Illinois State baseball secures 13-6 victory over Illinois in midweek matchup Illinois State baseball delivered a dominant offensive performance to defeat the University of Illinois 13-6 on Tuesday evening at Illinois Field in Champaign, securing the season series sweep over their in-state rivals. The Redbirds exploded for 19 hits and 13 runs batted in, breaking out of a recent offensive slump with their most productive outing of the young season. Illinois State took command early, building a 5-0 lead within the first two innings and never relinquishing control. Ryan Bakes provided the early power surge with a 466-foot two-run home run over the left-field wall in the top of the second inning. His brother, Brayden Bakes, kept the rally alive with a double before Graham Mastros followed with an RBI single to extend Illinois State’s lead to 5-0. The Illini managed just six runs on the evening, unable to overcome Illinois State’s early momentum despite scoring in the later innings. Illinois State’s offensive barrage came after dropping two one-run games the previous weekend, demonstrating the team’s ability to respond to adversity. Head coach Steve Holm praised the performance as a direct response to recent struggles, noting the squad finally got “all of the hits” after failing to produce huge blows in earlier contests. The victory marked Illinois State’s second win over Illinois this season, following a 4-1 triumph on March 31 that lasted nearly seven hours due to rain delays. The win improved Illinois State’s standing in the season series while handing Illinois its first loss in the midweek matchup. Both teams will now shift focus to their respective conference schedules as the non-conference portion of the season concludes.
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