McLean County Times

The Illinois State baseball team is preparing to face Indiana State in a three-game series from May 15-17, marking the conclusion of their regular season. This series will play a crucial role in determining the seeding for the upcoming Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Championships.

Illinois State holds a record of 25-25 overall and 13-11 in MVC play, while Indiana State stands at 23-28 overall and 11-13 in the conference. The games are scheduled for Thursday and Friday at 5:30 PM CT, with a final game on Saturday at 12 PM CT.

Indiana State recently secured a win against Missouri State on May 11, ending that series with a victory of 7-6. Historically, Indiana State leads the all-time series against Illinois State with a margin of 121-90. Last May, the teams met in Normal where Illinois State won the first game but lost the following two.

In recent performances, Tanner Perry delivered an impressive complete nine-inning game against UIC on May 11 for Illinois State. He allowed only two hits and no runs while striking out seven batters across 112 pitches. Perry is noted for being the first Redbird to achieve this feat since March when he played against Western Illinois.

Key players for Illinois State include junior Daniel Pacella and senior Joe Husak. Pacella has achieved significant milestones with his batting performance this season, recording 53 RBIs which contribute to his career total of 170 RBIs at Illinois State. Meanwhile, Husak increased his career saves to 14 after securing a win against UIC on May 10.

The MVC Championships are set to take place at Duffy Bass Field in Normal, Illinois from May 20-24. This marks the first time since 2019 that Illinois State will host these championships. Tickets are currently available for purchase through goredbirds.com/tickets.

Fans can stay updated on Illinois State Baseball through GoRedbirds.com and various social media platforms including X (@RedbirdBaseball), Instagram (isuredbirdbaseball), and Facebook (Illinois State Baseball).