Eastern Illinois (2-1, 0-0 OVC) at Butler University (1-2, 0-0 Big East)
February 18th at 5:00 PM CT | Westfield, Ind. | Grand Parks Sports Complex | Live Stats
Eastern Illinois (2-1, 0-0 OVC) at Arkansas State (3-0, 0-0 Sun Belt)
February 20-22nd | Jonesboro, Ark. | Family Field
Game 1: Friday at 3 PM | Live Stats | ESPN+
Game 2: Saturday at 2 PM | Live Stats | ESPN+
Game 3: Saturday at 1 PM | Live Stats | ESPN+
After winning their opening weekend series 2-1 against Florida A&M, the Panthers will continue their long road trip to begin the season. EIU will head to Butler University for a midweek game against the Bulldogs. This weekend, the Panthers will travel to Arkansas to face Arkansas State in a three-game series.
Long Road Trip:
The Panthers open their 2026 season, playing the first 15 games on the road, traveling to four different states. After returning from Tallahassee, Florida, EIU will head to Indiana, Arkansas, and Kentucky.
Bryce Riggs:
Riggs had a remarkable first start on the mound, earning OVC Pitcher of the Week honors. In his one start against Florida A&M, Riggs threw a complete game, pitching all seven innings. This is the second time in his career he has thrown a complete game. In those seven innings, Riggs threw 84 pitches, faced 23 batters, struck out six, and allowed one hit. Riggs only walked one batter and forced 11 flyouts and three groundouts.
Last Time Out:
Eastern Illinois entered the weekend 2-8 in the last 10 opening series to start the season. The Panthers earned a victory against Florida A&M, winning the series 2-1. EIU faced no trouble on Friday, winning 13-4. The next day, Eastern Illinois split the doubleheader, losing game one 6-7. However, EIU bounced back in game two, winning 2-0. In addition to Bryce Riggs, Tyler Conklin recorded an impressive game one performance. Conklin pitched six innings, earning five strikeouts with a 0.00 ERA. James Love was a standout performer in the batter box. Over the weekend, Love batted .400 with six RBIs, four hits, three doubles, and a home run. Brett Stanley was also a key contributor to the Panthers' high-powered offense, ending the series with a .417 batting average. Stanley had five hits, one double, and an RBI. Ethan Rossi rounded out the Panthers' strength with a .375 batting average, three hits, and an RBI.
About Butler:
Butler heads into the weekday matchup with a 1-2 record after losing their opening series to an OVC member, UT Martin. The Bulldogs won the first game in a ten-inning thriller, 10-7. Butler dropped the final two by a total of three runs. Butler is led by their high-octane offense, which has scored 29 runs in three games. The Bulldogs have produced 28 RBIs, 7 HRs, and 5 doubles. Gavin Gilmore leads the way with a .571 batting average, 8 hits, 1 home run, and 4 RBIs. Alongside him, Matthew Rhoades has recorded 6 hits, 3 doubles, 2 HRs, and a .400 batting average. On the mound, Jack Hagen and Simon Linde are the top dogs, with Hagen entering the game with a 2.25 ERA in four innings pitched. Linde holds a 2.45 ERA in 3.2 innings pitched. Butler is coached by Blake Beemer, who is in his 4th season in charge. Coach Beemer is a former EIU Panther assistant coach. At EIU, he oversaw the team's hitting, which ranked 4th nationally in home runs with 83 and ranked in the top 50 nationally in runs scored.
About Arkansas State:
The Red Wolves enter the weekend series with a 3-0 record, with a matchup with Ole Miss prior to the upcoming weekend. The Red Wolves faced no trouble against Stony Brook, sweeping the matchup. Arkansas State relies on their offensive production, scoring 25 runs in the first three games. Ashton Quiller leads the way with a .467 batting average, earning 7 hits, 1 HR, 3 RBIs, and a .667 SLG%. Right behind him are Patrick Engskov and Lane Walton. Engskov holds a .417 batting average, 5 hits, and 2 RBIs. Walton also has a .417 batting average and has 5 hits, 3 HR, and 6 RBIs. On the mound, Jack Nelson has a 0.00 ERA in 6.0 innings pitched with 6 strikeouts. Chase Richter is second in the rotation with a 1.93 ERA in 4.2 innings pitched. The Red Wolves are coached by Mike Silva, who is in his second season at the helm. In a short time, Silva has won the most victories (26) since 2019 and back to the Sun Belt Tournament for the first time since 2021.
All-Time Series vs. Butler:
Eastern Illinois leads the all-time series against Butler University 21-13, with EIU winning both matchups last season. The first-ever matchup between these two programs was in 1989, in which the Panthers won both on the road. EIU won the first six meetings before Butler won 3-1 in 1992. In the last 10 games, Butler leads the series 6-4.
All-Time Series vs. Arkansas State:
Arkansas State leads the all-time series 21-9 against Eastern Illinois, with the first-ever matchup taking place in 1967, which resulted in a Panthers loss 6-3. Eastern Illinois earned their first win over the Red Wolves in 1983, winning 6-4. In the last ten meetings, the two programs are even at 5-5.
Team Leaders
Hits – Brett Stanley (5), Tyler Castro (4), James Love (4), Zak Goodwin (3), Ethan Rossi (3)
Home Runes – James Love (1)
RBI – James Love (6), Zak Goodwin (3), Tyler Castro (1), Ethan Rossi (1), Kyree Alexander (1)
Strikeouts – Byrce Riggs (6), Tyler Conklin (5), Anthony Solis (2)
Wins – Bryce Riggs (1), Tyler Conklin (1)
OVC Leaders
James Love – 1st in doubles (3)
Bryce Riggs – Tied for 1st in ERA (0.00) | Tied for 1st in Wins (1) | 1st in innings pitched (7.0) |
Tyler Conklin – Tied for 1st in ERA (0.00)
