CHICAGO -- With the curtain set to close on the 2017 regular season, UIC heads to Wright State this weekend for a three-game series with its sights set on capturing the 12^th Horizon League regular season championship in program history, and second in the last three years.

UIC (35-13, 21-6 Horizon League) begins the weekend with a two-game lead over Wright State (34-18, 19-8) in the Horizon League standings. The Flames helped create that advantage by winning both games of a doubleheader at Granderson Stadium last Saturday, May 13. UIC's Jake Dahlberg, Connor Ryan and Alex Padilla combined to throw a one-hitter, while four different players drove in runs in a 5-0 shutout in the opener. The Raiders went ahead 1-0 in the sixth inning of the nightcap before the Flames scored five unanswered runs in the bottom of the sixth and bottom of the seventh innings. For a full recap of the Senior Day sweep, please click here.

On Sunday at Valparaiso, Jack Andersen, Charlie Cerny, Ryan and Padilla teamed up to allow only two hits in a 2-0 shutout of the Crusaders in the first game of a doubleheader. After rallying from three runs down with five tallies in the top of the fourth inning, UIC eventually fell in the second game, 7-6, to finish the second consecutive weekend that featured four games over a two-day span. For a full recap of the action at Valpo, please click here.

The Flames need to win at least one of the three games at Wright State this weekend to earn the conference championship and the right to host the Horizon League Tournament at Granderson Stadium beginning on Wednesday, May 24. WSU is the only other school with a chance to host that event depending upon this weekend's results. The field of six teams is set, however, with UIC, Wright State, Northern Kentucky, Valparaiso, Oakland and Milwaukee set to square off the the tournament title and Horizon League's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The first game of the series at WSU, which begins on Thursday, May 18 at 6:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. ET, will be streamed live on ESPN3. Live stats will be available for all three contests. Links are available in the box above or on UIC's schedule page.

More notes for this weekend's series at Wright State can be found below:

BEST OF THE BEST

• The 2017 Flames (35-13) became the fastest team in program history to reach 30 wins with a 1-0 walk-off win over Georgia Tech on April 28.
• This team beat the old record by one game, as the 2002 squad won for the 30th time in its 41st game.
• The 2002 and 2003 teams share the current program record for wins in a season with 39.
• UIC has now won at least 30 games a total of 13 times in program history and 10 times under head coach Mike Dee, including this campaign.
• Before this season, the program last won at least 30 games in 2008 (35). That season ended a streak of eight consecutive seasons with at least 32 victories.

PITCHING PROWESS

• The Flames rank third in the NCAA with an earned-run average of 2.59 through May 15 behind only No. 1 Oregon State and No. 2 Louisville.
• The lowest single-season ERA in program history belongs to the 2003 staff, which finished that year with a mark of 3.19.
• The team's WHIP (1.12) and Hits/9 (6.78) is second only to Oregon State (0.99; 6.31).
• UIC and Oregon State have pitched an NCAA-best 10 shutouts, with the Flames recording two in the last four games against Wright State & Valparaiso.
• The Flames own two of the top-three qualifying ERA's in the Horizon League in all games, and four of the top eight.
• Jake Dahlberg is first (1.80), Jacob Key is third (2.44), Reid Birlingmair is sixth (2.77), and Jack Andersen is eighth (3.26).
• Reliever Alex Padilla boasts a 0.53 ERA (2 ER/33.2 IP) out of the bullpen and a team-high seven saves. He has not allowed a run in 14 Horizon League outings with 17 strikeouts in 21.0 IP.

DEFENSIVE DANDIES

• UIC leads the Horizon League and ranks third in the NCAA with a fielding percentage of .984 through May 15. The team's 31 errors are tied for the second fewest in the country with Washington (Michigan - 30).
• The Flames boast a fielding percentage of .985 through 27 Horizon League games. They have been charged with 16 errors (0.59 per game).
• Second baseman David Cronin leads the Horizon League in assists with 161, while shortstop Cody Bohanek ranks second with 156. The next closest player, WSU's Matt Morrow, owns 132.
• Outfielder Scott Ota boasts the Horizon League's only spotless fielding percentage among qualifiers. He has added four assists from his post in right field. UIC first baseman Ricardo Ramirez is third in the League at .996.

