The University of Illinois Springfield baseball team has announced its spring slate for the 2024 season. The schedule features 50 games, including 27 at the UIS Baseball Field. 

First-year Head Coach Trevor Forde's era of UIS baseball begins in Greeneville, Tenn. against Tusculum on Feb. 9-11. UIS last met Tusculum in 2022, splitting a high-scoring series. 

UIS will head West the next weekend for the Missouri Southern Invitational in Joplin, Mo. 

The Prairie Stars will host in-region opponents Davenport and Trevecca Nazarene in February and March ahead of the start of GLVC play. 

Conference Schedule
The conference schedule begins when the Prairie Stars meet the Rockhurst Hawks in Kansas City on March 8-9. It is the first of nine four-game series against GLVC teams. 

UIS is set to play at the UIS BasebalL Field on Mar. 22-24, Mar. 28-30, Apr. 5-7, Apr. 19-21, and Apr. 26-18.

Regarding GLVC teams that held national rankings last season, UIS will host Indianapolis and meet Quincy on the road. The Prairie Stars will not meet the Maryville Saints for regular season play this year.

In 2023
UIS had a 36-15 season in 2023, going 25-7 against conference opponents. The Prairie Stars dropped out of the GLVC Tournament with losses to William Jewell and Maryville, but earned the No. 2 seed in the Midwest Regional. The hosting Prairie Stars narrowly lost in an 11-10 game against Indianapolis before defeating Ashland 10-2 in their second game. UIS held off Maryville through much of its third game, but a three-run homer would allow the Saints to win 5-4. The Indianapolis Greyhounds would go on to become the Regional Champions and earn the trip to Cary, N.C. for the National Championship.

A New Era
Coach Trevor Forde comes to Springfield from University of Indianapolis where he completed his seventh season as an assistant coach in the spring. In his time on the Indianapolis coaching staff the Greyhounds earned 20 All-GLVC selections and two All-American honors, including infielder Drew Donaldson as a First Team selection in 2023. Indianapolis advanced to the NCAA DII Championship in Cary, N.C. for the first time since 2012 and finished the 2023 season ranked No. 8 by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA). Forde is joined by Chris Rodriguez, a pitching coach who has joined UIS from Jacksonville University in Florida.

The UIS baseball team has welcomed 14 newcomers to its roster.