Chambana Sun

Illinois baseball is set to begin its Big Ten title defense with a three-game series against Michigan at Holman Stadium in Vero Beach, Florida. The Illini, who recently went 1-2 at the Las Vegas College Baseball Classic, will face Michigan from March 7-9.

The team faced defeats against Texas Tech and No. 15 Texas but secured a win over Washington during their last outing. This weekend's games will be available for streaming on B1G+, with Scott Beatty providing commentary on WDWS 1400-AM/93.9FM.

Michigan enters the series with a 6-5 record after winning two of three games at Long Beach State and experiencing a midweek loss to UCLA. Mitch Voit leads the Wolverines offensively, boasting a .425 batting average through nine games, while David Lally Jr. heads the pitching staff with a 1.35 ERA.

The Illinois-Michigan rivalry dates back to 1892, with Michigan leading the series 149-109-2. The Wolverines have ended Illinois' Big Ten Tournament runs in each of the past two seasons.

Holman Stadium, built in 1953 as part of Dodgertown, now serves as MLB's Jackie Robinson Training Complex. It was previously used by the Brooklyn Dodgers for Spring Training until they moved to Los Angeles in 1958.

During their recent Las Vegas trip, Illinois' Jack Zebig stood out by hitting .500 and earning All-Tournament Team honors. Meanwhile, Sam Reed delivered an impressive performance on the mound against Washington.

Illinois has been effective on base paths this season, stealing 20 bases in seven games. Cameron Chee-Aloy leads with six stolen bases and set a new single-game program record by swiping five bases against Aurora.

The Illini have also excelled in clutch situations at bat, maintaining high averages with runners in scoring position and two outs. Vytas Valincius leads the team with nine two-out RBIs.

In preparation for their home opener against Western Illinois on March 11, Illinois looks to continue building momentum following last year's successful campaign that saw them crowned Big Ten champions for the third time under head coach Dan Hartleb's tenure.

Hartleb enters his 20th season as head coach of Illinois baseball and holds the record for most wins in program history with 573 victories.