The Illinois State baseball team will begin a four-game series against Western Illinois on March 12, with the opening game at Duffy Bass Field scheduled for 2:05 p.m. and available to watch on ESPN+.
The matchup is significant as it marks the Redbirds’ home opener, which was moved up due to a schedule change. The series continues with a doubleheader in Macomb, Illinois, on Friday and concludes back at Duffy Bass Field on Saturday at 3:00 p.m.
Illinois State enters the series after an 8-5 win over Saint Louis, where Camden Karczewski hit his first home run for the Redbirds and Luke Stulga recorded his seventh multi-hit game of the season. Michael Carrano and Ryan Bakes also homered in the fourth inning, with Carrano becoming the first Redbird since April 2022 to hit an inside-the-park home run. Graham Mastros was named Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week following a strong performance last week.
Western Illinois comes into the contest after a loss to Illinois and is led by head coach Terry Davis in his third season. Senior Wandel Campana leads their offense with a .407 batting average and 22 hits through 16 games this year.
According to the official website, Illinois State Redbirds benefits from the Redbird Athletics Excellence Fund for competitiveness and recruitment. The team utilizes the OSF HealthCare Athletics Training Center for student-athlete preparation according to the official website. The Redbirds are linked to Illinois State University according to the official website and compete in NCAA Division I events across various regions according to the official website. Fans can find news, schedules, rosters, and resources through their online platforms according to the official website.
For ongoing updates about Illinois State Baseball, fans are encouraged to visit GoRedbirds.com or follow their social media accounts.
