SIUE (19-16) at Illinois (18-16)
April 14, 6 p.m.
Illinois Field
Champaign, Illinois

MIDWEEK: The Cougars play their first two-midweek week of the year, playing at Illinois Tuesday at 6 p.m. and home against Saint Louis Wednesday at 6 p.m.

START ME UP: The Cougars started 8-0 in OVC play, marking the program's best start to a conference season. The previous best was a 6-0 start in 2015.

SERIES STUFF: Illinois leads the all-time series 7-1. This will mark the second straight season the two in-state teams have faced one another. The Illini have won six straight in the series.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Terrick Thompson-Allen became the third SIUE player to garner OVC Player of the Week honors March 23. He was then tabbed as the National Co-Hitter of the Week by the NCBWA Marcg 24. Josh Heyder won his first career OVC Player of the Week award March 16. Ryan Niedzwiedz earned the award March 2. He also was named to Baseball America's Team of the Week March 3.

HOMER HAPPY: SIUE hit just one home run over the week, but continue to lead the OVC and rank 23rd in the NCAA with 56 home runs so far this season. The Cougars rank 22nd in the country at 1.63 home runs per game. Niedzwiedz leads the league and ranks 15th nationally with 14 home runs. Thompson-Allen and Mack Mitchell are tied for sixth in the league with nine each. In 2025, SIUE led the league with 77 home runs which was second most in the program's Division I history. The school record is 99 home runs in 2022.

RECORD WATCH: Niedzwiedz now has 33 career home runs, tying him for third all-time at SIUE. Mitchell has hit 31 in his career, to rank sixth. The program record of 35 home runs is shared by Brady Bunten and Brock Weimer.
EDWARDSVILLE SLUGGERS: The Cougars are second in the OVC and rank 32nd nationally in slugging percentage (.501). Niedzwiedz is second in the OVC and is 39th nationally with a .721 slugging percentage. Thompson-Alen ranks fourth in the OVC and 57th in the NCAA (.686).