Illinois (0-5) travels to Auburn, Alabama, this weekend for the War Eagle Classic and is still searching for its first win of the season. Illinois opens the tournament Thursday evening against host Auburn (4-2).
The Illini kicked off their spring season Friday at the Tiger Classic in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, but didn’t find much success despite a few strong offensive performances. Junior outfielder Skylar Brennan led the team with six hits across the weekend, while junior infielder Adisyn Caryl and junior outfielder Delaney Mosley each homered to provide much-needed power to the lineup.
The War Eagle Classic presents both challenges and opportunities for the Illini. Auburn will likely be Illinois’ toughest match-up, entering with a .667 winning percentage. It is also coming off wins against Penn State (4-1) and No. 9 Clemson (4-2).
The Illini will also face Binghamton (1-4), Campbell (5-0) twice and Bradley (2-3) this coming weekend.
Binghamton is on a four-game losing streak, giving Illinois a chance to settle in early Friday morning. Campbell, however, has been dominant to start its season. The Fighting Camels have won all five of their games, including three by run-rule.
Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!
Bradley heads into the weekend on a two-game losing streak, with all four of its pitchers holding ERAs of 7.00 and higher. This could be a favorable matchup for the Illini offense.
For Illinois, the path to success will come from building on last weekend’s offensive performance while tightening up pitching. Turning strong individual performances into team results will be key as the Illini look to gain momentum. Hopefully for the team, this weekend can build confidence as they continue a stretch of early-season tournaments.
First pitch is set for 5 p.m. Thursday in a game that will set the tone for the rest of the weekend.
