Chambana Sun

Illinois baseball is set to continue its season with a three-game series against Texas State at Bobcat Ballpark in San Marcos. The series, scheduled for February 22-23, marks the first-ever three-game matchup between these programs and the first meeting in San Marcos since March 15, 1995.

The Illini began their season with a series victory over Abilene Christian, taking two out of three games in Corpus Christi. Right-handed pitcher Tyler Schmitt will start for Illinois on Saturday, followed by Ben Plumley and Julius Sanchez in Sunday's doubleheader.

Scott Beatty will provide coverage of the games on the Busey Bank Illini Sports Network (WDWS 1400-AM/93.9FM), with streaming options available on FightingIllini.com.

Texas State has opened their season strong, boasting a 4-0 record after sweeping Binghamton and defeating No. 19 Oklahoma State. Ethan Farris leads the Bobcats offensively with an impressive .500 batting average through four games.

This weekend's match-up marks only the fourth meeting between Illinois and Texas State, with the previous encounter resulting in a 2-1 loss for Illinois on February 23, 2008. Illinois last played at Texas State's home field in 1995 when they lost 6-0.

The Illini are riding a two-game winning streak into this series after victories against Abilene Christian. Cameron Chee-Aloy was a standout performer during that series, extending his hitting streak to 18 games while Nick Groves also made an impactful debut.

Illinois head coach Dan Hartleb begins his milestone 20th season leading the program. Under his guidance, Illinois has claimed numerous accolades including three Big Ten championships and five NCAA Regional appearances.

Following this weekend's series, Illinois will participate in the Las Vegas College Classic from February 28 to March 2 where they face Texas Tech, Washington, and Texas at Las Vegas Ballpark.

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