CHICAGO - The Flames return to Horizon League action this weekend with a pair of doubleheaders.  These are the first "true" road conference games for UIC this season as they visit Youngstown State on Friday and Northern Kentucky on Sunday.  First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. CST in both series.

UIC stepped out of conference on Tuesday with a 9-2 win over Viterbo.  Ricardo Ramirez led the way with three hits and four RBI as the Flames captured their eighth straight non-conference victory.

The Flames are playing in their first Horizon League series away from Granderson Stadium this season.  In early April UIC was scheduled to play at conference foes, Milwaukee and Oakland but unplayable field conditions prompted a change of venue to Chicago where the Flames won five of those six games.  Currently the Flames (25-8, 13-2 in Horizon League) are riding a six-game winning streak, have won 21 of their last 23 games overall and trail Wright State by percentage points for the top spot in the league. 

UIC will open the road slate trip with a twinbill at Youngstown State on Friday.  The Flames swept a three-game set at Granderson Stadium on March 18-19 to open Horizon League action.   In that series the Flames outscored the Penguins, 14-2, posting back-to-back shutouts and limited Youngstown State to a .128 (12-94) average.

The weekend continues with a doubleheader at Northern Kentucky on Sunday, April 23. The two teams just met at Granderson Stadium this past weekend with UIC winning all three games.  The Flames batted .302 (29-96) and the pitching staff posted a 0.67 ERA (2 ER/27.0 IP) in the series.

Live stats for the Youngstown series are available by clicking above.