Columbus, Ohio - Illinois captured the #5 seed for the 2015 Big Ten Tournament and open play against #12-seed Purdue in the first game of the weekend at Noon Eastern in Columbus, Ohio. The winner of game one advances to face #4-seed Northwestern at Noon Eastern on Friday, May 8.
The 2015 Big Ten Tournament will follow the same format as the past two seasons, a single-elimination bracket featuring the top 12 teams, seeded according to the regular season standings, with the top four seeds earning a first-round bye (#1 Michigan, #2 Minnesota, #3 Nebraska, #4 Northwestern). With the expansion of the league this year, #13 Wisconsin and #14 Michigan State did not qualify for this season's tournament.
The #5 seed is the Illini's highest seed since 2004, when the #2-seed Illini advanced to the Big Ten Championship. The Illini have finished fifth or higher in the Big Ten standings three times since then (2009, 2010, 2011), but all during the Big Ten Tournament's four-year hiatus.
Illinois looks to advance to the Big Ten Quarterfinals for the second straight season, after #9 Illinois topped #8 Iowa, 6-0, in the 2014 First Round. The Illini are 8-12 all time in the Big Ten Tournament, advancing to the Championship game once (2004), but still looking for their first-ever Big Ten Tournament title.
Michigan leads all teams with eight Big Ten Tournament championships, while Iowa, Northwestern and Minnesota are next with two titles each, and Ohio State, Michigan State and Wisconsin have each won once.
BATTLING THE BOILERMAKERS
Illinois owns the all-time series with Purdue, 19-3, including winning two out of three games with the Boilermakers in teh 2015 final home series. The Illini crushed the Boilermakers, 9-1, in five innings on April 24, then split a pair of extra inning games on April 26, winning the finale, 8-7, to claim their fifth-straight Big Ten series victory.The Illini are 10-8 all time against Purdue away from home, but dropped their sole neutral-site matchup on March 11, 2006, in Clearwater, Florida.
HITTING THAT HOT STREAK
After a slow start to the season, the Illini hit their stride in late March by sweeping Indiana after putting up a total of 40 runs over the three-game weekend series on March 28-29. The series sweep launched an about-face to the program, as the Illini dumped an 8-20 start by finishing the regular season 18-6 to close play with an even 26-26 overall record.
The recent surge led to the Illini's best performance in Big Ten play since 2010, finishing fifth in the Big Ten with a 14-9 record and slashing nearly every offensive Illini record. Sophomore hurler Jade Vecvanags broke the Illini's record for Big Ten victories on April 26 with her conference-leading 12th win. Meanwhile, after scoring just 118 runs in the first 28 games (4.2 rpg), the Illini offense put up 204 runs over the last 24 games (8.5 rpg), and led the Big Ten in batting average, hits, total bases and sacrifice flies during conference play.
DOUBLE TROUBLE
The Illini offense has produced a school-record 1.79 doubles per game, ranking fifth in the nation in total two-baggers. Junior Allie Bauch is a key contributor to this feat, producing 18 doubles on the year, which ranks second in the Big Ten and 11th in the nation and is one shy of the all-time Illinois record. Additionally, Carly Thomas and Nicole Evans have 15 and 14, respectively. All three broke the Illini's previous Big Ten play record, led by Thomas with 12, while Thomas broke the rookie record for two-basers as well.
B1G SUCCESS
The Illini put together the most offensively productive Big Ten season in program history, setting team records for batting average, slugging percentage, on base percentage, runs scored, hits, doubles, home runs, total bases, RBIs and sacrifice flies.
Individually, Carly Thomas, Alyssa Gunther, Allie Bauch, Nicole Evans, Jess Perkins and Jade Vecvanags tore through the record books, tying or breaking a total of 10 program records for Big Ten play. Thomas broke the doubles, hits, RBI and total bases records and posted the second-best batting average and slugging percentage in Illini history. Her 71 total bases in Big Ten play set a new all-time conference record, breaking Indiana catcher Michelle Venturella's mark of 69 sat back in 1994 over a 28-game season. Perkins surpassed Thomas for the RBI record, while Gunther tied the triples mark and set new records for runs scored and double plays turned. Perkins and Ruby Rivera both matched the most sacrifice flies, while Evans tied the home run record. Bauch broke the previous runs, doubles and double plays records but was surpassed by a teammate in each category, and fnishd in the top five all time in batting average and on base percentage, while Thomas and Evans posted two of the top-three slugging percentages. Additionally, Jade Vecvanags captured the most Big Ten wins in Illini history, and secured the fourth-most strikeouts.
