TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State baseball puts its six-game winning streak on the line this weekend as the Sycamores travel to Springfield for a three-game series with No. 13 Missouri State. First pitch is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET from Hammons Field. Saturday's contest will begin at 3 p.m. ET while Sunday's game will start at 2 p.m. ET. Both Friday and Saturday's games will be available live on The Valley On ESPN3.
Fans can also listen to the action on Sycamore All-Access via
GoSycamores.com with Brian Fritz calling the action.
PITCHING PROBABLES
Game One
ISU -
Will Kincanon - RHP (5-4, 4.59)
MSU - Jordan Knutson - RHP (5-2, 3.89)
Game Two
ISU -
Tyler Ward - RHP (4-2, 3.69)
MSU - Dylan Coleman - RHP (6-2, 5.06)
Game Three
ISU - TBA (0-0, 0.00)
MSU - Doug Still - LHP (6-1, 2.77)
OUT OF THE BOX
LOOKING AT THE SYCAMORES
Tony Rosselli (.345, 8 2B, 8 HR, 37 RBI) and Tyler Friis (.345, 10 2B, 26 R, 17 BB, 11 SB) lead the Trees at the plate while Dane Tofteland and Brandt Nowaskie are hitting .349 and .346 in limited action, respectively. Dane Giesler is tops on the squad with 13 home runs and 39 RBIs. As a team, the Sycamores are hitting .276 and have hit for 74 doubles, 12 triples and 50 homers. ISU pitching has struck out 377 batters and hold a combined 4.64 ERA.
LOOKING AT THE BEARS
Missouri State comes into play with a 33-14 overall record and a perfect 14-0 mark in MVC play. MSU is the lone Division I team to be undefeated in conference play. The Bears are coming off a weekend sweep of Southern Illinois on the road. The team is led offensively by Jake Burger (.339, 19 HR, 53 RBI) and Jeremy Eirman (.339, 18 HR, 55 RBI). As a club, the Bears are hitting at a clip of .282 while the pitching staff holds a 3.68 ERA.
SERIES HISTORY
The Sycamores trail in the all-time series with Missouri State, 66-44. The Sycamores swept the Bears in Terre Haute last season in the regular season before MSU knocked out the Trees in the MVC tournament with a pair of postseason wins. Head Coach Mitch Hannahs holds a 7-2 regular season record against Missouri State.
SERIES SWEEPS
Indiana State is riding a season high six-game winning streak after consecutive weekend sweeps. It marks the longest winning streak for the Sycamores since the 2014 season when ISU reeled off 12-straight from Feb. 15-Mar. 10 and the first time the team has swept consecutive MVC opponents since 2009.
KINCANON HEATING UP
Junior right-hander Will Kincanon has been dominant in his last five starts, allowing just five earned runs in 34.1 innings. In the stretch, he has 43 strikeouts and has walked just 10 batters. His ERA has also seen a vast improvement, moving from 8.31 to 4.59.
GOING DEEP
The Sycamores have seen their team total for home runs climb to 50 as we come down the stretch of the season. Since April 14 the Trees have 26 home runs. In those 15 games, the Sycamores have had multiple homers in eight games. Prior to then, the team had collected 24 homers in their first 29 games.
MOVING UP THE LIST
Senior closer Austin Conway moved into second place on the career save list, passing Phil Thatcher (1977-80) after earning his 11th save of the season Sunday in a win at Illinois State. He now sits at 18 for his career and eight behind Sycamore all-time saves leader Craig Kozlowski (1982-86).
For the latest information on the Sycamore Baseball team, be sure to visit GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
