Maryland heads to Champaign, Illinois this weekend for its fourth Big Ten series of the year. The Terps will take on the Illinois Fighting Illini in a three-game series from Illinois Field.

Despite a 22-11 blowout win over Northwestern last Sunday, winning hasn’t come easy for the Terps in the new-look Big Ten. The Dirty Terps have yet to win a conference series this year, losing each one of those sets 2-1. 

Maryland is also coming off a 5-2 midweek loss to UMBC, putting the Terps back below .500 at 14-15 overall. 

With Maryland desperate for a series win, here’s what to know about the Fighting Illini as they host their first Big Ten series of the campaign.

Illinois Fighting Illini (15-11, 4-5 Big Ten)

Last Season 

The Fighting Illini finished first in the Big Ten regular season standings in 2024 — 35-21 overall with an 18-6 record in Big Ten play. 

Despite entering the conference tournament as the No. 1 seed, Illinois immediately faced an 8-4 upset loss to Penn State. With the Big Ten Tournament being double elimination, the Fighting Illini kept their tournament hopes alive with a 4-2 win over Iowa. But their run ended in the following game after falling to Michigan, 4-2.

Illinois made the NCAA Tournament as a No. 3 seed in the Lexington Regional. After beating Indiana State 4-1 in its first game of the tournament, Illinois quickly exited the double-elimination bracket with a 6-1 loss to Kentucky and a 13-2 defeat against Indiana State.

This Season

The Fighting Illini haven’t replicated last season’s success thus far. Illinois started the year 6-4 prior to conference play, and fortunes have been up and down ever since. It now sits at 15-11 overall.

Last weekend, the Fighting Illini picked up their first Big Ten series win of the year by taking two of three from Michigan State. They won the first two games of the series before losing 14-4 in just eight innings last Saturday.

Nevertheless, Illinois enters the upcoming series with midweek momentum, after besting Illinois State 8-2 on Tuesday.

Hitters to Watch

Junior infielder Jack Zebig, a transfer from Division-II Maryville University, has had an impressive start to his D-I career. Zebig currently leads the Fighting Illini in hits (36) and RBIs (33). He’s also posting a .345 batting average with a 1.044 OPS and six home runs.

Fellow transfer Nick Groves has also been a standout bat in the Illinois lineup. Formerly of Niagara, the junior outfielder currently leads Illinois in batting average (.357) and walks (25). Groves has also tallied 30 hits and 16 RBIs. 

Pitchers to Watch

Left-handed reliever Zach Bates has been a steady feature out of the Fighting Illini bullpen this season. Through 10.1 innings of work, the sophomore has posted a 2.61 ERA with nine strikeouts. Bates also hasn’t allowed a run in his last three appearances. 

While starting pitching quality has been a significant inconsistency for Illinois this season, right-hander Ben Plumley has been one of the more reliable options.

In a solid start last weekend, Plumley tossed six innings, striking out seven, while allowing only three hits, two walks, and one earned run against Michigan State. The redshirt junior leads Illinois in strikeouts (30) and currently holds a 5.88 ERA. 

Probable Starters

Friday, April 4: LHP Kyle McCoy vs. RHP Tyler Schmitt

Saturday, April 5: RHP Logan Hastings vs. RHP Ben Plumley

Sunday, April 6: RHP Jake Yeager vs. LHP Regan Hall