Baseball Kicks Off Conference Play With Home Series Against Illinois State

Belmont (12-11, 0-0 MVC) vs. Illinois State (6-8, 0-0 MVC) 

Friday, March 24 | 4 p.m. 

ESPN+ | iHeartRadio | Live Stats | Game Notes 

Saturday, March 25 | 2 p.m. 

ESPN+ | iHeartRadio | Live Stats 

Sunday, March 26 | 1 p.m. 

ESPN+ | iHeartRadio | Live Stats 

E.S. Rose Park | Nashville, Tennessee 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Belmont University baseball team embarks on their first-ever Missouri Valley Conference schedule of games beginning Friday when they host Illinois State in a three-game series at E.S. Rose Park. 

First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 4 p.m., while Saturday's game will get underway at 2 p.m., and Sunday's series finale is slated for 1 p.m. 

All three games will be streamed on ESPN+, with audio play-by-play simulcast to Belmont Bruins Radio on iHeartRadio, and live stats available on BelmontBruins.com. 

Admission to all games at E.S. Rose Park is free. 

What's Bruin 

• Belmont has won five in a row and six of their last seven games entering conference play 

• After a loss to No. 6 Vanderbilt on Tuesday, March 14, Belmont swept Lindenwood at home in a four-game series last weekend before defeating Southern Indiana, 6-3, on Tuesday 

• Belmont is 10-6 at home this year, and has gone 46-23 over the last three seasons at E.S. Rose Park (.667) 

• In their final season in the Ohio Valley Conference last year, Belmont won seven of eight conference series and went 18-6 in conference play to claim their first OVC regular season championship 

• In the latest NCAA RPI report, the Missouri Valley Conference ranked 7th, behind only the SEC, ACC, Pac-12, Big 12, Sun Belt, and Big Ten 

• Since the 2011 season, the MVC has ranked among the Top 10 leagues nationally in RPI in nine of the 11 seasons, and has ranked among the top seven conferences in seven of those 11 seasons. 

• Friday's projected pitching matchup includes LHP Andy Bean (1-3, 4.25 ERA) against RHP Derek Salata (2-1, 2.49 ERA) 

• Saturday's projected pitching matchup includes RHP Jordan Zuger (2-3, 6.08 ERA) against RHP Cameron Mabee (1-1, 3.86 ERA) 

• Sunday's projected pitching matchup includes LHP Dominic Baratta (2-1, 3.46 ERA) against RHP Jayson Hibbard (0-0, 7.63 ERA) 

• Last weekend against Lindenwood, Belmont's pitching staff allowed just five earned runs over four games with two shutouts (1.69 ERA) 

• On Tuesday, Belmont pitchers struck out 16 batters, their second-most in a game this season 

• Belmont ranks second in the MVC in strikeouts (194), third in ERA (4.71), and third in opponent batting average (.267) 

• Junior pitcher Andy Bean currently ranks fifth all-time in program history in winning percentage (16-6, .727) and is 14 strikeouts away from eclipsing 200 for his career 

• Junior first baseman Brodey Heaton owns 125 career RBIs, five away from breaking into the top-10 in program history in the NCAA-era 

• Junior third baseman Mason Landers enters Friday on a nine-game hitting streak. The native of Shelbyville, Tenn., is tied for third in the MVC in RBIs (18) and is tied for fourth in home runs (5) 

• Junior shortstop Sam Kirkpatrick will enter the starting lineup on Friday after missing the last three games since being hit in the face by a pitch last Friday. The native of Franklin, Tenn., is fifth in the MVC in batting average (.373) and fifth in hits (28) 

• In 2013, the last time Belmont entered a new conference, the Bruins went 38-20 overall and 22-8 in conference play, their first year in the OVC after back-to-back NCAA Regional appearances in 2011 and 2012 out of the Atlantic Sun 

About the Redbirds 

• Illinois State has had five games cancelled this season due to weather-related issues 

• Friday night starter Derek Salata has been one of the best pitchers in the MVC, among the leaders in ERA and strikeouts 

• The Redbirds are last in the MVC in ERA (7.82) and have been shuffling their rotation and bullpen to find a mix that works 

• Illinois State was picked seventh, one spot behind Belmont in the MVC Preseason Coaches Poll 

• The Redbirds went 20-31 last year, including 7-14 in MVC play 

Series History 

• Belmont and Illinois State have met 17 times, with Belmont leading the series, 9-8 

• The two teams have played non-conference weekend series in 2019, 2016, 2013, and 2011 

• The Bruins and Redbirds first met in 2005 

• When they last clashed in 2019 at E.S. Rose Park, Illinois State swept the three-game series 

Follow Belmont baseball on social media - @BelmontBaseball on Twitter and @belmontbaseball on Instagram - for complete coverage of the Bruins. Stay up to date with all of Belmont's athletic programs via the official app of the Belmont Bruins, available both in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.                            

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