Preview: Illinois Fighting Illini at Southern California Trojans

LOS ANGELES (Interstat) — The unbeaten Southern California Trojans will put their perfect record on the line Friday when they host the Illinois Fighting Illini in a nonconference baseball matchup at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena.

First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. PDT under clear skies with a game-time temperature near 68 degrees.

The Trojans (12-0), one of the nation’s remaining undefeated teams, enter riding significant momentum. They are coming off a 6-4 midweek victory over UC Irvine, part of a stretch where they have won four straight games against Cal Poly. Southern California’s pitching has been a cornerstone, posting three shutouts already this season.

Illinois (7-4) arrives having won five of its last six, including a 14-6 road win at Albany on Sunday. The Fighting Illini’s offense erupted for 14 runs in that victory, a surge they hope to carry west.

A key matchup will feature Illinois’ hot hitter against a reliable arm in Southern California’s bullpen. Fighting Illini outfielder Collin Jennings brings a powerful bat, having hit home runs in three of his last five games and driving in 10 runs over that span. In Sunday’s win, he went 2 for 4 with a homer and three RBIs.

For the Trojans, pitcher Cameron Fausset has been a steady late-inning option. He threw two scoreless innings of relief with two strikeouts against UC Irvine and has not allowed an earned run in three appearances this season.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a close contest, forecasting a 7-6 victory for Southern California. The service’s ELO rating system gives the Trojans a 61.2% probability of winning.

This game is the first of a three-game weekend series between the teams. They will meet again Saturday and Sunday in Los Angeles.

Following this series, Illinois will host Western Illinois before opening Big Ten play against Minnesota. Southern California will host Long Beach State and San Diego before hitting the road for a series at Northwestern.