The Illinois State baseball team secured its sixth win of the season with a 14-2 victory over Alabama A&M in seven innings at Bulldog Baseball Field on Wednesday. This result brings Illinois State’s record to 6-2, representing the team’s best start through eight games since 2014.
Illinois State’s offense produced its highest run total of the season, matching a previous high from a 14-4 win against Indiana State last May. Four Redbird players had two hits each during the game. Redshirt sophomore Brayden Bakes went 2-for-4 and hit a three-run home run in the sixth inning, marking his fourth multi-hit performance this year. Junior Graham Mastros contributed four RBIs, achieving his second game this season with at least four runs batted in.
Alabama A&M initially led after earning a run from a bases-loaded walk in the second inning. The Redbirds responded in the third, taking advantage of an error to go ahead 2-1. In the fourth inning, senior Josh Outlaw drove in graduate Camden Karczewski with an RBI double to extend their lead, followed by junior Luke Stulga bringing Outlaw home for another run.
Karczewski added another RBI double in the fifth to increase Illinois State’s lead before Alabama A&M scored again on an RBI double of their own. In the sixth inning, Bakes’ home run pushed Illinois State’s advantage to 8-2.
The seventh inning saw Illinois State add six more runs through hits by Stulga and Payton McHarg as well as contributions from Mastros and Eric Machej. Freshman Jackson Natanek made his collegiate debut as a relief pitcher in the bottom of that frame and recorded his first career strikeout to end the game.
With this victory, Illinois State has matched its best start under head coach Steve Holm since 2019. Senior Tresdon Rybarczyk made his second start of 2026 and tied his career-best with three strikeouts. Outlaw extended his hitting streak to six games while Stulga and McHarg have reached five-game hitting streaks each. Machej now leads Illinois State with ten runs scored this season.
Illinois State is associated with Illinois State University and competes in NCAA Division I events across different regions according to their official website. The athletic program benefits from resources like the Redbird Athletics Excellence Fund for recruitment and competitiveness and utilizes facilities such as the OSF HealthCare Athletics Training Center for student-athlete preparation (source). Fans can find news, schedules, rosters, and additional resources on their website.
For ongoing updates about Illinois State Baseball, fans are encouraged to follow official social media channels or visit GoRedbirds.com.
