This weekend the Illini (22-13, 3-6 Big Ten) host slumping Penn State (17-15, 1-10 Big Ten) at Illinois Field for a three-game series. Illinois hopes to build on their 2-1 series win against Minnesota last weekend.
Starting Friday, you will be able to buy beer at Illinois Field (conditions apply). Beer sales will continue for the rest of the home games this season.
According to FightingIllini.com, here are the pitching probables
- Friday: Andy Fisher 4-1, 3.31 ERA
- Saturday: Ty Weber 3-1, 1.90 ERA
- Sunday: Cyrillo Watson 3-1, 3.59 ERA
I can’t help but notice that our three starters now have a combined record of 10-3.
Details for the weekend (please note the late 7:30pm start for the Friday game).
| Penn State Nittany Lions | |
| Illinois Field | |
| Friday, April 19 | 7:30pm CT Saturday, April 20 | 3pm CT Sunday, April 21 | 12 pm CT |  |
| Live Stats | Live Video |
More about Penn State
Yikes! What a season. Penn State got off to a great start this season winning their first six games of the year. Once the Big Ten season started though, it’s been downhill. They are on a four game losing streak and are 1-10 against Big Ten opponents.
The Lions don’t hit particularly well but at the same rate, they keep the opponents’ bats pretty cold too. So with a few glaring exceptions, their games tend to be low scoring.
One stat that struck me was Dante Biasi’s numbers. He has 70 strikeouts in just over 50 innings. He has a 1.93 ERA in nine starts to go with those numbers.
Random Ramblings
Grant Van Scoy (or “GVS” as he has been dubbed by the fans along the third base line) is having a fantastic year. Grant’s 11-game hit streak was snapped by Minnesota last weekend but he picked up again versus Bradley. He went 3 for 4 with a homerun. Currently. GVS is fourth in the Big Ten with a .363 batting average.
Photos from Tuesday’s game against Bradley
Van Scoy’s second homerun of the year was the first of back-to-back homeruns in Illinois’ 12-8 loss against Bradley. Jacob Campbell followed it up with another dinger also his second of the season.
In fact, Illinois was about 10 feet from hitting back-to-back-to-back-to-back homeruns on Tuesday. Yes, that’s four homeruns. After Campbell went yard, Ben Troike hit a long double off the wall. When Michael Massey came up to the plate, guess what he did??
Massey now has four homers on the year.
Stat time
- Michael Massey is one rbi from his 100th career rbi
- Garrett Acton (above) leads the Big Ten (and is 2nd nationally) with 11 saves
- Ty Weber ranks second with a 1.90 ERA in the Big Ten
Go Illini!