The 12^th-ranked University of Illinois Springfield baseball team continues an eight-game homestand this week with a four-game series against Rockhurst. Action starts at the UIS Baseball Field on Friday afternoon.
 
UIS enters play this week with an 18-2 overall record, its best 20-game start in program history. The Prairie Stars are 14-2 in conference action, and have a three-game lead in the Green Division of the GLVC. UIS is riding a 10-game winning streak, its third longest in program history.
 
The Prairie Stars have one of the top offenses in NCAA Division II, ranking in the top-five in batting average (.370), on-base percentage (.464), and slugging percentage (.626). They are averaging 11.1 runs a game, which is sixth in the country.
 
On the mound, UIS is 30^th nationally and second in the GLVC with a 3.86 ERA. The Prairie Stars pitchers are 23^rd in NCAA Division II in WHIP (1.29), and 28^th in strikeouts per nine innings (10.9).
 
Zion Pettigrew leads the offense with a .459 batting average, 1.066 slugging percentage, .564 on-base percentage, 28 runs, and nine home runs. Kal Youngquist has a team-best 29 RBI, 31 hits, and 11 doubles. Chris Mathieu also has 31 hits on the season.
 
Colton Hale and Chad Saner are both 4-0 on the mound, and both have just over a .200 opponent batting average.
 
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. (UIS)
 
UIS vs. Rockhurst
Date/Time/Location: Friday, April 9, 12:00 p.m. – Springfield, Ill. (DH)
Date/Time/Location: Sunday, April 11, 12:00 p.m. – Springfield, Ill. (DH)
Streaming: https://glvcsn.com/uis
Live Stats: https://uisprairiestars.com/sidearmstats/baseball/summary
All-Time Series: Rockhurst leads 18-12 (Rockhurst leads 6-5 in Kansas City, Mo.)
 
Rockhurst enters play this week with an 11-9 overall record, and it is 8-8 in conference play. The Hawks are tied for third in the Green Division standings, six games behind UIS.
 
Rockhurst has a .287 batting average this season, and is averaging 6.2 runs a contest. The Hawks have a 6.82 ERA on the mound, and opponents are batting .306 off of them.
 
Tyler Stamer is Rockhurst's top offensive threat. He is batting .369 with 13 runs, four homers, and 16 RBI. Garrett McNally leads the team with 14 runs, and he has 14 RBI. Jack Eisenbarger is the team's ace. He is 4-1 on the year with a 2.57 ERA and a .224 opponent batting average.
 
Rockhurst leads the all-time series with UIS by an 18-12 margin, but UIS is 6-1 against Rockhurst since 2017. In 2019, UIS won two out of three against the Hawks in Kansas City, including outscoring the Hawks 27-7 after the first game.
 
Up Next
UIS starts an eight-game road trip after this week's action. The first series in that stretch is April 16-18 at Drury.