Redbirds’ MVC Tournament Run Ends on Thursday
NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State baseball team dropped a pair of Thursday games in the 2025 MVC Championship to no. 2 seed Missouri State and no. 6 seed Belmont.
The Redbirds fell to the Bears in game one by a final of 7-2 before a 7-3 loss to the Bruins in game two from Duffy Bass Field.
HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME ONE)
The 4th inning saw Missouri State total a pair of RBI singles, two-run home run, and three-run home run for a 7-0 lead after four innings.
Back-to-back doubles in the 8th allowed the Redbirds to get on the board with Shai Robinson plating Brayden Bakes.
Bakes recorded an RBI single in the 9th to plate ILS' second run of the game
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE (GAME ONE)
- Illinois State moves to 51-73 all-time versus Missouri State
- Noah Smith led the Redbirds with three hits
- ILS left 14 runners on base
HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME TWO)
Belmont scored three times across the first three innings with a two-run home run and RBI single for an early 3-0 advantage.
The Bruins added to their lead in the 4th with a solo home run.
A two-run RBI single in the 5th expanded Belmont's lead to 6-0.
Illinois State scored their first run in the 5th off an RBI single from Noah Smith.
Belmont got another RBI single in the top of the 8th to spread the margin to six at 7-1.
Smith led off the 8th inning for the Redbirds with a solo shot before Daniel Contreras sent home Judah Morris with a sac fly for a 7-3 scoreline.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE (GAME TWO)
- Illinois State is 14-14 all-time versus Belmont
- ILS' 1-3 hitters went a combined 4-for-15
- Smith records his third HR of 2025
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.
Latest Athletics News
- Ten Redbirds Selected To Represent Illinois State At NCAA West First Round In TexasThe NCAA has announced its selection of athletes for the 2025 NCAA West first round, which will begin on May 28 in College Station, Texas.
- Starks Earns MVC Women's Scholar-Athlete Of The Year As 17 Redbirds Named To Scholar-Athlete TeamThe Missouri Valley Conference has announced its Track and Field Scholar-Athletes of the Year and Scholar-Athlete teams Thursday morning.
- Redbirds Open MVC Tournament with Win over Sycamores, 14-4Illinois State defeated Indiana State in its first Missouri Valley Conference Tournament game, 14-4. Tyrelle Chadwick fanned seven batters in the victory.
- Six Redbirds Honored with All-MVC Team SelectionsJunior Daniel Pacella was named First-Team All-MVC to headline a group of six Illinois State baseball student-athletes honored by the conference, as announced Tuesday morning.
- Redbirds Set to Battle Sycamores in MVC TournamentIllinois State baseball will open the 2025 Missouri Valley Conference Baseball Tournament on Tuesday afternoon as the No. 5 seed Redbirds play No. 8 seed Indiana State at 1:30 PM.
- Redbirds' Secure Runner-Up Finishes and Three Individual MVC Titles on Day Two of MVC ChampionshipThe Illinois State track & field program closed out the 2025 MVC Outdoor Track & Field Championship at the Lew Hartzog Track & Field Complex, Sunday afternoon.
