TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State closes out its seven-game road trip on Tuesday night as the Sycamores travel to Big Ten co-leader Illinois to wrap up the home-and-home schedule with the Fighting Illini in the 2024 season. First pitch between the Sycamores and Illinois is set for 7 p.m. ET with the game to be carried live on B1G+ and 105.5 The Legend.
 
The Sycamores (31-9) head into the midweek looking to continue another strong campaign against Big Ten competition winning five of their six contests against the conference in the 2024 season. Indiana State saw their 10-game winning streak against the Big Ten snapped earlier this month at Indiana but bounced back with a 9-3 midweek win over Purdue back on April 9.
 
Part of the 10-game winning streak against the Big Ten included an earlier win this season against Illinois (25-15) on March 12 in Indiana State's 2024 home opener. The Sycamores' offense exploded for six runs in the game-deciding bottom of the seventh inning to hold off visiting Illinois at Bob Warn Field with the 7-6 win.
 
The Sycamores sent 11 batters to the plate with the first six reaching base safely and scoring in the decisive frame as Indiana State rallied back against the Illinois bullpen in the contest. Grant Magill provided the first spark of the inning following Josue Urdaneta's leadoff walk with a two-run home run over the wall in centerfield to cut the Illinois lead down to 6-3.
 
Randal Diaz connected on a line drive double down the left field line against UI reliever Will Lavin. Following a wild pitch, Dominic Listi brought home Diaz with a soft single to left field cutting the deficit down to 6-4. Luis Hernandez followed with a sharp single back up the middle setting the stage for Mike Sears, and the senior third baseman delivered with his team-leading sixth home run of the season giving ISU the lead for the first time on Tuesday afternoon.
 
Zach Davidson and Simon Gregersen worked scoreless eighth and ninth innings for the Sycamore bullpen in the game to help ISU secure its third consecutive win in the series against Illinois and seventh consecutive win over the Fighting Illini at Bob Warn Field dating back to the 2006 season.
 
Indiana State looks to continue its winning ways after taking two of three this past weekend at Southern Illinois as the Sycamores clinched their 16th consecutive Missouri Valley Conference series win. ISU bounced back after falling in the Friday opener, 3-2, by winning 9-7 and 7-2 over the final two contests to claim the series over the Salukis in Carbondale, Ill.
 
Indiana State was ranked in all five major NCAA Division I polls for the second time in the 2024 season this week as the Sycamores were recognized in the D1Baseball (No. 24), Baseball America (No. 24), Perfect Game (No. 14), NCBWA (No. 20) and USA Today (No. 22) polls.
 
The Sycamores also remained inside the top-10 in the NCAA Rating Percentage Index (RPI) standings sitting at No. 10 overall boasting the No. 25 non-conference strength of schedule and No. 66 overall strength of schedule through 40 games. The Sycamores boast an 20-8 record in road or neutral site games with their 20 wins away from Terre Haute the most in the NCAA Division I through April 29.
 
Luis Hernandez (.365), Dominic Listi (.355), and Randal Diaz (.329) lead an Indiana State offense that his connecting at a .286 clip from the plate in the 2024 season. Parker Stinson (.297), Grant Magill (.287), and Adam Pottinger (.282) have all approached the .300 mark on the year and continue to sit among the every day leader on the team.
 
Mike Sears (15) paces four different Sycamores to hit double-digit home runs in the 2024 season marking the first time ISU has accomplished the feat since the 1987 season. Luis Hernandez (12), Parker Stinson (11), and Randal Diaz (10) have also hit the mark on the year making the Sycamores one of two teams in the MVC to have four players hit the mark on the year.
 
The Sycamore pitching staff continues to pace the Valley and sit among the nation's best with a 4.07 ERA over 347.1 innings pitched on the year. The Indiana State staff has had sixteen different pitchers combine to post a 402:171 strikeout-to-walk ratio while limiting opponents to a .236 batting average on the year.
 
Scouting the Illinois Fighting Illini
Since falling to 5-10 overall after facing Indiana State in the first meeting, the Fighting Illini have gone on a tear winning 20 of their last 25 contests including sweeping a weekend series two weeks ago against Northwestern to move to the top of the Big Ten standings. Illinois dropped two of three this past weekend at Maryland to sit tied with Purdue in the conference standings with an 11-4 mark on the year.
 
Illinois Field has been a true home field advantage for UI this season with the Fighting Illini posting a 15-1 mark in Champaign this season. Their lone home loss came back on March 17 in the Sunday contest against Southern Indiana. Since then, Illinois has won 12 consecutive home games including victories over MVC opponents Bradley and Illinois State.
 
Camden Janik (.379) and Jacob Schroeder (.362) lead six different Illinois players hitting .300 or better on the season as Illinois enters the midweek matchup boasting a .303 team batting average over 40 games played. Schroeder, Drake Westcott, and Ryan Moerman have 12 homers apiece for Illinois on the year to power a team that has connected on 76 homers in the 2024 season.
 
Fifteen different Illinois pitchers have seen time on the mound in 2024 posting a team 6.02 ERA over 348.1 innings. The Illini have posted a 334:183 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a .258 opponent batting average.
 
Series History
Indiana State has won three in a row and four of the last six contests between the two programs including this season's win over Illinois at Bob Warn Field. The Sycamores topped the Fighting Illini last season in extra-innings with a 7-3 win in the 10th on March 15, 2023, in posting their first win at Illinois since the 2007 season.
 
Illinois leads the all-time series 45-40-2 dating back to the inaugural matchup in 1906. The Illini lead the series 28-16-1 overall in Champaign.
 
­­Follow the Sycamores
For the latest information on the Sycamore Baseball team, make sure to check out GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Fans can also receive updates on Sycamore Athletics by downloading the March On App from both the App Store and the Google Play Store.