Hoosiers set to play 1st place Illinois

Coming off its most lopsided loss of the season, the IU baseball team will look to rebound this weekend against the Fighting Illini of Illinois. The Hoosiers have not played a home game since April 6 when they defeated Indiana State 6-4. With their most recent loss, IU dropped its overall record to 19-16 on the year and its Big Ten record remains 3-9.\nDespite its recent string of losses, the Hoosier offense remains at the top of the Big Ten. IU holds a .328 batting average as a team and has produced 225 RBI, 36 more than Illinois who sits at second in the category. The Hoosiers also lead in doubles, triples and on-base percentage as well as base on balls. The combination of junior left fielder Jay Brant and junior designated hitter Zach Boswell has helped the Hoosier offense with both hitters holding a .400 batting average. Eight IU batsmen are currently batting more than .300 on the year, with junior first baseman Ryan Parker leading the squad in RBI and slugging percentage. However, while the offense has flourished, the team's combined fielding percentage of .951 is second to last in the Big Ten as the Hoosiers have committed 54 errors on the year.\nWhile the Hoosier offense ranks at the top of the Big Ten, the Illinois pitching staff is also ranked No. 1. The Illini staff holds a collective 3.72 ERA and a 20-10 record overall. Illinois senior first baseman Dusty Bensko has paced the Illini offense this year, leading the league in home runs and RBI.\nIU and Illinois are set to begin their series Friday afternoon with the first pitch at 3 p.m. at Sembower Field. The teams will meet again 1 p.m. Saturday for a doubleheader and 1 p.m. Sunday for the series finale.