Henry Aleck Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach | University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics
Henry Aleck Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach | University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics
Illinois baseball is set to continue its five-game homestand with a three-game series against Valparaiso at Illinois Field in Champaign from March 14-16. The Fighting Illini have started the season strong at home, boasting a 2-0 record and outscoring opponents 30-12.
In their recent game, Illinois secured an 11-4 victory over Western Illinois. Eight players contributed RBIs, with notable performances from Nick Groves and Kyle Schupmann, who each had multiple hits. Brayden Mazzacano pitched three scoreless innings in relief.
The starting pitchers for Illinois this weekend will be Tyler Schmitt on Friday, Ben Plumley on Saturday, and Regan Hall on Sunday. Admission to the games is free; however, parking restrictions are in place due to concurrent events at the State Farm Center.
Valparaiso enters the series with a 3-9 record after losing to Vanderbilt earlier this week. Their standout player so far has been catcher Liam Patton, who leads the team with a .325 batting average.
"I am extremely excited about the group of great athletes that we have signed to join our Illini family," said head coach Dan Hartleb regarding new recruits for the upcoming seasons. Hartleb begins his 20th season as head coach of Illinois baseball.
The all-time series between Illinois and Valparaiso favors Illinois at 16-4. The last meeting occurred in April 2018 when Valparaiso won 11-7.
All games will be available for streaming on B1G+, and radio coverage will be provided by WDWS 1400-AM/93.9 FM through FightingIllini.com.
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