SPRINGFIELD, IL --- The Prairie Stars (19-13, 9-3) will embark on their first Great Lakes Valley Conference road trip since the opening weekend, as they get set to take on Bellarmine University (21-13, 8-4) on Saturday and Sunday. The Prairie Stars are coming off a four-game sweep of Lewis University last weekend while the Knights split with Saint Joseph's.

SETTING THE SCENE
Illinois Springfield is currently among the top-two teams in the GLVC east, sharing a 9-3 record with Southern Indiana, though the Screaming Eagles currently hold the tie-breaker due to head-to-head match-ups. Both teams are one-game up on both the #10 University of Indianapolis and Bellarmine, who are each 8-4 in conference play.

Bellarmine is 21-13 on the season and so far in conference play have split with Southern Indiana, swept McKendree, and split with Saint Joseph's.

Each team in the GLVC east has four conference series remaining. The top-four teams from both the east and the west will qualify for the GLVC Tournament.

STARS KEEP SWINGING
After the first two games of the upcoming series, each team in the GLVC will come to the halfway point in league games. The Prairie Stars currently rank second in average (.323), first in total runs (267), first in hits (350), first in extra-base hits (121), second in home runs (45), first in slugging percentage (.527), and T-3 in on-base percentage (.404).

Individual, Michael Rothmund and Cole Taylor continue to be among the conference and nation's best. Below are their rankings (conference first, national second):
*National rankings are based off games through Monday, April 10th

Michael Rothmund:

• Slugging percentage -- .792 (3^rd – 30^th)
• RBI – 44 (1^st – 17^th)
• Home Runs – 16 (1^st – 8^th)
• Home Runs per Game – 0.52 (1^st – 3^rd)

Cole Taylor:

• Batting average -- .404 (6^th – 56^th)
• Slugging percentage -- .787 (4^th – 12^th)
• Runs Scored – 43 (2^nd – 37^th)
• Hits – 55 (1^st – 50^th)
• RBI – 33 (7^th – 115^th)
• Doubles – 16 (1^st – 12^th)
• Home Runs – 10 (4^th – 36^th)

JENSEN AMONG NATIONS BEST
On the hill, Brayden Jensen has been one of the most accurate pitchers in the nation to date. With a 10.67 strikeout-to-walk ratio, Jensen leads the GLVC and is fifth in the nation in this category. On the season, Jensen has struck out 32 batters and walked just three.

With that, he ranks first in the entire nation in walks allowed per nine innings, allowing 0.59 free passes per nine. Jensen has walked three batters in 46.2 innings this season.

ON TOP OF THE HILL
The trio of Adam Gregory, Ethan Howard, and Jensen lead the way on the hill for UIS, each ranking in the top-ten of the league in ERA. Gregory leads the way for UIS with a 2.70 mark, ranking fifth, while Howard and Jensen rank ninth and tenth at 3.09 and 3.13, respectively.

Gregory is holding opponents to a .230 batting average against, fourth best in the league, which has pushed him to the top of the conference with six wins on the season.

Howard ranks sixth in the league with 43 strikeouts, 15 of which have been looking, putting him 10^th in that regard.

THE LAST TIME…
UIS is 7-7 against Bellarmine in a series that dates back to 2012. UIS is 5-3 at home and 2-4 in Louisville, Kentucky. The two teams have exchanged wins in each of their last eight games. In 14 meetings over the last five years, the two teams are separated by just nine total runs.

SCOUTING THE KNIGHTS
Currently one game back of the Prairie Stars, the Knights sit with an 8-4 record in the GLVC. They are one of nine teams to hold a team average over .300, currently hitting .306 as a team, ranking seventh in the league. Their pitching staff holds a 5.50 ERA, putting them 10^th in the league.

Offensively, they have struck out the most times in the GLVC, being put away on strikes 236 times and have also grounded into 23 double plays, also the most in the league.

Zac Wiley is the conferences' best hitter, holding a .455 batting average, 37 points higher than the next best player. He also holds the leagues' best slugging percentage (.852) and best on-base percentage (.515).

COMING UP NEXT
UIS will return home for a mid-week non-conference game against Truman State on Tuesday for a 3:00 PM first-pitch. The Prairie Stars will then hit the road for their second straight conference weekend to take on Wisconsin-Parkside on Saturday and Sunday, April 22^nd and 23^rd.