March 27, 2018 - As it happens, the Concordia-Chicago baseball team's action at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse last Friday did not mark their final tune-up before the start of conference play this weekend. The Cougars have just announced a single game for tomorrow, March 28 against the NCAA Division I University of Illinois. First pitch will be at 4 p.m. at Illinois Field in Champaign.

The game will count on both team's season records and statistics but not on either team's RPI, a factor used in NCAA tournament selection. Both sides are ranked among their peers, with the Fighting Illini (15-5) ranked 22nd in the Baseball America poll and 25th in the D1 Baseball poll. The Cougars (12-3) moved up a spot in two polls released this morning, going from fifth to fourth in the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) poll, and from sixth to fifth in the D3Baseball.com poll.

Recent cancellations created the circumstances for both teams to add this game to the schedule. Illinois' scheduled game against Bradley was canceled today, while Concordia-Chicago saw earlier games against Webster University and Wartburg College wiped from the schedule. The addition of the North Park game last Thursday made up for one of the cancellations, and now the addition of the Illini will return the CUC regular-season schedule to 40 games.

One of the side stories to Wednesday's game will feature a little sibling rivalry. Andrew Massey, CUC's senior starting first baseman, will be competing against his brother and starting second baseman for the Illini, Michael Massey. 

The game will be broadcast on live stats at http://www.sidearmstats.com/illinois/baseball/. Audio coverage can be found at http://fightingillini.com/watch/?Live=2587&type=Live and video at http://fightingillini.com/watch/?Live=2588&type=Live.