Chambana Sun

Illinois baseball secured a decisive win against Indiana State with a 19-8 victory, fueled by a strong performance at Bob Warn Field. The Fighting Illini, improving their record to 23-15, struck a formidable 20 hits. Drake Westcott notably excelled, achieving 4-for-4 with three runs, two home runs, six RBIs, and one walk. This marked his 40th career home run with Illinois, tying him with Sean Mulligan for second place in the program's history. In separate contributions, Jack Zebig, Collin Jennings, and Cameron Chee-Aloy each managed three hits, with six hitters overall obtaining multi-hit games.

Evan Clark was credited with the win, making his record 1-0 this season. Relief pitchers Mitch Dye and Reed Gannon successfully held Indiana State at bay, with Dye pitching 1.2 scoreless innings and Gannon closing the match without conceding a run.

Early in the game, Indiana State led 3-0, but Illinois rebounded in the fourth inning by gaining a 7-5 lead, propelled by Zebig, Kyle Schupmann, and Westcott’s efforts. A further eight runs in the fifth inning expanded Illinois' advantage to 15-5, with significant plays by Coltin Quagliano, Will Johannes, and Nick Groves.

Though Indiana State narrowed the gap with three additional runs in the fifth inning, Illinois maintained control. Jennings drove in a run adding to the Illini score in the fifth, and in the seventh inning, Westcott hit another home run and Quagliano scored via a wild pitch to finalize Illinois' position.

The game concluded with a scoreless inning delivered by Gannon securing Illinois' sixth run-rule victory this season. Looking forward, Illinois will face Purdue in a three-game series at their home field, beginning on Friday.