The University of Illinois Springfield baseball team looks to stay atop of the GLVC standings when it starts an eight-game road trip. The first stop will be this weekend with a four-game set at Drury.
 
UIS enters the week with a 21-3 overall record, and it is 17-3 in conference action. The Prairie Stars have a 2 ½ game lead in the GLVC Green Division. In the latest national poll, UIS is ranked sixth in NCAA Division II.
 
Last week, UIS won three out of four games against Rockhurst. The Prairie Stars averaged nine runs a game, while allowing 4.5 a contest. The Prairie Stars have now won all six series that they have played this season, including three sweeps.
 
UIS is currently ranked 20^th in NCAA Division II with a 3.73 ERA. The Prairie Stars are 23^rd nationally with a 1.30 WHIP, 25^th with a 2.76 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and 32^nd with 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings. Offensively, the Prairie Stars are third nationally with 10.7 runs a game. They are second with a .369 batting average, and also in the top-five in slugging and on-base percentages.
 
Blake Begner was named the GLVC Pitcher of the Week on Monday after throwing five innings in the team's shutout win in game four of the series. UIS's other two top starters, Colton Hale and Chad Saner, are a combined 9-0 on the season, and they rank in the top-three in the conference in ERA.
 
Offensively, Zion Pettigrew leads the team with a .459 batting average, 1.066 slugging percentage, and .564 on-base percentage. Kal Youngquist is batting .443 with a team-high 34 RBI, and Nick Mayerhofer leads the team with 31 runs.
 
Each individual GLVC school will determine their own attendance policy for baseball. Please check the policies of the home teams if interested in attending a contest. (Drury)
 
UIS vs. Drury
Date/Time/Location: Friday, April 16, 5:00 p.m. – Springfield, Mo.
Date/Time/Location: Saturday, April 17, 12:00 p.m. – Springfield, Mo. (DH)
Date/Time/Location: Sunday, April 18, 12:00 p.m. – Springfield, Mo.
Streaming: https://glvcsn.com/drury
Live Stats: https://drurypanthers.com/sidearmstats/baseball  
All-Time Series: Drury leads 13-6 (Drury leads 7-1 in Springfield, Mo.)
 
Drury is currently 9-15 on the season and 9-11 in GLVC play. The Panthers are tied for third in the Green Division of the conference. Drury has lost five out of its last six, including a non-conference loss at Missouri Southern on Tuesday.
 
The Panthers have one of the top offensive teams in the conference. They are third in batting (.323) and slugging (.515), and fourth in on-base percentage (.429). Drury is putting up 8.8 runs a game. On the mound, Drury has a 7.25 ERA, 1.78 WHIP, and .283 opponent batting average.
 
Team leaders on offense include Aaron Mann with a .375 batting average and 31 RBI, Jackson Dierenfeldt with 36 runs, and DJ McNew with nine home runs and a .739 slugging percentage. The top pitcher is Cody Bahl with a 3-0 record and a 4.12 ERA.
 
Drury and UIS met six times during the 2019 season, with UIS winning five of those contests. The Prairie Stars won two of three meetings in the regular season. UIS then won one game in the GLVC Championship, and two contests in the NCAA Regional Tournament.
 
Up Next
The second part of the UIS road trip will be on Apr. 23-25 when the Prairie Stars travel back to Southwest Missouri for four games at Southwest Baptist.