Writing Illini
Fansided

Illinois Baseball looks to continue hot streak in midweek matchup vs in-state foe

The Illinois baseball team looks to keep rolling on Tuesday afternoon at Illinois Field, as we welcome in Eastern Illinois.
ByKamden Wollard|
Share on FacebookShare on XShare on Reddit
Illinois Fighting Illini players huddle up before a NCAA Big Ten Conference baseball game against Iowa, Friday, May 14, 2021, at Duane Banks Field in Iowa City, Iowa.
Illinois Fighting Illini players huddle up before a NCAA Big Ten Conference baseball game against Iowa, Friday, May 14, 2021, at Duane Banks Field in Iowa City, Iowa. | Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Illinois baseball attempts to carry their recent momentum into a midweek clash against the Eastern Illinois Panthers.

The Illini capped off a strong weekend in Greenville, South Carolina, by sweeping the First Pitch Invitational with wins over three unique opponents.

They defeated Michigan State in a nonconference battle on Friday. Illinois applied continual pressure on the Spartans but couldn't break through until late, when Collin Jennings and AJ Putty went back-to-back to tie the game in the 8th.

Illinois plated the go-ahead run in the 8th as well before the Spartans answered in the bottom half. However, Michael Farina doubled into left-center in the 10th to give the Orange and Blue the lead for good in the extra-inning 5-4 victory.

Saturday was less stressful for the Illini as they shut out College of Charleston, 5-0, behind six strong innings from third-year Illini Regan Hall.

UAlbany gave Illinois a scare on Sunday by scoring four runs to tie the game in the bottom of the 6th, before the Illini answered with three in the 7th and then exploded for five more in the top of the 9th to secure a 14-6 win and a perfect weekend.

This hot streak marks a turnaround from the shakier start to the 2026 season. After opening with a series loss to USF, a midweek slipup against Butler, and a two-game split with VCU, the Illini have righted the ship.

A February 22 road win over No. 6 Coastal Carolina marked the start of the turnaround, and Illinois has won all four games since.

The Coastal Carolina win was a historic one for the program, as it was their highest-ranked win since beating #1 LSU in 2009, and their first top 10 win since they beat #10 Oklahoma State during the magical 2015 run.

Illinois baseball looking ahead

The focus shifts to a 3:30 p.m. CT/4:30 p.m. ET first pitch against the Eastern Illinois Panthers on B1G+. It's a chance for the Illini to continue building momentum before heading west to Los Angeles to begin conference play this weekend against USC.

Eastern Illinois enters on a five-game skid after being swept by Northern Kentucky in a high-scoring series, including a 20-15 loss on Sunday despite a late rally from the Panthers. A big win over a Big Ten squad is exactly what the doctor has ordered for EIU.

The Illini have historically dominated this in-state rivalry, and with their recent success, they aim to keep rolling in front of the home crowd.

Home/Illinois Baseball