The Illinois baseball team will host the Illinois State Redbirds in non-conference action tonight at 6:05 at Illinois Field.

The Illini are 20-10-1 this season and are coming off a split against Michigan over the weekend. Even with the split, the Illini are still tied with Minnesota for first place in the Big Ten at 9-3.

The Redbirds are 16-18, but have won four straight games. They are 3-6 in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Illinois State comes into tonight’s action with the reigning MVC Player of the Week, Lee Fischer. Fischer, a freshman, hit .438 with two stolen bases and six runs batted in last week for the Redbirds.

Junior outfielders Chris Frank and Kris Jenkins each lead the Redbirds with a .333 batting average, while Fischer is hitting .305 on the year.

As for the Illini, they have been led all season by great starting pitching and solid offensive production.

Illinois’ collective 3.72 earned run average is more than two runs lower than its opponents, and the Illini have four pitchers with an ERA under two.

The Illini have seven everyday starters hitting over .300 and have a collective team average of .310. Senior first baseman Dusty Bensko leads the team in several offensive categories, including hitting average (.377), home runs (9) and RBIs (39).

Illini head coach Itch Jones enjoys having such a strong lineup and knows how important it can be.

“When you’ve got a lineup that you think you can hit one through nine, and they can make a contribution, you’ve got a chance,” he said.

Despite the disappointing sweep at the hands of the Wolverines last weekend, the Illini are still upbeat about their situation and are two wins away from duplicating their win total from 2004.

“We control our own destiny,” said Illini senior third baseman Chad Frk. “It’s a lot better than the past couple years where we were looking up from the bottom, and now we’re looking down (from the top).”