The UIS baseball team begins its season this weekend against Tusculum in Greeneville, Tenn., with an adjusted schedule. The four-game series will now be played as two doubleheaders, with games set for Friday at 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. CT (1 p.m. and 4 p.m. ET) and Saturday at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. CT (12 p.m. and 3 p.m. ET).
Illinois Springfield
UIS enters its second season under head coach Trevor Forde following a 26-23 campaign in 2024. The Prairie Stars return more than 200 innings of pitching—over 50% of last year's total—including regular starter Adam Lindsey and All-GLVC Honorable Mention selection Adam Wibbenmeyer.
Offensively, UIS brings back All-GLVC honorees Mark Kattula and Ivan Dahlberg, both key contributors to last season's production. Kattula is expected to continue leading the charge at the plate, while Dahlberg's hard work behind the plate will anchor the team.
Additionally, the team welcomes back Seth Masters, who earned Second Team All-GLVC honors in 2022. With the addition of five freshmen and 19 transfers, UIS is set to field a versatile lineup for the upcoming season.
With a strong returning core and an influx of fresh talent, the Prairie Stars are focused on building upon their 2024 performance and positioning themselves for a successful 2025 campaign.
Tusculum (0-3)
The Pioneers opened their season with a three-game series at Francis Marion, where they were swept. In the opener, Tusculum faced preseason All-American pitcher Rijnaldo Euson, managing just two late runs in a 5-2 loss. The series continued with 14-1 and 11-5 defeats in a Saturday doubleheader. Tusculum started strong in the finale but couldn't maintain momentum as Francis Marion pulled away.
Ben Scartz leads the Pioneers' offense with four hits, hitting .364 with a matching on-base percentage. Several other players recorded extra-base hits in the opening series. On the mound, Cooper Emery provided the most stability, allowing just one run over the final four innings of the team's 11-5 loss.
Tusculum finished 26-26 last season. In last year's series between these teams, UIS won the first two games, 8-2 and 4-3, before dropping the finale, 5-4.
Follow Along
Live statistics will be available on TusculumStats.com, and the games will be streamed on FloSports (subscription required).