LOVING THE LONG BALL
The Illini have hit 67 home runs on the season, ranking fourth in the Big Ten and 26th in the nation, as well as third among single-season totals in Illinois history.
The Illini posted a 13-game home run streak from March 28-April 17, slugging 30 long balls during that stretch. It was the second-longest streak in Illinois history, trailing only the 2007 Illini, who hit 34 homers during a 14-game streak from March 3-25 en route to the nation's most home runs (84).
Sophomore Nicole Evans is leading the charge, as she is second in the Big Ten and 19th in the nation with 18 home runs, which ranks second all time at Illinois. Her nine dingers in Big Ten play tied the Illini record and rank sixth all time in Big Ten history.
Additionally, the Illini have hit three grand slams on the year, two by Carly Thomas and one from Allie Bauch, which is the most since 2009.
THOMAS TAKES HOME TWO B1G HONORS
Carly Thomas was named Big Ten Co-Player and Co-Freshman of the Week on April 20 after leading the Illini to three wins and their fourth straight Big Ten series victory. The rookie became the first Illini to earn two Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors since the award began in 2011 and the first ever to collect three weekly honors, as she previously took home Freshman of the Week on March 30.
Thomas led the conference by driving in 10 runs over four games, slugging 1.077 with three doubles and a home run. She collected two hits and at least one RBI in every game, including going 2-for-3 with a home run and five RBIs in the Wisconsin series finale. Additionally, she hit two doubles with three RBIs and a sacrifice fly in the series opener.
A SEASON FOR THE BOOKS
The 2015 Illini are having one of the best offensive seasons in program history, posting a program-high .328 batting average and .542 slugging percentage while ranking second all time with an on base percentage of .399. The 2015 Illini sit in third all time with 97 home runs, second with 93 doubles and 775 total bases, third in hits and fourth in runs scored and RBIs. The Illini broke the program record for sacrifice flies on April 18, and have recorded the second-fewest strikeouts ever.
Individually, Allie Bauch ranks in the top seven in all three averages, sitting in seventh in batting average (.403), sixth in slugging percentage (.710) and fifth in on base percentage (.485). Alyssa Gunther ranks 10th with a .346 batting average, while Nicole Evans' slugging percentage of .719 is good for fifth.
With 18 home runs on the season, Evans is second all time in long balls, while Bauch is second with 18 doubles and the pair fourth and second, respectively, in total bases. Jess Perkins broke the season record for sacrifice flies and Gunther is third with four triples.
CARLY'S KILLING IT
Illini freshman Carly Thomas has exploded offensively during the Orange and Blue's recent tear, leading the Big Ten in batting average and total bases during conference play, and ranking second in hits and doubles and fourth in slugging percentage. She is among the Illini's all-time leaders during Big Ten play, holding the second-best batting average and slugging percentage, while breaking the all-time doubles, hits, RBI and total bases records. Her 71 total bases in Big Ten play set a new all-time conference record, breaking Indiana catcher Michelle Venturella's mark of 69 sat back in 1994 over a 28-game season.
On April 10, Thomas broke the all-time Illini freshman record for home runs with her eighth long ball of the season, and she currently leads all Illini rookies with a .372 batting average and .641 slugging percentage. Additionally, she is second in on base percentage and doubles, and broke the rookie records for RBIs and total bases during the Purdue series.
BEAT THE BEST TO BE THE BEST
- Illinois played 23 regular-season games against teams that participated in the 2014 NCAA Tournament, including four opponents that advanced to the Super Regionals.
- The Illini have played eight games against four teams that were ranked in the NFCA and ESPN.com polls, with three games against teams that were receiving votes.
- According to the NCAA RPI, Illinois has played eight games against top-25 opponents, including two at #7 UCLA. The Illini have played 16 games against teams in the top 50, with wins over #32 Mississippi State and #35 Northwestern, and a total of 23 against top-100 foes.
- The Illini took on then-No. 12/10 Georgia twice on opening weekend, but dropped both contests.
- Illinois split a pair of contests with RV Mississippi State, falling 9-8 but bouncing back to hand the Bulldogs their first loss of the season, 4-3. The Bulldogs appeared in the top 25 on March 17.
