SPRINGFIELD, IL – The University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) baseball team meet the University of Southern Indiana to open Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) play.
 
SETTING THE SCENE
UIS (17-4) takes on Southern Indiana (8-9) in a pair of conference doubleheaders. Both teams are schedule to clash on Sunday at 1 p.m. The start time of Monday's doubleheader has yet to be determined.
 
NATIONAL RANKINGS
UIS is ranked No. 25 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Association (NCBWA) NCAA Division II poll and is tied for third in the NCWBA NCAA Division II Midwest Region rankings. The Prairie Stars are receiving votes in the latest Collegiate Baseball Newspaper (CBN) NCAA Division II poll and are ranked No. 19 in the latest Perfect Game Sports NCAA Division II poll.
 
WHAT'S HAPPENING LATELY
UIS swept Rockhurst University (5-11) in a four-game series last weekend. The Prairie Stars powered to 18-1 and 7-2 victories last Saturday. UIS then took a 7-0 win followed by a 10-0 victory in seven innings last Sunday.
 
Southern Indiana took two losses in a three-game series with Quincy University (11-6), which is receiving votes in the latest NCWBA NCAA Division II poll. The Screaming Eagles fell to Quincy 11-6 on Friday before capturing a 12-6 win against Quincy on Saturday. Quincy took the rubber match on Sunday by a 6-2 margin. Southern Indiana rolled to a 16-5 victory against the University of Missouri St. Louis (8-10) on Wednesday.
 
STARS OF NOTE
Michael Rothmund leads the GLVC with a .797 slugging percentage. Among GLVC leaders, the senior from Lombard, IL ranks second in runs (26), T-2 in home runs (7) and third in RBIs (24). Rothmund has also provided a .392 batting average and a team-high .495 on-base percentage.
 
Nick Stokowski is tied for first in the GLVC with 28 RBIs. Among GLVC leaders, the senior from Monticello, IL ranks T-2 in homers (7), third in slugging percentage (.757) and fifth in batting average (.419). Stokowski has also delivered three sacrifice flies.
 
Cole Taylor is tied for first in the conference with nine doubles. The senior from Fairmount, IL is also tied for second in the GLVC in hits (31). Taylor has also contributed 21 RBIs, six stolen bases and a .663 slugging percentage.
 
Among GLVC leaders, Schaaf ranks third in runs (25) and T-3 in walks (18). Schaaf has also stolen six bases and put together a .479 on-base percentage.
 
Justin Revels (3-0) leads the conference in ERA (0.93), opponent batting average (.183) and WHIP (1.86). The junior from Peoria, AZ also ranks second in the GLVC with 12.1 strikeouts per nine innings. Among NCAA Division II leaders, Revels ranks 13th in ERA and 25th in WHIP.
 
Andrew Dean (4-0) and Colton Hale (4-0) are both tied for first in the conference in wins.
 
Among GLVC leaders, Dean ranks second behind Revels in WHIP (1.00). The junior from Alvin, TX also ranks fourth in the conference in opponent batting average. Dean has recorded 10.86 strikeouts per nine innings and a 2.48 ERA.
 
In 12 and two-thirds innings, Hale has posted a 0.71 ERA and a .195 opponent batting average.
 
Cam Zunkel is 1-1 with two saves on the season.
 
UIS TEAM STATS
Among NCAA Division II leaders, UIS currently ranks third in ERA (2.33), WHIP (1.13) and hits allowed per nine innings (6.03). The Prairie Stars lead the GLVC in each category. UIS also ranks second in the GLVC with 9.5 strikeouts per nine innings.
 
Offensively, UIS leads the conference in batting average (.317), doubles (48), hits (227), homers (28), on-base percentage (.417), runs (172), slugging percentage (.513) and walks (109). The Prairie Stars also rank third in the conference with 11 sacrifice flies.
 
A LOOK AT THE OPPONENTS
Bryce Krizan leads the conference and ranks seventh in the nation with 0.88 stolen bases per game.
 
Among GLVC leaders, Drake McNamara ranks second in doubles per game (0.50) and fourth in RBIs per game (1.25). McNamara has also contributed two triples, three sacrifice flies and a .661 slugging percentage.
 
Nick Gobert leads the Screaming Eagles with a .377 batting average and a .479 on-base percentage.
 
Buddy Johnson has produced three sacrifice bunts.
 
Kyle Griffin (2-1) ranks third in the GLVC with 11.91 strikeouts per nine innings. Austin Krizan (1-2) leads Southern Indiana in ERA (2.61) and walks per nine innings (1.74).
 
Southern Indiana leads the conference in stolen bases per game (2.38) and walks allowed per nine innings (3.14).
 
LOOKING AHEAD
UIS takes on UMSL next Wednesday at 3 p.m. in St. Louis, MO. The Prairie Stars then welcome Robert Morris University-Springfield (1-10) next Saturday at 2 p.m. at the UIS Baseball Field.