March 30, 2010
Illinois-Indiana State Game Notes (PDF) 
Indiana State (11-13) at #18 Illinois (23-4)
Eichelberger Field; Urbana, Ill.
Game 28: Wednesday, March 31 // 5 p.m. CT
Follow Along
Watch Online: Live stream at video.bigtennetwork.com ($2.99)
Live Stats: GameTracker on fightingillini.com
Illinois-Indiana State Series: Illinois leads 5-0
Last Meeting: Illinois 15, Indiana State 0 (4/10/02)
Streak: Illinois has won five straight
LEADING OFF
Illinois is...
...19-0 when scoring six or more runs
...17-3 when hitting a home run
...20-1 when leading after four innings
Illini Host Sycamores On Wednesday
After opening the Big Ten season last weekend, No. 18 Illinois hosts Indiana State in a mid-week game at Eichelberger Field. The Illini will be playing at home for just the second time in 28 games this season, opening 2010 at Eichelberger with an 8-7 victory over Illinois State on March 17. The Sycamores have never beaten Illinois in five match-ups between the teams.
Promotions At Eichelberger
All non-conference weekday games will feature $1 hot dogs at Eichelberger Field, beginning with the game against Indiana State. The On Deck Circle will also be hosting a meet-and-greet party following Wednesday's game, with free pizza for fans and a chance to meet and get autographs from the 2010 Fighting Illini.
Debut of Big Ten Student U
Wednesday's game will be streamed LIVE on video.bigtennetwork.com, marking the first time Illinois has hosted a Big Ten Student U event. The live stream can be purchased for $2.99.Student U programming is designed to give Big Ten students a chance to get real-world working experience in sports television. The Illinois-Indiana State color commentary will be conducted by UI students Eric Steckling and Samantha Singer. This spring, Illinois will have a total of eight softball games and nine baseball games streamed online. Next year, the Student U coverage will expand to include Illinois basketball, soccer, wrestling, gymnastics and volleyball.
Great Start
Illinois is off to a 23-4 start to the 2010 season, handily marking the best start in program history. The previous best start through 27 games was in 2003, when the Orange and Blue started the year 20-7. Three of the Illini's losses have come to ranked opponents in No. 2 Michigan, No. 9 Stanford and No. 18 Oklahoma State. San Diego State stopped Illinois' 10-game winning streak on March 14, which was just one off the school record of 11 consecutive wins set in both 2001 and 2003.
Moving Up The Rankings
Illinois stayed at No. 18 this week in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 after earning the same ranking last week. The Orange and Blue recieved their first ranking of the season on March 2, coming in at No. 21. The Illini also are ranked No. 20 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll for the second consecutive week. The Orange and Blue are approaching their highest ranking in school history, as the team finished the 2004 season ranked No. 17 in the NFCA poll.
Hackett Heats Up
Sophomore first baseman Meredith Hackett has been swinging the hottest bat on the team as of late, boasting an eight-game hitting streak and four home runs in the last five games. She was the only player to reach base more than once against #2 Michigan on March 27, going 2-for-2 with a home run and a walk. Hackett now leads the Illini and ranks second in the Big Ten with a .427 batting average after hitting .229 last year. She has already surpassed her RBI total from last season, with 28 so far this year compared to 21 as a true freshman.
How About That Offense
The second official NCAA statistical report came out on March 30, with the Illini offense ranked among the nation's best in several categories. Below is a list of where they stack up compared to the rest of the country through games played as of March 28:
Category NCAA Rank Stat
Runs Scored (avg.) 5 7.37
Win-Loss Percentage 10 .852
Batting Average 12 .332
Slugging Percentage 16 .533
Best In The Big Ten
Illinois has found success throughout the lineup this year, leading the Big Ten in almost every offensive category. As a team, the Illini rank first in the league in batting average (.332), slugging percentage (.533), on-base percentage (.416), runs scored (199), hits (244) and RBIs (175). For the season, the Illini are outscoring opponents 199-70 and have scored seven or more runs in 18 out of 27 games.
