Chambana Sun

Illinois baseball has been selected for the NCAA Tournament, as announced on ESPN2. The team, with a record of 34-19, will compete in Lexington, Kentucky, as the No. 3 seed. They are set to face No. 2 seed Indiana State (42-13) on Friday at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN+.

The regional host and No. 2 national seed Kentucky (40-14) will play against No. 4 seed Western Michigan (32-21) on Friday at 11 a.m. CT on SEC Network in another first-round matchup.

The tournament follows a double-elimination format across 16 sites, with winners advancing to the NCAA Super Regionals at campus locations yet to be determined. The victor from the Lexington Regional will compete against the winner from the Corvallis Regional between June 7 and June 9.

This marks Illinois' first appearance in the tournament since 2019 and their fifth under head coach Dan Hartleb, who has led them to more NCAA Tournaments than any other coach in program history.

Tickets for all sessions will be available to the public starting Tuesday, May 28 at 9 a.m. ET. These tickets cover all six or seven games of the regional tournament and include reserved seating options for better seat selection. Single-game tickets will be released based on availability starting Thursday, May 30 at 9 a.m. ET.

Purchases can be made online at UKBaseballTix.com or by contacting the UK Ticket Office at (800) 928-2287, option four. Tickets will also be sold onsite at Kentucky Proud Park if available.

Ticket prices are as follows:

- All-session reserved seats: $100

- All-session outfield bleachers: $75

- All-session terrace/berm general admission: $75

- Single-session reserved seats: $20

- Single-session outfield bleachers: $15

- Single-session terrace/berm general admission: $15

Terrace/Berm general admission areas include terraces, grass berms, and standing room areas with no fixed seating; fans may bring lawn chairs or blankets.

All tickets for this event are mobile-only, and children aged one year and under do not require a ticket for entry.