| Probable Starting Pitchers |
| Day |
Illinois |
Opponent |
| Fri., 5:30 p.m. CT |
RHP Luke Shilling (1-0, 5.40) |
RHP Alex House (1-1, 4.19) |
| Sat., 3 p.m. CT |
RHP Ty Weber (0-0, 5.19) |
LHP Jake Miednik (2-0, 1.29) |
| Sun., 11 a.m. CT |
RHP Ryan Thompson (0-0, 8.31) |
LHP Nick Swan (0-0, 9.00) |
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The Illinois baseball team is set to travel to Florida Atlantic this weekend for a three-game series to continue nonconference play. The Illini and Owls will play single games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Illinois (2-5) is looking to turn around after two wins over the first two weeks of the season. The Illini have six hitters over .300 on the year and are batting .277 as a team, but the pitching staff owns a 6.82 ERA through seven games. Walks have been a majority of the issue for the arms, as opponents have drawn 6.97 walks per game.
Luke Shilling will start on Friday for the third straight week. Illinois has switched its rotation this weekend, going with freshman Ty Weber on Saturday and freshman Ryan Thompson is set for his first college start Sunday.
Florida Atlantic (4-3-1) got off to a 3-0 start with a sweep of Monmouth (N.J.), but has won just one of its last five games. The Owls hosted Big Ten foe Indiana last weekend and split three games with a loss, win then a Sunday tie, before dropping midweek games to Florida Gulf Coast and Miami (Fla.). Sophomore Tyler Frank leads the team with a .525 batting average (21-40) and three home runs through eight games.
All three games will be video streamed on fausports.tv for a fee. WDWS 1400-AM will have the radio call on FightingIllini.com with Scott Beatty.
NOW TRENDING
Jack Yalowitz - @J_Yalo13
• Jack Yalowitz leads Illinois with 11 hits and a .486 on-base percentage.
David Craan - @CrayolaCraanBox
• David Craan is riding a four-game hitting streak after getting six hits last weekend and being named to the Kleberg Bank College Classic All-Tournament Team.
Ben Troike - @B_Troike5
• Ben Troike had eight hits last weekend, including a 4-for-5 day against Texas A&M Corpus Christi, to increase his batting average to .385.
NOTES
• Six Illini hitters are hitting over .300 through seven games but that has resulted in only two wins for Illinois. The Illini are hitting .277 as a team, but opponents are batting .305 with a .436 on-base percentage.
• David Craan (6-10), Ben Troike (8-14) and Pat McInerney (6-13) were named to the Kleberg Bank College Classic's All-Tournament team, which featured one player at each position.
• 55 of Illinois' 71 hits have been by freshmen or sophomores (77.5%). Freshmen have 19 hits, all by Massey and Troike, and the sophomore class has 36 hits.
• 50 of Illinois' 62.2 innings pitched have been by freshmen or sophomores (82.4%).
• Illinois is 2-0 on Fridays but has yet to win a game on a Saturday or Sunday.
• Illinois has started freshman shortstop Ben Troike and freshman second baseman Michael Massey during all seven games. Troike, Massey and senior first baseman Pat McInerney are the only two Illini to start every game at the same position.
• Troike and Massey helped Illinois tie a program record with five double plays Friday against TAMUCC.
• Illinois entered the week tied for fourth in the nation with 11 double plays.
UP NEXT
Illinois continues nonconference play March 10-12 at defending national champion Coastal Carolina. The Chanticleers, who beat Illinois twice last year on the way to their first ever national title, and the Illini will play a three-game series at CCU's Springs Brooks Stadium.
