SIUE Cougars (13-22, 6-6 OVC) at
Illinois Fighting Illini (20-13, 7-2 B1G)
April 15, 6 p.m.
Illinois Field
Champaign, Illinois

PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS
SIUE LHP Garrett Helsel (0-2, 8.79) vs. ILL LHP Sam Reed (1-1, 10.18)


LAST WEEK: The Cougars split four games, including a win at Mizzou. It was SIUE's first win at Missouri since 2011. SIUE dropped two of three in a weekend Ohio Valley series at Eastern Illinois. 

SERIES STUFF: The Cougars and Illini have not met on the baseball field since 2009-SIUE's first year of tranisition to Division I. Illinois owns a 6-1 advantage in the series and has won five straight games.

TOUGH ROAD: The Cougars opened the season with back-to-back series against 2023 NCAA Tournament teams. Troy was a win away from a Super Regional appearance last year, while Oral Roberts was a World Series team in 2023.

GOING STREAKING: Lucas Spence has hit safely in 21 consecutive games, which is the longest hitting streak on the team this year and in the OVC this year. It is the longest streak by a Cougar in the Division I era The school record is 24 games by Nick Seibert in 2001. John Stallcup has hit safely in eight straight games.

THAT'S OFFENSIVE: The Cougars are  seventh in the OVC in average (.277). They are fifth in doubles (62), third in triples (9) and sixth in hits (337).

HOMER ROLL: SIUE's 29 home runs rank eighth in the OVC. Ryan Niedzwiedz leads the team with five home runs. The Cougars have hit 197 home runs over the last three seasons.

GETTING DEFENSIVE: The Cougars' .965 fielding percentage is fifth in the OVC.

LEAGUE LEADERS: Lucas Spence is the leading hitter in the OVC with a .403 batting average, which ranks 44th in the NCAA. He leads the league in hits with 52 which is 21st in the NCAA.

NEWCOMERS: SIUE has 19 newcomers on the 2024 rosters, 18 of whom have seen action in a game this season. Among position players, newcomers have accounted for 181 starts. All but 10 starts on the mound have come from returners.

DELONG ROAD: Friday starting pitcher Tyler DeLong is SIUE's most experienced starter, having made 18 appearances and nine starts in 2023. He made 19 appearances (10 starts) at Austin Peay in 2022.

AND RUNNIN' RUNNIN': SIUE is fourth in the OVC with 49 stolen bases. Ethan Wiloughby has 10, in 14 tries, to lead the team.
 
THE SKIPPER: Sean Lyons is in his eighth season as SIUE's head coach. His overall record is 154-211.

LAST YEAR: SIUE was 26-28 overall and 14-8 at home. The Cougars returned to the OVC Tournament for the second consecutive season under Sean Lyons. The Cougars finished seventh in OVC play at 9-15. 

PRESEASON PROGNOSTICATIONS: Before the season, the OVC's head coaches and sports information personnel tabbed SIUE for a seventh-place finish. D1Baseball.com also picked the Cougars for a seventh-place finish in the OVC.