Chambana Sun

Illinois baseball is set to continue its Big Ten campaign with a three-game series against Minnesota at Siebert Field. The series will begin on Friday, April 5, with the first pitch scheduled for 4 p.m. CT.

The Illini are entering the series on a high note after sweeping Penn State in their previous matchup, extending their winning streak to five games and improving their home record to 7-1 this season. Illinois' starting pitchers for the weekend include RHP Jack Crowder (1-1, 5.65 ERA), LHP Cooper Omans (2-1, 3.86 ERA), and RHP Jake Swartz (1-0, 4.45 ERA).

Minnesota comes into the series with an overall record of 11-12 after losing their first Big Ten series of the season against Iowa. INF Jake Perry leads Minnesota's offense with a .317 batting average, while LHP Connor Wietgrefe heads their pitching staff with a 2-2 record and a 4.06 ERA.

Historically, Illinois trails slightly in the all-time series against Minnesota with a record of 110-112-1 but holds an advantage in road games at 59-56. The Illini have been successful recently against Minnesota, winning eight of the last ten matchups and six consecutive road series dating back to 2006.

Illinois has shown strong offensive performance lately, scoring double-digit runs in five consecutive games for the first time since March 1994. This includes notable performances from players like Jacob Schroeder and Drake Westcott who have contributed significantly to Illinois' recent success.

Schroeder was named Big Ten Player of the Week following his impressive performance over four games where he batted .533 with nine runs scored and three home runs among other stats.

Following this weekend's action at Minnesota, Illinois will return home for an in-state game against Illinois State on Tuesday, April 9.