Individually, the Illini offense features three of the top four hitters in the Big Ten. Sophomore first baseman Meredith Hackett ranks second in the league with a .427 batting average, while senior outfielder Hope Howell and junior second baseman Danielle Zymkowitz (.411) rank third and fourth in the Big Ten, respectively.
Scouting the Sycamores
Indiana State is 11-13 overall prior to hosting Indiana on Tuesday. The Sycamores are looking to snap a seven-game losing streak against the Hoosiers prior to traveling to Champaign-Urbana to face the Illini. Indiana State is led by catcher Bailey Wittenauer, who is batting .333 for the season with 19 RBIs. In the circle, senior Meagan McCurdy is 5-8 with a 1.48 ERA and 88 strikeouts.
Big Ten Honor For Hackett
Sophomore first baseman Meredith Hackett was named Big Ten Player of the Week on March 22, receiving the accolade after batting .400 (8-of-16) at the USF - The Game Tournament and leading Illinois to a 4-1 weekend record. The Corona, Calif. native hit three home runs for a slugging percentage of 1.063, also leading the team with eight RBIs.
Illini Solid On The Mound
The Illinois pitching staff has had a very successful start to the season, with a team ERA of 2.03 that ranks second in the Big Ten. The Orange and Blue are much improved from last year, when the team posted an ERA of 4.17. The Illini have also already tallied eight shutouts in 2010 compared to just four in all of last season. Freshman Pepper Gay is off to a 9-0 start, ranking second in the Big Ten with an ERA of 1.38, while sophomore and staff ace Monica Perry is 11-4 with 76 strikeouts.
Perry had her best performance of the season so far against New Mexico at the Children's Hospital Invitational, pitching her third complete game shutout of the season and striking out a season-high eight batters. Gay's highlight thus far has been her performance at the NFCA Leadoff Classic, when she picked up three victories with a tournament ERA of 1.11, striking out a career-high seven batters and earning a shutout against Radford.
Freshman Jackie Guy and senior Ashley Wright have also been effective in relief for Illinois, giving up just six runs in 14 combined appearances.
Zymkowitz on a Tear
Junior second baseman Danielle Zymkowitz looks to already be in her 2009 All-American form as she is batting .411 to rank fourth in the Big Ten. Zymkowitz also ranks second in the league in runs scored (28) and fourth in hits (37). The team captain has 18 stolen bases on the season to rank 18th in the country and has gotten a hit in 22 of 27 games this season. Her career batting average is currently .365 which ranks first in Illinois history.
Home Sweet Opener
Illinois opened its season at Eichelberger Field on March 17, defeating in-state rival Illinois State 8-7 in a back-and-forth game. The Illini were able to take advantage of five Redbirds' errors, scoring four unearned runs. Catcher Audrey Gallien had a big day at the plate, with a double, home run and three RBIs.
NFCA Leadoff Classic Champs
Illinois was crowned champions of the NFCA Leadoff Classic on Feb. 28, going a perfect 5-0 over the weekend. In the 23-team field that featured seven ranked teams, the Illini and Missouri were the only teams with an undefeated weekend record, with the Orange and Blue earning the title due to their run differential over opponents. It was Illinois' second tournament title of the season, as the team opened 2010 with a perfect 5-0 record at the UNLV Sportco Kick-Off Classic.
Wedel Earns Conference Accolade
Sophomore third baseman Kelley Wedel became the first Illini to be named Big Ten Player of the Week in 2010, earning the honor on March 1. At the NFCA Leadoff Classic, Wedel led the team in batting average (.538), hits (7) and runs (7) while adding two doubles and a home run with a slugging percentage of .923. She had a particularly good game in the 12-2 win over Mississippi Valley State, with a double, home run, three runs scored and a career-high four RBIs.
All-Tournament Honors
Sophomore third baseman Kelley Wedel and redshirt freshman shortstop Jesica Davis were both named to the NFCA Leadoff Classic All-Tournament Team after leading Illinois to the tournament title. Wedel batted .538 (7-for-13) for the tournament with a slugging percentage of .923, while Davis hit .400 (6-for-15) with a slugging percentage of .867 and two big homers, including a walk-off against No. 22 Florida State on Feb. 26.
