CHICAGO -- UIC will have a busy weekend with four games over two days this weekend as it hosts Oakland and Milwaukee in a pair of Horizon League doubleheaders at Granderson Stadium. The Flames will welcome the Oakland Golden Grizzlies on Friday, May 5, before hosting the Milwaukee Panthers on Saturday, May 6. The action on both days will begin at 11:05 a.m. CT.

The Flames (30-10, 16-3 Horizon League) sit atop the conference standings, one game ahead of Wright State (29-14, 15-4). Oakland (10-31, 7-12 Horizon League) is tied for fourth alongside Valparaiso, while Milwaukee (16-26, 6-13 Horizon League) is currently in seventh place entering the weekend. Both Oakland and Milwaukee have played three times at Granderson Stadium already this season. The Flames swept Milwaukee in a three-game set on April 1-2, and took two-of-three from the Golden Grizzlies between April 7-9. Both series were supposed to be road games for UIC, but unplayable field conditions moved the games to Chicago.

More news and notes about the Flames as they head into the weekend can be found below:

BEST OF THE BEST

• The 2017 Flames (30-10) became the fastest team to reach 30 wins in program history with a 1-0 walk-off win over Georgia Tech on April 28.
• The team beat the record by one game. The 2002 squad won for the 30th time in its 41st game.
• The 2002 and 2003 teams share the program record for wins in a season (39).
• UIC has won at least 30 games a total of 13 times in program history and 10 times under head coach Mike Dee.
• 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 second in the NCAA with an earned-run average of 2.58 through May 3.
• 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 WHIP (walks + hits per inning pitched)of 1.12 is second only to to top-ranked Oregon State (0.97).
• As a staff, UIC has pitched eight shutouts, including last time out vs. Georgia Tech (1-0). That number ranks the Flames tied for the NCAA lead.
• The Flames own three of the top six qualifying ERA's in the Horizon League in all games, and four of the top 10.
• Jacob Key is third (1.84), Jake Dahlberg is fourth (2.06), Reid Birlingmair is sixth (2.93), and Jack Andersen is 10th (3.70).
• Reliever Alex Padilla boasts a 0.62 ERA (2 ER/29.0 IP) out of the bullpen and a team-high five saves. His K/9 IP ratio is 8.1 and his K/BB ratio is 3.7, best for anyone with min. 20.0 IP.

DEFENSIVE DANDIES

• UIC leads not only the Horizon League, but ranks second in the entire NCAA with a fielding percentage of .985 through May 3.
• Shortstop Cody Bohanek leads the Horizon League in assists with 142, while second baseman David Cronin ranks second with 136. The next closest player, YSU's Shane Willoughby, owns 120.
• The Flames boast a fielding percentage of .988 through 19 Horizon League games.
• The team's average of 1.1 double plays turned per contest ranks seventh in the NCAA at this time.
• The Flames have turned 44 double plays this season, the 19^th-best total in the country.
• UIC has been charged with just 14 total errors in the last 31 games (0.5 per game) and is 26-5 in that span.

HAULING IN HARDWARE

• Senior Jake Dahlberg was named the Horizon League Pitcher of the Week on May 1. It was the League-high third time this season that he won the award.
• The Vancouver, Wash., native fired a season-high 8.0 scoreless innings against Georgia Tech (April 28), in which he scattered three hits and struck out six.
• He did not factor in the decision last Friday, but it was the eighth consecutive time that Dahlberg started and the Flames won.
• Dahlberg won UIC's seventh Horizon League honor this season. He also won on March 13 and April 10, joining Reid Birlingmair (April 3 and April 17) and Connor Ryan (Feb. 27) as Pitchers of the Week, and Scott Ota, who was named Batter of the Week on March 27.

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 34 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 eight home runs in 2017. That is the most since Jeff Boehm's 14 in 2015.
• Rob Calabrese ranks second on the squad with six home runs and his increase of +4 is the largest of anyone on the roster. Calabrese also leads the Flames and ranks second in the conference with 39 RBI.
• Cody Bohanek is tied for third with five home runs and has an increase of +3.

PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
vs. Oakland Golden Grizzlies
Game 1:  
    LHP Jake Dahlberg (7-1, 2.06 ERA) vs.
    RHP Aaron Dehn (0-1, 8.00 ERA)
Game 2:  
    RHP Ryan Campbell (1-1, 2.81 ERA) vs.
    RHP Connor Fannon (0-3, 6.06 ERA)

vs. Milwaukee Panthers
Game 1:  
    RHP Jack Andersen (3-1, 3.70 ERA) vs.
    TBA
Game 2:  
    RHP Jacob Key (5-0, 1.84 ERA) vs.
    TBA