The Mid-American Conference champion Northern Illinois University baseball team will face the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers in the opening round of the NCAA Tallahassee Regional.
The game is scheduled for Friday, May 29, 2026, at 7 p. m.
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CT at Dick Howser Stadium.
Northern Illinois enters the double-elimination tournament after a program-record 35th victory. The Huskies defeated Toledo 5-1 to clinch their first-ever MAC Tournament title.
Coastal Carolina earned an at-large bid as the No. 2 seed after finishing second in the Sun Belt Conference with a 37-21 record.
Northern Illinois holds the No. 3 seed at 35-17.
First Meeting Between Programs
This marks the first-ever baseball matchup between Northern Illinois and Coastal Carolina.
The Chanticleers reached the Men's College World Series championship series last year and won the national title in 2016.
The regional is hosted by No. 10 national seed Florida State, which opens against No. 4 seed St. John's.
Key Players and Stats
Northern Illinois senior pitcher Max Vaisvila is scheduled to start Friday's contest.
Vaisvila is 8-0 this season with a 3.04 ERA, striking out 85 batters across 83 innings.
The Huskies have drawn a school-record 277 walks this season, going 27-7 when walking at least five times in a game.
Outfielder Wyatt Wawro ranks third in the MAC with a . 507 on-base percentage, while graduate first baseman Gavin Baldwin leads the team with 15 home runs.
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