Photo by: Steve Branscombe
Baseball Battles Former MVC Rival Illinois State this Weekend
3/20/2018 7:58:00 PM | Baseball
Omaha, Neb. -- In the first meeting between the two schools since Creighton joined the BIG EAST in 2014, the Bluejays travel to Normal this weekend to face Illinois State in a three-game series beginning Friday at 4:30 pm.
Download the complete preview (PDF).
Probable Pitching Matchups (2018 Stats) - Based on Last Week's Starts
Friday                                               ERA   W-L   App   GS   CG   SHO   IP   H   R   ER   BB   SO
CU - Ryan Tapani (Sr.-RHP)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 1.48Â Â Â 3-0Â Â Â 5Â Â Â 5Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 30.1Â Â Â 28Â Â Â 7Â Â Â 5Â Â Â 13Â Â Â 31
ISU - Brady Huffman (So.-RHP)Â Â Â Â 2.96Â Â Â 1-2Â Â Â 6Â Â Â 5Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 27.1Â Â Â 23Â Â Â 14Â Â Â 9Â Â Â 12Â Â Â 30
Saturday                                           ERA   W-L   App   GS   CG   SHO   IP   H   R   ER   BB   SO
CU - Mitch Ragan (Jr.-RHP)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 4.81Â Â Â 1-1Â Â Â 5Â Â Â 5Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 24.1Â Â Â 27Â Â Â 14Â Â Â 13Â Â Â 12Â Â Â 16
ISU - Brent Headrick (So.-LHP)Â Â Â Â 7.40Â Â Â 1-2Â Â Â 5Â Â Â 5Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 24.1Â Â Â 32Â Â Â 24Â Â Â 20Â Â Â 11Â Â Â 18
Sunday                                           ERA   W-L   App   GS   CG   SHO   IP   H   R   ER   BB   SO
CU - TBA
ISU - TBAÂ Â Â
Scouting the Bluejays (2018: 10-6, 0-0 BIG EAST)
The Bluejays finished their week off with a 2-1 result, beating Kansas State midweek before splitting the home opening series with Wichita State.
Creighton hosts South Dakota State Tuesday night before traveling to face former Missouri Valley Conference foes in Illinois State.
The Bluejays will hope to return to their early season production offensively after a cold home seires doused production. Emodi leads the team in home runs (7) and RBI (28) and tops the nation in RBI per game (1.75).
Ryan Tapani continues his hot start to the season as Creighton's ace after throwing career highs in innings and number of pitches against Wichita State.
Bluejays vs. Illinois State
Creighton leads Illinois State 72-36 in head-to-head play.
This will be the first meeting between the two sides since the Bluejays last season in the Missouri Valley Conference in 2013, where the Redbirds took two of three contests.
About Illinois State
The Redbirds are currently on a four game losing streak after a solid 8-5 start to the
campaign.
Illinois State has yet to play a game in their home stadium, as its scheduledhome opned on on Tuesday against Illinois was washed out.
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Illinois State enters the week hitting .295 as a team, led by John Rave's .403 average.
On the hill the Redbirds have a 6.50 team ERA, including a 2.50 and 2-0 record from Colton Johnson.
Emodi Leads NCAA in RBI Per Game
Junior Michael Emodi has had an incredible last nine games. During that stretch he has seven home runs and 17 RBI.
That stretch has valuted the Bluejay catcher to the NCAA lead in RBI per game with 1.75 this season, while he is seventh in home runs per game at 0.44. Â
Baaack to Back (*Drake Voice)
Familiar with going yard in back-to-back games this year, Michael Emodi now is the owner of back-to-back BIG EAST Player of the Week. A five RBI outing midweek to Kansas State and a walk-off home run in Saturday's home opener against Wichita State saw the Creighton catcher earn his fourth weekly award of the year.
Tapani Collects Honor Roll Nod
After receiving his first Pitcher of the Week award last week, Tapani followed up with earning a spot on the weekly BIG EAST Honor Roll after throwing a career high 111 pitches and 7.1 innings against Wichita State in the home opener.
Emodi's Late Game Heroics
In the first game of the series between the Shockers and Bluejays, the contest remained even throughout the course of the contest. 1-1 in the bottom of the 9th, Emodi stepped up to the plate and delivered a two-run moonshot on a 2-2 count to walk off and earn a win for the Bluejays, tallying his seventh home run of the year as well as his 27th and 28th RBI on the season.
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Download the complete preview (PDF).
