SPRINGFIELD, IL – The University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) baseball team squares off with Bellarmine University in a four-game Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) series this weekend.
 
SETTING THE SCENE
UIS (37-4, 16-0) and Bellarmine (33-12, 15-5) are battling in a series that has implications for a GLVC East Division. The two teams are scheduled for 11 a.m. CT doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday at Louisville, KY. UIS needs two wins to clinch the GLVC East Division.
 
The Prairie Stars ranked No. 5 in the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) NCAA Division II poll while Bellarmine is ranked No. 17. In the latest NCAA Division II Midwest Region, UIS is ranked No. 1 and Bellarmine is ranked No. 2.
 
WHAT'S HAPPENING LATELY
The Prairie Stars earned 7-2 and 7-1 victories last Saturday against the University of Wisconsin-Parkside (4-25, 3-13). UIS followed up with a 6-4 win and a 13-1 victory in seven innings last Sunday. The Prairie Stars secured a 9-4 victory against the University of Missouri-St. Louis (18-23, 9-11) on Tuesday. UIS then put together a 17-4 win against Missouri S&T (18-22, 8-12) on Wednesday.
 
Bellarmine recorded 14-2 and 4-0 wins against Lewis University (17-22-1, 8-11) last Saturday. Last Sunday, the Knights won 7-0 before Lewis split the doubleheader with a 12-9 victory.
 
STARS OF NOTE
Nick Stokowski has contributed 17 home runs and 56 RBIs for the Prairie Stars. Among NCAA Division II leaders, Stokowski ranks fifth in slugging percentage (.824), eighth in home runs per game (0.41) and ninth in RBIs per game (1.37). The senior from Monticello, IL ranks first in the GLVC in slugging percentage, first in the conference in home runs per game, first in the GLVC in RBIs per game, second in the conference in batting average (.401) and third in the GLVC in on-base percentage (.503).
 
Justin Revels (7-0) leads the conference in strikeouts per nine innings (13.74), opponent batting average (.178) and WHIP (0.91). Among national leaders, Revels ranks sixth in strikeouts per nine innings, 13th in opponent batting average, 15th in WHIP and 21st in the nation in ERA (1.80). Revels has fanned 84 batters this season. Among conference leaders, the junior from Peoria, AZ ranks second in ERA and T-3 in wins.
 
Michael Rothmund has provided 15 doubles, 15 homers and 52 RBIs this season. Among national leaders, Rothmund ranks 20th in home runs per game (0.37), 22nd in slugging percentage (.761) and 23rd in RBIs per game (1.29). The senior from Lombard, IL is currently second in the GLVC behind Stokowski in each of the three previously listed categories. Rothmund also ranks seventh in the GLVC in doubles per game (0.37).
 
Cole Taylor ranks 13th in the nation with 0.46 doubles per game. He has posted 19 doubles, 10 homers, 49 RBIs and 14 stolen bases. Among GLVC leaders, Taylor ranks first in doubles per game, third in RBIs per game (1.20), fourth in home runs per game (0.24), sixth in slugging percentage (.673) and eighth in stolen bases per game (0.34).
 
Andrew Dean (8-0) is tied for 13th in the nation in wins. Among GLVC leaders, Dean ranks second in wins, second in opponent batting average (.195), third in ERA (2.26), third in WHIP (1.02) and sixth in strikeouts per nine innings (10.19). Dean has recorded 63 strikeouts this season.
 
John Sechen ranks 24th in the nation in on-base percentage (.510). Among GLVC leaders, ranks second in on-base percentage, seventh in stolen bases per game (0.38) and 10th in slugging percentage (.607). Sechen has swiped 13 bags this season.
 
Jack Schaaf has stolen 17 bases this season. Among GLVC leaders, Schaaf ranks fifth in stolen bases per game (0.44) and sixth in on-base percentage (.480).
 
Colton Hale (7-0) is tied for third in the conference in wins. He holds a 1.03 ERA and has struck out 10.59 batters in nine innings. Hale has fanned 31 batters this season.
 
Cam Zunkel (1-1) is tied for third in the conference with six saves. He has provided 27 strikeouts on the season and he has punched out 10.72 batters in nine innings.
 
UIS TEAM STATS
Among NCAA Division II leaders, UIS ranks second in opponent batting average (.196), second in on-base percentage (.435), second in scoring (9.5), second in slugging percentage (.573), third in ERA (2.62), third in home runs per game (1.68), fifth in WHIP (1.16), sixth in strikeouts per nine innings (10.5), eighth in batting average (.331) and eighth in doubles per game (2.44). The Prairie Stars lead the GLVC in each of the previously listed categories. UIS ranks third in the conference with 1.76 stolen bases per game.
 
A LOOK AT THE OPPONENTS
Eddie Mathis (6-1) leads the conference and ranks 20th in the nation with a 1.77 ERA. Among GLVC leaders, Mathis ranks fourth in WHIP (1.10), fifth in strikeouts per nine innings (10.62), T-5 in wins and ninth in opponent batting average (.236). Mathis has tallied 72 strikeouts on the season.
 
Zac Wiley has contributed 16 doubles, eight homers and 40 RBIs on the season. Among GLVC leaders, Wiley ranks third in doubles per game (0.40), seventh in RBIs per game (1.00), seventh in slugging percentage (.650) and 10th in home runs per game (0.20).
 
Griffin Neuer has turned in four triples, 10 homers and 44 RBIs on the season. Among GLVC leaders, Neuer ranks seventh in home runs per game (0.22), ninth in RBIs per game (0.98), ninth in triples per game (0.09) and ninth in slugging percentage (.618).
 
Hunter Spencer (5-1) ranks fifth in the GLVC with a 1.21 WHIP while Jacob Nagel (5-2) ranks eighth in the conference with a 1.28 WHIP.
 
Josh Finnerty ranks 10th in the GLVC with 0.95 RBIs per game.
 
Among GLVC leaders, Bellarmine ranks second in batting average (.312), second in doubles per game (2.27), second in on-base percentage (.404), second in scoring (7.5), third in ERA (4.40) and third in slugging percentage (.492).
 
LOOKING AHEAD
UIS battles Lewis in a conference four-game series next weekend. The two teams clash in 12 p.m. doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday at UIS Baseball Field.
 
HOW TO WATCH
UIS at Bellarmine (Live Stats) (Live Video)