McLean County Times

The Illinois Wesleyan University baseball team is set to face Carthage College and Eastern Illinois University in back-to-back games this week. Following a decisive 13-3 victory over the Firebirds, the Titans will host Carthage at Horenberger Field on Tuesday, April 23, at 5 p.m. The following day, they will travel to play Eastern Illinois at Coaches Stadium with the game starting at 3 p.m.

The Titans are currently on a seven-game winning streak, boasting a record of 21-9 overall and 10-3 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW). They recently defeated Wheaton College, another CCIW rival, with a score of 9-1. Before their loss to IWU, Carthage had swept North Park University in two games. North Park previously led the league standings but now shares the top spot with IWU and Millikin, all holding conference records of 10-3.

Illinois Wesleyan and Carthage have a long-standing rivalry that dates back to 1989. The two teams have faced each other 110 times, with IWU slightly leading with an all-time record of 59-52.

In contrast, encounters between Eastern Illinois and IWU have been limited. The Panthers have won both previous matchups against the Titans. Their first meeting was in 2022 when EIU won 7-4; they followed up with a significant victory in 2023 by defeating IWU 24-7.

Key players for IWU include junior Tyler Woltman from Wheaton North High School in Wheaton, Ill., who leads the team with a .410 batting average from his total of 78 at-bats and has contributed significantly behind the plate with 169 putouts and 20 assists. Another standout player is junior Justin Gadomski from Schaumburg High School in Schaumburg, Ill., who ranks second on the team with a .407 batting average along with accumulating an impressive total of 50 hits and driving in 31 runs batted in (RBIs) this season.

Fans can follow both games via live stream or live stats available on the IWUsports.com website under the baseball schedule section.