nick Groves went 1-for-4 with an RBI.
- Extended his on-base streak to 38 games.
- Now tied for the fourth-longest reached base streak by an Illini since 2004.
- Is the longest streak by an Illini since Branden Comia reached in 60 straight games from 2022-23.
- Has a hit in four straight games and in six of the last seven.
- Michael Farina went 1-for-2 with two walks and an RBI.
- Recorded multiple walks for the third time.
- Has drawn a walk in four consecutive appearances.
- Has a hit in three straight games.
- Jack Zebig registered a 1-for-4 day at the plate..
- Has a hit in three of the last four and in six of the last eight.
- AJ Putty went 1-for-3 with a run and a walk.
- Has a hit in three straight games and in six of the last seven.
- Kyle Schupmann posted a 1-for-4 day at the plate.
- Has a hit in eight consecutive contests.
- Will Johannes went 2-for-3 with two runs, a double, and an RBI.
- Tied his Illini career-high with two hits.
- Has multiple hits in eight games this season.
- Has a double in back-to-back games and in three of the last four.
- Brayden Mazzacano walked twice and scored two runs.
- Tied his career-high with two walks.
- Had multiple walks for the second time this season.
- His two runs scored marked a new career-high.Â
- J.R. Nelson went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored.
- Equaled his career-high with three hits.
- Had multiple hits for the third time this season.
- Drove in multiple runs for the second time.
- Has scored in five of the last seven games.
- Aidan Flinn got the start, going four scoreless innings and tallying three strikeouts.
- Has gone at least four innings in three straight appearances.
- Struck out at least three batters in four games this season.
- Marked his third consecutive scoreless outing.
- Has allowed one run or fewer in each of his seven appearances.
- Reed Gannon earned the run with his five innings of one-hit ball in relief.
- Marked the longest outing of his collegiate career.
- Went multiple innings for the eighth time this season.
- Posted his second win of the campaign.
- Was his sixth scoreless appearance of the year.
- The Illini tallied their second shutout of the season and their first in Big Ten play.
- Was the team's first shutout since Feb. 28 vs. VCU.
- Was the team's first Big Ten shutout since April 6, 2025, vs. Maryland.
- The Illinois pitching staff allowed just three hits in the contest.
- Allowed one hit over the final five innings.
- Marked the fewest hits allowed in Big Ten play since April 20, 2024, against Northwestern (also allowed three).
- The Illini have now won three straight Big Ten series.
UP NEXT
Illinois (14-12, 6-6 B1G) remains on the road for an in-state midweek matchup at Illinois State on Tuesday at 5 p.m. CT before playing Purdue away from home next weekend.
