MACOMB, IL – Western Illinois baseball comes home to finish off the regular season by facing the Eastern Illinois Panthers. The Leathernecks are 17-33 overall this season, 8-16 in conference play.

Who | Eastern Illinois

When | May 14-16 | 2:00 PM | 1:00 PM | 1:00 PM

Where | Alfred D. Boyer Stadium

Last Time Out

Western Illinois dropped all three games at Morehead State despite steady offense throughout the weekend. In Game 1, the Leathernecks got home runs from Liam Bushey and Kamryn Link, along with RBI from Joshua McClintock, but couldn't overcome an early deficit. Game 2 featured another back-and-forth battle, with Joe Connolly doubling twice, Wandel Campana hitting a home run, and Bushey driving in two, but WIU fell 4-3 on a walk-off in the ninth. In Sunday's finale, the Leathernecks erased a six-run deficit to tie the game in the eighth behind RBI hits from Connolly, Campana, Coburn, and Bushey, but Morehead State answered late again to take the series, despite WIU finishing with 11 hits in the game.

Scouting Eastern Illinois

The 2026 Eastern Illinois Panthers enter the season as a veteran-heavy, transfer-boosted group that will try to climb the Ohio Valley Conference standings by playing a more balanced, competitive brand of baseball. Offensively, they don't project as a big power lineup, but they have enough experience and versatility to put pressure on teams through contact, movement, and situational hitting.

Eastern Illinois vs WIU History

Since 1948, Western Illinois and Eastern Illinois have met on the baseball diamond 159 times, making it one of the most played and longest-running rivalries in WIU baseball history. Eastern Illinois holds the edge in the all-time series at 101–57–1. The matchup between the Leathernecks and Panthers is also believed to be the most frequently played series between Western Illinois and any single opponent in any sport in WIU Athletics history, underscoring just how consistently the two programs have faced off over the decades.

OVC Key Stats

• Liam Bushey ranks fourth in the OVC with 58 RBIs.

• Joe Connolly is ranked third in the OVC for runs scored, recording 59.

• Bushey is ranked sixth in the OVC for home runs, with 14. 

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