NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - Belmont (24-28, 11-13 MVC) begins their final MVC series of the season against Illinois State (26-24, 14-10 MVC). First pitch on Friday, May 16 is at 5 p.m. All games will be streamed on ESPN+. Live stats are available at
belmontbruins.com.
GAME SCHEDULE
Friday, May 16 | 5 p.m.
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Saturday, May 17 | 3 p.m.
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Sunday, May 18 | 1 p.m.
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BRUIN BULLETS
- Sam Slaughter carries a seven-game hit streak and 21-game on-base streak into the series. Slaughter leads the team with eight hits in the last five games.
- Slaughter leads the team with 19 stolen bases and is tied for first in the MVC. John Behrends and Guy Lipscomb in 2022 were the last two Bruins to steal 20+ bases in a single season. Behrends stole 20 bases and Lipscomb stole an astounding 42 bases.
- Brodey Heaton, Pete Daniel and Michael Lareau have all hit two home runs in the last five games.
- Heaton leads the team with a .375 batting average, 15 hits, 4 home runs and 13 RBIs in the last 10 games.
- Joe Ruzicka has allowed two earned runs in his last 19 innings. Ruzicka owns a 0.95 ERA during that stretch with 17 strikeouts.
- Five Bruins are batting above .300 in conference play: Mason Landers (.355), Heaton (.348), Jack Rando (.347), Slaughter (.330) and Blake Barton (.305).
- Landers leads the team in batting average (.333), runs scored (46), total bases (134), hits (68), home runs (18) and slugging percentage (.657). In the MVC rankings, Landers is tied for sixth in home runs, tied for eighth in hits, eighth in hits and 13th in batting average.
- The Bruins are tied for sixth in the MVC with Sothern Illinois at 11-13.
SCOUTING REPORT: ILLINOIS STATE REDBRIDS
- Illinois State enters the series tied for fourth in the MVC with Murray State.
- The Redbirds are 10-6 at Duffy Bass Field this season and 8-4 in conference games at home.
- Luke Lawrence leads the MVC with 75 hits and ranks sixth with a .352 batting average.
- JT Sokolove is tied atop the conference leaderboard in stolen bases (19).
- Cameron Mabee and Tanner Perry rank inside the top 15 in ERA in the MVC. Mabee owns a 5.12 ERA and Perry is just behind him at a 5.63 mark.
- Mabee leads the conference in pickoffs with four.
MATCHUP HISTORY
- Belmont is 9-8 all-time against Illinois State.
- The Bruins won last year's series in Nashville, 2-1.
- In five series, the Bruins are 2-2-1 against the Redbirds.
- Illinois tate swept Belmont in the 2019 series.
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