Sitting atop the Big Ten standings but desperately needing to make a run up the RPI rankings, Indiana welcomes the Fighting Illini to Bart Kaufman Field for the final home series of the season.
Who: Illinois Fighting Illini (25-20, 9-9) at Indiana Hoosiers (29-17, 13-5)
Where: Bart Kaufman Field, Bloomington, IN
When: Friday, 6:05 p.m.; Saturday, 2:05 p.m., Sunday 1:05 p.m.
Last season when Indiana and Illinois met, there was no way of knowing that the matchup was one of two eventual NCAA tournament teams. While Illinois was well on its way to becoming the second national seed in Big Ten history (Indiana being the first in 2014), the Hoosiers were 4-5 in Big Ten play and in the middle of a stretch of pitiful play that ultimately required them to to go on a tear at the end of the regular season just to sneak into a regional.