DAHLBERG KEEPS DEALING

• Senior Jake Dahlberg set a career high with his ninth win of the season last time out against Wright State. It was his 23rd victory in a UIC uniform, which ranks fifth on the program's all-time list, one shy of Ryan Zink and Ryan Gehring.
• He ranks prominently among the national leaders in several statistical categories including: hits allowed per 9 IP (2nd; 4.66), WHIP (3rd; 0.88) and ERA (19th; 1.80).
• Opponents are hitting .153 against Dahlberg in 13 starts and he is the only Horizon League pitcher with a mark below .200 (teammate Reid Birlingmair ranks second at .204).
• The left-hander leads UIC with 69 strikeouts and he became the fifth pitcher in program history to reach 200 for his career last Saturday against Wright State. He fanned four Raiders and now ranks fourth on the all-time list with 203.

CALABRESE KEEPS CRUSHING

• Junior Rob Calabrese hit safely in a career-high 16 games before the streak came to an end in game two of a doubleheader at Valpo on Sunday. Calabrese slashed .475/.521/.729 during the stretch with 28 hits, 12 doubles, a home run, 18 RBI and 14 runs scored.
• The catcher reached base safely in 42 consecutive games before that streak concluded Sunday against the Crusaders. That was the longest streak for any UIC player since Justin Johnson's 39 in a row to conclude the 2006 season.
• Calabrese is batting a League-best .404 in conference games. He has 15 doubles in HL games to lead all players and 42 hits to rank tied for second.
• The Staten Island, N.Y., native leads the Horizon League and ranks seventh in the NCAA with 22 doubles. He leads UIC and is ranked second in the conference with 47 RBI.

LAUNCHING THE LONG BALL

• Six different UIC hitters, who are in at least their second season with the Flames, have set a career high in the home run category this spring.
• UIC's 38 team home runs are the most since clubbing 49 in 2010. That was the final season before the introduction of the Bat-Ball Coefficient of Restitution (BBCOR).
• Ricardo Ramirez leads the team and is tied for ninth in the Horizon League with nine home runs in 2017. That is the most since Jeff Boehm's 14 in 2015. His last home run was an inside-the-park shot against Milwaukee on May 6 (game 2).
• Rob Calabrese ranks second on the squad with seven home runs and his increase of +5 is the largest of anyone on the roster.
• Cody Bohanek is tied for third with six home runs and has an increase of +4.

TAKE IT FOR THE TEAM

• Senior Cody Bohanek has been hit by a pitch 17 times this season to lead UIC and ranks second in the Horizon League in that category.
• The Oak Lawn, Ill., native has been plunked 39 times as a member of the Flames, fourth-most in program history.
• Steve McGuiggan is UIC's all-time leader after being hit 53 times from 2008-11.

SAYONARA, SENIORS

• UIC honored its seven graduating seniors in a ceremony following a doubleheader against Wright State on May 13. The group includes: Jack Andersen, Cody Bohanek, Jake Dahlberg, Brandon Gibis, Ricardo Ramirez, Connor Ryan and Mitchell Schulewitz.
• Among the position players, Bohanek and Ramirez have started all 48 games this year entering this weekend, while Gibis has played in 46 with 40 starts.
• On the mound, Dahlberg (13) and Andersen (11) have combined for 24 starts, while Schulewitz (19) and Ryan (17) have 36 combined appearances out of the bullpen.

ELDER STATESMAN

• UIC's most experienced player, redshirt senior Jack Andersen, has provided a big lift to the pitching staff after missing the entire 2016 season following Tommy John surgery.
• Andersen owns four wins this spring, all of which have come in Horizon League play.
• His ERA of 1.94 in conference games leads not only the Flames, but the entire League.
• Two starts ago against Milwaukee (May 6), Andersen matched a career high with eight strikeouts over 6.0 innings of work. Last time out at Valpo (May 14), he allowed a season-low two hits and no runs with five more strikeouts and no walks.