CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - In a midseason schedule addition, Illinois and No. 24/RV Missouri have agreed to a midweek single game matchup set for Wednesday, March 8 on the campus of Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. CT, with the designated home team decided by a pre-game coin flip.
WEEKEND STANDOUTS
- Illinois is coming off a 4-1 weekend at the LSU Invitational, earning a pair of wins over Troy, as well as victories against Illinois State and FAU. The lone loss of the weekend came at the hands of then-No. 13/12 LSU, who scored three unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take the win.
- Senior Nicole Evans led the Fighting Illini at the LSU Invitational over the weekend, posting a .353 batting average and six hits – with four of the six going for extra base hits, including two doubles, a triple and a home run – as well as a team-high six RBI, three runs and 13 total bases. She added a .765 slugging percentage and owned a 1.000 fielding percentage with nine putouts.
- Evans' weekend was highlighted by two-hit (going for a double and a triple), two-run and two-RBI effort against FAU on Friday and a 2-for-4 performance with three RBI and a run against Troy on Saturday.
- Junior Annie Fleming posted a team-high .438 batting average in Baton Rouge, with seven hits - including four doubles, two runs and two RBI.
- Redshirt-freshman Veronica Ruelius had a breakout weekend for the Illini, registering a .333 batting average and three hits while starting four games as the designated player.
- Senior Breanna Wonderly secured two of the four wins in the circle at the LSU Invitational this weekend. Wonderly registered a team-low 1.27 ERA after allowing just four earned runs on 21 hits and eight walks, while striking out 11 in 22.0 innings.
- Wonderly started and went the distance in all three games she saw action in, including a nine-inning affair against FAU. Against the Owls, Wonderly allowed just two unearned runs, four total, on eight hits and three walks, while striking out four. In her second win of the weekend against Troy, Wonderly gave up just three runs, only two earned, on seven hits and two walks, while striking out four. In the senior's only loss on the weekend to No. 13/12 LSU, Wonderly allowed three unearned runs - all coming in the fifth frame – on six hits and three walks, while striking out three.
ILLINI NOTES
- After a 4-1 weekend, the Fighting Illini softball team have won six of their last seven games and had a five-game winning streak going until the setback to No. 12/12 LSU.
- Individually, sophomore Kiana Sherlund owns an eight-game hitting streak dating back to the doubleheader at Kennesaw State on Feb. 25.
- Also streaking is junior Annie Fleming, who is riding a 10-game reached base streak after reaching safely during all five games at the last two tournaments, the I-75 Challenge and the LSU Invitational.
- Defensively, the Illini have been sharp to start the 2017 season and rank 15th in the NCAA and second the Big Ten with a .978 fielding percentage after only committing 11 errors through 18 games. In total, the Illini have recorded 362 putouts and 138 assists in 511 chances and have fielded eight double plays.
- Offensively, the Illini have outscored their opponents, 105-68 and rank 28th in the country and third in the Big Ten with a .328 batting average and are 35th in the NCAA and fourth in the conference with a .502 slugging percentage. The Orange and Blue are averaging 5.83 runs per game to sit 47th in the nation in that category, as well as 31st in home runs per game (1.00), 73rd in doubles per game (1.44) and 107th in stolen bases per game (1.11).
- The Illini have registered 170 hits through 18 games this season, with 29 percent of their hits going for extra bases, including 26 doubles, five triples and 18 home runs.
- The Illini have three players that rank in the top 15 in the conference in batting average. Junior Annie Fleming leads the trio with a .453 average to rank sixth in the Big Ten, while senior Nicole Evans is 12th at .410 and sophomore Kiana Sherlund is 14th at .390.
- Junior Annie Fleming owns 10 doubles on the season to rank second in the NCAA and is seventh with 0.56 double per game, while also ranking 18th with 48 total bases, 20th with 29 hits, 84th with 1.06 RBIs per game and 87th with a .453 batting average.
- Senior Nicole Evans ranks in the top 30 in the nation in several categories, including ranking sixth in the nation with 54 total bases and is ninth with seven home runs so far this season. She is also 14th with 23 RBI, 17th with 0.39 homers per contest, 26th with 1.28 RBI per game and 30th with a .885 slugging percentage.
- Joining Evans in the home run rankings is sophomore Stephanie Abello, who's six long balls sits her 18th in NCAA and is 28th with 0.35 homers per game.
NEXT UP
- The Illini will break for a week before welcoming Northern Illinois on Wednesday, March 15 for its 2017 home opener at Eichelberger Field for a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. CT.