- The Orange and Blue took on No. 13/15 UCLA on their home turf on March 6 and 7, but came up empty in the pair of matchups.
- Illinois opened Big Ten play against No. 15 Minnesota, and the three-game series included a fantastic three-hitter pitched by Jade Vecvanags, despite a 3-2 loss in the game.
- Illinois faced No. 20 Missouri on March 25 in St. Charles, Missouri. The Illini dropped game one, 17-5, and pouring rain prevented a chance at revenge in the nightcap.
- Illinois split a doubleheader at #35 Northwestern on April 22, and will get a rubber match should the Illini advance to the Big Ten Quarterfinal.
- The Illini closed the regular season with a three-game series at #47 Nebraska, where they took game two, 12-10.
- Throughout non-conference play, the Illini were scheduled to face teams from 15 different leagues, including three from the powerhouse SEC.
- The 2015 slate includes four teams that won their conference last season and four that captured their conference tournament crown.
- Of their 52 regular-season games, just 16 will be played at Eichelberger Field, while the remaining 36 are slated to take place away from home.
- Illinois' Big Ten draw features five of the top six teams from last season, including Big Ten Co-Champion Nebraska and Big Ten Tournament Champion Minnesota.
FACING FIREPOWER
In addition to facing some of the top teams in the nation, the Fighting Illini have gone up against some of the NCAA's best pitchers. Illinois' batters have faced two of the top-three pitchers in the nation in terms of total strikeouts, seeing #2 Krista Menke (NDSU) and #3 Sara Groenewegen (Minnesota) start four consecutive games from March 17-22, and faced Lilly Fecho (9th) three times on April 24-26. Menke ranks third in shutouts, fifth in wins and eighth in hits allowed, while Groenewegen is in the top 10 all three categories as well.
The Illini took on UCLA's Ally Carda on March 6. A top-three finalist for National Pitcher of the Year in 2014, Carda ranks in the top 15 in shutouts, wins, hits and strikeouts. Carda and Groenewegen are among the 26 candidates selected as finalists for 2015 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year.
Despite facing all-star firepower, the Illini rank sixth in the nation in doubles, 22nd in slugging percentage, 26th in home runs and batting average and 37th in runs scored.
TREND-SETTER
Allie Bauch has registered 20 home runs since the start of 2014, 12 of which have led off an inning. In all-but-three of the 19 games that Bauch has homered, a second Illini has also hit a home run, and in 11 of those 16 games, a teammate followed her lead.
BAUCH, THOMAS EARN B1G WEEKLY AWARDS
Allie Bauch and Carly Thomas were influential in the Illini's sweep of Indiana and were honored with Big Ten weekly awards on March 30. Bauch was named Big Ten Player of the Week after going 10-for-14 with three doubles, a home run and eight runs over the four games against No. 20 Missouri and Indiana, reaching base at least three times in every contest including going 4-for-5 with two doubles, three runs, a stolen base and scoring the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh in game two against Indiana.
Thomas was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week and College Sports Madness Big Ten Player of the Week for hitting .643 with a 1.429 slugging percentage on the week. She led the conference by driving in 13 runs over the week, including a school-record-tying seven RBIs in the series finale. She began the week by going 2-for-3 with a bases-clearing double vs. the No. 20 Tigers, and ended the week going 3-for-4 with two home runs including a grand slam in the series finale.
MAKING A SACRIFICE
On Feb. 20, Jess Perkins became the first Illini ever to record two sacrifice flies in a single game, doing so against New Mexico. The three sac flies by the team in the game also tied the all-time record set April 27, 2013, at Michigan State.
On April 18, Perkins broke the all-time career record, driving in her eighth sacrifice fly against Wisconsin, while also tying the single-season record with her fourth. Four days later, Perkins drilled her ninth career sac fly, setting a new single-season record with her fifth of the year. The senior has since extended her lead with six this year and a total of 10 for her career.
GOING STREAKING
Heading into the final game of the regular season, Allie Bauch had put together a 24-game reached-base streak, the fourth-longest single-season streak in school history. Nicole Evans and Jess Perkins were not far behind, reaching safely in 17 games from April 3-28. Evans had the longest hitting streak of the year, hitting safely in 11 straight games from April 3-18, while Carly Thomas has
hit safely in 26 of the last 29 games, including an eight-game multi-hit streak from April 10-22, and brings a 16-game reached base streak into the postseason.
