Eastern’s baseball team will take part in its version of rivalry week when the team takes the field against three in-state schools in the next nine days.

On tap for the Panthers will be a trip to Normal to face Illinois State on Tuesday and then home games against Chicago State on Wednesday and Northern Illinois April 8. Head coach Jim Schmitz noted that in-state games are important not only for the win-loss column, but for recruiting purposes as well.

“Oh yeah, it’s (wins) important for recruiting,” Schmitz said. “We want to show people in the state (about Eastern baseball). Most of the local talent goes to the University of Illinois, but a few blue-chippers go to the southern part of the state, so it helps to beat your rivals.”

While Schmitz believes the rivalries are key to a baseball season, catcher and designated hitter Brett Pignatiello downplays the significance of the games. Despite growing up and playing against some of the talent on Illinois State’s roster, the senior backstop from Tinley Park doesn’t find the wins any sweeter or the losses tougher when he is playing an in-state rival.

“Not really, because we know the guys on Illinois State and we’re friends,” Pignatiello said.

Schmitz values the in-state games but doesn’t find it harder to coach against kids he may have tried to recruit or coaches he has developed a friendship with.

“No, it’s not harder to coach (against state schools),” Schmitz said. “You just try to enjoy the rivalry.”

Pitcher Damon White admits he doesn’t follow the Eastern rivalries extremely closely, but he does realize the significance of winning from the school standpoint.

“Obviously it’s (defeating local schools) important for bragging rights,” White said.

Although Schmitz enjoys playing the state schools, one thing he will not do is fix his pitching rotation to force Illinois State, Chicago State and Northern Illinois to face his top arms. Schmitz has one rotation that faces the non-conference teams and another that he uses on the weekend when the Panthers battle conference foes.

“No, we base it (pitching rotation) on who goes during the mid-week rotation and who goes in the weekend rotation,” Schmitz said. “That is not something we look at.”

Pignatiello refuses to let the in-state opponents add pressure to his game. He finds facing the local schools no different than out-of-state opponents on the Panthers schedule.”

“No, I don’t think it is any harder,” Pignatiello said. “We know the team, the area and the players.”

Pignatiello may not think it’s harder to play the in-state schools, but he does believe the Panthers have a nice rivalry going with the Northern Illinois Huskies. The boys from DeKalb boast an impressive 13-9 record and have defeated two Big Ten teams (Michigan and Illinois) this season.

“NIU is our biggest rivalry because we’ve beaten them before, and I don’t think they like us,” Pignatiello said. “Plus, they have a really good squad this year.”

Schmitz disagrees with his catcher when it comes to Eastern’s biggest rivalry. The three-time Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year said Illinois State is the Panthers’ biggest rival.

“Illinois State, because we go against them a lot, and they are not far from us,” Schmitz said.

Eastern’s rivalry week will start Tuesday when the Panthers meet the Redbirds in Normal.