The Illinois Springfield baseball team heads to the Sunshine State this weekend for a four-game road series against Florida Southern in Lakeland, Fla. Games will be played at Henley Field.

Series Schedule (Central / Eastern)

• Friday, Feb. 13 - 5:00 p.m. CT / 6:00 p.m. ET
• Saturday, Feb. 14 (DH) - 12:00 p.m. CT / 1:00 p.m. ET
• Saturday, Feb. 14 (DH) - 3:00 p.m. CT / 4:00 p.m. ET
• Sunday, Feb. 15 - 12:00 p.m. CT / 1:00 p.m. ET

Illinois Springfield (3-0)
UIS opened the season with a three-game sweep of Savannah State in Georgia, powered by strong pitching performances and immediate contributions from several new faces in the lineup.

On the mound, returning starter Ben Benoit earned a win with a 1.80 ERA over five innings, striking out five. Transfer starter Trey Carter earned a victory in his debut, while Isaac Graf and Adam Wibbenmeyer delivered lockdown outings out of the bullpen.

At the plate, several Prairie Stars made an early impact. Corey Boyette hit .444 with five runs scored while reaching base at a .688 clip. Kody Morton batted .385 with five hits and four RBIs, Noah Caceres posted a 1.000 OPS with four RBIs, and Tommy Atkinson provided power with a home run and six RBIs while slugging .727. UIS returned key contributors but has already seen strong production from newcomers.

Florida Southern (2-6)
Florida Southern was picked second in the Sunshine State Conference preseason poll, mirroring UIS's No. 2 preseason selection in its own league.

The Mocs have faced a demanding early schedule, opening with three losses to No. 14 West Florida before earning a 10-0 win over Valdosta State. They went 1-2 against No. 16 Young Harris and most recently dropped a 6-2 decision to Eckerd on Tuesday. Despite the challenging competition, Florida Southern has scored multiple runs in every game this season.

The offense is led by Gavin Smith, who is batting .476 with a 1.457 OPS and 10 RBIs, while Ryan Jenkins is hitting .444 with a .583 on-base percentage. Mikey Scott has recorded 11 hits in eight games, and Eli Thurmond adds power with two home runs and a .552 slugging percentage.

On the mound, Ty Bradle leads the starting rotation with a 1.59 ERA over 11.1 innings, while Sachem Ramos has struck out 20 batters in 10 innings. Christian Carew and Evan Parmer have also made multiple starts, and Tanner Rollyson has been dominant in relief, striking out six in 2.2 innings without allowing a run.

Follow Along
Florida Southern will stream the games on the SSC Digital Network and provide live statistics. Links to both broadcasts and stats are available on the UIS baseball schedule page.

UIS looks to build on its strong opening weekend against a Florida Southern squad that has been tested early and brings one of the Sunshine State Conference's top preseason expectations into the matchup.