Preview: Iowa Hawkeyes at Illinois State Redbirds

NORMAL, Ill. (Interstat) — The Illinois State Redbirds, riding a four-game winning streak, host the Iowa Hawkeyes in nonconference baseball action Tuesday at Duffy Bass Field.

First pitch is scheduled for a cloudy 46-degree afternoon.

The Redbirds (16-7) enter with momentum after sweeping a three-game series from Belmont, capped by a 9-3 victory Sunday. Right-hander Luke Teschke starred in that finale, allowing just two hits and one earned run over six innings with four strikeouts. Teschke, a key player to watch, has been a versatile arm for Illinois State, logging multiple innings in his last four appearances.

Iowa (11-8) salvaged the final game of its Big Ten series at Michigan State with an 8-3 win Saturday. Carter Geffre powered that victory, going 4-for-5 with a home run and four RBIs, while pitchers Kyle Alivo and Maddux Frese combined for 7 1/3 scoreless innings of relief.

A player to watch for the Hawkeyes is Matthew Delgado. He launched a two-run homer in Iowa’s 15-5 loss to Michigan State on Saturday, providing a bright spot in an otherwise quiet recent stretch at the plate.

Illinois State holds the edge in overall record and has been strong at home. Iowa seeks consistency after alternating wins and losses over its past six games.

According to Interstat’s game simulator, this contest projects to be a high-scoring affair, with a predicted final of Illinois State 7, Iowa 6.

Following this midweek matchup, Iowa returns home to host UCLA for a three-game series starting Friday. Illinois State opens Missouri Valley Conference play on the road at Evansville Friday.