| Probable Starting Pitchers |
| Day |
Illinois |
Indiana |
| Fri., 5:05 p.m. CT |
RHP Cody Sedlock (5-2, 2.82) |
LHP Kyle Hart (10-2, 3.18) |
| Sat., 1:05 p.m. CT |
LHP Doug Hayes (6-4, 3.01) |
LHP Caleb Baragar (3-3, 2.49) |
| Sun., 12:05 p.m. CT |
RHP Andrew Mamlic (4-6, 3.75) |
RHP Evan Bell (1-3, 3.56) |
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Two of the hottest teams in the Big Ten square off this weekend when the Illinois baseball team travels to Indiana for a three-game series. Illinois has won 12 of its last 16 and Indiana is 17-4 in its last 21 games.
Illinois (25-20, 10-8 Big Ten), much like Indiana, has been carried by its pitching staff. The top two starting pitchers – Cody Sedlock and Doug Hayes – have combined for 60.1 innings, a 1.94 ERA and 52 strikeouts in their last four starts and won three straight Big Ten Pitcher of the Week awards.
Indiana (29-17, 13-5 Big Ten) has three starting pitchers with ERAs below 3.6 – all of its weekend rotation – including Big Ten wins leader Kyle Hart. Hart will throw Friday night against Sedlock, the Big Ten leader in strikeouts.
Sedlock is on records watch, needing 11 strikeouts to tie John Ericks' Illinois single-season record of 108. Sedlock is averaging eight strikeouts per game and has two outings with 11 or more in his last five starts (at Iowa, vs. Ohio State). With three strikeouts, Sedlock would become the fourth Illini to reach 100 in a season and with five he would tie Marv Rotblatt's 68-year old Illinois record for strikeouts in a Big Ten Season (61). Sedlock is scheduled to make at least two more starts this season.
The Illini's pitching rotation will follow with Hayes and Andrew Mamlic, who will make his first career Big Ten start. Mamlic was impressive last week in 11.0 innings against Missouri (7.0) and Maryland (4.0). He allowed two earned runs on eight hits and went 10.0 straight innings without allowing an earned run.
All three games are scheduled to be streamed online on BTN Plus. Dave Loane will have the radio call on FightingIllini.com and WDWS AM-1400.
SERIES HISTORY
• Record: 114-75-1 (.603)
• Last: W, 6-3 (4/18/2015 at Champaign)
• First: W, 13-6 (5/17/1893 at Champaign)
• Illinois has won four of the last six vs. Indiana
• Illini are 47-41-1 in games at Indiana
NOW TRENDING - #ILLINI
CODY SEDLOCK - @CodySedlock
• Sedlock threw his first complete game Friday at Maryland to earn the Fighting Illini's third straight Big Ten Pitcher of the Week award.
MICHAEL HURWITZ
• Hurwitz is on a 24-game reached base streak and a five-game hitting streak.
TRENT HAMMOND
• Hammond hit .444 (4-9) in the series at Maryland and is batting .344 (11-32) with two doubles and three RBIs in the last 10 games.
NOTES
• For the second time in three weeks, Illinois will play the Big Ten leader (Minnesota, April 29-May 1).
• Illinois' remaining schedule is the seventh toughest in the NCAA based on opponent winning percentage (.681).
• Illinois is back to .500 in conference play (9-9) and one game out of eighth place, the cutoff line for the Big Ten Tournament.
• The Illini own the head-to-head tiebreaker over all three teams that are tied for sixth-eight (Penn State, Ohio State and Maryland).
• Illinois is 22-8 in Big Ten regular season road games since the start of 2014 with four of those losses coming at Nebraska (two in 2014, two in 2016). Illinois is 20-3 on the road against the rest of the Big Ten field since 2014.
• Illinois has won three of its last four series (Saint Louis, Ohio State, Maryland), with its only series loss in the last month coming to No. 19 Minnesota.
• Illinois has won 12 of its last 16 games, starting with a season-long six-game winning streak April 12-22.
• Illinois has held opponents to .164 (23-140) with runners in scoring position over the last 16 games.
UP NEXT
Illinois finishes the regular season May 19-21 against Michigan at Illinois Field.
