It's another busy week for the Prairie Stars!
- Basketball – Home on Thursday against Indianapolis.
- Tennis – Hosts Michigan Tech on Saturday.
- Track and field – Competes at Grand Valley State in Michigan on Friday and Saturday.
- Softball – Travels to Xenia, Ohio, for a three-game series against Cedarville.
- Baseball – Heads to Joplin, Mo., for the MSSU Lion Classic.
Thursday, Feb. 13
5:30 p.m. - Women's Basketball vs. Indianapolis (HOME)
UIS women's basketball (5-18, 4-11 GLVC) has just one game this week, Thursday night at TRAC against Indianapolis. UIS fell 77-70 against McKendree at home on Thursday and faded late against Maryville in an 81-68 loss on Saturday. UIndy (7-16, 5-10 GLVC) fell 77-58 to Maryville and 66-63 to UMSL last week. UIS won 67-58 when these teams met on Jan. 5. In the GLVC Point Rating System (PRS), Indianapolis ranks 10th with a 2.73 rating, while UIS sits 12th at 2.50.
7:30 p.m. - Men's Basketball vs. Indianapolis (HOME)
The UIS men's basketball team (11-12, 6-9 GLVC) fell 79-75 against McKendree last week before battling to an 84-80 win against Maryville on Saturday. Indianapolis (13-10, 7-8) split the weekend with an 81-80 win and a 71-70 loss to UMSL. UIndy edged UIS 80-79 in their previous matchup on Jan. 5. In the GLVC PRS standings, UIS ranks 10th with a 2.70 rating, just behind ninth-place Indianapolis at 2.90.
Local Heroes Night – UIS Athletics will honor first responders, military service members, and healthcare professionals for their contributions to the community during Local Heroes Night on Thursday, Feb. 13, at the UIS basketball doubleheader. In partnership with Springfield Clinic, Memorial Health, and HSHS St. John's, the annual Cancer Awareness Games will also highlight those affected by cancer and the professionals who provide life-saving care.
Friday, Feb. 14
All Day - Track & Field at GVSU Big Meet
UIS heads to the biggest weekend of the regular season for indoor track and field. GVSU's Big Meet offers a key opportunity for UIS runners in the 5,000-meter and 3,000-meter runs, as well as regional competition in other events. Friday's competition features mostly 5,000-meter heats, including invitational heats with tough time standards.
Two records fell last weekend:
- Women's mile – Madelyn Miller (4:47.00)
- Men's 4x400 relay – Ryan Jones, Aidan Donohue, Balin Doud, and Isaac Cortes (3:31.47)
UIS baseball (2-2) competes at Missouri Southern's tournament in Joplin, Mo., starting against GLVC foe Drury in non-conference play. These teams will not meet again in the regular season. UIS split its opening weekend with Tusculum (10-5 win, 14-5 loss, 8-12 loss, 14-5 win). Drury (1-3) opened the season in Honolulu, losing twice to Hawaii Pacific and splitting with Chaminade. UIS leads the all-time series 15-13, though Drury won three of four against UIS last season.
1:00 p.m. CT (2:00 p.m. ET) - Softball at Cedarville
UIS softball (4-4) travels to Xenia, Ohio, to face Cedarville (1-6) at the Athletes in Action Complex, a turf facility perfect for these early-season games. UIS defeated Cedarville 6-2 earlier this season. Since then, Cedarville has only won once, but that victory came against No. 3 nationally ranked Indianapolis. UIS started the season 3-1 before going 1-3 at the Alvy Early Memorial Classic, ending the weekend with a 4-0 shutout of Missouri Southern. UIS leads the all-time series 7-0.
Saturday, Feb. 15
All Day - Track & Field at GVSU Big Meet
UIS will compete in open heats of distance events at the GVSU Big Meet on Saturday, including the 3,000-meter heats on Saturday morning.
11:00 a.m. & 1:00 p.m. CT (12:00 p.m. & 2:00 p.m. ET) - Softball at Cedarville
The three-game series concludes with a Saturday doubleheader. The UIS pitching staff has a combined 3.29 ERA and a .276 opponent batting average through eight games.
1:00 p.m. - Men's Tennis vs. Michigan Tech (HOME)
UIS (0-1) looks to rebound after falling 7-0 to nationally ranked Washburn on Feb. 1. The Prairie Stars hold a 3-0 all-time record against Michigan Tech (1-1) but haven't faced the Huskies since 2022. Michigan Tech opened the season with a 5-2 win over Hillsdale before falling 6-1 to Northwood. They will play Missouri-St. Louis before coming to UIS.
1:00 p.m. - Women's Tennis vs. Michigan Tech (HOME)
UIS (0-1) dropped its season opener 6-1 to nationally ranked Washburn, with Ema Norma Bordean earning the team's lone singles victory. Michigan Tech (1-1) has a 4-3 win over Hillsdale and a 4-3 loss to Northwood. The Huskies lead the all-time series 3-0. They will play UMSL before traveling to UIS.
4:00 p.m. - Baseball vs. Minnesota State-Mankato (MSSU Lion Classic)
UIS takes on Minnesota State-Mankato, a team the Prairie Stars defeated 11-9 at this same tournament last year in their only previous meeting. The Mavericks have yet to open their season and will play host Missouri Southern before facing UIS.
Sunday, Feb. 16
1:00 p.m. - Baseball vs. Truman State (MSSU Lion Classic)
UIS meets another GLVC team in non-conference play. Truman State (0-4) was swept by Pittsburg State in its opening weekend. UIS leads the all-time series 15-6. Truman took one game in each of its last two four-game series against UIS but will not face the Prairie Stars in GLVC play this season.