SPRINGFIELD, IL --- Illinois Springfield (10-9) opens their conference play with a four game series against conference rival McKendree University (8-10) on the road in Lebanon, Illinois. UIS is coming off a close 4-5 loss to a familiar conference foe Quincy University. The Prairie Stars are currently 2-7 against teams in the GLVC this season, though they are in the opposite division, so those games do not count towards conference standings. UIS is 3-5 in their last eight games and will take on McKendree in double headers on Friday and Sunday to begin the conference season.
SETTING THE SCENE
The Prairie Stars are coming off a road loss earlier in the week to Quincy University, where UIS fell 5-4 to the Hawks. Junior Michael Rothmund blasted a two-run homerun in the eighth, to give him 15 career home runs. Even with an historical day for Prairie Stars baseball, it still wasn't enough to hold off the Hawks. With a 10-9 record, UIS sits fourth in the GLVC east in terms of overall records, two spots ahead of McKendree.
McKendree comes into the series winning three of their last five games, beating Maryville 4-0 and Rockhurst twice (5-2, 5-1). The Bearcats have scored 22 runs in their last five games. McKendree has had more success at home this year with an overall 4-2 record on the season.
PITCHING
UIS pitching has been on fire on the mound this season; the Prairie Stars have combined to pitch a total of 154.1 innings, surrendering 160 hits and 73 earned runs. The Prairie Stars pitchers currently have an ERA of 4.26, which is second in the GLVC. Illinois Springfield is fourth in the conference with a 146 strikeouts on the season. Junior Ethan Howard and Freshman Brayden Jensen are 2nd (2.31) and 8th (3.12) in the conference for ERA. Howard is also 6th in the GLVC with for batters struck out on the season (30).
HITTING
The Prairie Stars have a batting average of .319 on the season, which is currently third in the GLVC. At the top of the order, Ben Schanding is hitting .419 in 43 at bats. Cole Taylor leads the team in at bats (79), runs (22), hits (31), and slugging percentage (.709). Junior Michael Rothmund leads the team in homeruns with 10 and is currently 2nd in the conference. Rothmund is also the current leader in UIS history for homeruns with 15 career home runs.
ABOUT MCKENDREE
The Bearcats are led by junior Hayden Bodine, who has started 15 of their 18 games and is hitting .435 on the season. He also leads the team in hits (20), doubles (6), RBI (14), and slugging percentage (.565). As a team, they have struck out 110 times on the season, and have only drawn 73 walks on the season.
As for pitching, McKendree hold a team ERA of 6.22 and have given up 110 runs on the season.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Prairie Stars will be completing a five game road trip this weekend in Lebanon, Illinois against McKendree University. Next, UIS will return home to continue conference play against the Screaming Eagles of Southern Indiana in a four game series at the beginning of April.?
