Some game times have been set for Illinois football this fall, including a Friday, September 29 game at 7 p.m. at home against Nebraska, and the Illini Homecoming game against Wisconsin on Saturday, October 28 at 11 a.m.
The CornBelters have won five straight thanks to a 5-3 victory at Gateway. The Belters scored three times in the second inning for a 4-0 lead and held off the Grizzlies, who issued nine walks to the Belters. Scott Sebald worked five innings with just one earned run for the win. Shawn Blackwell worked a perfect ninth including two strikeouts for his third save. Lefty Tyler Ihrig goes to the mound tonight in the series finale.
Former LeRoy Panthers hoops standout Matt Chastain has announced he’s coming to Illinois State. Chastain injured his knee three games into his freshman season at Loyola. He’ll have to sit out this season but will have three years of eligibility after that.
The Cardinals bounced back with a 2-1 win over the Dodgers. Dexter Fowler broke a tie with a home run in the eighth inning, and former Illinois State Redbird Paul DeJong doubled in the first Cardinals run in the second. The series concludes this afternoon at Busch Stadium as Brandon McCarthy and Adam Wainwright go the mound in a match-up of right-handers.
The Cubs have lost six in a row, the longest losing streak under Joe Maddon, after a 2-1 defeat at San Diego. The Cubs host the Cardinals tomorrow after taking today off.
The White Sox lost to the Red Sox 4-1. The South Siders also have today off.
Illinois State football coach Brock Spack has bolstered his defense Wednesday, with the addition of Notre Dame transfer linebacker Josh Barajas to the roster for the 2017 season. The redshirt sophomore, a 6-foot-2, 240-pound linebacker, heads to Illinois State with three years of eligibility remaining.
The Pittsburgh Penguins put together a more solid performance and beat the Nashville Predators 4-1 to take a 2-0 lead in the Stanley Cup Finals.
The NBA Finals open tonight as the Golden State Warriors host the Cleveland Cavaliers. It’s the third straight finals match-up between the squads.
White Sox television broadcaster Ken “Hawk” Harrelson plans to retire after next season. He works mostly road games currently and will work about 20 games next year, mostly home Sundays. Hawk is 75 and plans to stay with the club as an ambassador. Next year will be his 34th season in the booth.
