After seven straight wins, the 23-13 Illini will close their season-long home stand in a duel with the 8-27 Leathernecks from Western Illinois. The Big Ten’s current leader, Illinois, has won every single game in the homestand, with the bats continuing to add runs in an already high-octane offense.
The Illini have been a force to be reckoned with at home, posting a 14-1 record while the Leathernecks are 5-17 in road games. Illinois has won 12 straight games in Champaign, and the current seven-game win streak tied the season-high.
Last time out, the Illini won their ninth-straight series, including single-game matchups. One week after posting 52 runs in three games, Illinois “cooled” off a little, scoring 23 runs in a three-game sweep over Northwestern.
But the most notable performance came on the pitching mound. Saturday’s starter, graduate left-hander Cooper Omans, pitched a gem against the Wildcats. Omans allowed just six baserunners in seven innings of work. One run crossed the plate against Omans, who recorded four punch-outs as his earned run average shrunk to 3.55, the best amongst the rotation.
Junior infielder Coltin Quagliano also had a nice weekend, recording his first four-hit game against Northwestern in Sunday’s sweeping effort. Senior outfielder Connor Milton added to the list of players with career-best performances, hitting home runs in consecutive games for the first time in his career. Overall, the Illini offense has been as hot as anybody in the nation the last few weeks.
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The Illini offense is one of the nation’s elites. The lineup has scored 291 runs in 36 games, an average of eight per game. Meanwhile, the Leathernecks are below the 200 mark, with just 178 runs in 35 games, which could bode well for the Illini who have still struggled with run prevention.
Illinois’ ERA as a pitching staff sits at 5.98, with Omans leading the way, and senior right-hander Jack Crowder following. Crowder posted his fourth quality start of the season and second in a row on Friday. As for Western Illinois, the pitching has been lit up all season, posting a team ERA of 9.85.
Tuesday’s mid-week matchup will feature the fourth straight in-state opponent for Illinois. Throughout the home stand, the Illini have proven themselves to be the kings of the state, at least amongst their in-state opponents. Tuesday evening’s in-state clash is set for 6 p.m. at Illinois Field, and fans unable to attend can watch on Big Ten Network Plus.
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