Illini Set for Home Opener vs. Indiana State

PREVIEW

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Illinois baseball team returns home to Champaign to take on the Indiana State Sycamores in the 2023 home opener at Illinois Field.

The Illini split two games with Coastal Carolina in Conway, S.C., over the weekend before Sunday’s rubber match was canceled due to inclement weather.

The Orange and Blue starter for the Illinois Field curtain raiser is to be announced.

The game against Indiana State can be viewed on BTN+.

SERIES HISTORY

vs. Indiana State

• Record: 39-38-2 (H: 27-17-1, A: 12-21-1, N: 1-0)

• Last: W, 6-3 (5/3/22 in Champaign)

• Illini have won eight-straight at Illinois Field

• No road wins in series by either team since 2007

• Illinois has won five of last seven overall

NOTES

• Illinois hosts the Indiana State Sycamores at Illinois Field for the 2023 home opener.

    » The two teams have split their home-and-home matchups in 2022 and 2019.

    » Illinois has won the last eight meetings in Champaign…last loss to Indiana State at Illinois Field came on March 27, 2007, a 4-0 defeat.

    » Last home opener win for the Illini came on March 16, 2019, vs. Southern Illinois.

• Illinois head coach Dan Hartleb is second on the program’s all-time win list with 513. He is just five wins away from passing Lee Eilbracht (518) for the most in program history. 

    » Hartleb reached 500 career wins on May 7, 2022, with a win over Miami (0H).

• Illinois split two games against Coastal Carolina at Springs Brooks Stadium last weekend, with Sunday’s series finale getting canceled due to inclement weather.

    » Illinois collected a season-high 14 hits in Saturday’s contest and matched a season-high with 13 runs scored.

• RHP Joe Glassey turned in one of the best relief outings in his career on Saturday, earning the win after working 4.2 scoreless frames, allowing just three hits to go along with a career-high nine strikeouts.

    » Entered the game in the fifth with one out and the bases loaded, struck out both batters faced in that frame.

    » At one point during his outing, had five-straight outs recorded via a looking strikeout.

• INF Cal Hejza led the way…