GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Illinois (14-13, 6-6 Big Ten) at Purdue (19-9, 7-5 Big Ten)
April 3-5 / Stream B1G+
Series Opener: Friday at 2 p.m. ET / Updated Start Time
Middle Game: Saturday at 2 p.m. ET
Series Finale: Sunday at 1 p.m. ET / Bark in the Park Dog Day
Alexander Field / West Lafayette, Indiana
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
Friday: Cole Van Assen (Jr, RHP) vs. ILL’s Regan Hall (Jr, LHP)
Saturday: Zach Erdman (Sr, LHP) vs. ILL’s Aidan Finn (Fr, LHP)
Sunday: TBA for Both Teams
SERIES HISTORY
All-Time: Illinois leads 173-88-1
All-Time in West Lafayette: Illinois leads 71-44-1
Purdue Under Greg Goff vs. Illinois: Illinois leads 11-3 (since 2020)
Last Series in West Lafayette: Illinois swept a 3-game set in West Lafayette (May 2024)
Purdue’s Last Series Win vs. Illinois: Swept a 3-game set (April 2017 in West Lafayette)
First Meeting: Illinois 14, Purdue 5 (May 1893 in West Lafayette)
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue Baseball opens the second half of the season and begins a stretch of seven consecutive games against teams from the Land of Lincoln as Illinois pays a visit to Alexander Field this weekend.
First pitch at Alexander Field is set for 2 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 1 p.m. Sunday. Friday’s game time was moved up due to storms in the forecast for Friday night. A Sunday doubleheader is also possibility based on Saturday’s forecast.
The Boilermakers have won three consecutive Big Ten series for the first time since their team-record 11-game conference win streak in April 2024. Purdue also won three straight series in league play in 2018 and 2023, but not four consecutive since the 2012 Big Ten championship team won its first seven.
The Fighting Illini have also won three straight Big Ten series, doing so against Minnesota, Rutgers and Penn State. The Boilermakers’ three in a row have been vs. Maryland, Penn State and Michigan State. All six series wins were in two-of-three fashion. Last weekend, both teams rallied to win series on the road after dropping the opening game.
The Purdue-Illinois series dates back to 1893 and features over 260 all-time meetings. The border battle featured six straight three-game sweeps and eight total from 2012 to 2024. The Boilermakers also won all four of their games in Champaign in April 2021 as part of a three-team pod that featured Michigan State as well. Headlined by a 14-run third inning, Purdue scored a season-high 20 runs on Sunday in Champaign last season to stave off another sweep, snapping an 11-game skid against the Illini. Illinois has won six straight at Alexander Field after going winless in West Lafayette from 2012 to 2019.
Purdue has won six of its last seven games at Alexander and is 7-3 at home this season overall.
The Boilermakers also host Bradley (Peoria) and play at Northwestern (Evanston) over the next seven games.
WEEKEND #5 OF BIG TEN PLAY
• Illinois (6-6) at Purdue (7-5)
• USC (10-2) at UCLA (12-0)
• Michigan State (4-8) at Northwestern (3-6)
• Penn State (3-6) at Nebraska (8-1)
• Minnesota (2-7) at Iowa (3-6)
• Rutgers (4-5) at Indiana (3-9)
• Maryland (2-7) at Ohio State (4-5)
• Oregon (7-2) at Michigan (3-6) – Thursday-Saturday
• Valparaiso at Washington (6-6); Non-Conference – Thursday-Saturday
ACTIVE STREAKS
• Brandon Rogers – 21-game on-base; 10-game hit; 16-game on-base in Big Ten Play (since April 27, 2025); 6-game hit in Big Ten play; 12-game on-base at home (since May 3, 2025); 5-game hit at home
• Sam Flores – 7-game hit
• Aaron Manias – 7-game on-base
• CJ Richmond – 6-game on-base
• Westin Boyle – 8-game on-base at home
• Dylan Drake – 7-game hit at home
• Eli Anderson – 7-game hit at home
ROGERS’ STREAKS
• 21-Game On-Base: .425/.506/.740, 6 2B, 3B, 5 HR, 25 RBI, 9 BB, 3 HBP, 21 R, 6 SB
• 10-Game Hit: 17-for-38 (.447/.500/.868), 4 2B, 4 HR, 17 RBI, 2 BB, 2 HBP, 9 R, 3 SB
BOILERMAKERS AMONG THE TOP 10 IN THE BIG TEN
• Trevor Kester-Johnson – 1st in Appearances (19); Also 1st Nationally
