ISU returns to the road with midweek game at NIU

[April 10, 2012]  DeKALB -- The Illinois State baseball team begins a five-game road trip Tuesday with a nonconference, midweek game at Northern Illinois. The Redbirds (19-10) are scheduled to play Northern Illinois (8-23) at 3:05 p.m., followed by a weekend Missouri Valley Conference series at league-leading Missouri State.

ISU will try to win its 20th game of the year when it travels to DeKalb after dropping 2 of 3 to conference foe Wichita State last weekend. The Redbirds will count on senior right fielder Eric Aguilera, who hit .471 (8 for 17) with four RBIs and one run, including one home run and one double, last week against Eastern Illinois and Wichita State. He is now batting .333 this season.

Aguilera was the hero in Illinois State's win against Wichita State on Saturday afternoon. With the game tied 5-5 in the bottom of the ninth, he drove in Zac Johnson to secure ISU's walk-off victory. The Redbirds are now hitting .307 as a team, compared with Northern Illinois' .243 average. Illinois State also boasts the highest on-base percentage (.404) in the Valley, and ISU is tied with Wichita State for most stolen bases (55).

NIU's offense is led by Alex Jones, who is batting .330 with a team-best 21 RBIs, including 11 doubles, one triple and one home run.

The Huskies plan to start sophomore right-hander Eli Anderson (1-1, 6.66 ERA), while the Redbirds will counter with junior right-hander Brad Sorkin (1-2, 4.91 ERA).

Illinois State and Northern Illinois split the two games against each other last season.

[Text from news release from John Twork, Illinois State University]