The Illinois Springfield baseball team will host Drury this weekend for an important four-game GLVC series, Friday through Sunday. The matchup pits two of the top teams in the region—UIS is ranked No. 3 and Drury No. 5 in the latest NCBWA Midwest Region poll.

Illinois Springfield (15-6, 4-0 GLVC)
The Prairie Stars are riding a wave of momentum after sweeping William Jewell last weekend, outscoring the Cardinals 50-13. UIS combines a potent offense with a strong pitching staff, making them one of the league's toughest teams to beat.

Three hitters—Tommy Atkinson, Corey Boyette, and Kaden Griffitts—are all batting over .400 this season. Atkinson and Boyette are top-three in the GLVC in batting average, slugging, OPS, and doubles, while Griffitts rounds out the trio with consistent extra-base hits and a high on-base percentage. UIS' team on-base percentage of .447 is second in the conference, ranking 25th nationally in NCAA Division II.

The pitching staff has been just as impressive. Ben Benoit is undefeated at 5-0, while Trey Carter remains unbeaten at 3-0. UIS leads the GLVC in ERA at 5.66 and ranks 17th nationally in strikeouts per nine innings, averaging 9.7. The combination of dominant pitching and a high-powered offense has made UIS one of the most balanced teams in the conference.

Drury (12-9, 3-1 GLVC)
Drury enters the weekend with a team that can match UIS in nearly every category. The Panthers lead the conference in double plays and have multiple players capable of changing a game with a single swing. Greydon Miller, the conference leader in triples, is batting .425 with 31 hits, while Jackson Crider, a recent GLVC Player of the Week, is hitting .435 and driving in runs consistently. Pitching ace Joey Funk anchors a staff that keeps opponents off balance. 

Last week, Drury went 3-1 against Lewis. The Panthers won the series opener 8-7 on Friday, then took a doubleheader on Saturday 6-3 and 12-7 before dropping the final game 14-10 on Sunday. They also faced top-ranked Pittsburg State on Tuesday, falling 10-7 in a close game. The stretch shows that Drury is battle-tested and ready for a high-stakes series against UIS.

Follow Along
With both teams capable of putting up big innings, fans can expect an exciting and competitive series. All four games will be streamed live on the GLVC Sports Network, with live stats available throughout each contest.