Since returning for its first home series on March 21, the Illinois baseball team has walked the walk, not just talked the talk.

After preseason expectations were disappointed by the team’s first five road series, spring break unveiled a sleek, more efficient model — one pitcher Kevin Duchene has seen in his team since the first week.

“I would say this isn’t something to get used to,” Duchene said in practice Feb. 17, after the team lost its first series. “We’ll bounce back, and we’ll be alright for the remainder of the season.”

At home, pitching has been near lights out with support from the bullpen, batters have connected quick and often, and the field has limited errors to 10 in eight games.

The Illini began the home stretch by taking three of four games from Xavier last weekend, before cruising past Illinois State on Wednesday, 6-1. They put the finishing touches on the stretch by downing Purdue in two of three games to start Big Ten play.

Xaiver

Game one of the four-game series against Xavier looked like more of the same for the Illini. 

In the third inning, starting pitcher Drasen Johnson surrendered four hits and three runs before he was replaced by freshman Cody Sedlock. 

Though Sedlock turned out 5 2/3 scoreless innings, the Musketeers connected for 14 hits while the Illini were held to three. Illinois’ only runs came from a Reid Roper two-run homer, and it lost the contest, 6-2. 

When the Illini returned the next day, though, they had an entirely different look. 

In both games of the March 22 doubleheader, Illinois’ pitching staff held Xavier to three runs on 14 hits, while its offense put up 12 runs on 20 hits. The Illini won both games, 6-1 and 6-2. 

The four-hour, 13-inning series finale was close from the beginning. The Musketeers scored two runs in the first inning and held their lead until the seventh inning, where a bases-loaded fielder’s choice put the Illini’s first run on the board. 

Sophomore Adam Walton tied the game on an RBI groundout in the eighth, which would keep the score contested deep into extras. In the 13th, redshirt freshman Zack Kolakowski brought in the winning run on a sacrifice bunt with bases loaded, giving Illinois its third win of the series.

Illinois State

Sophomore catcher Jason Goldstein showed Illinois State no mercy, batting 4-for-4 with three RBIs and a double in a 6-1 Illini victory.

The Redbirds went up 1-0 in the second inning, but the Illini answered in the third with three runs of their own, two of which were brought in by Goldstein. 

Illinois tacked on another two in the seventh and its last in the eighth, but Illinois State had no answer for the 11 strikeouts from the Illini pitching staff. 

“We continue to throw quality strikes,” head coach Dan Hartleb said in a March 26 press release. “We’ve come up with key strikes in certain situations, and we don’t have guys giving in at all. They just keep getting better day after day.” 

Purdue 

The Boilermakers stole the first game of the series when they put up three runs in the eighth inning to lead the Illini, 4-2. A ninth-inning comeback attempt fell one run short after sophomore Ryan Nagle grounded into a double play, handing the Illini a loss in their Big Ten opener.

Much like the series against Xavier, though, the Illini returned strong Saturday and evened the series with a 6-2 win.

Trailing by a run in the fifth, designated hitter Michael Hurwitz doubled down the left field line to bring in two runs, one on a fielding error, and gave the Illini their first lead of the game.

From there, starting pitcher Ryan Castellanos didn’t let another runner reach base until the eighth inning. By then, the Illini had already capitalized with three additional runs to bury the Boilermakers.

Castellanos also pitched his first career complete game, holding Purdue to just seven hits and allowing no walks. He has won three of four starts this season and has yet to walk a single batter.

In the series finale, Illinois didn’t give Purdue a chance. A run in the first and four more in the second provided enough of a margin for the Illini to seize their first Big Ten series victory.

Following Castellanos’ complete game, pitching coach Drew Dickinson said he was able to utilize the “bullets” in his bullpen. Sophomore Rob McDonnell struck out three and walked four in five innings before Nick Blackburn relieved him for an inning. Senior Ronnie Muck, sophomore Tyler Jay and junior Reid Roper each pitched for an inning as well. Every Illini reliever struck out one.

“It was nice to come back and take a series in the Big Ten,” Hartleb said. “A lot of things we still need to continue to improve on, but we’re finding ways to win.” 

Illinois now posts a 14-11 overall record, 7-2 at home, and holds a middle spot at 2-1 early in Big Ten play. But with Missouri at Busch Stadium on Wednesday and Northwestern on the road next weekend, Illinois’ recent success must continue on the road this week.

J.J. can be reached at [email protected] and @Wilsonable07.