Creighton at Illinois State
March 23Â @ 4:30 pm
March 24 @ 2:00 pm
March 25 @ 1:00 pm
Stats: creighton.statbroadcast.com
Video:
Friday: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/3304498/creighton-vs-illinois-state-baseball
Saturday: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/3304606/creighton-vs-illinois-state-baseball
Sunday: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/3304395/creighton-vs-illinois-state-baseball
March 23Â @ 4:30 pm
March 24 @ 2:00 pm
March 25 @ 1:00 pm
Stats: creighton.statbroadcast.com
Video:
Friday: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/3304498/creighton-vs-illinois-state-baseball
Saturday: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/3304606/creighton-vs-illinois-state-baseball
Sunday: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/3304395/creighton-vs-illinois-state-baseball
Probable Pitching Matchups (2018 Stats) - Based on Last Week's Starts
Friday                                               ERA   W-L   App   GS   CG   SHO   IP   H   R   ER   BB   SO
CU - Ryan Tapani (Sr.-RHP)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 1.48Â Â Â 3-0Â Â Â 5Â Â Â 5Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 30.1Â Â Â 28Â Â Â 7Â Â Â 5Â Â Â 13Â Â Â 31
ISU - Brady Huffman (So.-RHP)Â Â Â Â 2.96Â Â Â 1-2Â Â Â 6Â Â Â 5Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 27.1Â Â Â 23Â Â Â 14Â Â Â 9Â Â Â 12Â Â Â 30
Saturday                                           ERA   W-L   App   GS   CG   SHO   IP   H   R   ER   BB   SO
CU - Mitch Ragan (Jr.-RHP)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 4.81Â Â Â 1-1Â Â Â 5Â Â Â 5Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 24.1Â Â Â 27Â Â Â 14Â Â Â 13Â Â Â 12Â Â Â 16
ISU - Brent Headrick (So.-LHP)Â Â Â Â 7.40Â Â Â 1-2Â Â Â 5Â Â Â 5Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 24.1Â Â Â 32Â Â Â 24Â Â Â 20Â Â Â 11Â Â Â 18
Sunday                                           ERA   W-L   App   GS   CG   SHO   IP   H   R   ER   BB   SO
CU - TBA
ISU - TBAÂ Â Â
Scouting the Bluejays (2018: 10-6, 0-0 BIG EAST)
The Bluejays finished their week off with a 2-1 result, beating Kansas State midweek before splitting the home opening series with Wichita State.
Creighton hosts South Dakota State Tuesday night before traveling to face former Missouri Valley Conference foes in Illinois State.
The Bluejays will hope to return to their early season production offensively after a cold home seires doused production. Emodi leads the team in home runs (7) and RBI (28) and tops the nation in RBI per game (1.75).
Ryan Tapani continues his hot start to the season as Creighton's ace after throwing career highs in innings and number of pitches against Wichita State.
Bluejays vs. Illinois State
Creighton leads Illinois State 72-36 in head-to-head play.
This will be the first meeting between the two sides since the Bluejays last season in the Missouri Valley Conference in 2013, where the Redbirds took two of three contests.
About Illinois State
- Located in Normal, Ill.
- The Redbirds were picked to finish fifth in the 2018 Missouri Valley Preseason Poll.
- Illinois State finished the 2017 season with a 16-40 record, finishing eighth in conference action.
- Bo Durkac enters his fourth season in charge for the Redbirds, posting a 68-113 record in his tenure as the Illinois State Head Coach.
The Redbirds are currently on a four game losing streak after a solid 8-5 start to the
campaign.
Illinois State has yet to play a game in their home stadium, as its scheduledhome opned on on Tuesday against Illinois was washed out.
Â
Illinois State enters the week hitting .295 as a team, led by John Rave's .403 average.
On the hill the Redbirds have a 6.50 team ERA, including a 2.50 and 2-0 record from Colton Johnson.
Emodi Leads NCAA in RBI Per Game
Junior Michael Emodi has had an incredible last nine games. During that stretch he has seven home runs and 17 RBI.
That stretch has valuted the Bluejay catcher to the NCAA lead in RBI per game with 1.75 this season, while he is seventh in home runs per game at 0.44. Â
Baaack to Back (*Drake Voice)
Familiar with going yard in back-to-back games this year, Michael Emodi now is the owner of back-to-back BIG EAST Player of the Week. A five RBI outing midweek to Kansas State and a walk-off home run in Saturday's home opener against Wichita State saw the Creighton catcher earn his fourth weekly award of the year.
Tapani Collects Honor Roll Nod
After receiving his first Pitcher of the Week award last week, Tapani followed up with earning a spot on the weekly BIG EAST Honor Roll after throwing a career high 111 pitches and 7.1 innings against Wichita State in the home opener.
Emodi's Late Game Heroics
In the first game of the series between the Shockers and Bluejays, the contest remained even throughout the course of the contest. 1-1 in the bottom of the 9th, Emodi stepped up to the plate and delivered a two-run moonshot on a 2-2 count to walk off and earn a win for the Bluejays, tallying his seventh home run of the year as well as his 27th and 28th RBI on the season.
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Players Mentioned
2013 Creighton Athletic Hall of Fame Inductee Dan Smith
Friday, October 30
Jim Hendry & Alan Benes (4/11/11)
Friday, October 30
CREIGHTON BASEBALL
Thursday, October 15
Ambidextrous Pitcher
Thursday, October 15