SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Drury baseball returns to the road for another Great Lakes Valley Conference matchup this weekend when the Panthers take on No. 25 Illinois Springfield for a four-game conference set, beginning with Friday's (March 20) 2 p.m., contest at UIS Baseball Field in Springfield, Ill.
The Panthers (12-9, 3-1 GLVC) claimed a 3-1 home series win over Lewis last weekend in their initial GLVC series of the season. This weekend the Panthers will conclude a 14-game stretch over which they will have played 10 contests against ranked foes.
Ranked No. 25 in this week's NCBWA poll, UIS (15-6, 4-0 GLVC) swept William Jewell in a four-game set in Liberty to open GLVC play last week.
Fans may follow the action through the GLVC Sports Network (subscription required), where games will be streamed live throughout the regular season. New for the 2025-26 academic year, viewing access to live broadcasts from GLVC regular season and postseason contests will be available via monthly subscription ($30) or annual subscription ($140). Single-event access can also be purchased for $15.
LEADING OFF
- The Panthers are celebrating their 20th season in 2026 and bring an overall program record of 555-419-1 into Friday's contest.
- DU is led by 14th-year head coach Scott Nasby, who has compiled an overall mark of 379-285-1 as the Panthers' all-time winningest coach.
- The Panthers are 2-5 this season vs. Top 25 foes; DU notched its second win over a top-10 team this season March 10 with a 14-13 victory over No. 8 Grand Valley State.
- Drury claimed a 3-1 home series win over Lewis last weekend in its initial GLVC series of the season.
- Ranked No. 25 in this week's NCBWA poll, UIS (15-6, 4-0 GLVC) swept William Jewell in a four-game set in Liberty to open GLVC play last week.
- Individually, OF Greydon Miller leads all GLVC hitters with his four triples and ranks fourth in slugging (.726) and sixth in RBIs (28).
- OF Luke Matschiner ranks third in the conference in runs scored (34), fourth in walks (22) and fifth in steals (13).
- Paced by SS Landon Willbrand's GLVC-best 66 defensive assists, the Panthers have turned a league-best 15 double plays this season.
SERIES HISTORY
- The Panthers bring a 17-16 all-time series edge over the Prairie Stars into Friday's game.
- UIS claimed the most-recent meeting vs. DU with its 5-2 win in the 2025 GLVC Tournament in Marion, Ill., last May.
- But the Panthers took three of four games in their last regular-season meeting with UIS at Mark Worley Field in April 2024.
- DU has claimed four of the last six contests in the series, dating back to 2023.
- Drury is 9-16 vs. UIS under head coach Scott Nasby dating back to 2013.
LAST TIME OUT
- No. 1 Pittsburg State overcame a two-run deficit by scoring seven runs over a three-inning span to outlast Drury in a 10-7 non-conference decision Tuesday afternoon at Al Ortolani Field.
- Logan Reidelberger keyed a Drury offense that wiped out an early 3-0 Pitt State advantage with a 3-for-4, four-RBI afternoon at the plate; the Panthers' senior first baseman delivered a two-run single in the third, then belted a two-run homer in the fourth to stake DU to a 5-3 lead.
- But the nation's top-ranked Division II club responded with a rally of its own, putting three runs on the board in the fifth to seize the lead for good, before tacking on two-run rallies in the sixth and seventh frames.
- From there, the Pitt State bullpen wrapped up the victory for the home club, with Bradley Neill and Cooper Crouch combining for 2 1/3 scoreless innings to secure the Gorillas' 11th non-conference victory in as many games this season.
PANTHERS IN THE POLLS
- Drury is receiving votes in this week's American Baseball Coaches Association's NCAA Division II Poll.
- DU enters this weekend's series 2-5 against ranked foes and will conclude a stretch of 10 games vs. top 25 clubs in their last 14 outings overall this weekend at UIS.
- The Panthers dropped their matchup with No. 1 Pitt State, but DU already has a pair of top-10 wins this spring.
- Drury's win over No. 2 UCM on Feb. 10 matched a program standard in terms of highest-ranked victories; the Panthers previously took down No. 2 Augustana in 2019.
- DU then notched its second top-10 victory of the season with a 14-13 win over No. 8 Grand Valley State on March 10.
- DU's victory over GVSU also gave it 13 wins over ranked opponents in the last decade (since 2016), with nine of those coming against top 10 clubs over the last eight seasons.
VITA LATEST PANTHER TO PICK UP GLVC HONOR
- Freshman LHP Anthony Vita became the fourth Panther to earn a GLVC Player or Pitcher of the Week honor this season with his selection as the league's Pitcher of the Week on Monday (March 16).
- Vita turned in 6 2/3 innings of scoreless relief in the Panthers' 8-7 win over Lewis in their conference opener last Friday.
- The Joliet, Ill., product entered the game with one out in the first inning after DU starter Kaleb Thomas left the game due to an apparent injury.
- After surrendering a base hit to the first Lewis hitter he faced, Vita dispatched six Flyers in succession and nine of the next 10 opposing batters overall.
- In all, he scattered six hits and fanned four hitters to earn his first career victory as a Panther.
- The honor is the first GLVC Pitcher of the Week award for Vita, who joins Connor Bain, Coleman Morrison and Jackson Crider on the list of DU standouts who have been honored by the GLVC this season.
STARTING STRONG
- Drury's 3-1 start to its GLVC season continues a trend of early success in conference play under head coach Scott Nasby.
- The Panthers have posted a .500 mark or better over the first two weekends of GLVC play in 12 of Nasby's first 13 seasons at the helm.
- DU has won at least five of its first eight GLVC games on seven occasions under Nasby, including five 6-2 starts (2013, 2017, 2018, 2022 and 2025).
LOOKING AHEAD
The Panthers will take on Lincoln in another GLVC road series next weekend, beginning with a 4 p.m. contest Friday (March 27) at Vivion Field in Jefferson City.
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