Eastern Illinois (16-32, 10-14 OVC) at Illinois State (26-23, 14-10 MVC)
May 14 at 5 p.m. | Normal, Ill.
Live Stats
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ON TAP: The Eastern Illinois baseball team will close out their non-conference schedule with a midweek trip to Illinois State on Tuesday. The game is set for a 5 p.m. first pitch at Duffy Bass Field in Normal.
SERIES HISTORY: In a series that dates back to 1907, Eastern holds a 91-86-1 record against their in-state rival. Despite not sharing the same conference since 1968, the Panthers and Redbirds have played each other in all but eight seasons since 1960. They last met in 2021 when the teams split a two-game home and home.
SCOUTING THE REDBIRDS: ISU enters this week with an overall record of 26-23 that includes a 14-10 mark in the Missouri Valley Conference. They took two of three at UIC over the weekend. Their team batting average of .293 is second best in the MVC. The Redbirds are led by sixth year head coach Steve Holm.
WEEKEND IN REVIEW: The Panthers took one of three against Morehead State to close out their home schedule. They suffered a narrow 7-6 defeat in the series opener after erasing a late three-run deficit before being outpowered by the Eagles 18-10 on Saturday in a contest that featured a combined 33 hits and 10 home runs. On Senior Day, outstanding performances on the mound from
Colton Coca and
Jonathon Hanscom carried the Panthers to a pivotal 5-1 victory.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Lucas Loos earned OVC Player of the Week honors for the second consecutive week after another dazzling group of performances at the dish. In five games, Loos batted .500 (9-18) with eight runs scored, nine RBI, three home runs, and a pair of doubles while adding two stolen bases. He leads the OVC in doubles and is top five in multiple other statistical categories, including second in batting average (.388), slugging percentage (.835), and home runs (20). Loos has reached base in 43 consecutive games, which is the longest such streak for an EIU player in the last three seasons.
CATEGORY LEADERS:
Hits:
Lucas Loos (73),
Cole Gober (62),
Dylan Drumke (54)
Multi-Hit Games:
Lucas Loos (22),
Cole Gober (20),
Dylan Drumke (17)
Home Runs:
Lucas Loos (20),
Dylan Drumke (15),
Cole Gober (9)
RBI:
Lucas Loos (56),
Dylan Drumke (51),
Michael O'Conor (37)
Strikeouts:
Colton Coca (52),
Bryce Riggs (44),
Jonathon Hanscom (41)
ON DECK: EIU will conclude the regular season with a three-set at Lindenwood this weekend that carries major OVC Tournament implications. Game one is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Thursday.Â
