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Baseball 4/4/2022 6:42:00 PM
NORMAL and MACOMB, Ill. – Illinois State baseball is set to host Illinois on Tuesday before traveling to Western Illinois on Wednesday. The Tuesday game will be streamed on ESPN+.
GAME INFORMATION (ILLINOIS)
Illinois State (10-11, 1-2 MVC; 83rd in RPI) vs Illinois (13-12, 5-1 B1G; 80^th in RPI) 
Day/Time (CT):  
Tuesday, April 5; 5:00 p.m. CT
City: Normal, Ill.
Field: Duffy Bass Field
ESPN+: https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/9713ecb9-c8db-46c3-bd2e-da370cf973f0
Live Stats: bit.ly/RedbirdStats
GAME INFORMATION (WESTERN ILLINOIS)
Illinois State (10-11, 1-2 MVC; 83rd in RPI) at Western Illinois (3-21, 1-5 Summit; 289^th in RPI) 
Day/Time (CT):  
Wednesday, April 6; 3:00 p.m. CT
City: Macomb, Ill.
Field: Alfred D. Boyer Stadium
Radio/TV Stream: none currently scheduled – check GoRedbirds.com for most up-to-date information
Live Stats: https://goleathernecks.com/sidearmstats/baseball/summary
PROJECTED ILLINOIS STATE STARTING PITCHERS
RHP Colin Wyman vs Illinois 
TBA at WIU
SERIES HISTORY + SCOUTING THE FIGHTING ILLINI AND THE LEATHERNECKS
Illinois went 22-22 in 2021, going 11-7 on the road. Illinois is 13-12 in 2022, coming off a sweep of Purdue.
The Redbirds and Fighting Illini have met 89 times previously, with Illinois up 56-33. The first game of the series was played in 1904. Prior to the nearly three-year scheduling hiatus due to COVID-19, the schools had played at least once every year from 1992-2019. Before 2020, the schools missed playing three seasons since Illinois State became Division I in 1972 (1983, 1988, 1991).
The Leathernecks are 3-21 in 2022. Illinois State holds an 89-76-1 series lead as the team’s met in ISU’s earliest home opener in program history on 3/9/2021, winning on a Jack Butler walk-off single in the 10^th inning. The ‘Birds also recorded a home-opening walk-off win in 2022 as JT Sokolove scored on a walk-off wild pitch in the 11th inning against 19th-ranked Purdue.
LAST MEETING AGAINST THE FIGHTING ILLINI
Illinois State topped Illinois in the teams’ most recent meeting, a 13-inning affair on 4/9/2019. Current Redbird Undergraduate Assistant Coach Joe Aeilts lifted the ‘Birds to victory with a walk-off double that scored current Assistant Coach Derek Parola.
POWER SURGE
Illinois State has hit 22 HRs in 2022 (47 in all of 2021). ISU has hit 14 home runs in its last six games, with multi-HR games in four of the last six. ISU has also had two HR single-game outputs from Ryan Cermak (x2), Jake McCaw, and Nick Gile. Jonathan Sabotnik has homered in two-straight games and will look to join McCaw (2022 at Western Carolina) and Colin Braithwaite (2018) as Redbirds to homer in three-straight games in the last 12 years for the ‘Birds.
WEATHER ISSUES
Illinois State has had five games canceled due to weather in 2022, including 3/29 vs Iowa and 3/30 vs Eastern Illinois.
TOP-2 TAKEDOWN
Illinois State took down second-ranked Arkansas to open the 2022 campaign by a 3-2 score. Arkansas had not previously lost a home or season opener since 1994. The 11 runs the Razorbacks scored were tied for the fewest plated by an SEC team and tied for the third-fewest scored by a top-25 (D1Baseball top-25).
The ‘Birds were competitive all series, outhitting the Razorbacks in game two and trailing by a run in the 8th inning of game three.
Illinois State is no stranger to the national stage, upending #1 Vanderbilt and #7 Louisville in 2019 as the team made the program’s first NCAA Regional final. Likewise, ISU is no stranger to success in Fayetteville as the 2020 team knocked off the 13th-ranked Razorbacks, 8-7.
TOUGH TESTS IN 2022
Illinois State is scheduled to play six games against preseason ranked opponents (three at No. 2 Arkansas, three vs No. 22 Dallas Baptist). Purdue has also exceeded expectations in 2022, earning a No. 19 ranking from Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and was bumped up to 17^th after taking two-of-three from ISU. Illinois State is also scheduled to play a program-record 16 games against Power Five schools, including 10 contests against the Big Ten. 2022 marks the first time ISU has opened against a Power Five since 2004 (win at Louisville). 2022 marks the first time ISU has ever opened against a ranked opponent.
For the latest updates on Illinois State Baseball, stay tuned at GoRedbirds.com, follow the Redbirds on Twitter (@RedbirdBaseball) and Instagram (isuredbirdbaseball), and like the team on Facebook (Illinois State Baseball). 
GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App:  Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
04.05.22
Illinois State Blows Past Illinois, 10-1
04.03.22
Illinois State Drops Series Finale, 5-2, at Indiana State
04.02.22
‘Birds Blitz Indiana State, 12-2, Behind Four Home Runs
04.01.22
Illinois State Outhits Indiana State in MVC-Opening 4-2 Loss
03.31.22
Redbirds Open MVC Slate at Indiana State; Friday Game Pushed Up

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