McLean County Times

Illinois State baseball player Tanner Perry has been recognized as the Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week, according to an announcement made by the conference on Monday. Perry, a senior from O'Fallon, Missouri, played a pivotal role in leading Illinois State to a 1-0 victory over UIC on May 11.

During this game, Perry achieved his seventh outing of the season with six or more strikeouts. He allowed only two hits and two walks over nine scoreless innings. This performance marked the first nine-inning complete game shutout for Illinois State since March 2024 when Tyrelle Chadwick accomplished the feat.

Perry's seven-strikeout shutout is also notable as it represents the first nine-inning complete game for the Redbirds since he himself achieved one earlier this year against Western Illinois on March 15. In his recent outing, Perry retired eight of the first ten batters he faced and managed to face the minimum number of batters in five of the nine innings.

This recognition makes Perry the fourth Illinois State player this season to receive a weekly MVC award. He joins Tyrelle Chadwick (March 18 - Pitcher), Brayden Bakes (March 24 - Player), and Daniel Pacella (April 14 – Player) in receiving such honors.

Looking ahead, Illinois State is set to host Eastern Illinois on Tuesday, May 13 at Duffy Bass Field for their final midweek game of 2025. Following that, they will conclude their regular season with a three-game series against Indiana State in Terre Haute from May 15-17.

For ongoing updates about Illinois State Baseball, fans are encouraged to visit GoRedbirds.com and follow their social media accounts on X (@RedbirdBaseball), Instagram (isuredbirdbaseball), and Facebook (Illinois State Baseball).