McLean County Times

Illinois State University's baseball team is set to face Oral Roberts University in a nonconference game on Wednesday at Chapman Park in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The match is scheduled for a 3 p.m. CT start.

The Illinois State Redbirds, with a current record of 2-7, recently secured victories against Ball State and Lindenwood. Meanwhile, the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles stand at 6-4 after losing two out of three games against Dallas Baptist University last weekend. They hold a home record of 5-2 for the season.

Oral Roberts' head coach Ryan Folmar is leading the team into his 22nd season with the program and his 13th as head coach. The Golden Eagles were predicted to finish first in the Summit League Preseason Baseball Coaches' poll and are aiming for their 21st regular-season title following their 22nd Summit League postseason title win in 2024.

This game marks only the second meeting between Illinois State and Oral Roberts, with their previous encounter occurring in Normal back in 2002. The matchup carries additional significance for Illinois State's head coach Steve Holm, who played for Oral Roberts from 2000 to 2001. Holm was recognized as a Collegiate Baseball and Baseball America Second Team All-American in 2000 and holds several records at ORU.

Illinois State's recent victory over Ball State saw senior Kyle Gibson lead the offense with four hits, two RBIs, and two stolen bases. Daniel Pacella also contributed significantly by hitting three doubles during the game.

Looking ahead, Illinois State will host the Missouri Valley Conference Championships from May 20 to May 24 at Duffy Bass Field in Normal, Illinois. This will be the first time since 2019 that they have hosted this event.

Following their game against Oral Roberts, Illinois State will continue their Oklahoma tour with a three-game series against #25 Oklahoma State University in Stillwater from Friday through Sunday.

For updates on Illinois State Baseball, fans can visit GoRedbirds.com or follow them on social media platforms such as X (@RedbirdBaseball), Instagram (isuredbirdbaseball), and Facebook (Illinois State Baseball).