No. 19 UIS baseball travels east this weekend for three neutral-site games in West Virginia as part of the Atlantic Region Crossover.

Weekend Schedule

• Friday, Feb. 27
  vs. Lake Erie Storm
  2:00 p.m. CT / 3:00 p.m. ET
  Dale Miller Field at Mylan Park (Fairmont, W.V.)

• Saturday, Feb. 28
  vs. Walsh Cavaliers
  10:30 a.m. CT / 11:30 a.m. ET
  Frank Loria Memorial Field (Salem, W.V.)

• Sunday, Mar. 1
  vs. Salem Tigers
  10:00 a.m. CT / 11:00 a.m. ET
  Kendrick Family Ballpark (Morgantown, W.V.)

Illinois Springfield (7-3)
The Prairie Stars have won seven of their first 10 games, including a 19-10 home victory over Missouri–St. Louis Tritons last Saturday. On the mound, starter Ben Benoit has been steady, opening the season 3-0 with a 2.55 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 17.2 innings. Trey Carter (1-0) and Mark DeCicco have each made three starts, while the bullpen has shown early strength.

Isaac Graf has yet to allow an earned run across four appearances and has struck out 14 in seven innings. Jaden Mathon is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA and turned in a strong three-inning outing last week against UMSL, striking out five.

Offensively, the Prairie Stars feature a deep lineup with production throughout the order. Kody Morton leads the team with a .421 average and, while Tommy Atkinson has been one of the most productive bats early, hitting .400 with two home runs and 20 RBIs in 10 games. Corey Boyette has added power and on-base presence, batting .364 with two home runs and a .543 on-base percentage. The lineup's depth is further reflected in players like Kaden Griffitts, who has drawn 11 walks in nine games, and Brian Daker and Drew Ezard, both of whom have provided extra-base pop in early opportunities.

Lake Erie (0-7)
Lake Erie enters Friday's matchup still looking for its first win after opening series against Salem and Saginaw Valley State.

Brendan Hazuda has paced the offense early, while Hunter Aurand has supplied power with two home runs. On the mound, Luke Reasor has worked near the front of the rotation, and relievers such as Zavior Esquivel and Neeko Spicer have yet to allow a run in limited action.

The Storm compete in the G-MAC and finished 21-26 overall last season.

Walsh (3-1)
Walsh dropped just one game in its opening series at Fairmont State and brings a hot lineup into Saturday's contest. Brodey Acres is off to a torrid start, hitting .563 with power, while Ryan Bruni and Mason Stoldt have each provided consistent production. Josh Algarin has also been a key contributor in the early going.

On the mound, Ryan Chambers delivered four innings of one-run baseball in his opening weekend start, and the Cavaliers' bullpen has been sharp, with several relievers yet to surrender a run.

Salem (6-3)
Sunday's opponent rebounded from an 0-3 start against UNC Pembroke by winning six straight, including a sweep of Lake Erie and three wins over Clarion. Richie Preston has been a steady presence out of the bullpen with a 1.74 ERA and a strong strikeout-to-walk ratio, while Conor Thiele has handled starting duties and earned two wins. Offensively, the Tigers feature a balanced attack led by Cody Thomas, Aaron Forbes, Landon McAlpine, and Brandon Hoftijzer, all hitting .350 or better through nine games.

Follow Along
Coverage will be limited this weekend, with full coverage expected for Sunday's game. Final scores and updates will be posted at uisprairiestars.com and on social media via @UISAthletics.