CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Following its Big Ten Conference series opener at Iowa last weekend, the Fighting Illini softball team looks to continue their eight-game winning streak as they return to Eichelberger Field for a four-game home stand, first hosting Illinois State in a single game midweek BTN match-up on Wednesday (March 29) night at 5 p.m. CT. Illinois then welcomes in No. 6 Minnesota for its Big Ten home opening series this weekend, March 31-April 2. The Illini and the Gophers are set for a 5 p.m. start on Friday, followed by a 1 p.m. game time on Saturday and a noon first pitch on Sunday.
The Fighting Illini went 6-0 on the week, opening the home schedule with three-straight wins in a doubleheader sweep of UIC (7-5, 7-3) and a single game victory over Bradley (7-1), before heading to Iowa City, Iowa, for their Big Ten Conference series opener. The Illini swept the Hawkeyes (8-0 [5], 5-2, 7-4) to start off conference action at 3-0, marking the first time since 2009 that Illinois has opened conference play with three-straight wins.
The second NCAA softball RPI was released on Monday (March 27), with the Illini coming in at the No. 30 spot. The Illini, who came in at No. 22 in the season's first ranking last Monday, sit as the fifth-highest Big Ten team behind No. 11 Minnesota, No. 20 Michigan, No. 21 Ohio State and No. 23 Wisconsin. Also highlighting the Top 25 list are Illini opponents No. 3 Oregon, No. 5 Auburn, No. 12 LSU and No. 14 California.
WEEKLY STANDOUTS
- Senior Breanna Wonderly had a stand out week for the Illini, going 3-0 and earning her second save of the season with a 0.75 ERA after allowing just two earned runs on seven hits and three walks in 18.2 innings of work. She also totaled 11 strikeouts, two complete games and a shutout in those four appearances, with her opponents registering just a .115 batting average against the senior.
- In the first weekend of Big Ten play, Wonderly lowered her ERA to 0.51 in 13.2 innings as she held Iowa to just one earned run on four hits and struck out seven in her three appearances.
- Wonderly tossed just the 12th no-hitter in program history in a 8-0 five-inning win over Iowa in the Illini's Big Ten Conference opener last Friday (March 24). It was the first career no-hitter for the senior, who capped the victory with her fourth strikeout of the game.
- Wonderly started off the week with a win over Bradley, allowing just one earned run on three hits and stuck out four on Wednesday. She then finished up her week with a win and a save on Sunday at Iowa, as she allowed just one earned run on four hits and two walks and struck out two in the game one win, before entering in the bottom of the sixth and earned her second save of the season with 1.2 hitless innings of action in game two of the doubleheader.
- Senior Nicole Evans was an offensive force over the past week, registered a .375 batting average with six hits, including a team-high three home runs and a double, team-highs of 10 RBI and five walks, and seven runs and 16 total bases. She paced the Illini with a 1.000 slugging percentage and posted a .524 on-base percentage for the week.
- In the first weekend of Big Ten play, Evans registered a .500 batting average with five hits, five runs and six RBI, while also posting a 1.200 slugging percentage.
- Evans started off the week by hitting just her third-career grand slam against UIC on Tuesday, before following that up with a two-run homer on Friday against Iowa. Evans then finished her week with a four-hit – including her team-leading 11th dinger of the season - four-RBI, and four-run day in a doubleheader sweep against the Hawkeyes on Sunday.
- Sophomore Stephanie Abello led the Illini with a .500 batting average on the week, totaling 10 hits - including two doubles and two home runs - as well as seven RBI, five runs and a .900 slugging percentage.
- Senior Alyssa Gunther came out strong in her first Big Ten series, registering a .600 batting average with six hits, including one double, five runs and one RBI. She also tallied a .700 slugging percentage and a .636 on-base percentage.
ILLINI NOTES
- In the doubleheader sweep of UIC on Tuesday (March 21), the Illini had a pair of grand slams with senior Nicole Evans launching one in the first game, followed by Emily Brodner in the second. It is just the second time in program history that the Illini have knocked two grand slams in one day, with the first coming on February 9, 2007, when Kisten Martin and Shanna Diller each registered grand slams in an 11-5 win at FIU.
- The Fighting Illini have won eight-straight games dating back to March 18 and rank in a tie for the 12th longest winning streak in the NCAA.
- Individually, sophomore Stephanie Abello owns a 13-game reached base streak, as well as a 10-game hitting streak. Also in double figures is classmate Kiana Sherlund, who is riding an 11-game reached base streak.
- The Illini rank in the top 35 in the nation in several offensive categories, including ranking 14th in scoring with an average of 6.43 runs per game. UI also sits 18th in batting average (.327), 19th in slugging percentage (.508), 20th in doubles per game (1.57), 24th in home runs per game (1.0) and 34th in triples per game (0.27).
- Junior Annie Fleming leads the Big Ten and ranks third in the NCAA with 12 doubles on the season and is 10th with 0.4 doubles per game.
- Senior Nicole Evans has been a juggernaut at the plate and ranks in the top 12 in the nation in several categories, including sixth in total bases (82), seventh in RBI (39) and RBIs per game (1.3), ninth in home runs per game (0.37), 10th in home runs (11) and 12th in slugging percentage (.901).
NEXT UP
- Illinois continues Big Ten play with a midweek doubleheader at Northwestern on Wednesday (April 5), starting at 2 p.m. CT on BTN. The Illini then return to Eichelberger Field for a three-game series against Purdue on April 7-9.
