Adam Christ Assistant Coach | University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics
Adam Christ Assistant Coach | University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics
Illinois baseball is set to participate in the NCAA Tournament this weekend, marking their 13th appearance. The team will compete in the Lexington Regional, beginning with a game against Indiana State on Friday at 6 p.m. CT. This marks Illinois' first tournament appearance since 2019.
Right-handed pitcher Jack Crowder (6-2, 5.25 ERA) will start for Illinois against Indiana State's left-handed pitcher Zach Davidson (5-1, 2.41 ERA). Other teams in the regional include Kentucky and Western Michigan.
"The ESPN family of networks will broadcast all games of the Lexington Regional with Eric Frede and Danan Hughes on the call," according to the announcement.
Illinois earned an at-large bid for the tournament after being crowned Big Ten champions for the 31st time in program history. Their path includes potential matchups against Kentucky and Western Michigan, alongside their opening game against Indiana State.
The Illini are aiming to break a four-game losing streak in NCAA tournaments that dates back to 2015. They last won a tournament game during the Champaign Regional in 2015.
Illinois finished their regular season with a sweep over Purdue, securing their conference title under head coach Dan Hartleb. Key players like Ryan Moerman and Camden Janik have contributed significantly throughout the season.
In preparation for this weekend's games, Scott Beatty will provide radio coverage on WDWS AM-1400 and FightingIllini.com will offer live stats and streaming options.
The Illini face a challenging lineup of opponents as they aim to advance beyond this regional stage and potentially reach Omaha for further rounds of competition.
Alerts Sign-up