The Illinois Springfield baseball program has announced its 2026 schedule as the Prairie Stars prepare for their first full season under head coach Chris Rodriguez, who was officially appointed to lead the program at the end of May 2025 after previously serving as an assistant coach.

Rodriguez, who joined the UIS staff in 2023 as the program's recruiting coordinator and pitching coach, enters his first season at the helm following a successful 2025 campaign that saw the Prairie Stars go 36-16 overall, finish 23-8 in GLVC play, and advance to the GLVC Tournament Championship game.

UIS opens the 2026 season on the road with an early test away from home, beginning with a four-game series at Savannah State on Feb. 6-7 in Savannah, Georgia. The Prairie Stars will then travel to Lakeland, Fla, for a four-game set against Florida Southern from Feb. 13-15.

UIS returns home to start a split series against Missouri-St. Louis on Feb. 20, hosting UMSL for a Friday doubleheader before traveling to St. Louis for a pair of games on Sunday. The Prairie Stars then head east for a neutral-site weekend in West Virginia, facing Lake Erie, Walsh, and Salem from Feb. 27 through March 1.

UIS comes back to Springfield for its first full weekend at home on March 6, opening a four-game series against Davenport at the UIS Baseball Field. From there, the schedule settles into a steady rhythm of GLVC play for the remainder of the regular season, featuring home series against Drury, Quincy, Maryville, and McKendree, while road trips include William Jewell, Truman State, Missouri S&T, and Indianapolis.

Among the highlights of the home slate is the annual rivalry series against Quincy on March 27-29, one of the most anticipated matchups of the season. UIS will also meet Maryville and Indianapolis during the GLVC slate, two programs that have developed into competitive GLVC rivals in recent years, setting the stage for pivotal conference battles down the stretch.

UIS closes the regular season with a four-game home series against McKendree from April 30 through May 2 before turning its attention to the GLVC Tournament, which begins May 6.

The 2026 season marks a new chapter for the Prairie Stars under Rodriguez, whose impact was evident during his time as an assistant. In 2025, UIS entered the GLVC Tournament as the No. 2 seed and advanced to the championship game. 

"I'm extremely excited for the 2026 season," Rodriguez said. "Our players have worked very hard and put together a successful fall. I'm confident the work put in this winter will carry over, and we'll be ready to compete at a high level in February."

UIS will look to build on last season's momentum as it enters 2026 with championship aspirations and a schedule designed to challenge the Prairie Stars from the opening weekend into postseason play.

UIS streams all home games on the GLVC Sports Network (GLVCSN) and provides live statistics for fans to follow online. Fans can also sign up for baseball-specific email updates and follow UIS baseball on social media for schedule updates, promotions and team news.

Full 2026 UIS Baseball Schedule