• Aaron Manias – 2nd in OBP (.500), 8th in HBP (10)
• Sam Flores – 3rd in Total Bases (75), 5th in Hits (44), 5th in Avg (.393), 5th in Doubles (10), 7th in SLUG (.670), 8th in OPS (1.134), 10th in RBI (31)
• Jake Kramer – 4th in Saves (5), 5th in Appearances (14)
• Eli Anderson – 5th in Steals (11), 5th in Avg (.400)
• Westin Boyle – T-5th in Triples (2), T-6th in Sac Bunts (3)
• Dylan Drake – T-5th in Triples (2), 10th in OPS (1.106)
• Cole Van Assen – 7th in Fewest Walks per 9 Innings (2.23)
• Zach Erdman – 8th in Strike-to-Walk Ratio (3.56), 8th in Fewest Walks per 9 Innings (2.34)
• Brandon Rogers – 9th in Avg (.378), 9th in SLUG (.659), 9th in OPS (1.116)
|
FEWEST GAMES AT ALEXANDER AMONG BIG TEN TEAMS (Since 2013) |
|||
|
Team |
Games |
Opponent Record |
Last Visit |
|
Maryland |
5 |
5-0 |
May 2022 |
|
Illinois |
9 |
6-3 |
May 2024 |
|
Michigan State |
9 |
4-5 |
April 2024 |
|
Indiana |
10 |
4-6 |
May 2024 |
|
Minnesota |
11* |
9-2 |
May 2021 |
|
*Also includes 4 games vs. Penn State (3-1 record) |
|||
|
FASTEST TO 20 VICTORIES – DATE OF 20TH WIN |
||||
|
Year |
Date of 1st Game |
Date of 20th Win |
Record at 20th Win |
Final Record |
|
2025 |
Feb. 14 |
March 25 |
20-4 |
31-23 |
|
2012 |
Feb. 18 |
March 31 |
20-4 |
45-14 |
|
2026 |
Feb. 13 |
TBD |
19-9 on April 2 |
TBD |
|
1991 |
March 2 |
April 3 |
20-4 |
35-21 |
|
1993 |
March 6 |
April 4 |
20-5 |
36-22 |
|
2024 |
Feb. 16 |
April 7 |
20-12 |
33-24 |
|
2022 |
Feb. 18 |
April 9 |
20-6 |
29-21 |
|
2011 |
Feb. 18 |
April 9 |
20-10 |
37-20 |
|
FASTEST TO 10 DOUBLES (Since 2001) |
|||
|
Year |
Boilermaker |
Date of 10th Double |
Season Total |
|
2025 |
March 9 |
22* (Season Record) |
|
|
2024 |
March 10 |
16 |
|
|
2012 |
March 24 |
20 |
|
|
2001 |
Nate Sickler |
March 24 |
21 |
|
2026 |
March 29 |
TBD |
|
|
2024 |
March 29 |
15 |
|
|
2011 |
March 29 |
17 |
|
|
2003 |
Simon Klink |
March 29 |
21 |
|
FASTEST TO 30 RBI (Since 2001) |
|||
|
Year |
Boilermaker |
Date of 30th RBI |
Season Total |
|
2025 |
March 15 |
62 |
|
|
2023 |
March 21 |
53 |
|
|
2024 |
March 22 |
69 |
|
|
2024 |
March 24 |
64 |
|
|
2022 |
March 25 |
56 |
|
|
2026 |
March 29 |
TBD |
|
|
2018 |
March 31 |
59 |
|
|
2009 |
April 4 |
51 |
|
|
LONGEST ON-BASE STREAKS SINCE 2001 (Single Season Only) |
|
|
Longer Than 30 Games |
23 Games |
|
* – Season-Ending Streak // ^ – Season-Opening Streak |
|
|
MULTIPLE GRAND SLAMS IN A SEASON IN THE BBCOR BAT ERA (Since 2011) |
|||||
|
Season |
Boilermakers |
Opponents |
Locations |
Innings |
Game Results |
|
2026 |
Sergio DeCello |
vs Marist |
Holly Springs |
B-6th |
W, 18-1 |
|
2025 |
Aaron Manias |
Ball State |
Alexander Field |
B-4th |
W, 14-4 |
|
2024 |
DePauw |
Alexander Field |
B-3rd |
W, 15-0 |
|
|
2021 |
at Minnesota |
Minneapolis |
T-3rd |
W, 12-5 W, 9-3 W, 20-6 |
|
|
2023 |
vs Akron |
Holly Springs, NC |
B-1st |
W, 13-0 W, 14-5 |
|
|
2016 |
Louisville |
Alexander Field |
B-6th |
L, 9-4 L, 9-8 |
|
|
2015 |
Rutgers |
Alexander Field |
B-7th |
W, 9-5 |
|
|
2012 |
Michigan State |
Lambert Field |
B-4th |
W, 6-2 |
|
|
BOILERMAKERS TO HIT MULTIPLE GRAND SLAMS (Since 2001) |
|||||
|
Dates |
Boilermaker |
Opponents |
Locations |
Innings |
Game Results |
|
4/16/2010 |
Penn State |
Lambert Field |
B-2nd |
W, 18-7 |
|
|
4/19/2008 |
at Ohio State |
Columbus |
T-3rd |
W, 8-0 |
|
|
4/02/2003 |
Daniel Underwood |
at Ball State |
Muncie |
T-5th |
L, 17-14 |
|
3/25/2026 |
UIC |
Alexander Field |
B-1st |
W, 18-13 |
|
|
3/08/2025 |
at Minnesota |
Minneapolis |
T-7th |
W, 11-6 |
|
|
3/15/2025 |
UIC |
Alexander Field |
B-8th |
W, 9-3 |
|
|
4/16/2024 |
Ball State |
Alexander Field |
B-7th |
W, 13-3 |
|
|
4/08/2023 |
at Minnesota |
Minneapolis |
T-9th |
W, 15-3 |
|
|
3/04/2023 5/20/2021 |
vs Akron |
Holly Springs, NC |
B-1st |
W, 13-0 W, 9-3 |
|
|
5/21/2021 |
at Minnesota |
Minneapolis |
T-3rd |
W, 12-5 |
|
|
3/22/2016 |
at Ball State |
Muncie |
T-2nd |
L, 9-8 |
|
|
4/16/2006 |
at Indiana |
Bloomington |
T-2nd |
W, 25-8 |
|
|
2/25/2005 |
Andy Dahl |
at FAU |
Boca Raton |
T-6th |
L, 6-4 |