NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State will play two mid-week matchups this week, facing the Iowa Hawkeyes on Tuesday, April 29 and will return to Duffy Bass Field on Wednesday, to play host to Southern Indiana.

SCHEDULE

Tuesday at 6:02 PM (at Iowa) | B1G+ | STATS

Wednesday at 5 PM (in Normal) | ESPN+ | STATS | RADIO

Iowa Hawkeyes (31-12, 20-4 Big Ten)

Iowa enters the mid-week contest on a four-game winning streak, after collecting wins over St. Thomas and a weekend sweep over Indiana. 

Iowa is hitting .311 as a team which positions them 23rd nationally. Junior infielder, Gable Mitchell, is ranked inside the top-150 in seven different offensive categories.

The Hawkeyes are set to face the Redbirds on Tuesday with the first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m. in Iowa City.

Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles (20-24, 9-9 OVC)

Southern Indiana comes to Normal with wins in three of their last five over Saint Louis, Bellarmine, and Eastern Illinois.

Southern Indiana leads the OVC with a .312 batting average, including the conference's two best hitters in junior infielder, Cole Kitchens (.382), and sophomore infielder, Parker Martin (.379). On the mound, USI holds a team ERA of 6.97 in 2025.

First pitch at Duffy Bass Field is slated for 5 p.m. on Wednesday evening.

SERIES HISTORY

Illinois State leads Iowa in the all-time series holding a 15-10 margin. The Redbirds defeated the Hawkeyes earlier this season by a score of 10-8 on March 25 in Normal.

This will be the third ever meeting between Illinois State and Southern Indiana, first since 1977.

GROWING THEIR REDBIRD LEGACY

Illinois State junior Daniel Pacella and senior Joe Husak continue to be strong contributors for the Redbirds.

After a weekend against Southern Illinois, Pacella has recorded 48 RBIs in 2025, moving his career total to 165 RBIs at Illinois State. The junior sits only three away from sole possession of second all-time in ISU history for RBIs.

Pacella also holds sole possession of second all-time in career HRs with 42, thanks to an 8th inning solo home run on April 25 at SIU.

Meanwhile, on the mound, Husak moved his career save total as a Redbird to 12 after closing the door against the Salukis on April 25.

Husak is tied with Jeremy Accardo (2001-03) for second all-time in career saves.

ILLINOIS STATE TO HOST MVC TOURNAMENT

The 2025 Missouri Valley Conference Championships will take place from Duffy Bass Field in Normal, Illinois.

The eight-team tournament opens on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, and is scheduled to run through Saturday, May 24, 2025.

This is the first time Illinois State will host the MVC Championships since 2019.

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at goredbirds.com/tickets.

ON DECK

Illinois State welcomes in MVC-leading Missouri State to Duffy Bass Field for a pivotal three-game weekend series from May 2-4.

For the latest updates on Illinois State Baseball, stay tuned at GoRedbirds.com, follow the Redbirds on X (@RedbirdBaseball) and Instagram (isuredbirdbaseball), and like the team on Facebook (Illinois State Baseball).

GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App:  Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Athletic Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.