Walk-Off Win
Illinois picked up its second victory over a ranked opponent on Feb. 26, with a thrilling 4-3 come-from-behind win over No. 22 Florida State at the NFCA Leadoff Classic. The Illini were down 3-0 with no hits heading into the bottom of the sixth. With one out in the inning, Danielle Vaji and Danielle Zymkowitz hit back-to-back singles, and Hope Howell followed with a three-run homer to right center to tie the game 3-3. Redshirt freshman Jessica Davis then gave Illinois the walk-off win in the bottom of the seventh with a home run to dead center.
Heroic Howell
Senior captain Hope Howell was exceptional at the plate in Illinois' four wins at the Stanford Nike Invitational, batting a scorching .714 (10-for-14). She led the team over the weekend with 10 hits and six runs scored while also contributing four RBIs. In the Illini victories, the senior also led the team with an on base percentage of .733 and a slugging percentage of .786.
National Exposure
The Big Ten Network released its 2010 spring schedule, with Illinois softball receiving unprecedented exposure. The Illini will have five games televised nationally on the BTN, while an additional eight games will be streamed on BTN.com beginning with Wednesday's game against Indiana State.
In addition to the BTN coverage, WDWS AM 1400 will broadcast at least three Illini home games in 2010. Those games will also be streamed on fightingillini.com. The following is a list of the scheduled radio broadcasts:
Illinois on WDWS AM 1400
Thursday, April 15 vs. Eastern Illinois, 6 p.m.
Saturday, April 24 vs. Wisconsin, 3 p.m.
Saturday, May 15 vs. Minnesota, 1 p.m.
First Grand Slam of `10
Sophomore third baseman Kelley Wedel hit Illinois' first grand slam of the season against Kent State on Feb. 14, breaking a scoreless tie in the fourth and propelling Illinois to a 10-0 win. It was the first grand slam of Wedel's career and the 20th in program history.
Another Tough Slate
Illinois and head coach Terri Sullivan are known for scheduling the toughest schedule possible, embracing the theory that to be the best you have to play the best. In 2010, the Illini will face 19 teams that qualified for the 2009 NCAA Tournament, including four teams that advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals and two 2009 Women's College World Series participants in Missouri and Michigan. In total, five Illinois opponents in 2010 are ranked in the latest USA Today/NFCA poll.
OTHER ILLINI NOTES
World's Largest Softball Tailgate on April 24: Illinois will host its seventh annual World's Largest Softball Tailgate on Saturday, April 24 at 3 p.m. against Wisconsin. The annual event is a favorite in the Champaign-Urbana community, as fans come out to cheer on the Illini in an electric atmosphere with live music, games and tailgate food. Last year's WLST drew over 1,000 fans and was the third-best crowd in program history.
Sullivan Signs Two: Head coach Terri Sullivan signed two in-state athletes to national letters in intent in November. Illinois natives Alex Booker (Gurnee, Ill.) and Jenna Mychko (Union, Ill.) will join the Orange and Blue for the 2010-11 season. Booker is an outfielder known for her speed and athleticism, while Mychko is a catcher who has a career batting average of .496 at Huntley High School and brings leadership behind the plate.
Returning All-American: Second baseman Danielle Zymkowitz returns for her junior season after becoming the second Illini in history to earn All-America honors, coming off a 2009 season where was named the third-team second baseman by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. She finished the year batting .401, good for second in the Big Ten and third in Illinois' single-season history.
The West Hills, Calif., native led off every game in 2009 and reached base in 42 of 46 contests.
All-Big Ten Performers: Illinois returns the heart of its lineup in 2010 and four players who earned Big Ten accolades last season. Danielle Zymkowitz was named the first team second baseman, while rightfielder Hope Howell earned All-Big Ten second team honors for the third consecutive year. Leftfielder Hollie Pinchback and third baseman Kelley Wedel were also honored by being named to the conference third team.
Strikeout Queen: Righthander Monica Perry broke the Illinois single-season strikeout record during her freshman campaign, striking out 223 batters. The previous record was held by Amanda Fortune, who had 182 strikeouts in 2004. Perry carried a heavy load for Illinois last year, appearing in 44 of 46 games and making 39 starts.
